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Mary Z replied to Tom Cannon's discussion ResMed software update"I am only guessing that they are constantly updating, but the changes might just be with each new version of the machine. There was a long discussion on this on apneaboard and I believe the consensus was you can't update your machine as…"
Mary Z replied to Corey Stricker's discussion MRCA & infectious diseases"I think this is a question for your infectious disease doctor. I think I would want to change masks and get a new hose. Many of us carry MRSA in our nostrils."
Tom Cannon posted a discussionResMed software update
Does ResMed ever update the software that runs their XPAP machines? And if yes how often and how do you getthe new version?See More
ZolliStar replied to Corey Stricker's discussion MRCA & infectious diseases"Maybe this will help: http://www.sleepguide.com/forum/topics/soclean-cpap-sanitizing-machine?xg_source=activity"
Corey Stricker posted a discussionMRCA & infectious diseases
I am looking for advice regarding CPAP and infectious disease. A couple weeks ago I came down with a Staph infection, or MRCA, in my nostril. I have not used my CPAP machine since then as I have been waiting for the infection to clear up. I am concerned that the CPAP may have been the source of infection. If this is the case, I am concerned about going back to using the CPAP in fear of being re-infected. Is anyone knowledgable about MRCA and whether it can be transmitted through the tubing…See More
ZolliStar commented on Peter Esposito's status" I'm sure you've tried this, but if you haven't: Maybe you should change to a different mask?
FWIW, I recently tried a full face mask and can't say I really like it. I tried to get used to it,…"
ZolliStar posted a discussionSoClean CPAP Sanitizing Machine
Has anyone tried this machine? If it does what it say -- fully sanitize the mask, headgear and tank -- it sounds like a real benefit and likely worth the cost.https://betterrestsolutions.com/SC1100-SoClean-CPAP-Sanitizing-Unit_p_17.htmlSee More
joe replied to joe's discussion operation"I have recently had a small operation for the above.
It involves a small camera going up the nose and then you are sent to sleep.
When you have an Apnea the camera picks up what is causing it.
I returned this week as an out patient and was told that…"
Lee Dryden posted a discussionNew Sleeping with CPAP blog entries
Hello,My recent entries include a review of a CPAP-related product and the results of a contest for the nastiest CPAP mask. Thanks for reading. http://www.sleepingwithcpap.blogspot.com/See More
Henning replied to Henning's discussion Blood pressure medication and breathing."Lisinopril is also an ACE inhibitors, with the same side effects.
Henning"
RockRpsgt replied to Henning's discussion Blood pressure medication and breathing."We have seen a little of this in the lab. Mainly with lisinopril."
angela kyzer posted a status"Has everyone gotten to sign up for Free CEC as well as Free issues of the magazine???"
RockRpsgt replied to mollete's discussion Search Function on SleepGuide"Hello Ms. Renee. I hope things ahve improved for you.
FYI-I get a huge kick out of 99's post. I am friends with Thomas on just about every social site I am on."
RockRpsgt replied to Clueless in Redwood Shores's discussion Apnea and Cancer"I just read this lastnight."
Clueless in Redwood Shores posted a discussionApnea and Cancer
Two new studies suggest cancer is one more risk of untreated apnea.http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/sleep-apnea-tied-to-increased-cancer-risk/See More
Mary Z left a comment for Renee"Renee, you really give me too much credit. Thanks for your kindness.
Mary Z."
Steven Y. Park, MD posted a discussionExpert Interview: Dr. Ted Belfor on “Developing the Face and The Airway with a Removable Dental Appliance: The Homeoblock”
Please join me on Tuesday, May 29th, at 8PM Eastern for my next Expert Interview. This month, Dr. Ted Belfor will give a presentation on “Developing the Face and The Airway with a Removable Dental Appliance: The Homeoblock”.Click here to register: http://doctorstevenpark.com/?p=7221See More
Henning replied to Henning's discussion Blood pressure medication and breathing."Yes, you can find links to OSA.
I think the biggest problem is that many of the side effects that can follow Enalapril, are also symptoms of OSA. Therefore, it may be difficult to separate symptoms.
Here is a link linking OSA and Enalapril…"
Sleep Apnea Treatment: My ABCD's
Here's a simple way to remember what I wish I had known at the very beginning of my own Sleep Apnea treatment: my ABCD's of Sleep Apnea treatment. The hope is that you will not have to stumble over or run into as many obstacles as I did.A is for Attitude
The key is that oft-repeated phrase: "whether you think you can, or you think you can't, either way you're right." Sleep Apnea treatment has much to do with attitude. What got me over the hump is realizing that even if it doesn't kill me as fast as cancer or a heart attack would, it slowly would undermine my body and accelerate my path to death, all the while eating away at my quality of life. It's also 100% treatable if the proper treatment is used. Given those two facts, I choose to get serious about treatment. It was as easy as that.
B is for Buying
Tough to hear, but yes, having Sleep Apnea means you will at one point or another have to shell out dough out of your own pocket. We Americans have an attitude that when it comes to maintaining our cars or our lawns, it's normal to pay something to keep these things in good order, but that when it comes to our own bodies and health, someone else, whether it be insurance companies or Medicare, has to foot the bill. Granted, we pay taxes and insurance premiums to cover this stuff, but the hard cold truth is that it won't foot the entire bill. We can agitate for better health care, but in the meantime, we need to take ownership over our lives and pay the difference between what insurance and Medicare will pay and what it will not.
