Sleep Apnea Blog

Posts Tagged ‘CPAP’

I’ve recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea; the full diagnosis was "obstructive, central, and mixed " I’ve been prescribed a CPAP, w/ full mask (CFlex). Guess my question is.. how soon can I expect to feel better, and just what will ‘feel better’ feel like? evidently i’ve had this for quite some time, and would appreciate hearing from someone with personal experience of treatment for same.
Thanx~

It takes time. Your body is used to running on empty so to speak and it has to readjust to being normal. Use the CPAP nightly as prescribed and hopefully you’ll see effects soon. If after a month you see no change in how you feel (less tired, etc) call your home care company for a follow up (which they should be calling you regularly anyway, be honest when you talk to them) Sometimes the pressure isn’t right the mask isnt right for the person and alot of patients hate c-flex from my experience. Sometimes turning that off helps.

DW has tried a medium mask, small mask and now nasal pillows for sleep apnea. The cpap includes a humidifier. I don’t think she has slept with the mask on thru the night more than 3 times in the last 3 years.

Has she tried the full mask or just the nasal type masks?

I have a full mask with head gear and it has to be adjusted around the forehead and the chin. Some people even have to sleep with a chin strap.

She also may need to change the seeting on her humidifier to be more or less than what she has it set for now.

Sometimes the brand that of mask that you use can cause irritation during the evening. Try using a different brand.

There is also a special pillow that has cutouts so that the mask is more comfortable to use. I personally did not like it but others can not live without it. It is made from memory foam.

I have been using a Cpap machine for Server sleep apnea, and it changed my life i didnt nap once during the day where as before i constantly napped. however i am finding my self feeling a little tired these days, why would this be?, i get a great nights sleep so i believe so it isnt making much sense.
anyone experience this at all and have any clues?

Deep deprivation affects many areas of your body and can result in fatigue, memory problems, and can lead to illnesses such as heart disease and stroke. If your sleep is interrupted by frequent periods in which you do not breathe for up to a minute at a time, you may be suffering from sleep apnea, one of the most undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorders. Sleep apnea is a very treatable disorder. The treatment involves the use of CPAP machines. These machines are used in conjunction with a sleep apnea mask that allows air to be gently pushed into the airways so that a person can sleep without interruption. Since loss of sleep can affect how well the immune system fights illnesses and diseases, a full night of uninterrupted sleep is necessary to maintain good health. We have all the CPAP supplies you need to successfully treat sleep apnea and feel better.

Hello, I’d like to know what is the best over-all CPAP mask that is sold on the market today?

hello i am a DME supplier and the one that goes out to most patients and the one that I prefer the most is called "profile lite " by resperonics its got a blue gel filling and feels very comfortable many patients love it as do i.

I started using my machine last night and I’m just wondering how long it usually takes before you could feel rested when you wake up.

it’ll take you at least a month to get used to it (like a habit), it’s just unnatural to have air blowing in your face, BUT make note when 2 months is up, you should feel better (less tired) & will probably sleep less but feel well rested,
HANG IN THERE
if in 2 months you don’t feel better, call your doctor ASAP, because something is Wrong, maybe pressure or Leakage from your mask

I’m flying to from Buffalo to Las Vegas via Cleveland, and will be taking my CPAP machine with me. I don’t want to check it in my luggage. Will this count as an additional carry-on item, or would it be free since it’s Medical Equipment? Would I need a letter from my Doctor?

CPAP machines are medical devices. The TSA allows these in ADDITION to your normal carryons. When you check in, let the ticket agent know that you have a medical device.

When you attempt to go through TSA security, let them know that you have a medical device. You should have no trouble.

I got mine four years ago but have not had an additional night at the sleep lab since then. Is this something that needs to be periodically monitored or should I just let sleeping (snoring?) dogs lie?

I think this is one of those "no news is good news" kind of things. As a fellow sufferer, I know that the pressure setting on your CPAP was prescribed by your doctor based on the resuslts of your sleep lab experience. As long as the machine is providing the desired results (no snoring or apnea), then I’m pretty sure nothing else need be done. Obviously, you need to maintain the filters–clean or replace, as the case may be.

Hi there, I have been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I am a 27 year old male, and obese.

I was wondering if it is possible for CPAP/APAP treatment to be ineffective? My GP and specialist tell me that the machine says everything is working fine and I’m breathing normally, however I still experience most of my apnea symptoms and I notice a huge difference of quality of sleep based on which position I sleep in, just like before I started treatment. Lying on my back is the worst, side is ok, and stomach seems best. Just like the overnight sleep test indicated without the CPAP.

Is it possible that my treatment is not 100% effective, and that I still suffer apnea, despite the computer saying I breath normally? I had 115,7 breathing pauses per hour (extreme). That’s like two per minute. Is it possible my body is "cheating" the machine?

Thanks so much!

CPAPs are not always effective for everyone… but should still be given a chance to work. They can be very helpful

Some people are too claustrophobic. There are some stream line machines that many patients like.

Positional sleeping is a big thing as well. Hopefully you have a machine that does not hinder your stomach sleeping…We all have our favorite position and it is hard to learn a new one. From personal experience…Stomach sleeping is the only way I can get any rest…Since birth…LOL. Have you tried sleeping on your stomach while wearing your machine still?

Your settings may not be correct for you…your alarm settings may not be set properly…maybe to loose. If your machine is set to alarm after 30 seconds…you may not be triggering the alarm if your apnea is only 20 second. You might need a stronger pressure to keep your airways open. Or there is a possibility that you need a Bipap….this machine has the one pressure while breathing out….like continuous pressure of a CPAP…but it also has a second pressure to help you take breath in. Maybe this will work better for you…

Finally, there are two types of sleep apnea…obstructive= some part of your anatomy is obstructing your breathing. The other is central=your brain is just not telling your body to breathe. This can be caused by heart failure…Your doctor can treat that to lessen the apnea spells.

In the end…it is still a machine..if you are feeling it is not working…talk to your doctor…they are very helpful…other ideas maybe possible.

I hope I didn’t ramble on…and helped some.

I have a CPAP. I;ve lost weight and the pressure is too high. I no longer have insurance and I live far away from where I used to have a rep come out to adjust it, with my doctor’s orders. I can;t afford to go to the doctor to have new order’s written, or to go for another sleep study. I lost about 30 pounds.

If you know how to set the setting lower, please let me know so I can use the machine. Thanks.

I don’t know if the medical-supply company would help you because it would be going against your doctor’s orders. If you know the model and manufacturer of the CPAP machine, you might be able to do an internet search for the user’s manual, which could tell you how to adjust it (at your own risk!).

Congrats on losing weight!

They want to run more tests but I have been with out that machine for days now, and I can tell a difference. I am so tired.
What can I do until I get a CPAP to sleep with, that I won’t be so tired?
I do not have obstructive but central sleep apnea.
I can really tell a difference in my energy when I use the CPAP. I contacted the DR but ehy want me to wait until I have taken more tests.

Centrals are caused because some people’s bodies can’t stand air blowing in their faces, what you really need is a VPAP (that’s V) it was developed in Europe & now is available here in the States now, it’s very expensive, hope you have Good Insurance, ( & don’t rent it, you’ll need it for a lifetime) but have your DR to order a VPAP test
sometimes this is seen (Centrals) in cardiac pts,
1 out of 2 / 50% of heart disease pts have Sleep Apnea