Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
hipposrba
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Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2012 5:03 pm

Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by hipposrba » Sun Jan 01, 2012 5:23 pm

Hello everyone! Very new to this, two days home w machine. I am not having a good go of it at all. Severe anxiety today. I have not slept in well over 24 hours. No idea what to do. Ive read alot of the posts and all of them helpful but I feel lost. I need this to work. 36 and im high risk for a stroke. Too much life to live.

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chilliman64
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Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by chilliman64 » Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:44 am

just had my second night with cpap, it was much better than the first - a very low AHI of 1.3 and very pleased with that. I feel somewhat rested today despite several periods of rolling around in bed - quality not quantity! if my sleep and recovery continue to improve I will be very pleased.
Mark

NREM REM Overall

AHI 43 21 42
ORD 33 5 33
OA 14 31 16
REM Duration 3% (12mins)
Diagnosed - 4th Oct 2011

amw
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Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by amw » Fri Jan 27, 2012 12:09 pm

Hi Everyone,

I'm a newbie to this forum, but not so much a newbie to CPAP. This looks like a great place for communicate with others.

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Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by Guest » Thu Feb 09, 2012 11:25 am

Hi
new here just got my cpap machine and find myself ripping it off in the middle of the night. guess this is normal? Getting a pillow to replace the full mask maybe that will help! Is it true that weight is a big cause of sleep apnia? I've lost 46 lbs and they say I still need cpap. I also have asthma but not as many attacks since weight loss.
Thanks in advance

LoveTheCanes
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Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by LoveTheCanes » Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:24 am

Hello. I'm 58, and have just had my first sleep study and had 51 apneas per hour with oxygen dropping to 80%. They put a mask on me halfway through the night and said I was a "10" and that stopped te apneas and brought my oxygen back up to 92%. I was miserable The nose mask thingy pinched the bridge of my ose so badly that I had a red mark and sore spot for 2 days. They woke me again to put a chin strap on me, which was awfully tight and uncomfortable. I didn't really know what I was getting into and just kind of floundered around. Please tell me that is a normal testinge experience but nights at home won't be so bad!!! My Doc has ordered a CPAP. I'm seriously overwhelmed right now. There's so much to try to understand - what I need to do equipment-wise, how my life seems to be changing practically overnight, what this condition is and its dangers, etc. I'm really concerned about getting the machine and its accessories. I've read so much on this site that now I'm confused. I think I've gone into informatoin overlload. Now I don't know what I should ask or "do" when I meet with the CPAP vender tomorrow. People write of all these attachments/accessories - things that sound beneficial. Can someone point me to a simple reference that will help me with the nitty gritty about the machinery as I take this giant step? This forum thread and others appear really helpful but it's TMI - as the kids would say - for me to absorb in a hurry. Sorry. I sound like I'm griping. I'm really not. I'm just totally frazzled and afraid I'll come away without something I need or with stuff that no one ever uses. This stuff looks too expensive to go into it blondly. I don't know where to start. I'd really appreciate any ideas. Thank you!

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Pugsy
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Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by Pugsy » Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:30 pm

LoveTheCanes wrote: I think I've gone into informatoin overlload. Now I don't know what I should ask or "do" when I meet with the CPAP vender tomorrow
I have sent you a private message with this link http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/
start your reading there...especially what to know before you meet with your DME.

When you come back to the forum....please start a new topic with your questions and issues. This thread is really old and people usually just read it and don't follow new stuff.

When you have your own thread people can devote special attention to your problem and it won't get lost in a large thread.

Huge learning curve here but you will get through it and BTW....sleeping with all this stuff isn't nearly as horrible as what they did to you with the mask portion of your sleep study. These masks don't hurt unless someone has them cranked down way too tight.

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tobiasrook
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Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by tobiasrook » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:36 am

forgive me if I failed to post in the correct area....

Last night I completed my sleep study and was told that i have mild/moderate sleep app.

I am really OK with having to use a machine yet what concerns me is that I have no clue what the "best" machine,hose,mask,etc may be for me and simply can not afford to purchase supplies just to have it not work for me.

I am interested in the full face mask (nose,mouth)

Any help/guidance is appreciated in the right direction...I have pretty good insurance if that matters
Tobias

Inmath

Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by Inmath » Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:07 am

My mask suddenly has begun to vibrate as I breathe out and there is condensation in the mask and rubber tube. What is going wrong? The water chamber setting was at 2

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LSAT
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Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by LSAT » Sat Mar 03, 2012 1:53 pm

Inmath wrote:My mask suddenly has begun to vibrate as I breathe out and there is condensation in the mask and rubber tube. What is going wrong? The water chamber setting was at 2
It's called rainout.....Here are some ideas....Keep the machine lower than your mattress, insulate your hose, use a hose management system and/or lower your humidity level.

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desjardins
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Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by desjardins » Tue Mar 06, 2012 3:07 pm

I was diagnosed a few years ago but was completely non-compliant. I got a new doctor who read me the riot act (my apnea is extremely severe) and got a new mask and machine.

