Cpap

[berettabone]

Just out of curiosity, is anyone on this forum currently using a cpap or bipap machine?????????????????????

[JohnR]

My mother in law does. My wife thinks I should but I refuse to strap my face to one!

[Higgy Baby]

I used a V-pap for near 4 years for complex apnea. It was a constant struggle, but I hung tough.
The obstructive apnea was not so much a problem as the central was.
The sad part was I had to take a sleeping pill too. I eventually learned that I could sleep better without the mask...as long as I was sedated. So I stopped. It took me nearly a year to wean myself off the sleeping pill- Ambien. The last near year- I sleep only with 1.5 mg of melatonin.
I was very disappointed with the medical expertise of the Sleep Center here in Mobile.

If you have obstructive apnea- the cpap and mask may actually help you. If you are overweight- then you know the weight needs to go.
It was a long nightmare for me.....and unfortunately after spending lots of money, and years fighting the mask and machine....I finally figured out that self treatment was better for me.

[ripley16]

MIL recently began use of Cpap. She adapted quickly to it. It helps her sleep better and she does not snore any more. Uses the max amount of water in an 8 hour night

[DeaconKC]

I have used one for over 10 years since I broke my neck. It is a pain at times, but does help.

[berettabone]

Sleep apnea is a somewhat complex thing................I have mostly central with some obstructive and have been on "the machine" since 2005. There are many types of apnea, and some people think that snoring is one of them. Snoring is only harmful, if you stop breathing or if you are lowering your oxygen input. My wife got tired of the constant snoring, and breathing issues, so off I went. Best thing that ever could have happened. Get good restful sleep EVERY night, no more snoring, and the wife gets sleep also. I would suggest, in a friendly manor, that if you suspect that you have a form of sleep apnea, that you get a sleep study done. They can usually tell within a few hours, if you have issues. I say this, because, if you are depriving yourself of oxygen, it affects all of your organs. A close friend of mine has it........I know the signs, and have been nudging him, along with his wife, for years, to go get a sleep study done. He just had a major heart attack, survived, and his surgeons told him that his sleep patterns indeed had a part in his attack. Having to put a mask on every night, is a daunting affair. It took me a good three months, getting rid of a nose mask, and going to a full mask, to start to get used to it. Now, it is second nature. In some cases, losing some weight can help. Mine started before I gained weight. Most people with apnea, do not realize what a good night's sleep is, until they use a machine. It was one of the toughest things I've had to do, along with quitting smoking. I'm glad I took the step, because it feels so much better to awake refreshed, instead of sluggish, and understand how important good sleep really is.:o

[berettabone]

I used a V-pap for near 4 years for complex apnea. It was a constant struggle, but I hung tough.
The obstructive apnea was not so much a problem as the central was.
The sad part was I had to take a sleeping pill too. I eventually learned that I could sleep better without the mask...as long as I was sedated. So I stopped. It took me nearly a year to wean myself off the sleeping pill- Ambien. The last near year- I sleep only with 1.5 mg of melatonin.
I was very disappointed with the medical expertise of the Sleep Center here in Mobile.

If you have obstructive apnea- the cpap and mask may actually help you. If you are overweight- then you know the weight needs to go.
It was a long nightmare for me.....and unfortunately after spending lots of money, and years fighting the mask and machine....I finally figured out that self treatment was better for me. I am glad to hear that you got off of Ambien..........................one of the worst drugs on the planet. Sorry that you had a bad experience with your sleep center. Although apnea is a legitimate issue, some in the medical profession like to take advantage of people and their insurance, if you know what I mean. Like charging $25.00 for a machine filter, when I can get mine online for $1.50 for 3 of them. I went to the sleep center which was originally put together by doctor's who were connected to Reggie White's problems with sleep apnea, which he supposedly died from. I say supposedly, because it's sometimes difficult to blame a disease for someone's death, when they are snorting massive amounts of chemicals up their nose at the same time that they weigh 300 lbs., and they wonder why they are having sleep and breathing issues.:p My issues are a relaxation of the back of the throat(obstructive apnea) which make you snore and constantly wake you up. I also stop breathing 30 times an hour, in which your brain tells you to wake up every time, thus, the lousy sleep. My case is considered mild to moderate. There are many people who are much worse off. There was a guy there during my initial study, who stopped breathing about every 15 seconds..........talk about a nightmare.

