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.

How Long Until I Feel Better?

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

Diary of Two Hoseheads

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

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

Specific Health Conditions and OSA Recovery

Specific Health Conditions and OSA Recovery (Mile High Sleeper) (How Long Until I Feel Better?)

Researching the link between OSA and specific physical conditions

Since all the body’s cells, organs, and systems require oxygen, untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can cause or contribute to a wide variety of health problems, many of which can become serious and life-threatening. For more information, google the health condition that concerns you + sleep apnea, and try these links:

PubMed search of research from the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed

Respironics clinical references links
http://reimbursement.respironics.com/References.asp

A sleep diagnostic service company has a Consumer Services web site with a good online video library and other general information
http://www.sleepsolutions.com/cons/cons_videos.htm

Sleep Home Pages, sections for Public, Clinical, Research, many links, http://www.sleephomepages.org/

National Center for Sleep Disorders Research
National Institutes of Health, http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncsdr/index.htm

Stanford University Center for Human Sleep Research, Links
http://www.med.stanford.edu/school/psychiatry/humansleep/

Discussion threads about some specific health conditions

To find more threads, use http://www.cpaptalk.com/search.php

Acid reflux/GERD and OSA http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t19816/Insomnia-May-Be-First-Signal-of-Acid-Reflux.html http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t15629/What-came-firstsilent-refluxasthmasleep-apneaor-zoloft.html http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=21252&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Alzheimers Disease and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t5396/Sleep-apnea-heart-disease-and-Alzheimers-Disease.html

Asthma and OSA
http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/pubs/asthma-osa.html

Brain fog and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=22069&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Blood pressure and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t26081/want-to-share-success-story.html http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=14482&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t14482/CPAP-proven-to-improve-blood-pressure.html http://www.apneasupport.org/about1101-0-asc-0.html http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t14756/White-Coat-Hypertension-and-OSA--any-experts.html

Diabetes and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t17660/AVOIDING-DIABETES--TREATMENT-IS-WORTH-IT.html http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t22441/Diabetes.html

Erectile dysfunction, libido, and OSA.
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=12997 http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t15997/Libido-vs-Therapy.html http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t23845/CPAP-tratment-and-testosterone-levels.html

Glaucoma and OSA
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256DE300523D7E?Open&id=48DDE4A73E09A969852568880078C249&count=10 and discussion thread: http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php?t=13166

Heart and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t14624/Dont-assume-you-know-whats-wrong.html

Insomnia, Anxiety, Trauma, PTSD, Nightmares, Sleeping Pills
http://sleeptreatment.com/ and the book Sound Sleep, Sound Mind by Barry Krakow, MD

Other changes and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t22311/Little-known-dangers-of-OSA.html http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t19754/Other-changes-in-your-body.html

Pain and sleep deprivation. Quote contributed by a cpaptalk.com forum member: “Sleep Deprivation On June 22, 2002, at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society (San Francisco), researchers reported that sleep deprivation markedly increases inflammatory cytokines. This finding helps explain why pain flare-ups occur in a variety of disorders in response to lack of sleep. According to the researchers, even a modest lack of sleep adversely affected cytokine and hormone levels. In this carefully controlled study, two potent proinflammatory markers were affected. Sleep deprivation caused a 40-60% average increase in the inflammatory marker IL-6 in men and women, although a 20-30% increase in TNF-alpha was shown in men alone (Vgontzas et al. 1999; 2001).”

Stroke and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t18793/Stroke-prevention-study.html

Urination, nighttime (nocturia) and OSA. If you have untreated sleep apnea, the body may secrete a hormone (atrial natriuretic factor) that increases your urine output during sleep. When sleep apnea is treated, nighttime urine output is reduced, and you may get through the night without a bathroom trip. TS Johnson, Sleep Apnea, p. 181

This is a must-read article for understanding the link between nocturia and OSA: http://www.nocturiacures.com/ Discussion thread http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t16275/Can-someone-explain-why-OSA-patients-quotpeequot-more.html

Weight and OSA
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t19479/6-myths-about-sleep-disorders.html http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t24155/Weight-Loss-with-cpap.html http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t22068/Those-f-you-who-have-lost-weight-after-starting-CPAP.html

Sources: Based on personal experience with obstructive sleep apnea and gleaned from the collective wisdom of cpaptalk.com contributors.

Want more? See the peer coaching article Ready to Give Up? at http://smart-sleep-apnea.blogspot.com

Not written by healthcare professionals. The information and opinions offered are not intended or recommended as a substitute for professional medical advice. © Mile High Sleeper, May 2006-2008. Permission to use for free educational purposes.