Sick tummy=no CPAP last night; how to prevent in future

So I had/have a tummy bug, and due to all the ups and downs last night I gave up early in the night dealing with putting the mask on and off. Mostly, it was the ups. Many of them were quick ups to run to the restroom, and ripping the mask off just got to be too much.

However, once that calmed down, and I managed to get a full hour+ of sleep in a row - I slept like poo. I remember the old suffocating dreams, and woke with a pounding headache, that is lingering an hour after waking now. (although how much is sleep related v. how much is potential dehydration is up for grabs, I promise I'm trying to keep up with fluids)

How have you all managed this? Will I learn a faster method of masking off and on as time goes on? (it's been about a month now)

TIA

WildMtnHoney wrote:Will I learn a faster method of masking off and on as time goes on? (it's been about a month now)

Your signature shows that you are wearing an AirFit P10. There's not much to that headgear. One yank and the mask should be completely off your face: Grab the pillows and just pull them up and off. It's that simple.

Of course everything seems to take longer when you're dealing with a seriously sick stomach.

How have you all managed this?

Trying really hard to not get sick in the first place.

Less flippantly: The worst case of the flu (complete with stomach problems) that I've dealt with since being on PAP was a couple of years back. I was super miserable with the whole range of flu symptoms and was uncomfortable just lying down in bed, let alone trying to lie down and sleep with a CPAP mask on my nose. I wound up moving the PAP machine down to the living room and next to the recliner. I spent the night alternately reading (when I was just too uncomfortable to sleep) and putting the mask on and dozing lightly. Whenever I couldn't stand the mask on my nose, I'd take it off, but usually I didn't sleep/doze any better, and I turned the light back on a read for a while. When my eyes couldn't stay open, I'd pull on my Swift FX and turn the light off and try to doze.

After 2 nights of misery, enough of my symptoms had improved to the point that lying down in my own bed was not a horrifying thought. At that point, masking up at the beginning of the night was not a huge issue.

robysue wrote:Your signature shows that you are wearing an AirFit P10. There's not much to that headgear. One yank and the mask should be completely off your face: Grab the pillows and just pull them up and off. It's that simple.

Oh, I should have explained better - I have long hair, that I braid - and to get a proper happy fit, I have to put the lower strap under the braid. So that one happy yank becomes a braid-lifting/pulling/yanking experience. And I wasn't thinking well enough to try going over the braid last night (duh).

robysue wrote:Trying really hard to not get sick in the first place.

Yeah, I've got 3 kids. Even though they're older now, and I *try* to keep the house clean, they still managed to puke on me (ugh!)

robysue wrote:Less flippantly: The worst case of the flu (complete with stomach problems) that I've dealt with since being on PAP was a couple of years back. I was super miserable with the whole range of flu symptoms and was uncomfortable just lying down in bed, let alone trying to lie down and sleep with a CPAP mask on my nose. I wound up moving the PAP machine down to the living room and next to the recliner. I spent the night alternately reading (when I was just too uncomfortable to sleep) and putting the mask on and dozing lightly. Whenever I couldn't stand the mask on my nose, I'd take it off, but usually I didn't sleep/doze any better, and I turned the light back on a read for a while. When my eyes couldn't stay open, I'd pull on my Swift FX and turn the light off and try to doze.

After 2 nights of misery, enough of my symptoms had improved to the point that lying down in my own bed was not a horrifying thought. At that point, masking up at the beginning of the night was not a huge issue.

Dang, I may have to invest in a recliner - have tried to resist so far, but that sounds really nice compared to my trying to stay in bed last night. Maybe in a couple nights things will be better. The kids were bad for 48-72 hours only (they think this is norovirus ). I'm only 24 down right now.

Thanks a lot for the advice. I can work on the hair thing for sure, to make off/on easier. And maybe look at recliners.

Let's see....I have slept in the middle of the bathroom floor on more than one occasion. So sick that using the machine was the last thing on my mind. It really wasn't much sleep though, more of a dozing off between times of having to sit on the toilet with my head bent over the waste basket. When it's coming out both ends at the same time the extra 2 seconds needed to remove the mask and maneuver around the bed and run to the bathroom has resulted in some nasty accidents that I have had to clean up by myself because invariably it happens when hubby is away from home working.
Usually I lay on the sofa and have a waste basket close to my head and I just try to rest any way I can and the hell with cpap.
You would have to see where I live...old farmhouse and the bathroom isn't attached to the bedroom.
From the sofa it's a straight shot to the bathroom...from the bed it's a little bit of a maze and when milliseconds count...the maze is a problem.

Once things have calmed down and it looks like I am past the worst of it then later in the day I will take a nap and use the machine at that time and try to catch up on a bit of sleep.

So in short...if I have the pukes and poops...I don't worry about masking up period. I know it isn't the best choice but it is what it is. Pretty much all my stomach bugs have always involved both the puking and pooping.
But if it is just the puking I just bring a wastebasket to the bedside and use my mask then between the puking.

Pugsy wrote:Let's see....I have slept in the middle of the bathroom floor on more than one occasion. So sick that using the machine was the last thing on my mind. It really wasn't much sleep though, more of a dozing off between times of having to sit on the toilet with my head bent over the waste basket. When it's coming out both ends at the same time the extra 2 seconds needed to remove the mask and maneuver around the bed and run to the bathroom has resulted in some nasty accidents that I have had to clean up by myself because invariably it happens when hubby is away from home working.
Usually I lay on the sofa and have a waste basket close to my head and I just try to rest any way I can and the hell with cpap.
You would have to see where I live...old farmhouse and the bathroom isn't attached to the bedroom.
From the sofa it's a straight shot to the bathroom...from the bed it's a little bit of a maze and when milliseconds count...the maze is a problem.

