Advice Needed, Please...

I have been diagnosed with OSA. I have been prescribed a CPAP machine. But, I "semi-disagree" with my doctors' choices! I don't sleep as well as I should, I snore when I do sleep, & I've had a sleep study done (AHI-22). But...I also know that, even though this may sound strange...I just don't have the time to sleep. I have way to many other things on my plate! Now...I agree, I do have OSA! BUT...I disagree with the statement that I need the machine! My doctor told me that if I just lose weight, I'll be just fine...then, he prescribed the machine! The way I see it...I hardly get proper sleep because I'm always busy, not because my throat is closing up & preventing my breathing! I weigh 260 lbs & I'm 5' 4" tall. & other than not gettin the proper amount of sleep, being overweight, & smoking 3 packs a week...I'm (almost) in perfect health! So, my question is...if I'm telling them that I'm to busy (or not home long enough) to use the machine...why won't they take it back? Will anyone help me, please & thank you!

ladyholloway wrote:I have been diagnosed with OSA. I have been prescribed a CPAP machine. But, I "semi-disagree" with my doctors' choices! I don't sleep as well as I should, I snore when I do sleep, & I've had a sleep study done (AHI-22). But...I also know that, even though this may sound strange...I just don't have the time to sleep. I have way to many other things on my plate! Now...I agree, I do have OSA! BUT...I disagree with the statement that I need the machine! My doctor told me that if I just lose weight, I'll be just fine...then, he prescribed the machine! The way I see it...I hardly get proper sleep because I'm always busy, not because my throat is closing up & preventing my breathing! I weigh 260 lbs & I'm 5' 4" tall. & other than not gettin the proper amount of sleep, being overweight, & smoking 3 packs a week...I'm (almost) in perfect health! So, my question is...if I'm telling them that I'm to busy (or not home long enough) to use the machine...why won't they take it back? Will anyone help me, please & thank you!

I put off treating my sleep apnea for over 10 years because I thought it was just a waking up a bit, and I am always sleep deprived anyway. As a severe night owl, I just don't get to bed in time to get enough hours of sleep. By the time I learned that sleep apnea was actually more about oxygen deprivation and that it was the main cause of my high blood pressure, I was getting warnings from my doctor that I had a high risk of stroke. I was 38 when she started giving me those warnings. And my blood pressure was usually in the 170s over 100s. Even with 3 medications, it was still in the 150s over 90s. Very bad. Even then, I thought I felt fine. It wasn't until I saw a news story that sleep apnea is one of the main causes of high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attack - then I got serious.

I feel so much better now. It is amazing. Even 5 hours of sleep using the machine is way better than 7 or 8 hours without the machine. I sleep better. I fall asleep faster. Fewer trips to the bathroom. No more morning headaches. I feel more cheerful. I don't need energy drinks. No more nightmares. My blood pressure is in the normal range. No more waking up gasping and then choking until I vomit. No more getting yelled at when I share a hotel room.


I really wish I hadn't spent 10 years in denial. I could have started treatment back before my blood pressure was so high. I could have felt better 10 years earlier. I could have done more with my business with more energy. I could have felt safe driving back then instead of relying on somebody else to drive me long distances as I used to sleep in the car. I wouldn't have gained weight if I had been energetic and active. I would have saved a lot of money on repeat doctor visits and prescriptions for my high blood pressure. I probably wouldn't have been to a cardiologist at 32 and again at 40.


Don't make the same mistakes I did. You have a chance to get it under control while you aren't bad yet. I may be severe now, but I didn't snore as a teenager. This problem gets worse over time. Also, your doctor is believing the myth that weight loss will cure cpap. Unfortunately, it has been found that weight gain is often caused by sleep apnea, so it could be why you have gained weight, and then as you gain more weight, the sleep apnea gets worse. It turns into a vicious cycle.

