Kbh209's CPAP questions and updates

I really urge you not to quit trying. You had some better nights earlier in May, which shows that’s not impossible for you. I also urge you to make an appointment to see your sleep specialist as soon as possible, not in July.

I’ve looked back over this thread, and I don’t see information about your untreated and treated AHI levels. Do you happen to know what they are?

untreated I think I'm at 90 AHI, and treated I'm between 2 and 5. I never understood sleepyhead or OSCAR when I had my Resmed auto, so I never used it. There's no info that I can get off the brick right now. Meh, I'll see him in July and let him know I'm struggling to get to sleep because of the Prednisone. For now though I'm done fighting with trying to sleep with the machine on. I'll try again after my appointment with him.

Before you take a long break from CPAP, please read this:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/ ... leep-apnea

Whether now or in July (or any time in between) please stay in touch and let us know how your sleep is going.

So after my rage quit that lasted two weeks, I noticed I was getting bloody noses again. Seems even just 1.5 hours with the machine blowing humid air in my face keeps the bloody noses away. That's something I'm not just going to bring up to the sleep specialist, but also my ENT.

Hey, so you’re back on?

Yeah I am

Just a thought. Prednisone has all sorts of side effects hot flashes, swelling etc. Have you tried to change when you take your meds? Usually the effects are good for multiple hours/days after taking them. I am on multiple cardiac meds giving me all sorts of sleeping problems but have managed to reduce the side effects by changing what time I take them during the day.

So glad you’re back on. How is it going?

And I second roadcycler‘s suggestion about timing. If you could take a single dose in the a.m. that might mean better sleep (though maybe you’re already doing this).

I do take the Prednisone in the A.M. which is the confusing part in all of this. Part Prednisone, Part Anxiety, Part Insomnia.

I use to take my cardiac med in the AM but they made my day hell and I would wake up in a sweat and wander around the house at 2 am for an hour. Now I am taking them at night still wake up at 2 but no sweats and up for 10 min fridge wander. I would try taking them at night or afternoon and see if things change at all and how they change. You never now you may be feeling the effects wearing off at night giving you the problems. Worth a try

sheesh am I a doofus. I had an epiphany a few days ago, to start purchasing 5mg melatonin again. That's helping me get to sleep faster, maybe takes an hour now, instead of the three hours of tossing and turning on 1mg melatonin. Now that I'm back on the higher dose, I'm able to have the mask on for longer times.

That’s great news! And thanks for sharing it—it might be just what somebody else needed to learn. When do you see the doctor?

it was supposed to be 07/08/2019 but he rescheduled (thankfully). Now I have a month to get back into the swing of things.

Keep us posted!

So I had played hooky and missed the rescheduled appointment in late August. I had been super stubborn not using the CPAP machine. For the past three weeks the symptoms of sleep apnea returned: drowsy and dysfunctional in the day time, waking up from breathing funny at night, and not feeling like I'm getting sleep. Luckily I have an appointment tomorrow October 21st to see my sleep specialist to be truthful with him.

I decided to call 1-800-MEDICARE to see if it was too soon or not to get a CPAP machine. Simplicity wise to replace a damaged CPAP machine, the prescribing physician needs to prove that I need PAP therapy, easiest way to prove that is with another sleep study. So I'm going to bring it up at the appointment tomorrow and see if he's willing to go the extra mile so that I can get a better machine than the brick...because the brick has been a challenge to sleep with.