I have had a CPAP machine with a nasal mask for at least a couple of months now.  I had some problems, like leakage, using too high a temperature for the humidifier, which the salesman helped me iron out.  Now I have to wear four bandaids plus a strip on the top of the nasal mask to protect my nose, and everything is fitting fine and not leaking, but I noticed something that I find disturbing.

Somebody recently posted that any sleep position will activate the apnea, not just lying down.  I noticed that when I tried to meditate in a chair with a mantra, the sleep apnea kicked in.  And even more disturbing, I have the same symptoms of seeming to drop off to sleep, only to wake up a few seconds later, realizing that I wasn't breathing with the CPAP machine on!  Has anybody else had this problem?  Could it be that the machine isn't working right, or needs more pressure?

I left a message for the salesman and the respiratory therapist to call me back.  My husband seems to think I may just have started drifting off to sleep, but it's the exact same feeling I had with the sleep apnea - seeming to drift off, then waking up more and realizing that I didn't remember hearing myself breathe.

After all I've gone through adjusting to this machine, this is very discouraging.  And I've yet to feel great like I did using the CPAP with the nasal mask during the sleep study.  The nurse there assured me that it completely suppressed my sleep apnea, and I felt like it did the next morning.  I haven't had the same results with the home machine at all.  I needed to sleep at least 9 hours on the weekend to have any energy at all, and that doesn't seem right to me.

Denise Phares/kitties4

Congrats on another step up toward being machine free.  I have appointment with Doctor in June so I will ask his advice then.  Right now I am getting a new mask which I hope is helpful for resting.  Enjoy your day Jamie

Just an update here, I have also added this update to a few other posts I had on the sleep apnea forums.

I got my results form last weeks sleep study...

Feb 2008, 515 lbs pressure was 25-27
Oct 2008, 570 lbs pressure the same but wasn't retested (when I had my wl surgery)
Apr 2009, 360 lbs pressure is set at 8 now

I am so excited, 8, WOW no wonder my sleep has gone so far downhill since about Christmas.

I have to buy a new machine, I am no longer able to use bi-pap I get to drop down to a cpap.  NICE!!! 

I hope, i really hope losing another 100 lbs will get my off the machine all together, that would be cool.

-Jaime

I got my results form last weeks sleep study...

Feb 2008, 515 lbs pressure was 25-27
Oct 2008, 570 lbs pressure the same but wasn't retested (when I had my wl surgery)
Apr 2009, 360 lbs pressure is set at 8 now

I am so excited, 8, WOW no wonder my sleep has gone so far downhill since about Christmas.

I have to buy a new machine, I am no longer able to use bi-pap I get to drop down to a cpap.  NICE!!!  MAKE SURE YOU GET RETESTED, as soon as you notice a change in your sleeping habits because I have had a lot of issues with lack of sleep, memory, concentration, etc...

I hope, i really hope losing another 100 lbs will get my off the machine all together, that would be cool.

-Jaime

I have sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension, wheteher caused fro slep apnes, I don't know.  They monitor your breathing and keep it regulated during surgery, but use your c-pap for after surgery My surgery is scheduled for Fri, May 1