C-PAP

Finally got approved for surgery by Aetna which took about 2-3 weeks for the ok.  I will be having a gastric bypass on the 29th of September.  I have severe sleep apnea and have been struggling with a cpap machine for 2 weeks.  I usually can only tolerate it for 2 or 4 hours a night.  Does anyone else have this problem?  They tell me using a cpap is inportment

Hi Texastiki,

I have Aetna as well and they have been fairly easy to work with.  I have sleep Apnea as well, and I would like to offer a couple of thoughts regarding the importance of use.

With me, I am now unable to sleep WITHOUT the mask.  I've used a system for over ten years.  It does take a bit of getting used to, but the risks of not using it are substantial.  People with apnea have a higher heart failure rate, there is a linkage with apnea and weight gain, and the impacts on your awareness during the day are huge. 

When I was at my worst before the CBAP, I was falling asleep in turn lanes and microsleeping on the way to work.

A couple of suggestions to ease the process,

• Consider a full face mask if you are using a a nose-only mask.  Even though it seems clunkier, I found it to be more comfortable.
• Use the humidifier on a lower setting.  Even though the humidifier makes it more comfortable, if the air is too warm, it kept me awake.
• I took a benadryl for the first few nights while I was getting used to the mask, it helped me sleep and I didn't feel overly stimulated by the mask contact to my face.
• Do not sleep with a bunch of pillows!  You want your head and neck in a straight line as much as possible.  I use one memory pillow with the higher side under my neck.
• You probably need to sleep on your back.  I sleep on my side occaisionally while falling a sleep, but on the back is the most comfortable position.  I also keep a pillow under my knees.

The good news is that sleep Apnea is sometimes resolved (much of the time) by WLS.  However, until you are cleared by a medical professional, wearing the CPAP or BiPAP is critical for avoiding life-threatening issues.  After your successful weight loss, corrective surgery for Sleep Apnea, if necessary, is an option.

Best of Luck

When you stop breathing while you are sleeping, you are destroying cells in all of your organs. In addition, you are doing damage to valves in your heart. When you use the CPAP, you process oxygen all night long to repair and replenish your body. Those first 2-3 weeks are tough. I remember about 10 years ago that I was determined to be one of the 50% that become CPAP success (the other 50% give up and don't use it; hence Aetna renting the machine for the first year versus buying it). But after the first few weeks it becomes super easy. Putting on your appliance and turning on the machine becomes a queue to go to sleep. I generally fall asleep within 5 minutes of turning it on. For me, nasal pillows are a necessity. I use ResMed Swift, which is very lightweight, and enables me to sleep on my side or stomach quite easily. I also got an APAP machine, that automatically adjusts to whatever pressure I require. This is a good thing as you lose weight and your pressure changes and/or sleep apnea goes away. BE A CPAP SUCCESS. Get past this first few weeks. I'm sure that like me, you won't be able to sleep without it very soon.