CPAP Newbie

CPAP Newbie When you are new to CPAP a lot of questions and concerns come up. Most deal with getting used to treatment. Many have come before you and have been successful in treating their Sleep Apnea. They impart their wisdom for you here.

Welcome! Yeah, you're frustrated now, but with some information and a lot of support from CPAPtalk you'll get back the years of sleep you've been missing

Get Started with CPAP and Treat Sleep Apnea

Welcome to this community of CPAP users. Information and support are necessary for effective treatment, and CPAPtalk and its extension CPAPwiki had both in abundance.

First things first: Use your words. Check out the CPAP Definitions section available on the Sidebar to familiarize yourself with important terms used in the Sleep Community and by your doctor and DME.

How Long Until I Feel Better?

Adjusting to CPAP as a New User

Tips for New Users=

1. You’re in the driver’s seat. Take as much control in the process as possible so that you can make informed choices. The interventions are all for your benefit. Because you are the one being sleep tested or using the xPAP (CPAP, AutoPAP, BiPAP) machine, you are the one who makes care and treatment successful. A well-meaning technician who doesn’t have sleep apnea may suggest a certain mask, but he or she is not the one who needs to wear it every night. Don’t just passively follow, but actively partner and collaborate with your doctor, sleep lab technician, people at the DME (Durable Medical Equipment/Home Care provider), and your insurance company. If your reasonable needs are not being met, be polite but assertive, persistent, and creative in pursuing what you need.

Read the remaining tips here: Tips_for_Newcomers_to_Sleep_Apnea

List of CPAP Essentials

by: karlchrisb, CPAPtalk member

Here's what I have that would possibly make someone else's life easier if they had these things (ALTHOUGH, if you don't it's no big deal if you're getting along fine without them!):

1) A hose snuggle - AKA Tube Cover. It helps cut down "rain" in your tube if you use humidification. You can get them in different colors and patterns. If you can afford the Australian-made heated tubing, go for it, but, a cover is a little cheaper and much more fashion-savvy. Buy them anywhere CPAP supplies are sold. TIP: Follow the directions and use the bag the cover comes in over the end of the tube to help it slip through the cover. It will save you HOURS of frustration.
2) A hose buddy. I cannot stress this enough. The hose banging on the back of the headboard, against the wall, into the blinds, against your sleeping partner's head, etc. will drive you both more crazy then your snoring EVER did. Get one - it is worth the $$$! cpap.com sells a nice one, but, there are probably others wherever CPAP supplies are sold.
3) Ayr with aloe AND Lansinoh. jules' tip. These creams will save your skin and nostrils (nares) if you use nasal pillows/posts/snaps. Ayr is in the cold/flu section of Wal-mart right next to #5 below. Use it to moisturize your nares. It also helps with nasal pillow seal if you don't use too much. A little goes a LONG way. Lansinoh is found in the infant breast-feeding section of Wal'mart. Guys - swallow your pride or have a lady buy it for you. It is worth the money and possible embarrassment! It is pure lanolin and will save your face! It will moisturize and help heal your skin in case you have any issues with a nasal/full mask or the headgear straps. If the price seems a little too much for your taste, PLEASE remember that you only need a VERY small amount. Less than the size of a dime will cover a big area. You will be surprised. And, in this case, a little is better than nothing.
4) Toe Bandages and Elastic. MORE jules' tips! Toe Bandages are in the bandage and/or foot care aisle in Wal-mart. These are great if you can't afford Strap Guards ($2.23 for 3 5" bandages at Wal-mart). Or, if you can, they are great in a pinch for travelling or temporarily until your strap guards are washed/dryed. You can cut them to any size. If you need a more "exact" approach - try Molefoam or Mole Skin in the same aisle. SHAMELESS PLUG: PAD A CHEEKS are wonderful and can be used/washed again and again. Elastic is in the crafts/fabric section of Wal-mart. I got 1/4" width, but, you can get what works for your situation. You can even get different colors! You can cut any length you need to help with the fitting of your mask. Maybe your mask is okay but could use a little more tightning or stability. Tie some elastic on the mask and experiment. You may find it masks a good mask that perfect mask! There are pictures of examples right here in cpaptalk.com for a lot of different masks.
5) Some kind of saline nasal wash. YOU choose the right one for you and your budget. I got the NeilMed squeeze bottle type. If you fill out their little survey they will send you a free caddy to dry it after washing it to keep it sanitary. Keeping those sinuses clean will cut down dryness in your sinuses and throat. It can also help kill nasty cold and flu germs!
6) A Medical Alert Tag. This states that your CPAP is medical equipment. It is great if you are travelling via plane, train or bus. It will allow you to keep the CPAP with you at all times so it won't get stolen or damaged.
7) Cleaning supplies. This one is your choice and what best works for you. I use Ivory dishwashing liquid (the CLASSIC 99.9% pure product) for every-day quick cleaning. My therapist said NO DAWN! It is important that the soap be pure and mild. Then, I use CONTROL III disinfectant once a week. This will keep everything sparkling and won't "eat" the plastic. Make sure to follow the CONTROL III directions exactly and don't over-concentrate the solution. They also have instructions for a spray-bottle every day disinfecting for germaphobes like me! Some folks use baby shampoo, Joy, vingegar/water, etc. Again, whatever works for YOU and you can afford if your budget is tight. There are examples everywhere for different cleaning solutions.
8) cpaptalk.com - you may have questoins and they have answers. They are helpful, sweet and attentive. And, I just happen to use cpap.com and cpapauction.com which are all the same family. This is a SHAMELESS plug for these websites and is NOT paid for nor requested by them in any way. I am just so pleased with the customer service (MONICA!) at cpap.com, the WONDERFUL folks here on cpaptalk.com and the GREAT prices at cpapauction.com. C'mon - it's not often you can find so many great things in ONE place anymore.
9) and 10) Patience and persistence. Please don't give up. It may take some time for this to integrate into your life, schedule, routine, etc. It is worth the time and effort you put into it. This is your life and health. Isn't it worth the time and effort?

