Questions for current or past CPAP users...
I 2nd the Bi-pap and distilled water. Been thru this with my hubby. He absolutely could not tolerate the cpap. He does great now and the bipap has been a Godsend. Insurance did not give us any trouble changing to bi-pap. We simply swapped the cpap out for it with a prescription from hubby's dr.
And by the way, anyone who needs a sleep apnea dr, should check out Dr. Samuel A. Mickelson in Atlanta, GA. He knows his stuff. He is the GURU of sleep apnea. We drove 4 hours one way to him for appointments over a year and a half, on a bi-weekly to monthly basis.
Hubby and I will both be getting sleeved, but hubby loves his BIPAP so much, he says he can't imagine giving it up.
And by the way, anyone who needs a sleep apnea dr, should check out Dr. Samuel A. Mickelson in Atlanta, GA. He knows his stuff. He is the GURU of sleep apnea. We drove 4 hours one way to him for appointments over a year and a half, on a bi-weekly to monthly basis.
Hubby and I will both be getting sleeved, but hubby loves his BIPAP so much, he says he can't imagine giving it up.
Hi,
I have had a CPAP for years & stopped using it when I had my cataracts removed & lens implanted. Big mistake!
My machine ramps itself so by the time I'm asleep it's at the setting. I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea & I found the pedi mask worked well & it so much better. I also have to use a chin strap & when I use my machine don't have AM headaches.
I didn't use it preop & guess what I had trouble waking up from the anesthesia, stopped breathing, & spent the night in ICU on a BI PAP (HATED IT). This scard me so much I am using it every night now & will continue to do so until I hopefully don't need it any more. Hope you find a way to adjust!
Hopefully weight-loss will cure most of us from our OSA!!!
Unfortunately, someone named Phatchick didn't take too kindly to my reply and has blocked me. /shrug
Her loss not mine. I use my CPAP machine every night. I may not know much about VSG as some other folks on here, but I have been using CPAP for 12 years and I use it to keep people alive that literally cant breath till I get them to the hospital.
I don't know how many people have ever needed a paramedic before as your getting rushed to the ER but I don't candy coat stuff. If your an alcoholic and I'm taking you in because you've nearly killed yourself drinking too much, I'm going to tell you about it. If you have overdosed on heroin and I've just got you breathing again as you were near death, I'm going to tell you about it. If your a smoker and I walk into your house and your holding a lit cigarette in your hand all the while you have just called half a million dollars worth of equipment to your house because you cant breath, then I'm going to tell you about it.
What I told Ms Phatchick was the truth and I'm not sugar candy coating it. I don't enjoy wearing the CPAP for the last 12 years and yes it is uncomfortable. But sometimes you just have to learn to deal with things so it doesn't hurt you in the long run. Thinking back to basic life support EMT class, one of the first things you learn is the ABC's .. Airway, Breathing and Circulation. Well .. you don't have an airway which is why its called "obstructive sleep apnea" which is what kills the 2nd step, breathing. During my sleep studies I wouldn't breath for anywhere from 50 seconds to over 1 minute. That only leaves one more step .. circulation. Once that goes, its death. Cardiopulmonary arrest. I guess I could take some comfort in knowing I went in my sleep and didn't feel anything, but I'm just not going to take the chance. I'm quite sorry if Phatchick didn't want to hear the reality of the situation but its true .. I would rather be a little uncomfortable wearing the machine than the alternatives.
I'm sorry if I offended anyone by being so blunt .. but I was just trying to help her change her ways by making her see that there are consequences for not wearing the machine and its not something to just brush off and say "oh well."
Good luck to everyone here having difficulties finding something that works. It really is important to not let sleep apnea go untreated.
Her loss not mine. I use my CPAP machine every night. I may not know much about VSG as some other folks on here, but I have been using CPAP for 12 years and I use it to keep people alive that literally cant breath till I get them to the hospital.
I don't know how many people have ever needed a paramedic before as your getting rushed to the ER but I don't candy coat stuff. If your an alcoholic and I'm taking you in because you've nearly killed yourself drinking too much, I'm going to tell you about it. If you have overdosed on heroin and I've just got you breathing again as you were near death, I'm going to tell you about it. If your a smoker and I walk into your house and your holding a lit cigarette in your hand all the while you have just called half a million dollars worth of equipment to your house because you cant breath, then I'm going to tell you about it.
