Has your quality of life improved much after using CPAP machines?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Holden4th
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Re: Has your quality of life improved much after using CPAP machines?

Post by Holden4th » Wed Dec 23, 2020 3:25 am

This post by Muse-Inc basically sums up what PAP therapy has done for me

Improved in every single way I can think of. I am rated as severe. Improvements started by 3rd week. No longer feeling like the walking dead, I noticed birds singing, sunshine and how good it felt, and I was smiling again. My sense of humor returned. No more unexpectedly falling asleep. No waking up every hour to pee. Eventually, most of my missing memories returned as did most of my short-term memory function as did my ability to exercise although I still hate it :lol: I was sleeping 10-12 hrs and waking up tired and sleepy, then after 4 nights with CPAP dropped to a little over 9 hrs, and after a month or so to my normal 8H15M. I usually wake up feeling refreshed. After tweaking, my annual AHI is 0.1 and has been since 2009!

It took far more than three weeks but my machine is a vital part of my life. What hasn't been really mentioned is your psychological state with OSA. I'm talking depression and very poor decision making. I wake up most mornings happy to see what will happen during the day!

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Chris8243
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Re: Has your quality of life improved much after using CPAP machines?

Post by Chris8243 » Wed Dec 23, 2020 9:29 am

No.

But I’m still plugging away after 3 years.

Movieman
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Re: Has your quality of life improved much after using CPAP machines?

Post by Movieman » Wed Dec 23, 2020 2:41 pm

I have been using CPAP for 30 days. I admit at first I thought it would never help me feel better. In fact, I felt worse. However, I am now finally starting to notice a positive difference in how I sleep and feel. As others have said, no more headaches and I feel more much more rested when I wake up.

I’ve changed masks several times and had to really get used to the air blowing in my throat. I don’t think I realized how tired I truly was before starting the therapy or how many side effects I was having due to the apnea. Headaches, dry mouth, excess gas in the morning, and waking up at night with my heart pounding seem to be disappearing now.

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Arlene1963
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Re: Has your quality of life improved much after using CPAP machines?

Post by Arlene1963 » Thu Dec 24, 2020 5:56 am

For the first few years after I got used to CPAP it was very good, lots of improvements in energy, mood, attitude, quality of life.

I have no idea how bad things could have got had I not used CPAP.
I just know that I was beginning to get some very odd heart arrhythmias which thankfully have not developed beyond the odd run of tachycardia.
I suspect I would have developed Afib had my OSA not been dealt with.

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ElusiveSleep
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Re: Has your quality of life improved much after using CPAP machines?

Post by ElusiveSleep » Thu Dec 24, 2020 1:26 pm

CPAP literally brought me back from the depths of despair. I used an oral appliance four years, then it broke. The new one was not properly made and then decided I should go on CPAP. After using CPAP since February, it made me realize the extent of under treatment of my apnea with the oral appliance. I was in a cognitive fog during those four years and now have my brain back to normal function since using CPAP.

Getting the CPAP machine to work optimally requires a lot of tweaking, especially with respect to correct pressure range if you end up on an APAP.

But that's the purpose of a forum like this, where many members have more knowledge of sleep apnea treatment than a lot of medical professionals. So feel free to ask questions about any aspect of sleep and fine tuning of your CPAP machine.

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