Keeping the Mask On at Night=

Do you take the mask off in the middle of the night and not realize it until the next morning? This is common. Most everyone will have done this at one time or another. Not to worry unless you are doing it every night and not getting the therapy you need. Some people have resorted to taping the mask to the skin so that the discomfort of removing the tape when mask comes off will wake them and thus break the mask removal cycle. Others have resorted to putting something like socks or mittens on there hands to make mask removal difficult. Eventually you will start welcoming the mask and your mind will stop wanting to remove it and the nightly mask removing will cease or become very infrequent.

Protection from Painful Wear and Tear on your Face

Nasal Pillow comfort hints

Comfort wearing any mask can be a challenge. Many users of the nasal pillow or the nasal prong mask systems experience some tenderness or even pain on the tip of the nose or inside the nares (nostrils).

First thing is to make sure that the headgear is not too tight. These masks do not need to be tight to be effective. Make sure that the side straps are equally adjusted. Too much tension on one side can cause chaffing enough to break the skin and create a painfully sore spot.

If not too tight but some tenderness remains then adding a little moisturizer to the external tip of nose and even inside the nares can minimize the discomfort while this area "toughens up". Lansinoh ointment is a good choice. It is used by nursing mothers to help heal chapped nipples that occur during breast feeding. It can be used during the day or even at night with the nasal pillows. Used in moderation it has the added benefit of helping seal the pillows. It is tacky enough to help the pillows "stick". Others use Ayr Gel as a moisturizing agent with good success. Do not use any petroleum based product, such as Vasoline, because it is harmful for the lungs and can degrade the nasal pillows. So if you use something else, look at the ingredients closely.

Mental and Physical Stages of CPAP

Seven Stages of CPAP

originally posted by Mike Moran:

Since many are new to this therapy I thought I should put together some of the common threads of what we all go through for ourselves and our loved ones. This is also something you might share with your family or friends so they might gain an understanding of what you are dealing with.

