fighting the mighty Cpap

I got the dam machine last week and tried to use the mask the gave me and my hubby's nose pillows no go

went back yesterday and they fitted me with a new mask ( also sent me home with 5 that I tried there and didn't like)

 and I sleep 5 hours with it last night , i need minimum 4 a night or they will not do the surgery on me

 any ideas to make it easier

First thought:  there are different sizes of nasal pillows.  Could be your husband's are too large or two small for your nose.  My nasal pillow mask came with three sizes (XS, S, M), and it took trial and error to learn that M works best for me.

Does the mask slide around when you sleep?  Is it leaking and waking you up? 

Are you a side sleeper, back sleeper, or stomach sleeper in particular?

Assuming you had a sleep study which resulted in your being prescribed the CPAP, did they say anything to you about wearing a chin strap to keep you from opening your mouth in your sleep?

Does your machine have a feature which lets you start out at a lower, more comfortable pressure which then rises automatically to your prescribed pressure after, say, 20 minutes?

Truly, finding the correct mask for you is 80% of the battle. You may need to try even more masks than you have. This is the most time consuming and frustrating part of the process. Do you have a good resp therapist through the medical equipment company who can help you with this? If you can find the right mask for you, then adjusting to sleeping with either nasal pillows or a mask on your face is the easy part. I took to it like a duck to water, but it took my husband much longer to find the right mask. If you find forums like this helpful, then visit cpaptalk.com. The users their are extremely helpful. They got us through our initial obstacles and we are happy cpap users for over a year now. Good luck

You are soooo right.

i have a mask that covers mouth and nose the nose pillows where no good for me i keep opening my mouth and have a lot of nasal congestion all the time , this mask seems ok guess I will try to wear it a little during the day also to get used to it

I've been using my CPAP for around 6 years now. I use a nasal mask, but have a friend who fought for the longest time to find the right mask. He also tried the nasal pillows. He ended up really happy with a full face mask. It sounds like a lot, but it solves the issue of your mouth being open for sure. He was able to adjust rather quickly to it. Maybe give it a  try and see what happens. Don't expect success overnight. A few hours here and there will slowly start to creep up to more hours of use. I know you have to hit four a night for surgery, but be patient with yourself. You'll get there. :-))

m

I am still having trouble with my Cpap! I hear ya! However my problem is the ever changing sleep schedule that comes with a night shift employee. I sometimes fall asleep with out it on or only get to sleep for a few hours. I did had a major problem with my mask at first. I had a nose mask that was a bit too small and one that was entirely too large. I was fitted with the small nasal pillows with the tubing that is place in the front. It helps me move around more comfortably! It really takes quite a few weeks to get used to any mask. My advice is to find the one that is most comfortable on your face and head and take a few weeks to get used to the inhaling and exhaling. The doctors know that it takes time for everyone. Just keep trying! You can do it!

Could it be partly an issue with resenting the Cpap? I know when I first learned I had sleep apnea I was terrified at the idea of using a machine..I was in denial for about a year..until my body and mind was falling apart from lack of real restful sleep.  I had to look at my options...continue down this path  or suck it up and just do what needed doing.  I made up my mind that I wasn't going to fight using the machine..and surprisingly after getting use to having the mask on..I had the best sleep in years! Now I wouldn't even dream of going to sleep without it..that is what terrifies me now lol.   I use a nasal mask.."Comfort Gel" ..you will probably have to fiddle with the head gear until you get it feeling/fitting right for you..not too tight and have red marks..and not too loose and having it slide around or leaking. I never have had an issue with opening my mouth...the sensations would wake me up I'm sure.  The goal is to manage this, and with any luck this will be a short term issue..once the weight is off it will resolve the apnea.    Good luck..you will feel much better!     

I started using mine about 5 months ago and I love it. I use the nasal pillow mask that sits right under your nose and the prongs go int your nose. I had to get the right size to fit I also have long hair so I put it in a ponytail to stop the mask from moving around because I found it would slip around because of my hair.

It does take some time to get use to it and if you slept 5 hours that is really good. Give it sometime and you will get use to it and find you will feel so much better within a week or so from of using it.

Good luck.  

I am trying putting it on while watching TV at night ,I usually fall asleep watching TV in my recliner

 this full face mask seems to be working best for me

 thanks for all the answers