Sleep Apnoea and CPAP

Drumpot wrote: »

I might be getting another shot at a machine soon as had that sleeping test again.

When I tried on masks I didn’t like the feel of the nose mask so went with full face. Found it hard to get to sleep with it though which was why a silly consultant took me off the machine completely.

Any tips or advice on what I should ask in terms of mask for comfort?

The only mask I've ever used is the nasal one. I immediately took to it even when I was doing the sleep study. I had a H9 (think that's the name) and kept sending it back because I found it too loud. I now have an airsence 10 and find it brilliant.

I must admit that I'm wicked lazy about cleaning it. Usually at some stage after an extended period, I'll look in the humidifier's water reservoir when I'm filling it and shudder, and only then will I get off my arse. Will give the mask a rub of an antiseptic wipe every couple of weeks. I think I cleaned the hose on my first machine once, and haven't since!

Masala wrote: »

.... haven't come across that !! You mean the fabric straps around the head and cheeks??

The part that goes around the cheeks.

It depends on what mask you have. This is a "replacement Mask Frame for the Respironics' Wisp Nasal Mask"; the fabric mask frame broke on me twice, so I decided to switch after reding posiitive reviews on it.

I got it from here, as it was the cheapest. As it's classed as a medical device, it was VAT free.

Find it holds the nasal mask a lot more firmer.

I was told earlier in the thread about distilled water for the humidifier. I find it brilliant. Anyway my local chemist charges €6.50 for 5 liters. Was in Halfords of all places,same water is €4.20 for 5 liters.

If you are getting irritated by a mask it needs cleaning. Makes a huge difference.

I actually switched from the Airsense to the mini (I had both and actually preferred the mini) and it works fine. Was concerned about lack of humidity but not really an issue.

Anyone know best way to compare what rental charges are from various companies. Currently paying 100 euro a month with masks, etc every year. Get most of it back at year end with medical anyway but want to get that 100 euro down. Currenty with Air Liquide, going to ring them either way and offer 50 euro or else im gone.

Great to find this thread.
I have been feeling tired for such a long time. I first went to a doctor about 10 years ago and they did a load of blood tests and from an initial thinking that I had a tumour to having a problematic tyroid, they put it down to me working shift work.
I used to be great at being very active with playing lots of sports, but gradually even putting on a pair of trainers was tyring me out. I spent a fortune going to a psychotherapist to work out what my problem was with doing exercise. In the end I was advised that I did not really want to do exercise (go for walks/swimming etc) and that i was simply not helping myself.
My time keeping over the years became worse and worse. I would sleep through my alarm almost most mornings, and was getting into so much difficulty in work for being late.
Then Christmas before last i fell asleep on the couch in my parents house. The mother noticed that i stopped breathing quite a bit. So in the January i went to another (different) doctor and he referred me to a sleep specialist. The referral got lost twice and i only ended up speaking with a sleep consultant last November. He said i was at high risk of dying in my sleep!! My sleep was so disordered. I was put on an urgent and critical list (apparently) to get an actual overnight sleep study done. After several calls back to the professors secretary, i got my sleep study at the start of February this year and my follow up consultation last week.
Apparently when a 'normal' person sleeps their blood oxygen levels fall to about 95%. If you are as low as 90% then you apparently cannot drive a truck or fly a plane. Mine apparently is 75%. The professor told me that i have likely not had deep sleep for about 10 years and that if i had not been assessed now, that i would be looking at a "major cardiac event" within five years.
I cannot imagine feeling any different to how i do now. Sooooo incredibly tired. I look like crap! Have done for ages.
I definitely snore. Have done since my late teens.
I have an extreme form of sleep apnea but it is largely a genetic type apparently - its the back of my throat is particularly narrow. My body wakes me up everytime i relax in my sleep as it thinks that i am in danger of dying.
I have my appointment with a medical company on Monday, they were the only company mentioned by my professor and he did say they were the best and had the most up to date equipment available.
I am excited to feel better, but at the same time cannot imagine how that might feel.
I am female. Aged 48.

kjbsrah1 wrote: »

Apparently when a 'normal' person sleeps their blood oxygen levels fall to about 95%. If you are as low as 90% then you apparently cannot drive a truck or fly a plane. Mine apparently is 75%.