Without the mask, I feel like I sleep well, I'm not tired during the day, and have no other symptoms. I'm in my 30s, not overweight, not diabetic, no risk factors at all really. I cannot stand sleeping with the mask (Mirage Liberty, I have also tried a Quattro FX and some other full face I don't remember). All of them leak or are noisy after an hour or two even though the DME says they fit fine. I feel like someone's taken an air compressor hose from the gas station and shoved up my nose.

I feel like the choice is between sleeping great/feeling well rested, and not sleeping at all because I'm wearing this godforsaken mask. I don't feel well rested, I don't feel happy, there is no perceivable benefit at all except an abstract lowered risk of not dying. I really don't know how to deal with these feelings; I am normally a calm person, but I want to punch a hole in the wall. I am just in tears all of the time.

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archangle
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Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by archangle » Tue Mar 06, 2012 10:08 pm

Welcome, desjardins.

Please start a new thread of your own and discuss what your problems are. You'll get better help that way.

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Please enter your equipment in your profile so we can help you.
Click here for information on the most common alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check for yourself.

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happysleeper
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Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by happysleeper » Tue Mar 20, 2012 9:08 pm

Whats bothering me is when the hose slides off the bed It pulls my nasel pillow down and causes it to leak, then I wake up.
Hi Painter19, I've had good success with a snuggle hose cover. Here's a sample: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/snuggl ... cover.html

It's covers the hose, so the surface is not slippery and the hose doesn't slide off the bed. I wear my hose downward on my chest, and then off to the side to my machine. Before I got the hose cover the hose would slide and pull the mask, like yours.

I also find that I don't have rainout, which is condensation of the water in the hose/mask, because the hose cover keeps the hose warmer and the moisture stays in the air and moisturizes my sinuses instead of condensing when it hits the relatively cold surface of the uncovered hose. Good thing.

Good luck,

Happy Sleeper

Savannah
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Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by Savannah » Sat Mar 24, 2012 7:34 am

Hello All,

New member here eager to learn more about my new bedside partner, my CPAP machine. I've had him for a monh now and have seen a great improvement in my overall wakefulness and ability to focus sharper at work.

Am having issues waking up each morning feeling like I have a head cold (this goes away an hour after I wake up) and I think it has to do with my CPAP and humidifier setting (maybe?). I'll start a new thread about this to get more feedback.

Thanks for this forum!

Mtn_Man
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Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2012 1:34 pm

Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by Mtn_Man » Sun Apr 08, 2012 1:59 pm

I am a CPAP newbie - just completed my second night sleeping with CPAP. I realize now that I have probably been living with this problem for quite a few years, so I am looking forward to the possibility of getting quality sleep.

I am having problems adjusting to my mask. I chose full face (Resmed Mirage Quattro) because I often have nasal congestion that forces me to breathe through my mouth. I am determined, however, and expect to get used to the mask. My AHI, as reported by my Resmed S9 Elite data using Sleepyhead software, seems quite high. I am also using a humidifier with a heated ClimateLine hose. My first night on the machine, AHI was 15, the next night was 13.4. I am still not sure exactly how to correctly interpret the data, but I am studying the terms. I am an engineer, so I live on data, so this is a benefit of my sleep apnea, giving me more data to try to interpret, promising not to panic over what I may see until consulting my physician.

I am a bit concerned over what appear to me to be quite high Clear Airway events. I believe that these mean that they MIGHT be Central Sleep Apnea events, but again, they may not be. During my sleep studies, I had one study where the physician indicated CSA, but the follow-on study did not. In 23 years of marriage, my wife has never observed my stopping breathing or gasping and I am not a snorer, even though my wife is up frequently during the night with other health issues of her own. After two nights on CPAP, 1st night, Hypopnea 0.54, Apnea 0.18, Obstructive 1.45, and Clear Airway 12.83. Second night, Hypopnea 0.00, Apnea 0.00, Obstructive 1.44, Clear Airway 11.96.

Any advice, reaction, etc. from any "old hand" will be greatly appreciated. I want to get off to a good start with hopes that this is going to be a big help. Maybe I can stop napping at traffic lights (funny, but NOT funny!)

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Pugsy
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Re: Where A CPAP Newbie Should Start

Post by Pugsy » Wed Apr 11, 2012 1:19 pm

Mtn_Man wrote:I am a CPAP newbie - just completed my second night sleeping with CPAP
Mtn_Man wrote: Any advice, reaction, etc. from any "old hand" will be greatly appreciated.
For newbies.....this thread is mainly a read only thread.
If you are having problems it is best to start a thread of your own down on the main page page and list your problems in your own thread where members will see it quickly and be able to respond appropriately to your specific issues. Lots of times we don't even bother reading the threads at the top of the page here.

So please start a thread of your own. If you don't know how..just click on "Post a new Topic".
I mention this in case this new member Mtn Man comes back here and wonders why no one has responded with offers to help. Start a new thread of your own and it will be right at the top of the list and seen more quickly and you will get offers and ideas to help.

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