Questions for current or past CPAP users...

 I have been on CPAP for over 12 years now and it is such a wonderful thing.  I can not and WILL NOT sleep without it.  Up till my surgery 1 month ago I would never pu****er in the machine.  I also don't use the ramp.  Since my surgery I have purchased some distilled water and use it now because I was waking up with super dry cotton mouth.  I have never had an issue with this before surgery.  I have no issues just putting the machine on full blast and putting it right on my face.  I guess I'm just used to it.  In fact, it HELPS me to breath.  As a paramedic we carry CPAP machines on the medic and use them for people that can not breath and it does far better then any oxygen mask or drug that I could give.  What a life saver this device is!  I have gotten soooo many patients alive to the ER with CPAP that before would have otherwise gone into respiratory or cardiopulmonary arrest before we arrived.  I can't say enough good things about this machine.

Not using your machine will eventually cause Pulmonary Hypertension, which there is no cure for, so I highly advise everyone to use their machine.  Not to mention being well rested and alert the next day and all the other benefits. 

You replied just as I made my reply below.   Thank you for the reminder of how important this is to our overall health and why compliance is important.  I think I was just a bit surprised at how miserable the headache and nasal stinging is. 

 I hope you can find something that works for you!  Maybe a different mask would be better.  There are dozens of different ones available to try.  Best of luck to you!

Thank y'all so much!!!   I love all the positive feedback!   

I needed some reassurance that I'm not the only one who's found this thing hard to adapt to.  It IS for my own good, so I'm gonna give it my best shot at compliance... even if it's just for a few hours each night to start.  I can change the ramp time, and it's going up to the max!  Pretty sure insurance would balk at buying a APAP or BiPAP now - I don't plan on needing the thing for long anyway!

Also, thanks SO much for the tips on breathing and and trying not to concentrate on it too much.  Humidification is going up tonight, too!  The sock-thingamajig looks pretty interesting.  I think I can sew one of those up in a jiffy, making my new little hose partner much more snuggle-friendly.

I feel so silly with the thing on... like I'm going on some spaceship to Mars, but it's just one more step to getting surgery, YAY!  

Such a great attitude!  Best of luck to you!!!

 I resisted the Cpap for a couple of years. I was told I had mild sleep apnea, but I was sure my sleep problems were not caused by that...so dr. Finally suggested I try it. Really tried ( much like you), but gave up. More sleep issues. Finally gave it another try and have been using it now for over a year. I used to take ambien pretty regularly; now rarely. I just really feel well rested when I wake up. Now that I have lost 50 pounds, I may not need it, but I am going to wait a while longer to have it checked. All this to encourage you to keep trying, work with your doctor-it will get better!

My husband got a cpap last year, he couldn't get used to it and gave up after a few nights. He started wearing it again recently and is finding it a little easier for some reason. With his machine he can start with a lower pressure and it will slowly increase until it gets to the prescribed amount, when he starts it at the full amount he finds it way too hard to take. Also when doing some research on how long it takes to get used to I was seeing that a lot of people were saying it took anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks to get used to and feel the effects of wearing it. Also the humidity is difficult for a lot of people, it sounds like you have to play with it until you find the right setting. I think he is doing well breathing through his nose, he has the nasal pillows, though I do hear him breathe through his mouth once in awhile. He hasn't started feeling the full effects yet, hope it won't be too much longer. Hang in there with it, give it at least a month before you try another mask or something but definitely don't give up on it because you've got a lot of positive feedback here that it will make a difference.

 I have had my CAP for 2 years now. I unfortunately never got used to it. I tried for 3 months at first, and then would go months without touching it before I would try again. Each time for a few days and then give up again. I can't stand anything touching my face. I am also a side sleeper, and would either lose pressure or not be able to get comfortable so ended up on my back which I hated. I have the nasal mask and the pillows. Neither worked for me. I am such a light and sensitive sleeper, that the weight of the masks and hose bothered me so much that I would throw it to the floor an hour later in frustration, and fell asleep instantly afterwards. I too felt worse with it than without it.  I have mild apnea, so I never woke up gasping for air. My eyes would just pop open, and then I would go right back to sleep again. I just ended up propping myself up on pillows to help reduce the frequency of wakings. 

I had to bring my machine too. I used it in hospital, but gave up again soon after at home unfortunately. I do know that some CPAP models have a sensor that reduces the pressure when you are exhaling. This might work better with the pillows. I too felt like I was suffocating at first with the pillows.  Before surgery I was researching different masks one day and found a neat mask, for side sleepers and those who don't like the weight of traditional masks. It is called the Sleepweaver Advance soft cloth mask. www.sleepweaver.com I was going to get it but didn't want to spend the money and was hoping my apnea would be resolved quickly after surgery, so I didn't get it, but I would have loved to have tried it.

I discovered that very mask on Amazon last night!  My sore little nose is very, very tempted to purchase one!!!

I didn't have headaches, but my teeth hurt. I took tylenol PM for about a month to become compliant with my CPAP machine.
If your machine has the ramp-up make sure you used it. Mine takes 20 minutes to be at full pressure.
Good luck to you!