2Sleepy

Hi dawnnny, I just read that you have ordered a CPAP pillow. That is what ended my problem with swallowing air. I think I had a problem with my head and neck not being in good alignment when I slept. When the continuous flow of air from the CPAP could not get to my lungs, it had to go somewhere, so it went to my stomach. Hope your new pillow resolves your problem. I am a side-sleeper and I use the original CPAP pillow by Contour Living.

At first glance, it raises many questions for me. How is this device is held in place? Does it provide humidification? Is the product something that is affordable? Is there any accountability, by the inventor, for money donated through Indiegogo?

I am open to the idea of a less cumbersome device for treating OSA.

I think I will continue to work with what I have. It is working effectively for me.

Those are my first glance thoughts. Thanks for asking.

2Sleepy...but making progress with CPAP.

Thanks, Kyle

Appreciate it.

I think this approach will allow for more real-time interaction.

2Sleepy....but improving

Thanks, CatOwned

I am now comfortable with my Respironics OptiLife Nasal Mask with Chin Strap. Whew!

Happy I got something workable on a second try! These masks are expensive.

The next time I purchase a new mask, I think I will order a full face mask to use as an alternate. I rarely get a cold, but I have realized that whenever I get my next head cold, I will need a mask that allows for breathing through my mouth and nose. At least I know what does not work for me in a full face mask. In the sleep lab, I could not tolerate a style that has a strap or tube going between my eyes.

Newbie with new problem....drooling in the middle of the night...rude awakening with cold wet head straps. YUCK!

I don't know what went wrong there, but my mouth shouldn't have been open in the first place. Yesterday I washed the head gear. Might have reassembled all of the parts, just a little bit differently. The chin strap is adjusted as tight as possible. I will need to do some problem-solving today during my waking hours. Not surprisingly, my AHI was 10 this AM. It has been running under 5.

To any sleep disorder specialist reading this post, please be aware that adjusting to CPAP and getting it to work properly is easier said than done. I think that is a major factor in non-compliance, especially within the first 30 days. People need guidelines and assist with working through the nightly issues in the first 30 days. Maybe a dedicated "help line" would improve compliance.

I am "over the hump" with getting something to work, but I had more issues adjusting than I could have imagined. Because it was my #1 priority to learn to sleep and breathe at the same time, I figured it out. This would have been a lot harder, if I had the demands of a work schedule, childcare, eldercare, or other pressing family responsibilities. I am grateful that I have adjusted. This site has been a good resource, because there do not seem to be a lot of other resources out there for problems with adjustment.

Hi SusanR

I took a look at the Harvard Medical site that you recommended above. I thought it was quite good and comprehensive. I found the diagram of airway collapse with OSA, as well as the snoring explanation helpful. This was the first reference that I have seen that defines CPAP vs. bilevel vs. auto CPAP. In my case CPAP is the appropriate treament, but when people on the forums refer to bilevel or auto CPAP, I felt like a visitor to a foreign land. The information about weight gain and insulin resistance with OSA was also interesting to me. So overall, I think it is an excellent resource for learning more about OSA.

There was one area that I thought was glossed over a bit. That was the brief section on what to do about problems encountered with using CPAP. From my experience and reading the posts of people struggling with CPAP, this is not necessarily a quick and easy fix. When I read the easy solution of just "try a different mask or head gear", it makes me wonder if the person making that suggestion has any idea that switching to a different mask can cost $100-$150, for each new mask. Each change is costly. With the many choices available, it is pretty hard to guess what might work.

Thanks for all that you are doing to expand the resources available for people who have OSA.

Joe,

I also purchased mine from the manufacturer and got a couple of items tossed in.

I hope the pillow works for you.

Happy weekend to all...

Janet

Hi Joe,

Yeah for progress!

I am also a side-sleeper. I had the same issue with my pillow moving my mask out of alignment. I tried a regular pillow, a travel pillow and a roll shaped pillow. None of them worked. I was also hesitant to spend $50 on a pillow that is not returnable.

When all else failed, I ordered the CPAP pillow by Contour Products. It is the original model with an indented area in both lower corners to accomodate the mask (works great), ear depressions to avoid excess pressure from sleeping with ears compressed between pillow and the straps behind me ears (works great) and it is molded for good head and neck support (great!) There is a newer model, but the new model seemed to have fewer features.

It was costly but works great for me.

My next step will be trying a travel size PAP pillow. I am travelling in June, and my CPAP pillow is kind of large to put in a suitcase. I am trying to make just 1 change at a time and re-evaluate each step.

I hope whatever you decide works for you. Janet

Hi SusanR,

I found the study C, most relevant to my life. I have managed to adjust to using CPAP, every night, usually around 6 or 7 hrs. It is good to know that there is research to support that 4 hrs or more / night, reduces the risk of heart attack. Learning to use CPAP was a major nightly hassle for about 2 months. Nice to know that research has been conducted over the long term, which demonstrates a significant decreased risk of heart attack. That info is a reward for the hassle and expense involved with getting a diagnosis and an interface /accessories to make CPAP work for me. Thanks for posting.

Hi MikeMRF,

I just saw your post. It might be worthwhile posting your question/concern with a new thread, so it is more visible. I think you do that by going through the link, Enter Forums, then hitting the button on the top that is labelled Start New Topic, or something like that.

Also, you might just quickly say who you are on the Topic, "Introductions" which has been reactivated so we know one another.

As for your question/concern, if you have not had panic attacks in the past, I would get more persistent with contacting your sleep MD, maybe call and leave a message for a call back. Concisely explain why you need to talk with the doctor. Alternate, if there is a nurse practitioner in the practice or a sleep technologist you could speak with, that might also help guide you.

If you have had panic attacks in the past, you might find a couple of posts on this website, with helpful suggestions for staying calm.

I have only been using CPAP for a couple of months. In the lab and in my first couple of weeks using CPAP, I woke up very suddenly around 3 -4AM. Because it happened the first time in the Sleep Lab and was handled very calmly, I felt reassured that all was OK even though I never wake up (wide awake) @ 3-4 AM. This continued at home several times then went away. I still don't really know what that was about, but it went away.

Good luck, MikeMRF. I think there is a resource for tech problems with use of this site. 2Sleepy....but improving...aka, Janet

Interesting article. Thanks for posting.