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Permalink Reply by Robert Couchman on October 27, 2009 at 10:03am

I'm no doctor so prescribing is beyond me but i will say it took 2 doctors to get me where i am. Let me try and explain, the first time I ever heard of cpap i told my doctor "theres no way i can do this!" his course of action was to tell me "well thats fine...when you are ready to stop dying you come back here, then we can work it out!!" i left there un improved. My wife encouraged me and so I found another doctor, and told him "I dont know i just cant do this!" he asked me "can you wear it for 15 minutes?" i said yeah i think so..." he said GOOD then thats 15 more minutes you have than without it! within 2 months i was wearing it every night ALL night!. now i know you HAVE been compliant but maybe, and i say just maybe your doctor isnt working out you say you have been fitted multiple times......i dont know i hope this helps at least a little.........

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Permalink Reply by Sian Davies on October 27, 2009 at 10:09am

HI Daniel,

I sleep on my side! I have tried to sleep on my back, but I like to snuggle under the covers, on my side. I will try to change my sleeping position, and start off on my back. If I lie on my side, I am alseep in less then 3 seconds - every night! If I lie on my back, it just feels wrong, but I will persist, in the hope that it will improve things... thank you :-)

Daniel Quarberg said:

Sali, I had trouble with the same air in the stomach as you have mentioned. I found that the only time I would get the trapped air was from sleeping on my side rather than my back. Therefore, I try my damndest to stay on my back.
As for the rest of this thread, I started noticing some differences in living just three weeks after starting CPAP. It took me quite a while to get used to having the mask on my face while sleeping. I also struggled with putting it back on after nature calls. I still have that problem and I have been on the CPAP since Nov 2003. I also suffer from all kinds of other pains such as acid reflux, pulmonary sarcoidosis (struggle to get a full breath), leg and arm pain, and coughing from the sarcoidosis.
If you feel that you are not feeling better in the mornings, keep trying to make it work. In my opinion, I would rather be above the grass than below.

Sali Gray said:

Hi Jan,
I'm geting very little use from my machine, because I wake up in pain. with trapped wind in my stomach (I've spoken about it on another thread). So, on average, I probably get one or maybe one and a half hours sleep with the mask on. I don't feel any better. However, I didn't use it on Fri and Sat, and I could hardly move yesterday because I was so exhausted. It might not be that you feel better from using it.... it might be that if you didn't use it now (after using it) that you would feel a whole lot worse... if that makes sense? I've been on CPAP for about 2 months, I think! (I can't really remember)

Jan said:

Hmmmm-- that's what I was afraid of. Though, I have heard differently on here in terms of how long it took to feel better. Interested in other experiences from SG members.

Jan

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Permalink Reply by Doris Locklear on October 27, 2009 at 10:10am

I'm taking 5HTP and melatonin at bedtime to help with my sleep. Maybe you need to do some research on supplements to help you sleep. Just a thought.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Neider on October 27, 2009 at 10:24am

I've been on CPAP 9 months. I had a hard time getting use to the mask untill I found one that fit my head and sleep positions well. After that I feel pretty good using the machine. It took me about 45 days to settle into the CPAP. I suggest you give your therapy at least 30 days before trying anything new unless your doctor tells you different. I still wake up several times a nigth and consider it normal for my body from what I have read or been told by others. I know I feel better and best of all, I don't snore while sleeping anymore. But it did take some time to get settled with the rigth mask. Good luck and don't give up.

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Permalink Reply by denise exhausted on October 27, 2009 at 10:32am

I use a full face mask and just recently found that a new inner seal frame was needed. Apparently they wear out. I have been using the responics full face mask for nine months. I do feel better (not as tired during the day) and do not have that foggy feeling so often.Some nights are better than others. I also have low thyroid and constant stuffy nose. Ambien was helpful at first but natural supplements (melatonin)are better for you.

best of luck

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Permalink Reply by susan mccord on October 27, 2009 at 11:06am

I love the "ginormous" part too, Jan. Aren't people on SG great?!!

To be more specific about my journey with apnea/CPAP, I've been in treatment about 3 months after being diagnosed in 6/09. It's been a really up and down road for me. I can't say, for one minute, that I feel good. I can't remember when I felt really good, and/or well.

