Questions for Veterans

[johnb2]

Hi,

I finally registered and have some questions to ask veterans. Firstly, I have my CPAP just over 2 weeks. My wife says I don't snore anymore when I wear the mask. However here lately I find myself pulling off the mask when it makes that loud burping sound and I feel like I can't breathe and leaving it off until she wakes me to put it back on. I assume this is just an adjustment phase. Hopefully.

Also, I didn't notice any surge of energy which I anticipated. How long does it take to get that "second" wind so-to-speak?

Finally, I read where someone was talking about dreams they were having. I am just the opposite. Prior to CPAP I had an active dream life with real intense dreams about my prior worklife and stressful situations. Now, no dreams at all. I don't wake up with the sense of being real rested either. I know, give it time, but how long?

Best regards,

John

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP

[Patrick A]

My wife says I don't snore anymore when I wear the mask. However here lately I find myself pulling off the mask when it makes that loud farting sound and I feel like I can't breathe and leaving it off until she wakes me to put it back on. I assume this is just an adjustment phase. Hopefully.

John I went thru the same thing. I have found that if you wipe the mask it seems to not make farting sounds.
I took the mask off a couple of times but you will get use to it. It might take you a bit but it will happen. I felt tlike I could whip my weight in wildcats. Do hand stands and backflips. I ever did not fall asleep anymore while "She who must be Obeyed" (my wife) was talking to me. I have found that since I have lost over 100 pounds my mask seems to sound and make noise now I am thinking about getting a new mask. I am waiting for my Doctor order another sleep study so I can have my CPAP lowered. my machine is set a 20.
I have been on the CPAP for almost 1 year. and I feel great.
Good Luck.
Himself

[littlebaddow]

Hi John

I've been on the machine for nearly 18 months and I can relate with your experiences so far.

My wife is delighted that I no longer snore so heavily. There's still a bit of snorting and the gentle sound of the machine and the airflow, but she tells me she will trade those anyday for the former orchestral performances

I recall having vivid dreams around the time I started to use the machine and I'm sure they continued for the first few weeks. Now, I have a 'normal' dream pattern and often can't remember dreaming. When I do, the dreams are usually innocuous, though of course sometimes strange

More importantly, I didn't feel the sudden improvement that some people report. For me it was gradual, over a period of 2 or 3 months and it was at least a month before I started to notice the improvement.

Keep with it and I'm sure you will notice an improvement. In my experience, you may not get and don't need a eureka moment.

Good luck.

[sir_cumference]

HI

For me the the mask issue was all important, I just couldn't cope with a nasal mask and it wasn't until I tried the breeze that I actually ended up with something that really helped. In fact, I wonder if quite a lot of my problem is more to do with the upper airway (nose and back of nose) so that when I moved to a breeze and away from a nasal mask it made such a difference? Who knows!

Anyway, about the energy thing. For me it has been a slow curve. At first I did notice a bit, but it was short lived and I found I had a tendency to over do it. But as the months rolled on my energy increased slowly, and it wasn't until I could compare my life against significant milestones i.e. Christmas before treatment verses Christmas after treatment - that I began to realise just what a difference treatment was making.

We are all different, some respond with speed and strength that the rest of us just envy, but a lot of us move forward slowly bit by bit, and sometimes it seems so slow that we hardly notice. BUT - the change is real and there will come a time when you will see just what a difference treatment has made to your life.

Cpap is a pain, and there will be days when the whole thing seems unbearable, but if you bear with it, learn as much as you can, ask as many questions as you need, you will learn how to adapt your treatment to best suit your need and that is the recipe for success.
sir_c

[johnb2]

Thanks for the responses,

Oddly enough, last night I slept without pulling the mask off, I feel I have reached a new plateau!

The wife says the machine sounds like water flowing - so that's a nice sound for her. My ENT doc says the good thing about Cpap is that it adds minutes to my life, so I like that!

The day after I got the Cpap I drove for 4 hours before I needed to take a break. The return trip my 3rd day with Cpap I drove 8 hours non-stop. Three days later, I drove 7 hours and the next day 7 hours back. So there definitely is improvement there. I guess I am trying to improve too much too fast! Now if I could only lose 100 pounds (7 stone)by next week it would all be worthwhile.

Regards

John

[Barb (Seattle)]

Good for you!!!!

I hope there's improvement every day for you

[OwlCreekObserver]

Hi,

Finally, I read where someone was talking about dreams they were having. I am just the opposite. Prior to CPAP I had an active dream life with real intense dreams about my prior worklife and stressful situations. Now, no dreams at all. I don't wake up with the sense of being real rested either. I know, give it time, but how long?

Best regards,

John

One of the things I've noticed after three weeks of CPAP is a change in my dreams. In recent years they've all pretty much followed the same general theme: I'm in a place I don't recognize, am completely lost, and have no idea how to get back home. Since beginning CPAP, I'm still lost but at least the locations and circumstances are more interesting, the sound and color are better, and I'm not all that eager to leave the place. Pretty cool, actually.

[Goofproof]

What pressure are you using, are you using the ramp? I think the ramp feature is a crutch, never used it, the time you are on ramp is wasted, as I wanted to get on with my treatment.

We must, it's a mind over matter thing, but it's success is what matters. When you can use the mask and get 7 hours of sleep with it, it will become your best friend.

We all react different to treatment, but the sooner we can convence our minds we are going to use this treatment, the faster we feel better. Jim

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): Ramp