sleep apnea

i was just diagnosed w/sleep apnea they said i need a pressure of 12 after my second sleep study and today i get a machine.Will i start feeling better soon?I have been going to the doctor almost 2 years complaining that i am always tired and they told me that maybe i was just depressed bcause they could not find anything wrong w/me finally i went to an endocrinologist and they sent me for sleep study they said i had 36 apneas per hour and that this machine should help.I am kind of excited to get this machine bcause i have felt so bad for so long i just want to know if it will really help me or not. Thanks for listening!

pagirl,

I am glad you found yourself over here and especially glad, someone sent you for a sleep study.

Not to frighten or scare you, I want to tell you that you need to find the right interface. I just found out this past week how important that is for the best possible sleep.

Do not be surprised if you hear many stories, especially women who were diagnosed with major depression, their life turned upside down (like me) only to discover there is something wrong with their sleep.

I have spent 20 years going for blood test, because of shear exhaustion, nothing ever turned up. The last 2 years, were really bad with a whole lot of other diagnosis and meds that did not help me.

Now this week I can say I am finally sleeping.

The machine helps, like you would not beleive.

Now what you need to do is get a your Rx and start reading about what machine you want to get.

Make sure you get a copy of your sleep study and your titration study.

The world of DMEs (durable medical equipement) is a whole new ball game.

Start reading the forum.

Read the newbie parts, you will be a pro in no time.

(I have only had my machine for four weeks, but I feel I learned a lot from reading the post. Mind you there is so much more to learn.)

pagirl117 wrote:i was just diagnosed w/sleep apnea they said i need a pressure of 12 after my second sleep study and today i get a machine.Will i start feeling better soon?I have been going to the doctor almost 2 years complaining that i am always tired and they told me that maybe i was just depressed bcause they could not find anything wrong w/me finally i went to an endocrinologist and they sent me for sleep study they said i had 36 apneas per hour and that this machine should help.I am kind of excited to get this machine bcause i have felt so bad for so long i just want to know if it will really help me or not. Thanks for listening!

You are like the most of us glad to have the diagnosis of OSA because we finally knew what was wrong . You most be consistent wear your cpap machine every time you sleep even during naps. I'm sure you will have many questions & do not be afraid to ask.I myself have learned so much from this foroum,many helpful tips to make your adjustment to cpap easier.Welcome to the world of Hoseheads

Some people experience an immediate difference, others it takes a bit longer (my experience). Whichever, be consistent in wearing the mask nightly and do not give up hope of it ever working. It does.

TM

pagirl117 wrote:i was just diagnosed w/sleep apnea they said i need a pressure of 12 after my second sleep study and today i get a machine.Will i start feeling better soon?I have been going to the doctor almost 2 years complaining that i am always tired and they told me that maybe i was just depressed bcause they could not find anything wrong w/me finally i went to an endocrinologist and they sent me for sleep study they said i had 36 apneas per hour and that this machine should help.I am kind of excited to get this machine bcause i have felt so bad for so long i just want to know if it will really help me or not. Thanks for listening!

Welcome, pagirl117! Trust us, it will work for you. Sometimes, it takes some time to find the right mask and get comfortable with the machine, but eventually, you WILL feel better. The trick is to use the machine EVERY time you sleep. We are here to help if you have questions.

pagirl117 wrote:i was just diagnosed w/sleep apnea they said i need a pressure of 12 after my second sleep study and today i get a machine.Will i start feeling better soon?I have been going to the doctor almost 2 years complaining that i am always tired and they told me that maybe i was just depressed bcause they could not find anything wrong w/me finally i went to an endocrinologist and they sent me for sleep study they said i had 36 apneas per hour and that this machine should help.I am kind of excited to get this machine bcause i have felt so bad for so long i just want to know if it will really help me or not. Thanks for listening!

My doctor had first prescribed an antidepressant for me and it really didn't do much with how tired I felt -- but the PMS sure went away. After reading an article in a magazine where I could relate to virtually all of the symptoms of sleep apnea, I made an appointment to discuss this with my doctor. I'm thankful that I have a very good doctor who actually treats me like a person and with respect. (I think he appreciates the fact that I try to research things prior to seeing him and that I ask questions if I don't understand.) Anyhow, he agreed to refer me to a sleep center.

What convinced ME that this treatment would work was that the morning that I woke up at the sleep center (after the sleep study), I was feeling SO energetic - and this was with only three hours of using a CPAP machine. It took a week to get the CPAP machine. I typically have really bad claustrophobia, but I think the knowledge of how much better I felt waking up must have trumped this and after only a couple of nights it didn't bother me. (Now I use the ComfortCurve so I'm feeling so "confined" as with a full face mask.)

For my circumstances, I am glad that I was renting the CPAP machine because I found that a Bi-PAP machine works better for me. I was able to take the CPAP back and exchange it. My insurance requires a three month rental period (rent to own) and then I buy the machine.

I know exactly the feeling you are talking about... being excited to get the machine. I was so HAPPY to finally have an excuse for feeling so tired all of the time. Thrilled! Ecstatic! Woo-hoo! And for me, this works. Period. I wake up raring to go. I look forward to going to bed to SLEEP. Prior to getting the machine, I was just dragging all day, barely able to stay awake. I work from home, so taking a nap wasn't a big deal -- but nodding off at the computer? Bad. I think I've only taken a nap maybe two or three times since I started my treatment at the end of August.. and that was probably on a weekend laying on the couch while watching a movie. What I want to know is "when did this start?" I don't know when I started being tired all of the time. Then again, I don't want to dwell on that. I just want to focus on how great I feel NOW.

Kimberly

Please click on the "lightbulb" (icon) up near the top of this page and read "Our Collective Wisdom". You may find some/all of your answers there.
The "recovery" after getting started on therapy varies from person to person.

Best wishes,

Den

I will second or third the comments on reading the info for newbies.

Make sure you are getting what you need from the DME or consider buying elsewhere. Watch your out of pocket cost. You can do this by writing down the CPAP.com prices from this web site for a number of popular machines (or calling the DME ahead and asking what they intend to supply you with then checking) You say you are getting your machine today. Do research quickly so you know if you agree with what the DME is going to push at you.

You don't have to get it where the doc faxes the script.

GET the original script, and sleep study copy.

Let us know how you made out.