I've had symptoms of OSA since the early 70s, undiagnosed, and have c/o of feeling way too tired, and finally just exhausted, for many years. No one ever mentioned apnea. It never occurred to me. I was diagnosed with heart disease 4 years ago--the dx and subsequent treatment/medication regime, etc. took a lot out of me, still does. So I think I have some extenuating circumstances that contribute to my not feeling up to par.

It took me awhile to manage CPAP. I'm doing fine with it now. I need 8 hours of sleep to feel okay. I rarely get more than 6 on CPAP. I, too, think I may have a primary insomnia issue. Have NO idea how to go about dealing with that on top of apnea, but my sleep doc is gonna address it with me at some point. He's primarily interested, at present, with getting me settled on CPAP wit the proper pressure. But he's talked about other ideas he has that may be helpful. (?) what, and frankly, I just want additional quality sleep at the moment.

I can honestly say I feel better, and look better than I did before dx and CPAP. I'm very aware of the noted improvements as are people around me. But it's slow going for me. I'm trying to stay hopeful that I'll regain more of my (former) high energy level and clear thought process. It feels like something of a crap shoot to me at the moment. But there's NO WAY I'll d/c CPAP, regardless. Nor will I d/c my commitment to SleepGuide. If it weren't for people on here, I don't think I'd have even started treatment, much less continued. I was scared to death of it. I'm not now.........

'Ya know, for every question asked on here, each person has their own individual experience to report. There are often similarities, but it's a very personal recovery for most of us. I've never been more aware of the power of a support system, and I used to provide that kind of service before I retired !!!

Keep on keepin' on. When you feel you can't, jump into SG. Someone will help you, probably several people at once.

What IS different now, for me, is I've regained my sense of humor, my thought process is clearer, I rarely get lost driving anymore (which was a REAL problem for some time before dx), my memory's improved, a lot. AND I can drive without falling asleep and wrecking my car, which I did last year!!

Susan McCord

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Permalink Reply by 99 on October 27, 2009 at 11:07am

i have been prescribed citaloprim for bedtime

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Permalink Reply by seamless on October 27, 2009 at 11:37am

I noticed some difference immediately, but it was the difference between being completely drugged out (no CPAP) and totally exhausted (with CPAP). I was approaching non-functionality in either case. The night-and-day effect came when my pressure was adjusted slightly higher about a week and a half into treatment. I also had to switch masks less than a week in. Now I can truly say CPAP has changed my life. I still wake up several times during the night and I think I'm more vulnerable to lack of sleep than the average person (I had one scary relapse for 2 days that passed), but I go through my days awake, which to me is a miracle. I've been on CPAP about 6 weeks.

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Permalink Reply by Linda on October 27, 2009 at 11:42am

GM Jan! PLS don't make the same mistake I made. I was to the point of sleep deprivation before I discussed my CPAP issues with my doctor...over a year after starting my therapy! I did not get a full night sleep until adjustments were made to my positive pressure. Originally my pressure setting was at 14...after tweaking the adjustments, a few doctor visits, and a sleep specialist. I am on the auto-titrator mode. Noticed the highest pressure I need is 9. Also, a comfortable mask helps too! Tried several of those before the pressure tweaking was done. Hang in there...It took me 2 years.

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Permalink Reply by Mark A Stencel on October 27, 2009 at 12:03pm

about 4 to 6 weeks

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Permalink Reply by seamless on October 27, 2009 at 12:05pm

Also have another question. Do lots of people with Sleep Apnea physically wake up during the night? I usually wake up in the middle of the night and then can't get back to sleep for 30 min to up to an hour or two. Is that typical of Sleep Apnea or might I have something else going on also?

Thanks
Jan



I wake up several times a night, and very consistently at about 3am. I used to think that was why I was tired all the time. Now I think that my daytime fatigue was due to apnea-related things but that I wake all the way up for other reasons. Note that even though I wake up in the night I am rested in a way that can't even compare to pre-CPAP and completely functional during the day. I'm continuing to pursue anything else that might be going on with my doctor.

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Permalink Reply by carole debeer on October 27, 2009 at 12:10pm

i felt better immediately but i got tired early 7:70 - 8:00 at night...now i try to nap if i'm going out...but my naps a 1 hour no two and not every day...my problem is that i can fall asleep but then i wake up around three and can't get back to sleep....generally i get about 3-5 hours of sleep a night

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