pharding

Remstar Auto M Series with A Flex is an unbelievably superb CPAP machine. Most doctors don't prescribe it and go with more basic machines. If you need to pay for it yourself or pay for part of yourself it is worth every penny. It is incredibly comfortable and much more effective than simpler machines.

pipes

yap had it so bad in the early 80s my heart rate would drop as low as 16 bpm and wake me up a dozen times a night . Back then the treatment was a pacemaker so yap I got one . but mine has inproved since i HAVE LOST 90 LBS .I weigh about 280 right now so got a ways to go . stress and weight was causing mine . but iam a wreck 2 heart attacks a double bypass the pacemaker and iam diabetic type 2 . everything is inproving with the weight loss thou Iam off insulin completely and take half the pills I use to .

dlester

I know all advice is meant well, but regardless of the 'success' someone else claims it is not a good idea to use anything other than distilled water in your CPAP. You use so little water anyway, and an entire gallon is less than a buck (and will last you for at least two weeks). Why on earth you would want to risk long-term damage to your equipment due to impurities when it can be so cheaply avoided would be a mystery to me.

As for masks, the closest analogy that seems applicable here is all the threads you read about saddles. Just like bicycle saddles there are lots of mask options. Some work better on some people than others. You will have to do some trial and error to find what works best for you. I have the smallest one you can get that just connects to your nostrils and the hose goes over the top of my head so I can easily lay on my back or either side. That works great for me. But, some people are better off with the type that cover your nose completely. Others end up working better with something that covers their mouth and nose (this is an option for people who open their mouth at night if they don't feel comfortable wearing the chin strap).

Check your insurance as well. My insurance is actually not very good for normal things and I have a substantial co-pay on my CPAP supplies (filters, reservoirs, masks, hoses). But, at my annual follow-up I have to take in the compliance card. If I am over 80% compliant, which I always am in the high nineties, then I get reimbursed for all my previous year's co-pays.

Oh, compliant here is defined as using the CPAP for at least four hours in a given night. Less than that, or a skipped night is non-compliant. Other than the period of time when you are getting accustomed to a new mask, or when you are sick and have excessive nasal congestion, there really isn't any reason to be non-compliant.

eedwdave

I suffered from sleep apnea at 135 and at 323 where I am now. I have been on a CPAP for 3 years and it did nothing to help weight loss, but I sleep much better and my wife sleeps now too. I have one for travel and one for home. I was never fond of the humidifier part and just take the air straight. The one thing I did have to learn was how to breathe through my nose while I sleep. That took a while but now I am golden. If I don't have it with me I don't sleep well at all. One thing I would recommend is if you are told to get one be sure to check what the sleep center is charging you vs. what you can get it from cpap.com. My sleep center wanted 1400.00 for a good night 420g w/mask that was 425.00 at cpap.com.

gapwedge

I noticed the medical supply that my sleep center referred me to him and hawed about purchasing anything on the internet. But I have been impressed with the cpap.com site. I think I am going to get a copy of my prescription for future searching. I have a high deductable $3000.00. My insurance allows 11 months of coverage, but I am guessing it will never reach my deductable.

Abacus

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 6 months ago when I had to spend a night in hospital for an unrelated matter. They consequently readmitted me for a sleep study and a few months ago I bought a CPAP machine.

I have to say that when I uses the machine (Remstar M Series with C-Flex & humidifier) I sleep better, am less tired, etc etc. However, I don't use the machine enough.

I use a Resmed Quattro full face mask and after a few hours I invariably pull it off while I'm sleeping. I never wake up in the morning with the mask still attached to my face.

On the occassions that I've been coherent enough to see what I'm doing, I feel like I'm drowning and I just have to yank the thing off. I changed humidifer settings but no avail.

It seems I'll have to have another sleep study so that somebody can work out what's going on.

What's the difference between C-Flex and A-Flex?

