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Hello Allison (@DeterminedIvoryCurlew7935), and welcome to MyApnea.Org! It sounds like you are finally finding some answers related your fatigue and poor sleep, and I hope you start feeling better soon. Please keep us posted on how things progress and about how your conversion to BiPAP goes. We have a great group of members here on the Forum, so please post any questions you may have and continue to share your experiences. Thanks!

Hi. My name is Armando, I am 63 years old, I live in Brasil, and I found out I had sleep apnea in october 2009. I have been on CPAP since then and I think its really working well for me, but I´m not sure.

Hi @DeeperSleeper, and welcome to MyApnea.Org. I'm happy to hear you think your CPAP is working well. Is there a particular reason you feel unsure about it?

Hi, my name is Pat; I am a 77-yr old female and 2 weeks ago I was diagnosed with severe complex sleep apnea. They said I had 40 events per hour of stoppage. They thought I have probably had it for at least 10 yrs when I was first diagnosed with a-fib and hypertension plus pulmonary hypertension. I have been fitted with a face mask and a nose mask. I had a severe nose bleed last week so I could not use the CPAP. The docs didn't know if the bleed was due to dryness of the nose or hypertension. Anyway, I'm back trying to adjust to all this again. I don't mind wearing either mask but no matter which one I use, my mouth dries out constantly so it wakes me up and I have to wet the ole whistle! I then go back to sleep for anywhere from 30-60 mins and I'm awake again. Can anyone offer any suggestions as to what to do. They have given me a chin strap but it seems as if my mouth and throat dry out whether I breathe thru my nose or mouth.

I really enjoy reading all the valuable info on this site and I thank you for being there for all of us with this problem.

Hi. I just being diagnosed to have mild sleep apnea from sleep test for a couple days ago. I will be seeing my cardiologist tomorrow to discuss further on the sleep tests. Being feeling rather fatigue and my symptoms seem to be tired and sleepy on alternate day. Not too sure is that due to my sleeping pattern. I can't wait to have my normal life back. I hardly performed at work nowadays, especially when sleepy sink in. Just wonder any different between the symptom for mild and severe sleep apnea. What are the options in treatment also.

I am a sleep technologist in WV (RPSGT) I had the pleasure to work under and with Dr. David Berkowitz and Dr. Marty Scharf in Cincinnati, Ohio for 5 years. We were a clinical research facility and fibromyalgia specialist. I practiced respiratory therapy for 17 years and worked as an EEG tech for 7 years. I feel blessed to be in a clinical field of medicine where patients get better and live a happy and restful night

Hi @azpatsmr (Pat). Were you provided with a heated humidifier? If so, have you attempted to adjust the humidity level? Dryness caused by lack of humidity while using CPAP can irritate your sinuses. If you do have a humidifier and have tried increasing the humidity level, then I would encourage you to contact your equipment provider so they can verify the humidifier is working correctly. Some patients also find that a saline mist or CPAP moisture creams help. A quick Google of "cpap moisture cream" should return some results for you. Thanks for posting on the forum, and I hope you are able to resolve this quickly! -Dan

Hello @AmbitiousByzantiumSquid1747. PAP treatment (CPAP, APAP and other forms) is usually considered the "gold standard" for treatment of sleep apnea. There are other options, such as dental appliances, that can also used. For some patients, there may also be surgical options. Your physician should be able to speak with you about the various recommendations based on your specific test results. As for the differences between mild and severe sleep apnea, symptoms can vary based on the patient. Some people with mild sleep apnea report feeling extremely tired, while some with severe sleep apnea feel they do not have any symptoms. It is common for patients with sleep apnea to feel fatigued and sometimes sleep during the day, and this will hopefully improve with treatment. Best of luck, and I hope you have more energy and better sleep soon!

Thanks, @CompassionateScarletTapir5101! Welcome to MyApnea.Org, and feel free to share any tips and advice you might think helpful to our patients. We're happy to have you here!

I'm looking for a kind and patient Doctor to fit my disabled son in Pittsburgh, PA. Any suggestions?