A polysomnagraphy (sleep study) normally measures the number of times you stop breathing/have restricted breathing/your oxygen saturation drops, averaged per hour - the AHI score. Did they give you this result?
If your O2 saturation level is dropping to 75% during apnoea incidents that’s one thing, if it’s consistently at 75% throughout the night that would seem like something else other than just OSA.

In my extremely amateur non-medically trained opinion, to be clear!

NIMAN wrote: »

I am going to try to chat to my gp after all this covid stuff dies down, as much of what you typed above fits me.

I too work shifts, and would often put my tiredness down to that. I'm sure many experts would as well.

I am now 51 and was always very active all my life. Started to slow down my activity levels due to age but to be honest I rarely have enough energy to do much.

My oh has been telling me for the last year or two that I often wake myself up during the night when I stop breathing. I didn't put much store in it, and I just assumed it wasn't doing much damage.

But I have read up a bit and now know it can do long lasting damage to your body and heart. And of course it leaves you very tired. I could do without that tiredness too. Even if I oversleep now I don't feel any better.

I have broke my nose twice and always put my breathing issues down to that, but sometimes even when I'm awake I can feel an area in my throat sealing if I breath a certain way. Like a tightness in the throat.

So gp appt is needed I think.

Your GP will send a referral on. Depending on if you go private or public. I went private but my referral letter got lost twice (secretary of intended doctor in the clinic/hospital was somewhat incompetent) so I was waiting 11 months for my initial consultation. So I’d recommend chasing up the referral often about 6 weeks.

I got my cpap equipment today. I was the last client of that company before they stand back due to the current coronavirus. Really hoping it won’t take too long to become firm friends with it and I start to feel like a human again 😁🤞🤞🤞

nibtrix wrote: »

I’m 4 weeks in tomorrow, and it’s getting easier for me to tolerate it. In case it helps - I found the first couple of nights ok, then I had 2-3 nights where I couldn’t get the seal right, kept waking because of leaks, nearly threw the thing across the room a couple of times! My face was sore from the mask, I felt I was drooling all over myself, my eyes were hurting from the flow of air. Since then it has slowly improved until at this point I’d say I’ve slept well with practically no waking and no issues for 2 out of every 3 nights the last 10 days. Still not 100% happy with it, but I think I’ll be able to stick with it.

Also, I’m not sure yet what effects it is having on my fatigue level but the constant sore throat I’ve had for months has disappeared, which is a massive bonus.

Have you been in contact with the person that gave you the equipment? They should be able to come back and check that you have the right apparatus ... the Professor I saw told me that if I’m not happy with anything at any time to get in touch with the company straight away.

Looking forward to trying mine out tonight.

A sibling of mine who suffers from sleep apnoea and is using a CPAP machine, also works in frontline services has been advised by her GP that the condition constitues a "respitory condition" under guidelines for Covid19 and has been advised to distance and take extreme care. I too suffer from sleep apnoea and am using a MirageXF and have read two conflicting reports. One says if you contract the virus, stop using the device. The other I read says if you are unfortunate to contract Covid19 and need hospitalisation, your machine can be converted to ventilator. Sorry I cant provide sources.

Hi all new here & new to using cpap machine!! Was diagnosd recently with obstructive sleep apnea and im finding it so hard to get used to machine longest its stayed on is 3hrs where i must pull it off!! My sleep is terrible and disruptive as in i sit up aslep and sometimes turn wrong way and fall out of bed or sometimes wake like this & doze off again sitting up or my partner will lie me down has anyone here had this? Was so happy to find a forum coz i dont no anyone that has it!! Im 46 yr old female & feel like an old woman x

What machine did you get?

tiny14 wrote: »

Hi all new here & new to using cpap machine!! Was diagnosd recently with obstructive sleep apnea and im finding it so hard to get used to machine longest its stayed on is 3hrs where i must pull it off!! My sleep is terrible and disruptive as in i sit up aslep and sometimes turn wrong way and fall out of bed or sometimes wake like this & doze off again sitting up or my partner will lie me down has anyone here had this? Was so happy to find a forum coz i dont no anyone that has it!! Im 46 yr old female & feel like an old woman x

You just have to hoor it out I'm afraid. I have to say it didnt take me long at all. Do you have a humidifier on the machine, as the tube tends to be a bit longer than the regular one. Maybe if you get a harder pillow,where your head doesn't sink into it and dislodge the mask?, I found this helps me a lot.
It will become 2nd nature after a short while and you wont feel like an old woman.