Once we have this consumer mindset toward our own health, we gain more control and can be more proactive. Data capable machines are better to get than dumb black boxes. Auto-adjusting machines give you more options than "straight" machines. The latest mask on the market represents the latest technology in making these things comfortable to use, and will most likely be easier to use than the one that's in your closet not being used because it makes the bridge of your nose sore. You can get all this stuff online, if you're willing and able to fork over the cash.
C is for Collaboration
Getting well with Sleep Apnea is tough to do on your own. The reason is that there's a lot to know, and that there's no "one-size-fits-all" answer to how to make it all work. So you will need to rely on others. The doctor should be your primary collaborator, but for that to be the case you will need a rare type of doctor -- one who's not defensive about what he/she doesn't know, and who will treat someone like yourself (assuming you don't have a medical degree) with an ounce of respect and an open mind. Often doctors can learn a lot about this stuff from their patients, but it's a rare doctor indeed who will try.
Which is why you'll also need to research all you can online, and reach out through forums like this to others who have Sleep Apnea. Even though we don't have medical degrees, the kind of day-to-day stuff you need to know about Sleep Apnea can often be discovered by interacting with other regular people in similar circumstances.
D is for Documentation
Get a copy of your full sleep study and titration reports. Then ask your doctor for, and obtain, as open-ended a prescription for a PAP device and mask as possible -- doctors can write a script for, say, a "ResMed Mirage Micro Nasal Face Mask" (specific), or they can simply write a script for "a mask according to patient's comfort and choice" (open-ended). Make sure they write the latter. Armed with your full sleep report and open-ended prescriptions (which you should keep in a safe place, by the way), you'll give yourself the ability to double check on things and get advice from everyone in the world you trust, including the people on this forum. In other words, you'll give yourself options and control.
Comment
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Comment by Chris H on June 3, 2011 at 4:31pm -
Options, education, participating in treatment, knowing that it is a process that when "dialed in" works, others are in the same boat.
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Comment by pittsburgh_leo on February 4, 2010 at 9:31pm
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Many people believe that they when they see their PCP (maybe once a year), that they can say "I'm tired"; blood test will be run and voila a pill will be prescribed and their health will be restored. If only it was that easy. Being tired is the most common complaint that doctors hear and without more imput from the patient, your chances of a misdiagnosis is high.
My diagnosis was delayed for over a year because when I told my doctor I was tired, he immediately suspected my thyriod. Not an unreasonable assumption because I was already on medication for Hypothroidism. Based on the results of the blood work, he increased my dosage. Needless to say, this didn't entirely solve the problem. When I saw him in August, I was describe my symptoms (textbook sleep apnea) that led him to refer me to a sleep clinic. Successful diagnosis and treatment is more likely when you take a proactive approach to your health. The more you know what is normal for your body and are able to communicate, to the PCP, any and all deviations; the better your chances for an effective treatment. This is a wonderful forum......let's keep increasing the awareness.
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Comment by Peter Hollard on August 13, 2009 at 5:57am -
Just diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea at a sleep clinic last night.. need to go back to be be fitted with CPAP gear... hoping that as an experienced scuba diver I will not be intimidated by the mask...
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Comment by S C. Osburn on August 2, 2009 at 1:31am
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I've had sleep apnea for about 10 years. After hte 2nd night with my mask and cpap machine I felt like a new woman. I still have to get myself 'SIKED UP: to put the mask on at night. I just have a routine that I don't deviate from. It's litterally been a lifesaver for me. If you're in doubt, then see a sleep specialist and get tested.
It can make a world of difference in your life.
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Comment by Melba Cooper on March 2, 2009 at 6:37pm
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Yes, it has taken me six weeks of peserverance and a museum collection of masks but with the help of my blogging pappers I have made it through a week without Ambien....and a mask that is comfortable and does not irritate my face and skin. Today I feel fantastic. I can actually put my head on my pillow not wonder why I am afraid to go to sleep. The more I talk to folks the more I realize how multifaceted this condition is. My priest just feel asleep at the wheel just before he got home from a trip and had an accident, breaking his hand. He is 80 and the accident was the catalyst that got him diagnosed. As a friend recently said....that mask is a beautiful thing to behold.
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Comment by Judy on March 2, 2009 at 2:34pm
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Good advice, SleepyCarol, and I would add PPG: Patience, Persistence and a Good sense of Humor!
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Comment by sleepycarol on January 13, 2009 at 6:57pm -
You might want to try some aromatherapy to help you. It has helped many, including myself. The website is www.pur-sleep.com. If you email Brett and asked him he will even send you some free samples. Just let him know that you are struggling with the cpap.
I have no interest nor does the forum have any interest in pur-sleep.
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Comment by Ron Oliver on January 13, 2009 at 11:12am
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Mike, You are so right about the attitude. My wife works for a company that sells CPAP equipment etc... But as much as I try i can only get 2-3 full (5hrs or more) nights sleep with the mask. I've tried many and some nights it just aint happening. Sleeping pills help with keeping the mask on, but I'm on call 24-7 and need to be able to function intelligently at 3am if called. But I keep trying because it's better than the alternative!
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Comment by Janice Whitfield on January 6, 2009 at 5:10pm
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I am so glad that I found this site. I thougght I was going crazy. Can't sleep, always tired, and mouth and throat so dry in the am. When falling asleep I can feel vibration in my throat, and always wake up, gasping for air. Now I know why. I will certainly speak to my doctor about this. Thanks s omuch for the info. Jan
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Comment by Jess on January 2, 2009 at 1:43am -
Excellent, Mike. B, C, and D are important but A is so where it is at. Attitude is everything when it comes to CPAP treatment.
Nice job.
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