NEED HELP! I AM HATING THIS!

I have been on cpap since december 2009 and its been a nightmare. I own one of the best cpap's you can buy, but its not really the machine thats the problem. I have a swift nose pillow, nice pressure, but can never ever keep it on all night. Last night was less than an hour and today I feel horrible. I average about 2-3 hours a night. I usually fall asleep with it on, but in 2 hours i am taking it off in utter frustration while barely awake. I get so frustrated, so angry, i have no peace when i sleep, i hate this with passion. i hate the way i feel in the morning. it doesnt matter what i do, i cannot sleep all night with the mask. i am medications like percocet, sleeping pills and more. all of this makes my apneas worse! please i am begging anyone to help me figure out why i cannot tolerate this mask all night.

There are four versions of the Mirage Swift nasal pillow mask. The Swift, Swift II, Swift LT, and Swift FX. Which one do you have?

Also the specifics of your machine and it's setting would be helpful, as would a list of exactly which medications you are using.

If you are using a decent DME, can you try out other types of masks? I hated the pillows when I went for my titration and loved the nasal mask. I haven't ruled out using pillows...in fact I just won one on cpapauction the other day for half price and plan to try it out. I am currently using the amazing Sleepweaver nasal mask which is made of cloth. I know a lot of folks have not been successful with it, but it seems to fit me like a glove....with one little tweak that I needed to do at the bridge of my nose. My data is showing no leaks and my AHI is down to 3. You will probably go through a bunch of masks until you find that one that fits you well and allows you to sleep. I am, indeed, fortunate that I had an easy time with this aspect of the therapy....so many do not. Best of luck!!

When my primary care physician referred me to th sleep lab, she emphasized that if I was not comfortable with the initial mask i was given, to keep trying new ones until i find the right one for me. So far I am on mask #3, and it seems to be working. Not every mask is right for every person. Have you tried anything other than the nasal pillows? It could be that they are just not right for you.

I want to commend you for sticking with this for so long despite your troubles. Your dedication is really admirable. I do hope you can find a way to make this comfortable for you. Good luck!

I also think you have to go over your meds (at least the dosage times) with your MD because they can cause major problems with sleep quality - percocet on top of OSA is asking for trouble (though I understand the need for something like it).

Anything that sedates will cause more problems with Apnea. With not being able to tolerate your mask for the night certainly cant help. I use and Opus 360 nasal pillow and it is my 3rd type of mask and is working well. I would recommend as well to have your meds reviewed and to try another type of mask. Don't make any med changes without seeing your MD first. Last thing you want is to make things worse.

In regards to medication. The original use of sleeping pills was to sedate me enough to be comfortable to tolerate the mask. I dont do well even after almost a year of wearing a mask to bed. MY BIGGEST ISSUE is not being able to stay asleep. I can put the mask on and go to sleep, but i keep waking up. Thats when i take the mask off. If I dont take any meds going to bed, i might not be able to get to sleep. Secondly in regards to a new mask, we dont have the finances to keep trying them. It costs 250 per mask. Im on my second one. Full mask is the worst, full nose is too big as well. pillow is the least bulky. I wear the swift lt model, very light and flexable but still anything on my head or face is hard to get use to. I also find it hard to sleep on my back all the time,

The way that most of us have been able to try mask after mask is by taking advantage of the usual 30 day return policy offered by the big name brands. If your DME didn't tell you about this, they are falling down on the job. At least this is the policy for big name brands in the united states. You did not mention where you are. I understand not wanting to shell out $250. just to have another mask in the discard pile. If you like sleeping on your side, you might want to check out this thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=54199&st=0&sk=t&sd=a It talks about masks, pillows and all kinds of things helpful for side sleepers.

reddeerscott wrote: Secondly in regards to a new mask, we dont have the finances to keep trying them. It costs 250 per mask. Im on my second one.

Hi reddeerscott

I live in Australia, and get my masks from CpapAuction sellers in the US. I pay about USD$50 per brand new mask, and over time have been able to buy, and test, different one's.

