Introduce Yourself!

Greetings and well met everyone. My name is Alex and I have been using my CPAP for over 3 years now, and it's been working to keep me from having my...well, zombie days that I used to have. After my father had surgery to treat his own OSA, he was warned by his doctor that I could be at risk for it as well due to similarities of tongue shape/size. Turns out he was right--so here I am, hoping to contribute what I can.

Hi Diz1944, happy to hear you have adjusted and are willing to contribute. I am now adjusted, but it seemed like I had new problems daily when I was starting with CPAP. It really helped me to get tips from experienced people.

Aloha friends: I'm still struggling with my CPAP machine. I was supposed to start it on July 11th but ended up in the hospital for a few days for a bowel obstruction. I am ok, now and I tried to use the machine successfully when I got home but could only do an hour. I used it a bit the next morning to get used to it and tried again last night but same thing. It causes a lot of phlegm in my throat and that makes me cough and gag, at the time, and the rest of the next day. I called today and spoke with a rep of the machine. He encouraged me to turn down the humidifier so I will see if that helps. They are sending me a hose that heats and I'm wondering how that will work and if it could potentially cause any bacteria in my throat which could set me up for another bronchitis infection. I read about an alternative product that goes into your mouth and is made by a dentist but I'm hoping to get this CPAP right very soon.

I was diagnosed with complex sleep apnea a few years ago with 75 Apneas per hour. I started cpap but have very strange sleeping patterns since I spend 20+ hours a day in bed. Medicare took away my machine after three months because I missed their min sleep per day by four minutes. I've decided to try again and just did the study so should get machine in couple days. O2 was 89 so I think I have to have oxygen. I hate wearing the mask!

Aloha Friends: Gosh...Helpful Orange Taser...you missed it by 4 minutes? Wow...but they will let you try it again?...that's a good thing. As I posted prior...I was struggling with my machine...I don't use the mask but the "elephant nose" as I call it...I spoke with the machine people and they told me to turn down the humidifier part and I did that and it seemed to work last night. I got 5:40 on my machine. So if they are so tight as to the minutes...can you also use it during the day to get hours? I understand that it's used for nighttime so one can sleep...but if they are so tight...can you add time (that you are short of) during the day? I missed 3 days right off the bat as I was put in the hospital...it makes me worry that I won't have all the time needed....I hope you get it figured out and that you will be back on track...take care

Also good to keep in mind regarding your temperature settings ----> As seasons change, environmental factors will spur the need for humidifier adjustments. Environmentally you may consider that your home's heating and cooling will likely necessitate the adjustments to your PAP's ancillary pieces :-)

AREN'T THE "GOLDEN YEARS" GREAT???????

@pickle330 You just made me laugh out loud on that one! I feel the same!! LOL Have a good evening, Theresa

Aloha Pickle 330 & Theresa I think "the golden years" may be overrated on the one hand..in 2010 things changed in my life and each year brings a new surprise.. Getting so I don't like surprises. But then I think of a friend who lives in Tonga where there is no quality health care and Two days after my pacer was placed last October...This 50 yr old woman with 10 kids dropped dead of a heart attack leaving her family broken hearted. I met a young lady in one of the ABC stores in Hawaii talking to a man who was discussing his health issues with this 19 yr old. She listened for awhile and then looked him in the eye and calmly said" well at least you are on the right side of the dirt".. smart young lady and when I get low.. Which I do.. I remember that statement and figure she is right and try to focus on what I can do to help myself. "It is what it is is another favorite". when I was in the hospital the other day I thought well maybe this is it .. It was really scary cause I thought the serious pain was due to the aortic aneurysm I have but it was a blocked bowel that hurt like crazy and they pushed a tube up my nose and down to my belly button area in my stomach.. It worked but I decided it was time to get it together and do what I need to do to care for myself cause I'm still on the right side of the dirt today. Take care all

Hi I just heard the ad for this site and logged right in. I'm 43 yr old and have been using a CPAP machine since I was 27. Sad thing is that I only got a new machine 3 yrs ago because the original specialist told me I didn't need follow up after the 6 month check up even though I specifically asked about follow up. Things have been much better but I've recently noticed I hold my breath instead of exhaling so I'll be talking to my doctor about this new thing.

