Frustrated new user

I read jules 'new user' post, so I thought I would intoduce myself and hopefully get some insight and suggestions. I am a recently diagnosed sleep apnea patient diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea. As someone else had posted (sorry I don't remember the posted name), I definitely have gone through the various stages starting with shock and certainly denial . I thought for sure, my problems (sleepiness, fatigue, low energy, depression, irritability, joint and muscle pain) were due to hormonal and/or thyroid problems. I am 47, normal weight/bmi. normal blood pressure, eat healthfully (fantastic lipid profile proves it), and exercise daily (walk). I used to jog at least every other day but low energy and joint/muscle pain have stopped that.
I have been on cpap for 5 days now and have not had a good nights sleep yet. First 2 nights, mask was on for 3 1/2 hrs before I finally took it off. Next 3 nights, I'm falling asleep better and getting more comfortable but waking up after about 2 hrs and then struggling the rest of the night with only fitful dosing and a lot of tossing and turning. I really don't know why. I have noticed a mouth leak on occassion but not all the time. Also other small leaks that sometimes only take literally a twitch of the nose to stop. I'm definitely a side sleeper mainly but discomfort has become minimal. Am I still in the stages of getting used to the cpap? I am actually trying a new mask tonight (the Mirage Vista) so I'll see if that makes things any better.
Any ideas or suggestions I am getting very frustrated . I was unwilling to try cpap initially ( but wanted the oral appliance device) but I've finally come around (as my doctor put it) and said I would try it. Believe me, I am giving it my best shot and still have confidence it will eventually work and I will feel better but in the meantime, but how long should I expect it to take? Thanks for any input

Good morning and welcome to the forum.
Patience and persistance are the keys to this therapy and you have only been at it for 5 days. You will be very surprised when you get your first night of lovely sleep............and it will happen soon. Do you know that you can try out different masks from yoursupplier for the first 30 days of use. if you can't get used to the mask you are using, try something else. I went through 8 masks before I found one that works the best for me. Masks are usually the reason people get frustrated............it takes time, don't give up and DO keep trying. I am will to bet that in a week from now you will be feeling like your therapy IS starting work.
Good luck and again welcome.
Cheers
Nan

dogluvr, hang in there, you are in the very early days of getting used to the machine. Perhaps in the beginning, if you are not opposed, a sleeping pill will help you get a good nights sleep and aid your transition to wearing a mask all night. Someimes wearing the mask for awhile while not on the machine- reading or watching TV, listening to music will help you get used to the feel of the mask. Try not to get frustrated, just do the best you can and pat yourself on the shoulder.
It can be a difficult adjustment and then on the other hand any night now you might find yourself able to sleep.
Good luck, keep us posted.

I don't think you are alone. I was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea about 2 month ago and finally received my CPAP machine last week agao. First let me say that I am struggling with this life change. I dread going to bed at night and I hope this will pass. But, on the flip-side the life I once had that I didn't even know was gone is now back.

My wife hounded me to go get a sleep study because I snored a lot. I told her she was nuts but I did it anyway. Sure enough I have it. The change is hard for me to accept. I have no issue falling asleep but about 2 hours later I wake up and panic and have to take the mask off. After I settle down I put it back on then sleep the remainder of the night. I will say that only after 5 days I notice that all these problems I had prior to CPAP are now gone. My wife says my personality is totally different. I am not irritable anymore. I have suffered for years with depression and anxiety and to no end could not get rid of it. I knew something wasn't right with me but couldn't figure it out. I prayed and prayed for an answer and I finally got one. Sure this is the answer that I didn't want but I will surely take it.

Now after starting CPAP my anxiety is pretty much gone and my depression sysmptoms are disappearing. I can think clearly and make decisions far easier than I ever could before. My confidence level has risen. I get more done at work. I don't crash from drinking so much coffee to stay awake during the day. I don't dread waking up in the moring. I stay up later than 9 PM. My wife can't believe the impact this has had on us. All this after 5 nights with that little machine and mask. I am excited about this and will be happier once I am use to wearing the mask to bed. I know my 3 kids will be happy too.

Sleep deprivation is a serious issue and I just have to wonder how many other people suffer similar issues caused by sleep apnea and don't know it. I didn't know it for years. My boss has it and I spoke to hime about the benefits trying to convince him the CPAP benefits far out way the annoyance that it brings. Thank you God for answering my prayers!

Welcome to the forum from one dog lover to another.

5 days/nights...still way early in the adjusting phase. While some people get lucky and take to all this really quickly, for others it takes quite a while.

The mask and mask leak or comfort is indeed the hardest part to all this.

Thanks for all the quick posts. I knew I just had to give it more time but I guess I needed affirmation of that. I'm just tired of being tired (right now I could really use a nap) and hope that soon I will start to feel all the benefits of a good nights sleep .

Pugsy wrote:Welcome to the forum from one dog lover to another.

5 days/nights...still way early in the adjusting phase. While some people get lucky and take to all this really quickly, for others it takes quite a while.

The mask and mask leak or comfort is indeed the hardest part to all this.

Adding my "welcome to the forum" from yet another dog lover to another.

It can take quite a bit of time for many people to get accustomed to this crazy new way (mask on face) of trying to "sleep." A DME or doctor would probably say, "You just have to get used to it" and not be able to help much toward "getting used to it." That's where this forum shines. You'll find many tips that can be helpful toward "getting used to it."

A mask that you can be relatively comfortable sleeping in is the #1 key to "doing cpap", imho. You might have to go through many masks before you find the one that suits you best. Or, you might get lucky and find that mask fairly soon. The Mirage Vista you plan to try next has long been reported as rather leaky, especially up toward the eyes, by many people who've tried it....but, you never know -- it might be exactly the right one for you. Any mask is at least worth a try. One person's perfect mask can be a nightmare (no pun intended) for another person.

I personally don't expect any mask to work great right out of the box. It seems there's almost always something about most masks that make you think, "Gee, if it just didn't do THIS, it would suit me." Or, "If it just could do THAT, it would suit me." Usually the "this" is leaking, or causing marks, or making a sore spot. And the "that" is usually to allow a person to have his/her head be in the normal good old sleep positions on the bed pillow without a mask being in the way or pushing against the face.

If you think creatively, you can sometimes make an UNusable mask work better. I've found that adding an homemade soft, stretchy strap around a nasal pillows mask to cradle the nasal pillows a little better against the nostrils (not tighter, just with more stability) can work wonders.

I would not be able to use my favorite-for-the-past-seven-years nasal pillows mask at all if I didn't put an extra strap around it every night. You might want to revisit the Swift pillows mask you started with, and add a stabilizing extra strap to it. That might do the trick. Or not.

Trial and error, and thinking outside the box, plus digging into this forum for ideas for mask modifications to suit you... that can help enormously in the search for your ideal mask and for ways to make the mask suit you as well as it possibly can.

Here's a link to the Lab Rat Awards -- check out what others have done to their masks. Even the fixes for other masks can be helpful in giving you ideas for ways to tailor the fix or modification to your own different mask:

LINKS to LAB RAT AWARD Winners
viewtopic.php?p=127492

And a link to another very helpful topic for tips and tricks in general:

Great thread started by Moogy.
Oct 30, 2006 subject: Please Share Misc Helpful Hints
viewtopic.php?t=14746

Good luck, dogluvr!! You have the right attitude about being determined to make "cpap" work for you.

To "Guest" -- happy to hear you're seeing great results in how you feel already. Welcome to the forum to you, too!