1. Denial
2. Realization
3. Diagnosis
4. Frustration
5. Immersion
6. Ownership
7. Inflation

For the Full Article, read: Seven Stages of CPAP

What is Feeling Good?

originally posted by Perry Holzman

Many CPAP users report that as treatment continues they begin to remember what feeling good is like. In this article, 4 stages of mental and emotional states are explored.

1. Walking Dead
2. Basic Treatment
3. Advanved Treatment
4. Mental Zest

Read the full article here: What is Feeling Good?

CPAP Adaption Stages

originally posted by Mile High Sleeper

Getting to the point where CPAP treatment is comfortable and tolerable takes practice and experimentation. In this article, gain motivation, resources and ideas to get past the struggle and into a good night's sleep.

Read the full article here: CPAP Adaptation Stages

Learn From Others' Experiences

Sleep Diary

originally posted by Mile High Sleeper

When I was first diagnosed, I found this forum (cpaptalk.com) invaluable and it helped me a great deal to learn from the experiences and support of others. Without the advice so freely given I'm sure I would have found it even harder to cope. Thanks to you all. I kept a diary for the first few weeks and glanced back at it today. I'm now in week 10 and really beginning to feel the benefit, so the fear, uncertainty and discomfort of the first few weeks is becoming a more distant memory every day.

I thought it might give others some hope & encouragement if they could see a few extracts from my diary.

Read the full article here: Diary of Two Hoseheads

Add your own Sleep Diary

Thoughts on Improvement

originally posted by birdshell

As I was driving to my aunt and uncle's home for Thanksgiving, it occurred to me that my efforts to get there had changed greatly. I have other medical conditions that have been treated (finally) before I started CPAP 8 months ago. Those treatments definitely helped, but still left me tired, lacking energy, sleeping 12-14 hours a day, and NOT living the life I would choose...

Read the full article here: Thoughts on Improvement

Social and Psychological Factors in SBD Recovery

originally posted by Mile High Sleeper

“I realized that I had a handicap rather than a moral defect. Finally, I could stop criticizing myself for not meeting social and personal standards of behavior.”
Sleep apnea patient Jerry Halberstadt, Sleep Apnea – The Phantom of the Night, p. 154

Just as we’re all different in our physical conditions, we’re all unique in our psychological nature and approach to life. Listed below are a few personal issues related to sleep disordered breathing (SBD) and CPAP treatment that can come up, not even including equipment issues. If you have a family member or friend who is not very supportive of your condition and CPAP therapy, perhaps discussing some of these items will increase their awareness and understanding...

Read the full article here: Social and Psychological Factors in SBD Recovery

Partners and CPAP

Single CPAP users and Partners

Approach Treatment Together

Why tell your partner about CPAP treatment?: http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16860&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

Quiet Equipment

IntelliPAP Auto Adjust CPAP Machine wins Product Challenge 8 against the M Series Auto with AFLEX due to its quietness. The result of the Product Challenge proves the noise level of the machine makes a tremendous difference in the effectiveness of CPAP treatment. Product Challenge participants had this to say about the IntelliPAP Auto Adjust:

"By far the quietest of any machine I've ever used, the intellipap is barely audible. This is a great machine for anyone whose sleeping companion complains about the sound the machine makes. My partner didnt even know the machine was on the first night." - Marc K.

"VERY quiet operation. Surprising how much of a difference this makes for a comfortable sleeping environment." - Philip B.

"This is an extremely quiet machine. You definitely wouldn't be keeping someone awake." - Margaret W.

Feeling Low?

Don't Give Up!

originally posted by Rhoda

So you've been sentenced to "life" with CPAP and after a week or so you're still wresting with doubts that you want to continue. GET SERIOUS! Did you listen when the doctor, therapist and CPAP supplier told you why you need CPAP? OK so maybe it was only the doctor who told you. Therapists and CPAP equipment suppliers will eventually learn that they all need to reinforce "why" you need CPAP.

Being hooked up to a CPAP machine is not as convenient or comfortable as not being hooked up, although great strides will continue to be made in every possible area of patient comfort. But there is much more at stake than simply your comfort and convenience...

Read the full article here: Don't Give Up!