Not sure about some things... can anyone help me?

Hi, I'm new to this forum and never knew it existed until I bought something off cpap.com. I have had sleep apnea for about 4 years now and was wondering about some things. I figured this would be the place to ask questions since there are people that have more experience with this then me.

When should you replace your Cpap machine? I've been using mine for 4 years and it seems like its less effective now, also it turned on by itself during the day when no one was near it. Another thing that happened was in the middle of the night I woke up and it wasn't even on I had to turn it back on.

Should I look into a Full Face Mask? I know i used to sleep with my mouth open before I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. When I first started using my cpap I felt great cause I was getting sleep finally, but that was with nasal pillows which I still use. Obviously not the first one I got but I still stick with the nasal pillows. Now it seems like I'm not getting good sleep anymore.

If anyone out there has any advice or answers it would be greatly appreciated! I'm still learning about all this stuff. Thank you for your time if you read this.

Most cpap machines are good for 5 years and most insurance won't help pay for one any sooner that that. At five years the technology is generally so much better as far as the comfot level is concerned it is generally worth it to replace it at that interval. Pressure can be checked to make sure it is still operating correctly. I have my own Water Manometer and check my own about once a year.

As far as your question on the full face mask, it is hard to say. If you have a machine that collects data it will tell you about your therapy. If you leak all the pressure out your open mouth the a full face mask or taping your lips closed is about the only option. Without the data from your machine it is strickly a guess unless you want to go through another sleep study.

Jerry

i agree with Jerry except that I would add that a chinstrap can be effective for mouth breathers. I wouldn't be without mine.

when you have a moment, please fill out your info...you can go to the user menu at the top of the page...and then go to profile...it will help us to help you in the future..

Why not try taping for a few nights - it's a cheap and easy way to test whether or not you need a full face mask. If you search the forum (top of 1st pg) under taping you'll get lots of information.

When should you replace your Cpap machine? I've been using mine for 4 years and it seems like its less effective now, ....

Lucky for you!! Purchasing the 'next latest and greatest generation' of Data Enabled CPAP is well justified. Hopefully, covered by some type of Health Insurance Coverage.

The new Respironics CPAPs are being showcased but not aware if they are being sold yet....

Oh, the excitement to come with a growing and demanding market...


SG

Hey thank you everyone. I appreciate everyones advice and I'm probably going to check out a chinstrap for now and see what happens.

Jon:

How long have you been feeling LESS than rested, as opposed to when you first started? Is your machine set for AUTO start & stop? What brand of cpap machine are you using? If you fill in this info in your profile, it will help everyone to give you better advice! Some cpap machines start up at times for a few seconds then shut off as it is supposed to do, when set for auto turn on/off. The machines sometimes falsely sense as if someone is breathing into it and starts up, then shuts off in a couple of seconds! Mine does it sometimes, normal for Resmeds! It is possible nothing is wrong with your machine, but if it stops & starts for various reasons during the night (leaks, mask displacement etc) you may not be getting good therapy, resulting in you feeling less than rested in the morning! If I were you I would first check to see if your machine is set for auto on/off etc, and if it is, turn it OFF for a few nights to see if you it goes better for you! Then you can check other variables as you go along until you get satisfactory therapy!


All the best,

Steve,
ufo13