You have come to the right place here. We have long time experts here who can help with tons of questions. Other newbies who are learning and asking the same things, and everything in between. It is always great to find that somebody else just dealt with the same issue a month ago, and they have fresh solutions for you. Unfortunately, most doctors and equipment providers have never slept with a cpap machine, so they really don't understand a lot of the basics in making it comfortable and correctly therapeutic for the individual. There are lots of good posts up in the top section for new people. And you will get lots of great answers to your questions. There will always be a few grumpy people, so try not to take things personally. we do intend to help you as much as we can

You already know the answer to your own questions. You are obese, you smoke, you don't sleep enough or well. You are on the fast track to the grave and denial is your best friend, but you know it even if you claim you don't. Life cannot go on this way.

I was EXACTLY where you are three years ago this week. Deep down I knew I'd be dead very soon if I didn't do SOMETHING.

So you've been handed the first step. Nobody says you have to like it, but we are all going to say you MUST use it. The keys to saving your own life are in your hands. Don't throw them away, don't you dare. Strap that mask to your face, suck it up, and tomorrow we'll tell you how to take the next baby step.

Lest you doubt this will help, three years ago this week I was 254lbs at 5'3". I could not walk across a room without shortness of breath. I went to sleep as late as I could to avoid waking choking on my own vomit and bile and staying awake two or three more hours before finally sleeping right before it was time to get up. My husband could not sleep in the same room because my snoring drove him away. I was afraid he'd find me dead one morning from choking on my own juices. I was sick all the time. I was in pain all the time.

I started CPAP kicking and screaming, but I did it for him. It was hard, I hated it, but he could share our bed again. It was hard, I hated it, but I stopped re fluxing. It was not as hard (3 months down the road!) and I started sleeping all night. I woke up peacefully instead of in panic mode. One day I realized that chronic severe shoulder pain was suddenly GONE. I started to love my CPAP. It took time and hard work and NEVER sleeping without it, but it became my friend, not my enemy.

With adequate sleep and oxygen, weight loss can happen. I have lost 72 lbs so far. I don't have pain or reflux. I can walk miles. I can stay awake through a whole movie or a long drive. I can watch a tv program without falling asleep. I get things done in the evenings instead of pretending to do them while I doze off. I don't get sick any more. My quality of life is 1000% better than it was three years ago.

You CAN do this. You MUST.

ladyholloway wrote: The way I see it...I hardly get proper sleep because I'm always busy, not because my throat is closing up & preventing my breathing!

Ya know I think you have a good point here. Indeed, although I was doing a “point by point” from your post I think I am going to do a response only to this point since it seems to be the key.

You need to get un-busy.

You need, I think, to take lots of walks, be with friends, find a way to be un-busy.

Perhaps the rest will fall into place after that.

How many dead people do you know who are busy?

I think that the simple act of walking has saved my life many times. Currently this little gadget keeps me inspired (see: http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HJ-720ITFFP ... B003U3HMN2 ).

Since you are asking for advice ----

First, stop smoking. Non-negotiable.

Use the cpap machine.

Lose weight. When you get your weight down to about 140 pounds get retested.

Or, you could purchase a pre-paid funeral plan and call it good!

If you are able to quiet your soul enough you can then hear well the issues you really should be attending to. Usually it has do to with being a friend.

ladyholloway wrote:I have been diagnosed with OSA. I have been prescribed a CPAP machine. But, I "semi-disagree" with my doctors' choices! I don't sleep as well as I should, I snore when I do sleep, & I've had a sleep study done (AHI-22). But...I also know that, even though this may sound strange...I just don't have the time to sleep. I have way to many other things on my plate! Now...I agree, I do have OSA! BUT...I disagree with the statement that I need the machine! My doctor told me that if I just lose weight, I'll be just fine...then, he prescribed the machine! The way I see it...I hardly get proper sleep because I'm always busy, not because my throat is closing up & preventing my breathing! I weigh 260 lbs & I'm 5' 4" tall. & other than not gettin the proper amount of sleep, being overweight, & smoking 3 packs a week...I'm (almost) in perfect health! So, my question is...if I'm telling them that I'm to busy (or not home long enough) to use the machine...why won't they take it back? Will anyone help me, please & thank you!

