SleepyMommy703

Not sure if you are necessarily replying to me, but FWIW, I am also keeping a close track of things. I've been journaling and noting my daily score on My Air with how I feel in the mornings and throughout the day. I have had a few nights my AHI was zero but usually ranges .3 to .5 with 1 being the highest. So I'm barely having any apneas at all according to my machine. Leakage is an issue at times and I can't seem to figure that out. I did discuss with my doctor I think I may need smaller headgear and they were looking into getting a smaller one for me. It's just so odd for me that my score for leaks can drop from 20 to 11 without me noticing a difference during the night (and most of the time it doesn't seem to correlate with how I'm feeling either). She's also trying to help me address the dry mouth but her suggestions were things I've already tried or were suggested here as well.

The group I go to seems to be pretty hands on which I like. I've been to another doctor who basically gave me a script and said see you in a year when you need another one. My current group really wants to help me feel better so we are on a plan to follow up regularly. I do agree either way working yourself to figure out what's going on is a great place to start.

Are you following up with your sleep doctor? I have not found great relief with mine either. I was off it for a couple years and now back on and trying to work with my doctor to determine why I'm still so tired. There is some improvement, but not much. Mainly, I tend towards fewer headaches and think more clearly but still feel exhausted. I was back on CPAP for 5 weeks and just had a followup. My doctor wants to see me in another 4 weeks and see if things have improved. If not, she plans to have me to the lab for an overnight with my machine and possibly to do another daytime study. She said if they find nothing that I may just be someone who needs 10 hours a night of sleep or is just always going to be sleepy. In which case they may try medication to keep me alert. Something I would take as needed in the morning.

Definitely make sure you followup with your doctor.

Good luck!

Yes, I believe this is correct. I can't remember where I read it, but I was looking for this info at one point because I missed a few nights and was afraid it would count against me. I found compliant was at least 4 hours per night for at least 21 out of 30 days. Not sure if that's universal or through my medical company/insurance but that's what I found.

I've only had two machines at this point, but I agree that the Resmed Air Sense 10 Autoset does everything you are looking for. You can turn off the humidifier, but interestingly I'm also bothered by warm air blowing at me and it doesn't always feel warm to me. Occasionally, it will but most of the time it just feels like room temp or sometimes even cool air.

I think what you are asking is why people fail to stick with CPAP treatment enough for it to be effective?

I can share my own personal difficulties with it, but I'm sure it varies. For starters there was the discomfort of using the mask. The first time I used one they gave me a full face mask in a lab setting and my anxiety set in and caused me to have a panic attack. I managed well enough to sleep for a few hours but it was an awful experience. I didn't try again for 8 years and then out of sheer desperation.

The first time I really gave it a try I was only successful for about 10 months and gave up again. The smaller nasal mask was much more tolerable to wear though which helped my initial issue. One of the major difficulties I had was chronic sinus infections. Whether they were caused by or aggravated by the treatment I really don't know but I couldn't use it when my nose was blocked or when the pressure of the machine caused such horrible pain in my sinuses.

It also dried my eyes out very badly to the point I was getting awful infections from irritation with my contacts so I had to switch to glasses. I had trouble sleeping with my mouth closed even after using a chin strap. My lips would open and cause noise and it would wake me up. I ended up having to use both a chin strap and tape my mouth closed at night. Not a very comfortable way to sleep. And between the mask, chin strap, and tape I had terrible lines all over my face that were quite embarrassing. For that matter wearing all of this in front of my husband was also embarrassing to me.

I had trouble with bloat now and then. I'd wake in the morning with my abdomen seriously distended and awful pain from it. Then painful gas that would last much of the morning. At the time, I was having trouble with my gallbladder and the added pain and pressure was awful.

Beyond the physical issues, I also found it a pain to deal with. To remember to clean the parts and have it set up and ready to go. I had to make sure my face was cleaned before using it too and by the time I got my kids to bed at night sometimes I was too exhausted to do anything but crash. Or I'd sit down to have a quick snack and fall asleep not meaning to.

I also didn't find it helped my fatigue all that much. While I always have far fewer headaches on treatment I'm still pretty tired most of the time and I still wake up a lot during the night. So the benefits were minimal.

After being off for 2 1/2 years I've been using it again for about 6 weeks. Hoping to stick with it this time around, but time will tell.

I don't see why not. Lack of good sleep can cause so many health issues. But there are also underlying health issues that can cause sleep disturbance, fatigue, etc. and weight loss. I'd make sure you mention it to your doctor.

I tend to have the opposite happen. The worse I sleep the more I'm constantly feeling hungry and craving carbs and not feeling energetic enough to exercise so I gain more weight.

I'm not a doctor, but I don't think sleep apnea would cause a tight throat rather the other way around. Tightness would make for more narrow air passages and possibly contribute to sleep apnea. I notice something similar with my nasal passages. They are fine during the day but feel swollen often at night and I get stuffy later on and by morning. It's been better since using the CPAP and particularly with the humidifier. I tend to assume it may be allergy related. Perhaps that could be the case for your throat as well?

The small amount of air is normal as mentioned above. I'm not sure exactly how long it lasts but seems like at least 15 minutes but definitely less than an hour. Not sleeping on your stomach definitely takes some getting used to, but in under a month I was able to sleep comfortably again. Good luck!

The 2 times I've received my machine I did not get a choice. They were the only ones issued through the office I used. They did have a decent number of masks to choose from and I was able to try a few on to check the fit. I went home with one and later they wanted me to try a full face (didn't work out because I'm also a side/stomach sleeper and really could only sleep on my back with a full face). I was told they could replace the mask once without costing me extra. But that was a few years ago and different companies may handle it differently.

As a mouth breather they had suggested the full face, but I just couldn't sleep comfortably with it on. Even with a nasal mask I had to learn to position myself differently to avoid leaks. You'll probably have to do the same. There is no stomach sleeping anymore, but I can sleep on my side and twist my lower half occasionally to get a sort of half stomach sleeping effect. It took a little getting used to and bothered my neck for a couple weeks but it's not an issue anymore.

If you don't do a full face mask you may want to consider asking for a chin strap. I was told I'd probably get used to keeping my mouth closed once I was using the CPAP regularly but that didn't happen. A chin strap is a must for me.

Good luck! It takes a little getting used to, but if you put some effort into it and tweak little issues that may come up it really is worth it.

I don't think you would need it. I have had multiple surgeries since my diagnosis, but have never used a CPAP while under sedation or anesthesia.