New here - looking for info for my husband

[Joe's Wife]

Hi, My name is Amber. My husband did a sleep study the 3rd of April and finally got in to see the doctor to get his results yesterday.

The doctor said he had moderate sleep apnea, that he stopped breathing 15 times during the test and his oxygen saturation was 70%. He did not want my husband to go back to work because he drives and operates heavy machinery for a living. But he insisted that he HAS to work and so the doctor wants to put a rush on his second study with the machine.

Not sure how accurate the test was because he came home that morning about 7:30 am saying he slept horribly because he was afraid to rip the wires and leads off. He then proceeded to get in bed and sleep till around Noon.

I guess I am here wanting to learn more about the process of getting the machine and how it will affect our lives.

I hope it will solve the snoring problem that requires me to wear headphones to sleep but also I need him to have energy again he is so tired all the time. Not to mention how scatterbrained he has become.

Looking forward to gaining knowledge from you experienced folks.

[Janknitz]

Hi Amber--your husband already has great support from you and that's going to help his success a lot. You will find a lot of great information here.

If all is working well, your husband should not snore on the machine. That is the first and most immediate benefit.

It may take him time to acclimate to the machine and mask, but once he does, he should gradually get his energy back and it should have a very positive effect. Plus, he will be safer in his work.

Some people begin to feel better immediately, but that is a small percentage. It will take some time and patience, but very worthwhile in the end.

[pdean44]

There is a learning curve to get set up with the right gear and to learn to sleep with it. Once you over come those hurdles he will feel his energy returning. Be more alert which will make for a safer worker on the job. Not to mention more restful nights for yourself. There are a lot of great tips to look out for when selecting your machines and head gear and mask. do as much reading as you can now. The folks here are awesome. They will walk you through the small problems that arise. I am fairly new and working through the process myself. I know i feel better than i did without it. I know i can do better yet though. I want my life and energy back. To not feel like it is a chore just to get through the day. I believe you will both find it a blessing. The 1st week is tough as you get used to sleeping with the gear. Once you get past that and listen to tips here he will be doing great. I wish you both a lot of luck and look forward to hearing from you.

[Wulfman]

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Den

[Big Daddy RRT,RPSGT]

Hi, My name is Amber. My husband did a sleep study the 3rd of April and finally got in to see the doctor to get his results yesterday.

The doctor said he had moderate sleep apnea, that he stopped breathing 15 times during the test and his oxygen saturation was 70%. He did not want my husband to go back to work because he drives and operates heavy machinery for a living. But he insisted that he HAS to work and so the doctor wants to put a rush on his second study with the machine.

Not sure how accurate the test was because he came home that morning about 7:30 am saying he slept horribly because he was afraid to rip the wires and leads off. He then proceeded to get in bed and sleep till around Noon.

I guess I am here wanting to learn more about the process of getting the machine and how it will affect our lives.

I hope it will solve the snoring problem that requires me to wear headphones to sleep but also I need him to have energy again he is so tired all the time. Not to mention how scatterbrained he has become.

Looking forward to gaining knowledge from you experienced folks.

Amber,
Many people don't sleep well during their first sleep study. Not sleeping well will not give you sleep apnea, in fact many people will have more apneas during deep sleep so if anything it may be under reporting the seriousness of his sleep apnea. A low oxygen saturation of 70% is very serious especially if it occurs frequently. Lacking "energy" and being "scatter brained" can be symptoms of sleep apnea and poor oxygen levels at night.

The doctor will probably order a CPAP sleep study. It is important to remember, this first night on CPAP in the sleep lab does not represent how cpap will be at home. First all the wires, strange bed, being watched etc make it more difficult. Also they will be adjusting the cpap pressure and this can disturb his sleep and he has never worn a mask to sleep so he may not love it at all that first night.

The main predictor of success for treatment with CPAP is willingness. If he doesn't want it to work it probably won't. If he is ready to work at it, it probably will. Some people sleep and feel better right away, others have to work at it for a period of days or weeks. If after a few weeks of using is new equipment consistently he is not making progress then he should follow up with his sleep doctor. The doctor can order changes...mask changes, humidifier changes, pressure changes, temporary sleeping pill, Auto CPAP, or later maybe BiPAP (different kind of unit). The most important thing is for him not to suffer in silence but ask for help.

