Sleep Apnea advice

Anakha

Hi everyone,

My mother was recently diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and was given a CPAP machine. At first we were all excited because she was finally going to start to feel better, right? But we are now nearly three months on and still she is not sleeping well, the most she gets is like 5 hours with the mahcine but two of those hours are her still wide awake. It is getting to the point now where she is super frustrated and whenever me and my dad offer advise its too simplistic because realistically we don't know what she is going through and its just frustrating her more.

So I am just putting this out there. Is there anyone who has any helpful (preferably positive) advice that I could maybe offer. Any thing practical or just something I can maybe do to help make her feel better, like something you would have liked to know early on in your diagnosis.

Also, are there any support groups, preferably online, that she or I could turn to?
Thanks for your time

Graces7

Anakha wrote: »

Hi everyone,

My mother was recently diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and was given a CPAP machine. At first we were all excited because she was finally going to start to feel better, right? But we are now nearly three months on and still she is not sleeping well, the most she gets is like 5 hours with the mahcine but two of those hours are her still wide awake. It is getting to the point now where she is super frustrated and whenever me and my dad offer advise its too simplistic because realistically we don't know what she is going through and its just frustrating her more.

So I am just putting this out there. Is there anyone who has any helpful (preferably positive) advice that I could maybe offer. Any thing practical or just something I can maybe do to help make her feel better, like something you would have liked to know early on in your diagnosis.

Also, are there any support groups, preferably online, that she or I could turn to?
Thanks for your time

Have a google around the web as there will surely be some, or a subdivision of other groups

Anakha

Graces7 wrote: »

Have a google around the web as there will surely be some, or a subdivision of other groups

Thanks Graces7

I wasnt able to find anything thats why I turned to here. I have been in touch with SDSF and they have been giving some advise but did not mention any groups.

rubberdungeon

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057038487/1

Have you been on this thread, lots of experience and advice there?

Anakha

rubberdungeon wrote: »

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057038487/1

Have you been on this thread, lots of experience and advice there?

No, I had not seen that. Thanks a million, I will go through it

Cushtie

Hi,

I was very recently diagnosed with sleep apnea. I have been using the cpap machine for just under two weeks. It took a few nights to get used to it.

Somethng to check is what type of Mask does your Mother have. When I went in to get the machine I wanted to get the one that just covers the nose as I thought it would be less "intrusive". the medical Co rep told me if I tended to breathe through my mouth when sleeping (which I do) then the full face mask would be more beneficial as otherwise the air would going in my nose and out my mouth.

From what I have read it is really important to get a mask that is a good comfortable fit and that would be most of the battle.

Also instead of the regular CPAP which is set at a specific pressure you can get one that automatically adjusts the pressure when it senses a sleep apnea event. This is the type I got.

One other thing I slept in a different room for the first week or so to let me get used to it myself.

I was totally against getting the machine. I'm only early 40,s but it has been so beneficial even in the couple of weeks I have it, I'm sorry I didn't go and get it looked at years ago.
I'm like a new man!

Encourage her to stick with it. Look again at the mask and machine type. If she is renting it get on to supplier and ask to try differnt machine or mask etc.

Tropheus

Also a good group on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/SleepApnoeaSupportAndAwareness/.

Patient11

Cushtie wrote: »

Hi,

I was very recently diagnosed with sleep apnea. I have been using the cpap machine for just under two weeks. It took a few nights to get used to it.

Somethng to check is what type of Mask does your Mother have. When I went in to get the machine I wanted to get the one that just covers the nose as I thought it would be less "intrusive". the medical Co rep told me if I tended to breathe through my mouth when sleeping (which I do) then the full face mask would be more beneficial as otherwise the air would going in my nose and out my mouth.

From what I have read it is really important to get a mask that is a good comfortable fit and that would be most of the battle.

Also instead of the regular CPAP which is set at a specific pressure you can get one that automatically adjusts the pressure when it senses a sleep apnea event. This is the type I got.

One other thing I slept in a different room for the first week or so to let me get used to it myself.

I was totally against getting the machine. I'm only early 40,s but it has been so beneficial even in the couple of weeks I have it, I'm sorry I didn't go and get it looked at years ago.
I'm like a new man!

Encourage her to stick with it. Look again at the mask and machine type. If she is renting it get on to supplier and ask to try differnt machine or mask etc.

Hi Cushtie,


Can I ask what CPAP machine you are using ?