I too was diagnosed with OSA, after having been in denial for many years. My body was telling me that I was going to die if I didn't do something about my health, which meant losing weight. I was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea, got my machine and took it seriously. The first thing I noticed was that I was missing that foggy feeling in the morning after cpap use. The second thing I noticed was that my stuffed up nose cleared up, and I no longer had post-nasal drip, nor did I get bronchitis ever since I started using the machine.

Although I was not a smoker, I was overweight, but the use of the cpap machine gave me sufficient energy to tackle the weight loss. I now weigh a muscled 140 lbs. and am 5'4" tall. Yes, I still need to use the cpap machine although my pressure needs have dropped. I work out intensely, and am far busier than I ever was before I started cpap therapy. You know what? I LOVE my life now. I enjoy every bit of it because I'm no longer depressed, my health is great, and life is good. I can work in the garden and enjoy it because I have the muscles, the energy, and the enjoyment I need out of life. I sleep roughly 7 hours a night, and it is wonderful to wake up feeling refreshed. It's wonderful not to have sore throats and bronchitis. Heck, if they told me I didn't need the cpap machine for my apneas, I would still use it just to avoid sinus problems and their complications.

You can continue to drive along with denial sitting in your front seat, but you won't be driving for long at this pace. I recognized the signs and did something about it, so I know the future can be rosy. It's your choice though, not ours. Do you choose life or would you rather die or be incapacitated? Those are your two options, so choose wisely.

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." - Abraham Lincoln

Your body is a dull axe but you're too busy trying to chop wood with it to stop and sharpen your blade. You aren't too busy to sleep, eat well, and exercise.... YOU'RE TOO BUSY NOT TO!

Your mind and body are your main productivity tools, and you are neglecting the maintenance they need. Excuses are all well and good, and the level of denial to recognizing how ineffective you have already become will be significant, but ultimately you cannot escape the reality that you cannot be productive in the long run by neglecting to maintain yourself.

Walk fifteen min. three times a day to start. Doesn't matter how far you get to start with. Go slow, don't stop. Sans cigarettes at least while walking. Good luck, your life is in your hands.

Like you, I used to smoke 2 to 3 packs a week. It didn't seem like that big a deal and I figured I would quit eventually. I started taking wellbutrin for depression and over the following months I just forgot to smoke unless I was around friends that were smoking and then eventually quit that as well. It's several years later now and I can't stand to be around cigarettes they seem so gross and disgusting to me now. It's hard to remember wanting those things now.

Anyway my point is that wellbutrin can help some people quit.

Also why not try the cpap since you already have it? What can it hurt? Maybe you will feel better. I have found mine to be not *that* hard to get used to. Plus if you are always on the go and not getting enough rest, eventually you can crash physically. You immune system can get run down and you will get something nasty that will floor you like a sinus infection or the flu or something worse, or maybe depression.

I've been on CPAP 14 years & will not sleep without it. I DO remember the DENIAL, but once you commit to the new journey you will begin to take control of your life, your health & your sense of well-being.

Starting this journey is your choice, if you choose not to, you will condem yourself to a lifetime of poor to worsening health. Or perhaps one morning you won't wake at all...at a young age. How sad. Assuming you want to work for good health, use this forum & the many friends you can make here to help you.

First step, let us help you on this journey. First, list the name of your CPAP (brand name, model, etc) this can be found on the bottom of the machine. List the name of your mask too. This info will help us to better help you with your questions.

Second, sleep with the machine tonight. Don't worry if you can't do all night your first night, but give it a good try. Since you say you don't have much time for sleep, prepare your machine before bedtime, to save some time.

Third, post tomorrow to let us know how your night went. We will try to help with whatever issues you encounter.

If any of this sounds like too much, remember the CPAP therapy is most important, so just make sure to sleep with it tonight.

You are not alone, we are here to help you. Welcome to the forum and a new, healthy way to sleep.

Jen