Once things have calmed down and it looks like I am past the worst of it then later in the day I will take a nap and use the machine at that time and try to catch up on a bit of sleep.

So in short...if I have the pukes and poops...I don't worry about masking up period. I know it isn't the best choice but it is what it is. Pretty much all my stomach bugs have always involved both the puking and pooping.
But if it is just the puking I just bring a wastebasket to the bedside and use my mask then between the puking.

My old farmhouse has been renovated, but I remember those days!

Good idea to nap w/PAP - maybe I can try that later (if things are better...umm, not so much yet). And yeah, I'm going both ends right now, so last night was bucket while on the pot.

I'm actually glad to know I'm not alone in giving in and just giving up. It was soooo bad last night (and well, I'm typing this fast between runs to the loo - sitting w/my laptop on the bed in the master bedroom where the toilet and my bucket are just steps away - at least sitting up typing feels better than trying to lay down any longer).

Oh my...

You gals are "sick."

Hope you get well soon. Remember when you are "leaking" from both ends you need to pay attention to hydration and your electrolytes.

Another thing, the bazooka effect could easily be food poisoning.
Clean out the fridge, and remember, if it smells OK, it still might not be.

I wear the same mask and also have really long hair. I do a pony tail mid way up the back of my head. That keeps the headgear in place. I also do a pull-through with the tail. I'm sure you know what that is since you have long hair. But when I pull off my mask I hold the pillows and just pull backwards so it glides off my head over the pony tail. I had that flu a few months ago! I was up loosing it from both ends for 2 days and nights along with a high fever. The 3rd day I just felt like poo. Hope you get better!

I think we have all been there at one time or another. It's pure misery - I hope you feel better very soon. Lots of fluids to keep hydrated. Rest whenever, however you can. Hopefully, you'll be back to normal soon.

I am grateful that my breeze goes on and off without detaching or moving anything. I just kind of rotate it on and off my head. I learned years ago that they last much longer when you do it this way because it puts less stress on the plastic.

chunkyfrog wrote:Clean out the fridge, and remember, if it smells OK, it still might not be.

That's a great point, I think I read that all the bugs that cause food poisoning don't cause any bad smell... it's other things that cause the food to smell bad, not the stuff that makes you sick. now, it's probable that if the stuff that makes food stinky has grown to that point, then the stuff that makes you sick may also have grown enough to make you sick..

Really, thanks a ton!

postitnote wrote:I wear the same mask and also have really long hair. I do a pony tail mid way up the back of my head. That keeps the headgear in place. I also do a pull-through with the tail. I'm sure you know what that is since you have long hair. But when I pull off my mask I hold the pillows and just pull backwards so it glides off my head over the pony tail. I had that flu a few months ago! I was up loosing it from both ends for 2 days and nights along with a high fever. The 3rd day I just felt like poo. Hope you get better!

That makes sense. I sleep on my back a lot of the time, with legs up on a ramp pillow, so middle of the head would be awkward, but I see what you're saying. Right now pillows go up, over the head, then straps have to go down, under the braid. Complicated, and wasn't fast enough. I think if I get you, you aren't pulling the pillows up first. I could do that, too. I think. Just pull that bottom strap UP, from under the braid, maybe? I'll try it later today, maybe.

Thanks for all the fluid reminders. I am trying. Little sips all day so far.

chunkyfrog wrote:Another thing, the bazooka effect could easily be food poisoning.
Clean out the fridge, and remember, if it smells OK, it still might not be.

Norovirus can be on food, or air, or...it's an icky one. We've tried to be careful. So far, each kid got it roughly 24-72 hours after the last kid, and I got it a full 4 days after getting puked on, so I thought I had dodged it (darn it!) but was still w/in the time frame, or I got it somewhere else in the house. It seems the oldest caught from someone at his school, etc. Oh well, it happens!

I'm off to drink more liquids!

I am wondering why you'd completely remove the nasal pillow mask instead of simply disconnecting the big hose from the little one and reconnecting them upon returning to your bed/chair/machine ? Undoing the hose is all I ever do for middle of the night bathroom trips. Once my mask fit is good, I don't want to mess with it again, plus, I use mask liners that are a little tricky for me to get positioned sometimes.

Gasper62 wrote:I am wondering why you'd completely remove the nasal pillow mask instead of simply disconnecting the big hose from the little one and reconnecting them upon returning to your bed/chair/machine ? Undoing the hose is all I ever do for middle of the night bathroom trips. Once my mask fit is good, I don't want to mess with it again, plus, I use mask liners that are a little tricky for me to get positioned sometimes.

I think I would have puked on it, as it hangs down, in front of my mouth, when disconnected.

WildMtnHoney wrote:

Gasper62 wrote:I am wondering why you'd completely remove the nasal pillow mask instead of simply disconnecting the big hose from the little one and reconnecting them upon returning to your bed/chair/machine ? Undoing the hose is all I ever do for middle of the night bathroom trips. Once my mask fit is good, I don't want to mess with it again, plus, I use mask liners that are a little tricky for me to get positioned sometimes.

I think I would have puked on it, as it hangs down, in front of my mouth, when disconnected.

Good point, I wasn't considering the puke aspect, just throne sitting ! There are hose clips that can route the hose up and back from the face area. I hope you're all better soon !