CPAP not for me

Scout94 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 08, 2018 11:01 am

If I loose 2 years because I choose not to use this cap machine, so be it.

The thing about sleep apnea is that it does not give us the luxury to die. It makes us feel already dead. You see, you probably already know that dying is not the worst thing that one could get, it's living a bad life. It's being unable to focus on anything, learn anything or remember anything. It's being always unstable and susceptible to emotions not controled by your prefrontal cortex. It's feeling depressed, anxious and not that much excited about things that you once loved to do. So don't think that quitting treating your apnea will make you die at 88 instead of 90. It may force you to live a shitty life until 92.

So let's not let it happen and let's improve your treatment.
People might have mentioned before, but anyway:

1) Which equipment are you using and which settings are they running? CPAP machine, mask, pressure configuration, humidity levels and things like that. Everything matters.

2) Get a copy of your sleep study. Check the details. Apenas/hypopneas per hour, which kinds of apnea happened, oxygen desaturation and sleep architecture would be enough for you to analyze at a first glance. Post them here, too.

3) Try harder, soldier. Consider these two months as a mere training. Eventually you'll be able to sleep easily even with the CPAP noise, the hose and everything. It takes more or less time for each one of us, but suddenly you're just waking up refreshed thanks to that noisy friend - which turned out to be fairly silent.

Consider your treatment like a mission. You just don't simply give up, do you? It'll get easier, I promise. Just be patient and disciplined.

Ron AKA wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 08, 2018 1:26 pm

Scout94 wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 08, 2018 1:15 pm

So how do I find the numbers that you guys need for some feed back?

Start by posting the make and model of the machine you have, and then somebody familiar with that machine can help you find the numbers. There may be some simple fixes to your setup if we knew more about what you have for a machine, how it is setup and, what kind of results you are getting. An AHI of 2.8 is good especially if you have issues with central apneas. So perhaps it is a matter of working on the comfort factor.

If you quit CPAP you certainly will not be in the minority. I read somewhere that something like 83% quit or are non compliant to some degree. Like you I am having trouble finding enough positives to offset the negatives. That said I am going to stick with it for a while. At a minimum my wife appreciates it, as it has cut my snoring to zero. For me having a tensor bandage wrapped around my head, medical tape over my mouth, and this elephant trunk hanging from my nose, it is not so much fun... But, at least at this point with help from other on the forum, I hope to get over it.

I think there are many of us that started on their CPAP due to wife and snoring issues. "When mama ain't happy--". We all know the rest of it. My snoring stopped like yours did and my wife is happy now. But an added benefit to me is that I'm sleeping about an hour longer every night than I used to. 7 hrs vs 6'ish before. That is a definite benefit to me and an afternoon nap doesn't usually happen now so I guess the extra hour of sleep was needed.

I'm definitely one of the lucky ones. I have had my CPAP for just short of 60 days and never missed a night. I really like getting better sleep with absolutely zero problems getting used to it.

edatlanta wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 10, 2018 6:38 am

I think there are many of us that started on their CPAP due to wife and snoring issues.

For some of us it was the husband who said we should get checked for sleep apnea. My husband said my snoring wasn't was bothered him the most, it was when he could hear me struggling to breathe, then not breathing at all, then gasping for air when I would start breathing again.

Fun fact.....I dont snore. Never have. When my airway closes it simply closes. There is no restricted breathing, there is just NO breathing. My last sleep study had my AHI at 107, without a single snore to be heard.

If you are determined to kill yourself then nothing we say is going to stop you. I hope you decide to stay and learn from people who live it and have lived it for decades. Wouldnt it be a shame if you had a sudden stroke due to sleep apnea? Or crashed into a family of 4 on the highway because you are more tired than you think you are? After everything else you have been through......is sleep apnea REALLY the way you want to go out?

Yeah, we all die. But I sure as hell am not going to die over something I could have treated but chose not to out of a stubborn sense of invincibility. If death wants me it is going to have to work harder than that.

jennmary wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 10, 2018 2:29 pm

Fun fact.....I dont snore. Never have. When my airway closes it simply closes. There is no restricted breathing, there is just NO breathing. My last sleep study had my AHI at 107, without a single snore to be heard.

If you are determined to kill yourself then nothing we say is going to stop you. I hope you decide to stay and learn from people who live it and have lived it for decades. Wouldnt it be a shame if you had a sudden stroke due to sleep apnea? Or crashed into a family of 4 on the highway because you are more tired than you think you are? After everything else you have been through......is sleep apnea REALLY the way you want to go out?

Yeah, we all die. But I sure as hell am not going to die over something I could have treated but chose not to out of a stubborn sense of invincibility. If death wants me it is going to have to work harder than that.

wise words.