[sas PM9]

Just out of curiosity, is anyone on this forum currently using a cpap or bipap machine?????????????????????


BB:

Yes, for years. Probably since 2000 or so. I've been through three machines so far. My overnight study was cut short because I had stopped breathing 40+ times an hour. I was started on a CPAP but that did not work for me- it kept me blown up like a balloon because of the high pressures needed. I had to be put on a bi-PAP and it was a Godsend to me. Much better sleep, waking up actually feeling rested. Highly recommended if you are not getting good sleep.

-steve

[marcinstl]

I put on the headgear(nasal pillow system), hit the on button, almost instantly asleep. sleep all night and even dream. better than waking up every 2 minutes. my machine has the humidifier and I like that.
a friend of mine has one and he uses a full face mask, going for that Darth Vader thing. what ever works. good luck.
(just for grins get the make and model number and shop it online, then compare that to the price the in network medical equipment provider is going to bill your insurance company for. amazing how that works. almost makes you think that somebody is getting some kind of kickback from the equipment provider?)

[RevRay]

I've been using one for 5 years now. I wish I been using it for 15 when my wife first made the suggestion!

[TheTman]

My brother uses one, we shared a motel room on a bike trip and the sounds he made while sleeping alarmed me enough I suggested he see a Dr. about it. He did and has been on the CPAP since. He sleeps much better now and is more rested in the morning.

[OldLincoln]

Anybody been on CPAP/APAP/Bi-Pap that tried the mouth piece with flanges to keep your lower jaw from sliding back? I've been on APAP for years and my son switched to the mouth piece and does great. Don't know if the VA will switch me yet but I'd like to try it out.

[cloud]

Anybody been on CPAP/APAP/Bi-Pap that tried the mouth piece with flanges to keep your lower jaw from sliding back? I've been on APAP for years and my son switched to the mouth piece and does great. Don't know if the VA will switch me yet but I'd like to try it out.

I know a couple of different people that tried the pure sleep mouth piece that said it works. It is only about $50.00.

[Baklash]

I've been on cpap for many years. The original test showed I got only about 45 minutes of sleep in an 8 hour period and it definitely does affect the brain. I'm not sure how many years I had it before eventual diagnosis, but I suddenly had a bout of amnesia. Couldn't turn on or off my computer, couldn't remember what I ate for breakfast or lunch. Couldn't remember 3 easy words 5 minutes after the doctor told me to remember them. Talk about scary. Tested me from a$$hole to appetite. No stroke, no nothin' medical they could find, so I was sent to a psychiatrist who said I had "classic depression". Put me on 2 powerful medications that kept me in a stupor. I didn't care if the house caught on fire......ok, the house is on fire. Couldn't do my job well so the company gave me a month leave which eventually led to 3 months and then 6. I argued all along that I was not depressed, but couldn't convince the psycho-chiatrist. Finally saw a neurologist who immediately took me off the psycho drugs and sent me for a sleep test. The rest is history. I've been on every kind of mask starting with the full mask, then the nose pillows (several different designs over the years). Recently, I found the SleepWeaver Advance which has the typical straps head gear but is a small nylon bag that fits just over the nose. Don't knock it til you've tried it. You have to learn how to reposition it correctly once in a while. Just watch the video provided. It's the most comfortable mask I've ever had, and I've had them all. You can Google it and see exactly what it is. Several colors available, even camo.

[berettabone]

I started with the nose mask, didn't like it immediately because of sinus issues, and I am an open mouth sleeper. Got a full face mask and never looked back. Still using the same machine I've used since the beginning. I use a Resmed Mirage Quattro mask.........been using for years. I would never use anything that you insert into your mouth, or wear on your teeth. They force your jaw back, that's how it keeps your throat open, and keeps you from snoring. Unfortunately, after a while of sleeping with your jaw pushed back, you can get TMJ, bad over or under bite, locking of the jaw, headaches, etc. These devices put your jaw in an unnatural position, which causes major problems down the line. Just over tightening straps on a full face mask, can push your jaw back. Speaking from experience.

[Dbholfo]

I'm on CPAP; I started about 7 months ago and besides sleeping through the night I've lost 50 lbs. I have enough energy to work, where I work up a sheen and even better, enough to split wood after work and on my days off. I wear a chin strap to keep my mouth closed and the nose mask. I used to go to sleep at long stop lights and my blood O2 was very low. I plan to lose 70 more pounds but I'll have to find more wood to split or start swimming again :)