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New Users Group

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New Users Group

This is the place for new users to orient themselves to the forum.

Members: 123
Latest Activity: Jan 17, 2012

Welcome! Please introduce yourself to the Sleep Apnea community and make yourself comfortable!

Discussions

Which machine should you get? 7 Replies

Many times newly diagnosed patients do not have a clue about what type of cpaps and machines there are. If you were like me, in a sleep deprived state of mind, you really do not know what questions…Continue

Started by sleepycarol. Last reply by Chris Jan 17, 2012.

What is your biggest hurdle trying to adjust to cpap therapy? 41 Replies

I thought it might be useful to find out what types of problems newbies are having.Many on the forum did not make the transition without adjustments. If we know what problems you are having we may be…Continue

Started by sleepycarol. Last reply by Mary Z Jan 15, 2012.

Is it really this difficult? 53 Replies

I was diagnosed about a month ago and got a machine a week ago.  My sleeping since has been awful.  I have to use melatonin to get to sleep at all, then wake up a couple hours later and just lie…Continue

Started by Don Dodge. Last reply by Chris H Feb 12, 2011.

Trouble Falling Asleep 10 Replies

Hi, I am a very reluctant user of the CPAP and have had very negative feelings towards the whole thing. I have felt very resentful of having to put a mask on my face each night - looking so un-sexy…Continue

Started by Bex. Last reply by Lisa B Nov 23, 2010.

Hi I'm Glenda.. 10 Replies

Hi I'm Glenda and i have a shiny new CPAP machine..How does one intro themselves? .. I have just started using my machine, a few days now, and i feel wierd! Thats what bought me to finding you guys…Continue

Started by glenda brown. Last reply by ellen brann Oct 27, 2010.

Sore tongue 2 Replies

I am in a sleep study group for sleep apnea through the VA.  They furnished a ResMed Auto II cpap machine for me.  I awake at night and feel like my outer cheeks are a vacuum that pulls parts of the…Continue

Started by Randy Deremiah. Last reply by Randy Deremiah Jan 29, 2010.

Frustrated with How You've Been Treated? 17 Replies

repost of Jeff's response to Gerry, a patient who was at his wit's end with the medical system:"If the doc gave…Continue

Tags: sleep, apnea, cpap, angry, frustrated

Started by The SleepGuide Crew. Last reply by Judy Jan 17, 2010.

CPAP Song by Nat Pike 5 Replies

the first, the only CPAP Song!!! Enjoy . . . CPAP Song LyricsSome people sleep clear through the nightand then they wake up feeling all rightand they don't even have to try.Others wake up quite a…Continue

Tags: lyrics, pike, song, cpap, nat

Started by The SleepGuide Crew. Last reply by CleveMed Nov 16, 2009.

ResMed Video on Sleep Disordered Breathing 2 Replies

This video that Judy found on the ResMed site provides an excellent overview of Sleep Disordered Breathing and…Continue

Tags: apnea, videos, sleep, obstructive, video

Started by Mike. Last reply by Jerri Lynn Oct 11, 2009.

New Members 7 Replies

Do you think you may have sleep apnea or someone you love may have sleep apnea?Are you aware of the dangers of untreated sleep apnea?Are there reasons you haven't had a sleep study?Have questions…Continue

Started by sleepycarol. Last reply by D. Williams Aug 31, 2009.

RE: CPAP SONG!!!

Nat Pike, if you're still out there....LOVE your song!!! It's great. I just heard it for the first time after joining SG about 5-6 weeks ago.Bring on more humor! Lord knows we need some.....Susan…Continue

Started by susan mccord Aug 20, 2009.

Mask Leaks 1 Reply

contributed by Sleepy Carol:I don't have any experience with the Quattro, but do have some experience on leaks.Unfortunately, masks are made for a sort of "one size fits all" method. Typically mask…Continue

Tags: cpap, leaks, leak, mask

Started by Mike. Last reply by Gerald Allen May 5, 2009.

Why Join SleepGuide's Apnea Forum?

- only members can post questions to our sleep apnea forum- active and ever-expanding user base of +1,600 members who care deeply about Sleep Apnea, including the Chairman of the American Sleep Apnea…Continue

Tags: group, support, community, forum, apnea

Started by The SleepGuide Crew May 2, 2009.

How long does it take? 5 Replies

Hi! I have had two nights on the CPAP with nasal pillows. I did feel different in the morning--a little more clear--but I still needed to nap during the day. I was still tired.How long does it take…Continue

Started by Tommy. Last reply by Sugarshirl Apr 29, 2009.

