Noob here - several questions

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 1989 but my husband (not ordinarily a bossy guy) was dead set against me using a CPAP machine. He was absolutely sure it was a bad idea -- lethal, in fact. I have no idea why. Then a friend didn't use her CPAP one night (she had a bad cold) and her husband woke up to find her dead in the bed beside him. No, I am not making this up. So I tried other things but they didn't work and I've decided I'm doing the CPAP whether my husband likes it or not.

My doctor has sent me for another test and I will soon have my CPAP in place. My problem is not so much how to tell my husband the bad news but how on earth I am going to get used to all this w/o his support (in fact, with his constant disapproval). I am not exactly mechanically inclined and my first question for you folks is this:

How hard is it to get a CPAP machine to work?

My next problem is that I always thrash around in bed and my doctor worries that I will not be able to tolerate the machine (my original sleep test was in a hospital and that was a wild and hairy night, let me tell you).

Will I get used to the beast? What's the difference between people who succeed and those who quit?

I am very determined but I also get up to go to the potty three or four times a night (that's on a good night -- if I'm upset, it's more) and I have bad nightmares I am really hoping are connected to the sleep apnea. Which brings me to my last question:

Has anyone else noticed a decrease in nightmares since starting with CPAP?

Sorry to post so much at once but I need to know. Very glad to have found this forum!

kgram wrote: How hard is it to get a CPAP machine to work?

Your machine should come set to the titrated pressure(pressure determined at sleep study, required to keep airway open). Then just plug it in and hit the button. Many of us have found that the pressure we were titrated at is not the best pressure for us, we change our settings as need be. We can help you with this if needed. It is really quite easy.

My next problem is that I always thrash around in bed and my doctor worries that I will not be able to tolerate the machine

Many of us stop the tossing and turning once on cpap. I now (pretty much) sleep in one position all night. Of course if you have restless leg syndrome you may need medication to help.

Will I get used to the beast? What's the difference between people who succeed and those who quit?

You will. It takes 6-8 weeks for most to adjust. Some take less, some much longer. Again we can give you tips to make this easier. People who succeed are involved in their treatment, are willing to try new things, and really want to make this work. Post any problems you have and someone will pop in to help.

I am very determined but I also get up to go to the potty three or four times a night (that's on a good night -- if I'm upset, it's more)

Most of us found that once starting cpap we no longer have to get up to go potty during the night. I used to get up frequently during the night, since starting cpap I sleep through the night every night.

Has anyone else noticed a decrease in nightmares since starting with CPAP?

I never had nightmares, never had dreams at all, never got into deep enough sleep. Have had a few dreams since starting cpap, but all good. As I understand it you only remember a dream if you wake during the dream. The nightmares may be your minds way of waking you so you can breathe.Hopefully cpap will fix that.

You need to go to the top of the page and read the new users section and the our wisdom section. Loads of info you will need there.

Brenda

Hi, lots of good advice there. Just another tip - the biggest thing to deal with is not the machine (just plug and press) but getting a mask that fits properly for you, getting the right mask in the right size that addresses your problems, and one of those is that while 99% of the time a 'nasal' mask is prescribed (the kind that just covers your nose), a lot of the time we find out we're falling asleep and then our mouth opens up, losing all the air being pumped in. When this happens, the ideal thing to use is called a full face mask - no, it doesn't cover your whole face, but is like either a nasal mask that just extends downward by a bit to cover your mouth, or one that's designed to cover your mouth and has what are called cushions, or prongs that extend upward by around an inch to fit against your nostrils. The most popular of the first type is called an Ultra Mirage full face mask and popular ones of the second type would be the Quattro, Liberty, and Hybrid. You can look at all of them on Cpap.com (no, I don't work there . You may not need a FF mask ever, or you may already know (from husband's observations) that you should use one right off the bat, but it's always good to be able to start off with the right one. Sometimes you'll only need the nasal one going in, but if your prescribed pressure is on the higher side, it can lead to your needing a FF one. This is my 2 c's worth here, but go up to the yellow lightbulb on top of the forum first page and start reading - there's tons of information about apnea and using Cpap and lots of other related stuff there!

No problem with the length of the post - the more details we have, the better.

Potty breaks: those are actually a direct result of having sleep apnea - and with you breathing better controlled, you will have to get up less times.

Night mares: those can definitely be cause by a brain set on age be repeated experiences of choking: because getting choked in your sleep, many times an hour, is what sleep apnea is about.

Getting used to cpap: putting the parts of a cpap together is more or less like putting together the parts of a mixer.
The most difficult part, technically, is one even the most supportive spouse can't help you with - and that's getting the feel of connecting the mask to your face in a way that is neither too tight, nor too loose. You need time and patience for that.

The machine has as on off button.
You make sure the 6ft. long hose is connected snugly to the machine on one side, to the mask on the other. You check for leaks with the back your hand, like you may have done for the temperature of the milk in a baby's bottle. You put the mask on. Somtimes, getting the hang of how the headgear is suppose to go on your head may feel a bit confusing - but you'll learn. The main thing will be to give yourself time to do it when you're awake, not just before you go to bed, and not with your husband glaring or muttering his disaproval at you as you're trying to learn. Treat it as something you have learn, and need to the privacy and concentration to learn it.

You're doing well to decide to take care of you health - this is your life that you're holding in your hands.
People quit because they don't have the patience to get used to this new way of sleeping. Or don't realize how much harm can be done to their body by nightly choking.
You've searched for info on the net - one indication of your commitment.
You've found cpaptalk - and we are a bunch of people commited to helping other's succeed in this therapy that has done so much good for us. Sometimes we're funny, sometimes even crazy, but all of the time, we're here to help: give you tips to make things easier, listen to you rants when you need to rant, and supply tons of knoledge -- which we've gathered for newbies in this thread: viewtopic/t35702/Where-A-CPAP-Newbie-Should-Start.html

Maybe you husband is frightened of something connected to a person wearing a breathing mask. Maybe he's afraid it means a loss of intimacy. Maybe he just doesn't know enough, and viewing the video will make it easier for him.
Understanding Sleep Disordered Breathing. And maybe this is just one of those things you'll have to do on your own -- we're here to help.

Welcome to the forum, and good luck!
O.

I just want to add something, from one thrasher to another.

First, I found that I moved around much less on CPAP. Sometimes I wake up and think I haven't moved all night! This may or may not be the case for you, but if your thrashing is due to breathing issues, you might get lucky.

Second, I found having a hose hanger really helps so that I can turn and move without getting hung up on the hose. If you search for hose management or hose hanger, there are lots of ideas, from models to purchase to some to make. Not everyone prefers it, but I think it is likely to help when you move a lot.

Good for you, being determined to make this work. That is probably the most important factor in being successful with CPAP. If possible choose a quiet model to help limit its impact on your husband. Resmeds are known for being very quiet, which is part of why I chose mine. Hopefully, once your husband understands how important this is for your health, he will get behind you. There is lots of dis-information out there about how loud, or uncomfortable, or inconvenient they are, which may have been true at one time, but no longer is. CPAP, as in all things electronic, are improving all the time.