What I told Ms Phatchick was the truth and I'm not sugar candy coating it. I don't enjoy wearing the CPAP for the last 12 years and yes it is uncomfortable. But sometimes you just have to learn to deal with things so it doesn't hurt you in the long run. Thinking back to basic life support EMT class, one of the first things you learn is the ABC's .. Airway, Breathing and Circulation. Well .. you don't have an airway which is why its called "obstructive sleep apnea" which is what kills the 2nd step, breathing. During my sleep studies I wouldn't breath for anywhere from 50 seconds to over 1 minute. That only leaves one more step .. circulation. Once that goes, its death. Cardiopulmonary arrest. I guess I could take some comfort in knowing I went in my sleep and didn't feel anything, but I'm just not going to take the chance. I'm quite sorry if Phatchick didn't want to hear the reality of the situation but its true .. I would rather be a little uncomfortable wearing the machine than the alternatives.
I'm sorry if I offended anyone by being so blunt .. but I was just trying to help her change her ways by making her see that there are consequences for not wearing the machine and its not something to just brush off and say "oh well."
Good luck to everyone here having difficulties finding something that works. It really is important to not let sleep apnea go untreated.
Revisiting this thread to sincerely say THANK YOU to those who were so encouranging to me! Also, I hope to encourage those who were struggling along with me to really give your CPAP a good trial.
After only 10 days I am AMAZED at how much better I feel - when I didn't even realize how awful I had been feeling. I suppose my tiredness has just came on so gradually I never really noticed... and when I did notice, I just chalked it up to arthritis. In just a little over a week I've become accustomed to the mask even though I still don't find anything pleasant about it. But the unpleasantness is worth the reward of waking up with more energy, being happier about getting ready for work, and generally having a better outlook on life.
That said, I'm even happier with what I see in the mirror. Dark circles have lessened, and I think my 45 year-old skin is actually looking a bit less wrinkled and haggard as well. Yay for the outward signs of better rest, too!!!
My goodness, if the weight loss I hope to achieve does for me what having better sleep has done, I'll be feeling like a teenager again!
I love my CPAP and it has changed my life as much as, or more than, my sleeve surgery. Even though I've lost 100 pounds, I still need my CPAP, and that doesn't bother me a bit.
For your questions: Yes, try adjusting your humidity. I use nasal pillows as well, and when my nostrils start burning inside from the air blowing, I turn up the humidity buy a few notches. I keep my humidity between 2 and 4. I live in AZ, so there is no humidity in the air here. If my nostrils start getting chapped and irritated where they touch the pillows, I turn the humidity down a little, because the chapping is from moisture building up on your skin. I also use a little Lansinoh ointment (pure lanolin, safe for silicone pillows, found in the baby aisle) on my nostrils before I put my mask on. It helps the mask seal to my nose and prevents irritation.
As for the sensation of it being difficult to exhale: Yes, I noticed this at first. Eventually, you'll get used to it. I can't even tell if my CPAP is blowing now unless I put my hand in front of the air outlet.
I didn't ever experience headaches, so I can't help with that. I have loved my energy level and quality of sleep since the first night with my CPAP. I can't sleep without it now, and you couldn't pay me enough to try. There is a great message board with knowledgeable people at www.sleepapnea.org.
For your questions: Yes, try adjusting your humidity. I use nasal pillows as well, and when my nostrils start burning inside from the air blowing, I turn up the humidity buy a few notches. I keep my humidity between 2 and 4. I live in AZ, so there is no humidity in the air here. If my nostrils start getting chapped and irritated where they touch the pillows, I turn the humidity down a little, because the chapping is from moisture building up on your skin. I also use a little Lansinoh ointment (pure lanolin, safe for silicone pillows, found in the baby aisle) on my nostrils before I put my mask on. It helps the mask seal to my nose and prevents irritation.
As for the sensation of it being difficult to exhale: Yes, I noticed this at first. Eventually, you'll get used to it. I can't even tell if my CPAP is blowing now unless I put my hand in front of the air outlet.
I didn't ever experience headaches, so I can't help with that. I have loved my energy level and quality of sleep since the first night with my CPAP. I can't sleep without it now, and you couldn't pay me enough to try. There is a great message board with knowledgeable people at www.sleepapnea.org.
" I am not at all concerned with appearing to be consistent. In my pursuit after Truth I have discarded many ideas and learnt many new things." Ghandi 
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