Nevermind - found it:

https://www.cpap-supply.com/Articles.asp?ID=141

Is A-Flex really make a big improvement over C-Flex?

recycled55

To Abacus,
You mention feeling like you are drowning ---Do you mean water coming thru your hose? I had that problem which is called rainout. I bought a heated hose from someone down there in your country. It was a godsend. Probably the best improvement I ever made to my cpap. Been on cpap for about ten years at least and wouldn't think of not using it.
recycled55

Abacus

Yeah, there's a lot of water, even with the humidifier turned down or off.

I don't know if it's coming out of the hose or out of ME (Eeeeerrrggghhh - nasty!!).

I will definitely look into your suggestion.

spikedog123

Thans for posting this thread. I am going to get checked out. I've known I have had a problem for years. Your positive experiences have encouraged me to look into this.

gapwedge

I am glad I posted this as well spikedog. I thought I was just having problems sleeping with a few apnea events during the evening when my wife would wake me up and to tell me I stopped breathing. I decided going into 2009 I was going to do something about it. I made an appointment at our local Sleep Center and self-admitted myself. The best thing I ever did. During the study they told me if I had >30 apnea events per hour they would have to awaken me during the night and put me on the CPAP machine. At 12:30AM they woke me up and said I was having 54.1 apnea events per hour. That is diagnosed as severe sleep apnea. I got fitted for a CPAP on Friday morning. They gave me the ResMed AutoSet II with a heated humidifier and a ResMed Mirage Activa nasal mask. Since I am a side sleeper this mask works very well and does not require tight head straps. The AutoSet II is set to vary the pressure from 10 to 16cm H20. I was diagnosed for a setting of 12. I sleep last night (first night) all night without taking the mask off or tossing or turning. It was the first full night sleep I have had in 5 years. I woke up at 7:30 this morning and began to clean house and had more energy that I have had in a long time. The studies about hypoxia scared me about the increase percentage of heart attacks and strokes occuring from 12 midnight to 6AM.
Geez, I am sounding like a sleep apnea expert, but I am not. I only wish I had gotten tested much earlier in life. I have enjoyed reading some of the more experienced CPAP users on here. Very informative.

jaxgtr

Gapwedge, when you have your follow up with the sleep doc, discuss with him\her about having your pressure reduced if you lose some substantial weight. More than 50 lbs or so. My initial pressure setting was a 14 when I was 375, but now I am 295 and my pressure has been reduced to 11. I found after a while I was having too much air tossed down my throat and it became uncomfortable. I also use that mask and you right, it does make it easier to sleep on your side or stomach as you can swing the hose out of the way a little.

TechKnowGN

Yeah, apnea sucks. Im hoping it goes away when I lost the weight. Ive had it for years, and though i sleep better with the machine than i did before there are still some nights when the whole thing is a big mess.

jgjulio

Congratulations gapwedge on having a good full night sleep. Sleep is a wonderful thing and our bodies really react well to a good rest.

I resisted the idea of wearing a mask at night but now it is my friend. I don't need a "compliance card" to monitor my usage ... it is 100%. I cant imagine trying to sleep without my BiPap machine.

I don't want to feel how I used to feel not using it.

gapwedge

Night two was better than night one. I backed off the strap pressure and the mask did a great sealing job, no leaks. Slept mostly on my side. The wife is having a tough time with the new noise in the room (though this unit is extremely quiet imho). I cannot stop using the CPAP machine so I am hoping she makes the adjustment soon.
I think those with severe apnea are less likely to stop using the machine or to take off the mask during the night. Is it a hassle? Yep. But my overall health is worth it.