How it wil affect you lives? Well if he wears it, you will probably feel better right away as he will no longer snore or stop breathing so you can sleep. He may struggle at first but once he gets used to wearing CPAP he will start sleeping and feeling better. After a while most people who commit to cpap sleep and feel better and won't try to sleep without it.
Good Luck

[Joe's Wife]

Amber,
Many people don't sleep well during their first sleep study. Not sleeping well will not give you sleep apnea, in fact many people will have more apneas during deep sleep so if anything it may be under reporting the seriousness of his sleep apnea. A low oxygen saturation of 70% is very serious especially if it occurs frequently. Lacking "energy" and being "scatter brained" can be symptoms of sleep apnea and poor oxygen levels at night.

The doctor will probably order a CPAP sleep study. It is important to remember, this first night on CPAP in the sleep lab does not represent how cpap will be at home. First all the wires, strange bed, being watched etc make it more difficult. Also they will be adjusting the cpap pressure and this can disturb his sleep and he has never worn a mask to sleep so he may not love it at all that first night.

The main predictor of success for treatment with CPAP is willingness. If he doesn't want it to work it probably won't. If he is ready to work at it, it probably will. Some people sleep and feel better right away, others have to work at it for a period of days or weeks. If after a few weeks of using is new equipment consistently he is not making progress then he should follow up with his sleep doctor. The doctor can order changes...mask changes, humidifier changes, pressure changes, temporary sleeping pill, Auto CPAP, or later maybe BiPAP (different kind of unit). The most important thing is for him not to suffer in silence but ask for help.

How it wil affect you lives? Well if he wears it, you will probably feel better right away as he will no longer snore or stop breathing so you can sleep. He may struggle at first but once he gets used to wearing CPAP he will start sleeping and feeling better. After a while most people who commit to cpap sleep and feel better and won't try to sleep without it.
Good Luck

I did kind of assume that the number of times he stopped breathing could be under represented becasue he slept so badly during the study.

They already scheduled his CPAP study for tonight! The doctor was serious when he said he was going to put a rush on it.

[Colin Southern]

Hi Amber,

I've been a "hose head" for a couple of years now (and I haven't missed a single night!) ... so hopefully something to contribute.

Some random thoughts ...

- Snoring stops dead in it's tracks!

- I've never been a "morning person" so I still don't wake up bright-eyed and bushy tailed - but I don't feel drowsy in the slightest when driving in the morning anymore - and Ionly need about 6 to 7 hours sleep now whereas before you could easily add at least another couple of hours to that. In fact it took me a while to catch on to this, but I found myself waking up quite early and being quite restless / not being able to sleep for a while ... turned out the problem was I'd already HAD ENOUGH QUALITY SLEEP ... so personally I have to be careful to avoid going to bed at something like 9pm because I'm going to be awake at around 3 or 4am!

- I'm convinced that long-term success comes down to ones mental approach; if one just KNOWS that they're going to hate the damn thing then that's exactly what happens - however - if one takes the attitude that "it's just something you do" (like brush your teeth / wash your face etc) then it just isn't a big deal. Personally I don't mind putting the mask on one little bit. On the "down side" there will be occasions when I sleep on a funny angle and wake up to find that the mask has pressed in a bit hard on one side or something like that ... but on the "up side" we can do things that others can't ... like completely disappear under the sheets and blankets on a cold night or put a pillow OVER our heads if there's too much light in the room (which I think more than compensates for the down-side).

My CPAP experience did get off to a bit of a shaky start though -- my therapist started me on a nasal mask ... but (a) that creates a pressure differential between nose and mouth that I found uncomfortable and (b) it put pressure under my nose which made my top teeth a bit sore (It seemed to me like it was going to eventually act like a dental brace and cave my teeth in!) - so next up we tried an oral mask with a couple of things that went up my nose which (a) was uncomfortable and (b) leaked at higher pressures (frankly it was the most ridiculous contraption). I tried a mouth only solution, but that created a pressure imbalance again and dried my mouth out something chronic (even with the humidifier) - so I eventially switched to a full face mask and lived happily ever after. So am I saying that a full face mask is the only way to go? ... well no - but that's how is was for me. Apparantly some people feel a bit claustrophobic in a FF mask ... luckily I'm not one of them, and so for me it was a perfect solution.

I'd suggest not "over-analysing" it - just get hubby on to it and enjoy.