Hi, I'm from Holland. I'm using a CPAP/APAP now for some 5-6 years. I'm a staff member of the Dutch ApneuVereniging, helping people with their machines, with focus on ResMed. Have excellent direct contact with the manufacturer representative here. Furthermore I'm a fanatic hobbyist in SleepyHead. The programmer, Mark Watkins, appointed me to take care of all the translations of the program. Available translations now are: Dutch, German, Swedish, French, Spanish, Chinese, Bulgarian and Finnish!! If anyone can help me get in touch with any other translator, i'll be very delighted to help.

Hi my names garry i had sleep apnea for nearly 2 years and been on cpap for 2 years . It has been wonderful

Hi. My name is Bruce. I have been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I had a silent heart attack 12 years ago, a stroke 10 years ago and just recently 15 months ago, underwent open heart surgery for a triple bypass. I am 64 and would like to live a few years longer. All my doctors and cardiologist have strongly recommended a cpap machine, however no one, including the sleep study center will actually prescribe one for me. my original study was 2 years ago, so now they're telling me it's out of date and a cpap can't be prescribed now. as if the condition would have suddenly gone away on it's own. I'm kind of between a rock and a hard spot and can't sleep on either. just wondering if anyone else has ever had this much trouble getting treated for sleep apnea after the diagnosis? thanks for listening.

Hi @elderbruce51. It is possible that a new study is needed to help determine whether your sleep apnea has changed over the last 2 years, especially since you have had bypass surgery since your original study. Not only might the severity of your sleep apnea have changed, but also the amount of air pressure required to hopefully resolve your sleep apnea. Was treatment recommended 2 years ago after the study? Or was there just no follow-up to get you on treatment back then? Either way, a new study would probably be a good starting point to see what has changed.

R. Mann

Hi Everyone, My name is Scott and I am going in to see my doctor this week about my sleep apnea. I had a sleep study done a few years ago and they said I had a mild case but my wife is telling me that it is getting worse and I feel tired all the time. I am 50 and fairly active. What questions should I be asking my doctor? It lookslike the CPAP machines are the best solutions now for treating my sleep apnea. Is this correct? Any help would be great.

I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, having taken an at home test that my company is helping to copromote to cardiolologists (EP's). I have always suspected that I had sleep apnea, but I was not a big snorer and I always slept pretty good through the night, until about a year ago. I don't smoke, rarely drink and do like to have coffee and iced tea in the mornings and afternoon. Never at night though. My pAHI score was a 65 but that was in a prone position for the whole night, not the normal way I always sleep (usually on my right side). I have been on a CPAP machine for about a month and am still getting used to it. I fall asleep immediately, yet still wake up a couple of times a night, usually around 12:30 (sometimes) and around 4:00 most every night. That is frustrating, because I thought I would sleep through the night once on the machine.

I just jumped in posting! Started my CPAP, now BIPAP journey in 2007 at age 63. Had to fight that label of depression by agreeing to see a psychiatrist before my primary would order my sleep test. Long story before this...not needed here. I have tried to be positive and compliant. Never had that WOW result after starting treatment, but it sure is better than it was!

Hi @Scottk1965. CPAP is considered the gold-standard for treatment of sleep apnea, but there are other options based on your specific situation that your physician should be able to discuss with you. Oral appliances, surgical options and the new nerve stimulator (Inspire) implant are just a few. It sounds like the most important thing to discuss with your doctor is the fact that your wife indicates your sleep apnea symptoms are worsening. It maybe time for a repeat study to see if your condition has changed. Best wishes!

Hi @UnassumingOcherLeopard6664. Adjusting to PAP therapy can take some time. As a patient myself, I was not compliant with therapy for quite some time due to mask discomfort and the fact that I had frequent awakenings while trying to adjust to CPAP. My treatment changed tremendously once I connected with a good Respiratory Therapist who fitted me with a better mask and provided some tips to help me adjust to my machine--such as wearing the mask while awake and watching TV or reading at night before bed for a couple of weeks. Hopefully, you will adjust to treatment over time, and, if your awakenings are related to CPAP use, will lessen. Check out our "Learn" pages for tips on adjusting to CPAP!