Size is also important. I do not have a large face but I find that the larger model of my current mask is the best. It is also the best of all I have tried, and my experimenting is now pretty much over.

Have you been tested for acid reflux, and do you sleep on your side or your back, or have you Restless Leg Syndrome? What does your sleep test say? These are condsiderations to take into account.

cheers

Mars

The auction, of course, is unless you are looking for anything ResMed.
Turkeys.

You find it hard to sleep on your back? Why would you want to - it's the worst position of all for provoking apneas! You may have been told to try it during the study, but that would have been so they could get a 'worst case scenario' baseline, not so that you should do it otherwise! That alone could be causing you endless trouble!

Also, I think you haven't found the right DME to let you try many masks (lying down) in various sizes (a large nose is not exclusive to Albertans . I wear an odd size of a fairly popular mask because it works for me, though probably wouldn't for many others, and you have to not only give them a proper chance, but maybe (and you'll hate this part I know!) also do a bit of work on your feelings toward Cpap. I think you may have allowed yourself to get into such a stew over it all that you could be perpetrating a worse problem than necessary. Can you meditate (not everyone can) before bed? Stop drinking coffee or eating chocolate in early afternoon? Not work-out before bed? All of those can make a difference, as can telling yourself you 'hate' Cpap, etc. etc. If you can somehow begin to appreciate having something to help with OSA rather than being just a nuisance for you, it could lessen your frustration.

Don't hate it; accept it. This is your life line.
hold on to it, make it work. nag your doctor, if need be.
Good luck!

reddeerscott wrote:I usually fall asleep with it on, but in 2 hours i am taking it off in utter frustration while barely awake.

reddeerscott wrote:MY BIGGEST ISSUE is not being able to stay asleep. I can put the mask on and go to sleep, but i keep waking up. Thats when i take the mask off.

Can you say why you are waking up? Is it because your face is wet? Is it because you feel like you can't breathe? Is it because your face is too hot? Is it because you are in pain from the mask? Is it because the mask itches? Is it because air is blowing on you some where? Is it because the sheets are all tangled up?


Why are you taking the mask off? Is it because you don't know that you are doing it? Is it because the mask is uncomfortable? Is it because you need to scratch your nose? Is it because you are in a bad mood? Is it because you just give up and don't want to try anymore? Is it because you can't get back to sleep with it on? Is it because you think you don't need it if you've used it for a couple of hours?

You're not giving us much to work with when you just say you wake up and then you take the mask off.


You only need to answer the red bolded questions here. I just threw the other questions out there to show you how specifically you need to think about the questions in bold red.

We're flying a bit blind here, because you haven't told us WHAT machine you are using and what model of Swift mask (LT, FX, or II) you are using, nor have you told us what is waking you up at night. Give us a hint if you are serious about getting help. Or maybe you just want to whine????

I'm going to take a big guess that you might have an auto cpap machine, and the pressure is going up pretty high, which is either causing your mask to leak and wake you or the airflow itself is waking you. Am I close???

When you take meds like that to sleep, they will increase your airway resistance by relaxing the oral and laryngeal structures even more. Sleeping on your back makes this worse. You may be leaking through your mouth or having more apneas--either (or both) will cause the pressure to increase, blowing out your mask and adding to your discomfort.

If you really want help, tell us your machine, your pressure settings, your mask, and the biggest problem that is causing you to wake and remove the mask. We CAN help, but only if you meet us halfway.

A year is a long time to live (sleep) frustrated. I agree that being very specific is important to troubleshooting. Ineffective treatment can cause difficulty keeping the mask on. Poor fit and shifting and leaking can be maddening, but sometimes can be resolved with tips and tweaks available on here including hose management and added strap support. If both of those issues are addressed and you are still restless, look outside the treatment itself. Are meds messing with your sleep and since you are awake and irritated the mask catches the blame? For me, I have limb movement issues, and it kept me so agitated that every little thing drove me crazy, and more than once my mask has hit the wall in the middle of the night. There should be answers for you, you shouldn't have to continue like this. We'll try to help you methodically work thru possible solutions.