PS: Putting the unit under the bed can make it a bit quieter

Hope this helps

[DoriC]

I don't think I'd put the machine under the bed, too much dust floating around. My husband has his machine on the nightstand which sits slightly lower than the mattress. It sits on top of a nice thick mouse pad which muffles the sound although it's not really noisy anyway, just a quiet soothing hum. His hose has a soft flannel cover (by Padacheek) and goes up over the headboard. He uses a Regeneris buckwheat pillow( by Pursleep). Just educate yourself here, ask questions and have patience. It will be worth it, I promise.

[Colin Southern]

I don't think I'd put the machine under the bed, too much dust floating around.

Hi Dori,

I think if it were just down on the floor then dust might be more of an issue, but under the bed seems to be just fine (in my case anyway). I've only cleaned the inlet filter 2 or 3 times in the 2 years I've had the unit, and even then although the dust buildup was visible in the filter, it wasn't even a moderate buildup.

[DoriC]

What's the difference between "on the floor" or "under the bed"? It's still sitting on carpeting or some type of flooring that attracts dirt and dust. I've never seen a recommendation here to put the machine on the floor or under the bed. I guess you could do a search here for the best place to put your machine.

[Colin Southern]

What's the difference between "on the floor" or "under the bed"?

I guess that if it's on the floor beside the bed then dust settles on it whereas if it's on the floor under the bed then the bed shields that area of the carpet from the dust. Perhaps we have a better vacuum cleaner than most - who knows - all I know is it works just fine for me, and makes the unit considerably quieter.

[dwsupt]

Amber- It will sometimes depend on the delivery system used. I use a liberty full face mask(covers mouth and has nasal pillows. I still (according to wife) snore. Difference is I have my machine set to APAP and it will begin ramping up the pressure to overcome the obstruction. At some point the higher pressure starts my mask leaking, I wake up, reset the machine (sometimes making a pitstop) and then go back to sleep. I awake refreshed and feeling better. My BP has gone down 20 points on therapy! I wish I could say that I also lost 30 pounds, but alas I still fight that war. Tell your husband to hang in there. The snoring will probably get better or go away.

[Needsleep75]

Just a quick note as far as quiteness goes. The newer machines have gotten a good deal quiter now so you might not even notice the sound of the machine. I recently was diagnosed myself with severe sleep apnea with AHI of 69.4 (all hypopneas) and lowest O2 sat of 85% and was given a resmed S9 Elite by my DME and that machine is so quite I can't even tell its running and its on the nightstand right by my head.

I have been on CPAP for a little over a week and I noticed a immediate difference. I don't snore now plus I don't have to have my afternoon naps which had become a daily ritual because I was so exhausted all the time. Before I could sleep all night then go back to sleep after I took my kids to school and sleep all morning and still be tired. Just make sure you get a good mask that you are comfortable with is the big thing. Some DME give you a exchange period if you don't like the mask they will let you switch it out once. Mine gives me 30 days before I have to just keep the one I have.

I can't stress enough also to do research on the machines and decide the one you want beforehand and get a good model. Forewarned is Forearmed so go in knowing. If you can get the doc to write the script for the machine you have chosen that you want its that much easier with the DME. My dme didn't give me any issues but mine is probably the exception and not the norm.

[LinkC]

Amber-- A couple of things I think are more important than what part of the floor you place the machine :

You and Joe can take the "set and forget" approach (which works fine for millions of patients) or you can monitor and adapt his therapy based on results. IF you want to go the second route, you will need to push for an appropriate machine from the beginning. Upgrading later is difficult and expensive, usually. You'll want a machine which records data (more than just "compliance data", which is basically the hours of use per night). If you can talk your sleep doc into writing the prescription for a specific machine, that's the easiest way. Or you can push for it with the DME (equipment provider)...it may get ugly if it's not on the 'script.

You might also press your doc for an "Auto" machine. I think they are all "full data" machines, and have some advantages for many patients. They can be run in Auto or straight-CPAP mode, so you have some flexibility.

But the time to educate yourself, decide what you want, and make sure you get it is NOW...before you get stuck with a bare bones model.

Those of us who monitor think (ok...KNOW!) we get better therapy, or we wouldn't fool with it.

But the vast majority of OSA patients do OK on set-and-forget bare-bones machines. It's up to you and Joe. (The fact you inquired here does seem to indicate which group you may be in... )

Best of luck! Keep in touch!!

[Joe's Wife]

I surely want him to get the most benefit from the machine! Of course with my daughter's Insulin pump already eating away at this year's DME $5000 yearly cap, we may have to pay out of pocket for a bare bones model.