Using CPAP while napping? 5 Replies

I am new to using the CPAP. Is it advisable to use the CPAP if you take an afternoon nap? I hope when I am on this longer it will reduce the need for a nap. Just checking. Thanks.!

Tags: naps, napping, cpap, nap

Started by BeeAsleep. Last reply by Judy Apr 19, 2009.

Nasal Pillows 5 Replies

I use the nasal pillows and I am using the large although the respiratory therapist tried small or medium on me. wondered if the pillows would enlarge my nostrils since I am using large rather than…Continue

Started by Joannie J. Hassenpheffer. Last reply by Melodie Apr 19, 2009.

CPAP Common Problems and Solutions 1 Reply

CPAP Common Problems and SolutionsProblemPossible CauseCorrectionMask leaks.Skin irritation.Pressure sores or     blisters.Strap adjustment too loose or too tight.Incorrect mask size.Worn-out…Continue

Tags: troubleshooting, common, solutions, problems, cpap

Started by Mike. Last reply by Judy Mar 22, 2009.

Which Machine? What is a data capable machine? What is a compliance only machine? 2 Replies

I recommend that you do your homework prior to visiting your DME.Typically the DME will give you a "bare-bones" machine that can supply you with adequate treatment -- IF you do not encounter any…Continue

Started by sleepycarol. Last reply by Gerald Allen Feb 18, 2009.

New guy here with problem 5 Replies

My present sleep problem is that for some reason when I fall asleep I wake back up after 1 and 1/2 or 2 hours consistently. It seems to me it is Cpap related. I just can't sleep for more than these…Continue

Started by jim. Last reply by Sleepguy Feb 11, 2009.

So You Have Been Diagnosed With Sleep Apnea

Well you have gotten the sleep study out of the way and have been diagnosed with sleep apnea.First it is important that you obtain a copy of your script for your files. Ask the doctor to give it to…Continue

Started by sleepycarol Feb 7, 2009.

Comment Wall

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You need to be a member of New Users Group to add comments!

Comment by Jeffrey Donaldson on March 3, 2009 at 1:29pm
Tim, have you tried nasal pillows. I know someone that has great luck with those. I do know about the wife thing. It took me a while to let her see me wearing it. I got married already using C-Pap, so she has never known me without it. Funny thing was that she too had symptoms and I convinced her to go for a study. Now the both of us go to bed with the Darth Vador look going on.
Comment by Mike on March 3, 2009 at 12:48pm
with surgery, yeah, that kind of pain would probably have me crying like a little girl for weeks. i don't know how sha did it. you and the dentist have a good talk coming on, methinks.
Comment by Tim Sutton on March 3, 2009 at 9:26am
Thanks for the quick response............hmmmm dental...........I've seen Sha's photos and commentary. sheeesh! Maybe I'm not that desperate! I was hoping to buzz into Hospital, quick op and go. Job done!! I see a re-think coming on.
Comment by Mike on March 3, 2009 at 9:00am
Tim,

Please find my responses to your questions interposed below in CAPS:

So what I would like to know is:
Can this thing be cured? NO. ANYONE WHO TELLS YOU OTHERWISE IS MISINFORMED/LYING/TRYING TO SELL YOU A BILL OF GOODS
Will losing weight (I am 5'10" and 210lbs) solve the problem? NOT LIKELY IT WILL WIPE IT OUT, ALTHOUGH IT WILL CERTAINLY HELP
Is there some less visible method of treatment? SURE, ORAL/DENTAL APPLIANCES WORK WELL FOR SOME WHO CANNOT TOLERATE CPAP. WE HAVE A FEATURED MEMBER HERE WHO IS A DENTIST WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU SOME OPTIONS
Comment by Tim Sutton on March 3, 2009 at 8:35am
The different settings are on the machine. I've tried without settling time, with settling time, lower pressures, and so on.... At the moment I am using a minimum pressure of 5 and 16 max pressure. I have a mirage quattro full face mask. I have tried the little nose mask (can't remember what it was called) and the mouth mask that has the two nostril thingys! I don't have a dry mouth issue, but I have a humidifer if needed. I just hate the idea of the thing, I can't snuggle up any more. I quite often find I will stay awake until my wife is sound asleep before I mask up! I really want an alternative....if there is such a thing.
Comment by sleepycarol on March 3, 2009 at 8:13am
Tim What you are feeling is pretty common. For many of us it takes several months to adjust to therapy. I know you state you have tried three different masks. The masks is probably the main key in effective therapy and comfort. In my opinion, you haven't found THE mask that best suits your needs. I tried more masks than you can imagine -- I have a list on another post I made and it probably has over 10 different masks on it.