Very sad story, @Missjudi about the woman with 10 children :-( Good grief, you went through some terrible pain it sounds like. I like your attitude about being on the right side of the dirt today! What is life without humor? Be well, my friend!

Hello everyone. My name is Sue and I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea (72 events/hr) the end of May 2015. I am scheduled to have a sleep titration tomorrow night. (Delay between the 2 studies was due to being diagnosed with cancer and having 2 surgeries.)

I am happy to have found this site and have learned a lot from reading the posts. I have realized that I need to request a copy of my first sleep study and the one after my titration. I am sure once I receive my PAP machine I will have a whole list of questions.

Hello, my name is Brittany. I'm 23 yrs old. I have a 3 year old who turns 4 next month. Her name is Lexi. I have both mild OSA and Narcolepsy. I've been diagnosed with Narcolepsy since I was 15 yrs old and then diagnosed with mild OSA about 2-3 yrs ago. When I was 18, I was put in the hospital with Pneumonia for a week where they discovered, after testing was done of course, I had Wolff-Parkinson White Syndrome( an extra electrical pathway in my heart that causes extra heartbeats). My heart-rate in the hospital at that moment went as high as 152 bpm. I did have heart surgery to correct it but the doctors had told me I had to have been born with it. I have no idea as to how I developed OSA due to the fact I am not overweight nor do I have Diabetes. I also had my tonsils out when I was 2-3 yrs old and my neck circumference is at 12 inches. So I am clueless.

@LexisMommy1991 - Thank you for your posting, Brittany. A popular belief is that only overweight individuals can have sleep apnea. The truth of the matter is, sleep apnea does not discriminate- people with various body weights develop this disorder. A medical examination of the back of the throat can sometimes reveal the suspicion of sleep apnea by the presence of fatty deposits there. A thick neck circumference can also be a clue. Of course, a sleep study is the best way for your physician to know exactly how severe the condition is, thus he or she can appropriately prescribe treatment.

Certainly, considering your heart issues, a sleep study would be beneficial. Do you have a referral to a sleep specialist at this time? I can help you find an accredited sleep disorders center in your area should you want me to.

Good luck and we look forward to seeing you post again soon!

--Theresa

@CarolSue2 - We are very happy you will be having your titration study and on the road to treatment. Please do let us know how it turns out, and we welcome you to ask as many questions as you would like!

Good luck and hope to hear from you soon!

--Theresa

I was diagnosed about 5 years ago, and started using a CPAP. The test results saidild/moderate with 6 episodes per night. I have never noticed much difference, and it's unwieldy to travel with. It's also a pain to keep clean, and it's uncomfortable to sleep with. I also did not like my doc (a pulmonologist) because I found him brusque and dismissive. All of this caused me to quit the CPAP about a year ago after using it for 3-4 years. I am wondering about going to another doc (sleep specialist ) and starting all over again. Anybody have a similar experience?

Hello all. My name is Tony, I was diagnosed with Central Sleep Apnea in 2011. I used a Bi-Pap for about 3 years. The machine I was using was loud and the pressure got so high that it was waking me. After another sleep study last November, I began using a C-Pap. The results are wonderful. I feel like for the first time in years was getting a full nights sleep. I had actually forgotten what that felt like.
I guess what I'm getting at is, if you are not comfortable with your machine, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor. Just by changing my machine has made a world of difference to me.

Welcome Tony,

I have central as well (5 yrs.) and I have a little problem with it as well - same old machine. Glad to hear you have improved with a new updated machine. Maybe my luck will change in September - I will be having another sleep test an was told I will be getting a new machine. I'm on Medicare and they won't pay for a new one until after 5 years. Thanks for your story - it's encouraging.

Ken