Bertha deBlues wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 10, 2018 8:32 am

For some of us it was the husband who said we should get checked for sleep apnea.

I tried for over a year to get my wife to have a sleep study. She refused to do it, so I simply told out family doctor that she snored a lot and would stop breathing when she slept. Our doctor then scheduled her for the sleep study. She has been on the machine for a little over a year now, and feels better than she did before she started treatment.

jennmary wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 10, 2018 2:29 pm

Fun fact.....I dont snore. Never have. When my airway closes it simply closes. There is no restricted breathing, there is just NO breathing. My last sleep study had my AHI at 107, without a single snore to be heard.

If you are determined to kill yourself then nothing we say is going to stop you. I hope you decide to stay and learn from people who live it and have lived it for decades. Wouldnt it be a shame if you had a sudden stroke due to sleep apnea? Or crashed into a family of 4 on the highway because you are more tired than you think you are? After everything else you have been through......is sleep apnea REALLY the way you want to go out?

Yeah, we all die. But I sure as hell am not going to die over something I could have treated but chose not to out of a stubborn sense of invincibility. If death wants me it is going to have to work harder than that.

My mom doesn't snore either. She just looks dead. No chest movement, no snorting, no sound at all. I would have assumed centrals, but they are obstructive, like mine (I snore and snort like crazy). Her events are fewer, but much longer, and her oxygen saturation goes down much further than mine does.

Our sleep apnea is very different in terms of data and appearance, but we both use the same style machine and mask. And we have almost the same pressure settings.

I have been using one of those over priced tongue suckers with great success, Good Morning I think it's called. I thought it was a scam but the stupid looking think is actually working. It's a little weird at first but I'm liking not having a mask strapped to my face, sleeping any position I like, PLUS PLUS wherever I want to sleep without the hassle of moving equipment. With your mild apnea it might be worth a try.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 08, 2018 1:44 pm

Central apnea is a different animal from obstructive sleep apnea in terms of a lot of the usual symptoms like snores.

Do you have a copy of your sleep study? If not, get it.
Was the sleep study done in a lab setting or at home?
What altitude do you live at and is the same altitude you had the sleep study if done in a lab.

Let's figure out exactly what "mild central apnea" means in your situation.

There's more to sleep apnea than just snores...what caused you to get tested in the first place? What symptoms were you having?

Yes, like Pugsy, I want to ask why were you tested in the first place and what symptoms were you having?

If you get a copy of your sleep study it might be useful to post it here so that people can get an idea of what is going on re your sleep disordered breathing.

Often times if people have comorbid conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, COPD, heart issues etc doctors will prescribe treatment for mild sleep apnea, but you don't have those, so you need to figure out exactly why you were prescribed treatment for your mild central apnea.

Also, are you on any medications for pain?

At first this strange contraption was a nuisance, a minor discomfort.
I used it because it stopped the nightmares and morning headaches.
Now it has become my spa, my sleep drug of choice.
I do not care to sleep without it.
It keeps away so much misery.

Chances are with VA he has a resmed auto airsense a10 (that is what they gave me), they supply excellent equipment,as much as you need at no cost.

I just had a childhood friend die because he was to proud or stubborn to work with VA and their help. Hope this doesn't happen here but he is a man grown and can make his own decisions, it is just a shame as he is relatively young and has everything he needs to fix a problem other than the will to go for it.l Yes it is a little different than normal sleeping but is easy enough to adjust to. Myself like others feel much better using my cpap, have adjusted to the mask and do not feel right if I do not use it every night. To the original poster, hope u can get with the program, if not Thank You for your Service and enjoy the time u have left.

I definitely struggled to be compliant as well but it does take work. For me I would watch TV with it on. I know it's not good sleep hygiene but watching a movie while trying to fall asleep made me focus on the movie and not the mask. I'd recommend putting the TV on a timer to shut off. I would even wear the mask around the house doing whatever I had to do.

I also recommend using the ramp feature. Having the machine start out at a lower pressure definitely helped me vs trying to sleep with a higher pressure.

Okie bipap wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 10, 2018 7:54 pm

Bertha deBlues wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 10, 2018 8:32 am

For some of us it was the husband who said we should get checked for sleep apnea.

I tried for over a year to get my wife to have a sleep study. She refused to do it, so I simply told out family doctor that she snored a lot and would stop breathing when she slept. Our doctor then scheduled her for the sleep study. She has been on the machine for a little over a year now, and feels better than she did before she started treatment.

My poor husband slept on the couch for THREE years because he could not sleep through my snoring. He never complained and he bought himself all kinds of cutesy footy p.j.'s so he didn't freeze to death. I fought getting tested for probably a decade. When I finally started therapy I had such a tough time, but I did it for him at that point. Saved my life, but I did it for him.