What types of different settings are you talking about? Settings on your masks or machine?

What is your pressure?

Which mask are you using now?
Comment by Tim Sutton on March 3, 2009 at 7:19am
Hello everyone, I stumbled on this site by accident today! I just wanted to vent some frustrations on people who may understand................I emphasise the word 'may', because so far it seems that people who are using CPAP generally feel better. Well, I don't. I hate the thing. I have been using my Resmed CPAP for well over 8 months, have tried three different masks and a multitude of different settings, and still it drives me mad. Every time I move (whilst asleep) the mask moves slightly, and air escapes, waking me up! If I tighten it I wake up with mask face and quite often a headache! You know pressure marks where the straps and mask were. A bit embarrassing if you have to go to a meeting first thing!! So it's either too loose or too tight, and I have spent days fine tuning the thing, there is no inbetween. Chin strap, no different! We have had to put a pillow inbetween myself and my wife, because when I turn over in the night she gets a cold blast of air from the mask! The specialist isn't covinced that surgery will fix it! I still feel just as tired as I always have! And it goes on.................
So what I would like to know is:
Can this thing be cured?
Will losing weight (I am 5'10" and 210lbs) solve the problem?
Is there some less visible method of treatment?
Comment by Mike on March 2, 2009 at 9:51pm
well said, Jeffrey. there's a newbie that just posted about some frustrations he's having, and i think this is just the inspiration he needs, at the time he needs it. i'll post it there.
Comment by Jeffrey Donaldson on March 2, 2009 at 8:58pm
Hi all. I am new to this site, but have had sleep apnea for about 15 years now. Here is my story. Hopefully, this will help someone that is in the process of, or have been recently diagnosed.
I've used C-Pap for since 1995. My "Journey" to getting C-Pap was a 5 year ordeal. It started with just being constantly tired. Then I had a depressive episode in the fall of 1991. It lasted until I couldn't get out of bed one day the next June. I had to go on andidepressants. That made me feel better, but I knew that there was something still wrong. My best friend who was already using C-Pap, suggested that I get a sleep study and suggested his Doctor. I went for my first sleep study in 1993. He told me that I should be on C-Pap, but that my blood oxygen level had only fallen to 87% instead of 85%. (Thanks to a lifetime of not smoking and just damn good lung power) The GD insurance company wouldn't cover a C-Pap machine. Over the next two years I was tried on medication (Didn't really work) and a dental device to hold my lower jaw out and down. (My jaw ached and my teeth ached). None of that really did any good.
Finally in May of 1995, I had a sleep study that my blood oxygen level dropped to 85% and I qualified for a C-Pap machine. I went in for another sleep study a month later where I was tried on C-Pap. When I walked out of that lab the next morning, I felt like a cloud had been lifted that had hanged over me for years. Everything looked so sharp and clear, it's hard to discribe.
Over the next few months, I went through the usual adjustment period. I used the ramp function at first. I would wake up and find the mask off and I didn't remember how it got taken off. All the usual stuff of having to adjust to something strapped on to my face and head. Over time, I made the adjustment and I very quickly found out that this must have been the problem all along. My depression quickly went away for good. I threw away the pills and I haven't been depressed since. My heart palpatations disappeared, my hearburn and reflux improved and I didn't fight to stay awake at work every afternoon anymore. C-Pap was a godsend. I can't imagine being without it now. If for some reason I can't use it,(power outage) I feel like crap the next day.
I know that some people have a real hard time adjusting to it, but trust me, you can do it. The benifits are truely amazing. The damage that you are doing to your body, both what you can feel and a lot more that you can't by not doing anything about sleep apnea is life shorening. Getting on C-Pap may make certain other problems that you may have that you think have no relation to sleep apnea, suddenly go away. It is truely amazing the health benifits by getting on C-Pap and improving your health and longevity.
One more thing. I believe that more people need to use a chin strap than are given one. If you have a very dry mouth, or wake up to the sound of rushing air, then ask for a chin strap. It really does make a big difference.
Good luck.
Jeff D.
Comment by Michael Freligh on March 1, 2009 at 9:02pm
Does anybody else have trouble leaving their mask on for only 3-4 hrs at a time?
I have had my machine for well over a year and still cannot manage to keep it on any longer.
 

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