I'm a noob...

Chrissyminnau wrote: My sleep study found that I have moderate obstructive sleep apnea with 3.9 resp. abnormalities per hour, mostly occuring when on my back.

Please check that again. Anything under 5.0 is considered normal. If I remember correctly over 20.0 is moderate.

I don't fit the stereotypical snorer- I'm tall & thin, but the fault lies in my face. Well, my mouth to be precise.

Somewhere I read that they now believe 60% of apnea sufferers are thin.

There was an old, incorrect bias among doctors that you had to be obese to have obstructive sleep apnea.

I tried those nasal pillows--sent them right back! I like the Swift FX pillows much better,
Others are really liking the Aloha or the new Pilairo. Masks are as different as faces.
Use your DME's return policy (if they have one) to try different ones until you find one that works for your face.

Chrissyminnau wrote: My spoke with my son's orthodontist & he told me that many people that have had braces in the past, & have had four teeth removed, have problems with snoring. That's ME!

Me too. At my last Somnodent adjustment appointment, my sleep dentist asked me if I had had teeth pulled and braces when I was a child. I had. He also said this is/has been frequently the cause of sleep apnea! There's a girl on the Internet who has made it her personal crusade to warn parents against doing this to their child. She was horribly maimed from this, she says, and goes into great detail on a number of videos of how it pushed back her jaw, thus limiting her airway and causing sleep apnea, disfigured her upper palete, and influenced a small mouth (which I also have), among other things. In fact, she can't even sit normally and breathe properly. I understand she has recently undergone a $60K surgery to correct at least some of these things. I haven't followed back up on her story in a while. As an aside, it took me a while to get over the anger of this having been done to me, even though I don't know if this is the sole reason why I have sleep apnea.

sylvie wrote: There's a girl on the Internet who has made it her personal crusade to warn parents against doing this to their child. She was horribly maimed from this, she says, and goes into great detail on a number of videos of how it pushed back her jaw, thus limiting her airway and causing sleep apnea, disfigured her upper palete, and influenced a small mouth (which I also have), among other things. In fact, she can't even sit normally and breathe properly. I understand she has recently undergone a $60K surgery to correct at least some of these things.

Link?

Thanks,

Here's one of them. They're all on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH9QZSk ... ure=relmfu

Hello! I'm a noob too, just a week in. It's hard. It is. I too will soldier on. It is good that we have this forum.

Sorry to ask an obvious/dumb question, but did you have a sleep study?

Hang in there all you newbies! I've been using cpap for 10 years this coming fall! I can't believe it is that long! It is so natural for me to put on my mask and get into bed that I don't even think about it.

You'll get over that beginning stuff soon and will be fine. There are lots of people here that are willing to help you. We've all been there! The best thing that happened to me, with this, is to find this forum!

I'll offer what I did to get through my first week, now that I'm 6 months downstream and seem to be doing okay *smile*.

For the first week, I took Ambien, which helped me get to sleep with the new equipment on, and also with getting back to sleep if and when I woke up. By the end of the week, I was pretty much used to the equipment, and stopped taking the Ambien. Had a relatively fitful sleep the first night after that, typical of taking Ambien, I hear. I still take melatonin very occasionally, hardly ever, and that helps me getting back to sleep, too, if I'm feeling over-stressed.

I'm pretty cautious with drugs. I set that aside for a week, and it seemed to really help.

Just a thought.

i guess i am re-Noob? many years ago i tried pap therapy- was still having breathing issues and a host of 'side effects'. the dr at that 1st 'clinic' said , oh i just think you can not tolerate this. - this same dr. with his face to his notes= looks up as i am trying to clear my clogged throat- ' are you sleeping?" no dr. it's my sinuses . no more was said no more follow up and i got frustrated after awhile and gave up.
so here i am years later with additional health issues and trying again. (diff sleep ctr study). hope we can find relief and enjoy a better quality of sleep and breathing!

ChicagoGranny wrote:

Chrissyminnau wrote: My sleep study found that I have moderate obstructive sleep apnea with 3.9 resp. abnormalities per hour, mostly occuring when on my back.

Please check that again. Anything under 5.0 is considered normal. If I remember correctly over 20.0 is moderate.

I don't fit the stereotypical snorer- I'm tall & thin, but the fault lies in my face. Well, my mouth to be precise.

Somewhere I read that they now believe 60% of apnea sufferers are thin.

There was an old, incorrect bias among doctors that you had to be obese to have obstructive sleep apnea.

I have only quoted what my results were. Maybe the measurements are different in Oz? Regardless, whether I'm "normal" or moderate in Australian standards, I can only go by what my sleep study indicated. Regarding the "stereotypical snorer", I have not researched enough about sleep apnea to quote any percentages of large/thin snorers- but as a nurse, I know an increase in BMI has a greater incidence of sleep apnea, and overweight individuals have a high rate of sleep apnea. I would like to know where you read that 60% of sleep apnea sufferers are thin; I would be interested in reading the article. Thanks for the food for thought!

opticalpopsicle wrote:Hello! I'm a noob too, just a week in. It's hard. It is. I too will soldier on. It is good that we have this forum.

I love your hosehead picture!!

Xney wrote:Sorry to ask an obvious/dumb question, but did you have a sleep study?

I certainly did . I had the study done at the beginning of April, but because I went on holidays for 8 weeks, have only come back home to deal with "reality"! I was fortunate to be able to have the mobile unit- they hooked me up at the sleep centre and advised me not to go to the shops afterwards because I would look like I was strapped with a bomb. As annoying as it was, I reckon it was easier than trying to sleep in a different environment all wired up!

Hello and welcome

AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!

sleeptimeinNY wrote:I feel your frustration.... I'm 5 months in and when I see how far I have come from those first nights, I am amazed and happy!! Just keep putting on the mask if you take it off in the middle of the night (I took mine off all the time) and before you know it, it will become part of your routine.
Like everyone else will tell you, just hang in there, it will eventually work.
And this site is awesome for all of us... so many helpful and caring people with great ideas to solve any problems you might be having.

Good luck,

Ruth

Thanks so much Ruth...horrid night last night, but I will keep putting it on each night, & tearing it off, etc... I have faith!