gapwedge

I felt like giving you an update after 5 nights on the CPAP machine for severe sleep apnea. Before I went on the machine I had no recovery time for my previous day's ride. So, I would wake up with my quads still sore from the previous day's ride. With the apnea my low level of oxygen in the blood stream I had no energy and riding 10 miles was a struggle and even the slightest hill would tax me severely gasping for air.
Fast forward 5 days. Today, after 5 days on the machine I went out for a spin. To my amazement the 16 miles I did today felt better than the 6-10 miles on previous rides. My lungs were full and my legs felt strong. It was truely like becoming a different rider. Now tonight my legs will get the much need oxygen they need to recover. It is hard to believe I tried to ride day after day without any recovery time. When you stop breathing 54 times per hour you never truely sleep.
My attitude has improved, I am alert all day long, and now I look forward to the next ride and hoping not to get dropped because of no energy and lack of O2 to breathe on the hill climbs.
Is it a hassle to wear the mask and be on the machine. Of course. Is it worth it? You bet. I look back and see the past 4 years that could have been. But also, I am looking to the future and what can be. Soon to be 56 and can't wait to see how 2009 goes.

overthehillmedi

Okay,now that a week has past,a question for you,Sir Gapwedge,has the wife adapted to the noise of the machine yet ?

gapwedge

Nope. She said she tried for 2 nights then it was sending me off to the guest bedroom. I can't understand why she put up with the snoring and apnea, the sound of the machine bothers her enough to send my butt to the other room. Go figure. You would think she could try harder or at the very least try adding ear plugs since I look like darth vader with mask and hose. Oh well, I am sleeping better so I cannot complain. Not a great arrangement for one's sex life, huh?

jaxgtr

get a small fan or something that creates a monotone noise. It will over ride the Cpap noise. I used to fly in P3's in the navy an if I can sleep on those, I can pretty much sleep anywhere, except where there is no noise. I have to have some type of monotone background noise.

gapwedge

Good idea jax.

DanoC

I was first treated in 1992, cpap and all. 145 episodes per night. Tired all the time, high blood pressure, bad marriage and all. That was about 250+ at 6-1. Got down to 215 and was okay, got married again, gained weight again, wife didn't want to try to sleep with the cpap on me. Did the rhinoplasty and upppp. that was in 2004. feel alot better even at 235 after they carved out the back of my throat. Very painful recovery, but worth it. I find it better to lose the weight and keep it off. So, back to working out and keeping the stress down. Hard to do owning a business involved in construction these days, so on the bike when I can, walking, the treadmill, even put the home gym together. it is better to get the sleep in bed and not behind the wheel.

steve2k

I'm starting to wonder if I have this. I certainly have the tiredness during the day, I don't remember the last time I slept through the night. My wife tells me I snore loudly, but not all the time, I'm mostly quiet, then make a loud snorting noise and I often wake up just in time to dodge the elbow in the ribs.

I've lost 50lbs in the last 18 months and it doesn't seem to be getting better, although I'm still about 40lbs overweight.

I have had nose bleeds and therefore scaring on the inside of my nose that makes it hard to breathe sometimes (I'm going to an ENT department to get it cauterised) and I thought that was a contributor to my snoring problem, but now I wonder.

I guess the first step is to get the nose sorted, and then look into a sleep clinic.

Thanks for the informative thread.

gapwedge

Steve, I belong to an AWAKE group which is a sleep apnea support group. Losing that extra 40 pounds could help. If you never had it before you gained the weight the chances are you will not have it if you get your weight back down. That is not always the case as for some it is genitic. I know I never had it when I weighed 200 or less. That is my goal. I began at 260 and down to 249 and counting. I don't want to remain on the cpap machine, but until I lose the weight I am going to use it everynight because he has changed the way I feel 100%. I adapted to the machine and mask very easily and have slept very well. Now if I can get my wife to accept it....well...I digress.

WendyG

Steve2k, talk to your ENT about a sleep study. That's who was in charge of mine.

I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea (63.5 interruptions per hour) late last year, and I've been using the CPAP machine for a little over three weeks. I didn't know what it was like to not be sleepy all the time until now.

If you have even mild suspicions that you have sleep apnea, get it checked out. I let mine go for 20 years, and I wish I'd done something earlier.

djnzlab1

HI,
It helps me understand how complex it can be and how many problems are related.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_apnea




It occuring in children to and many thin people, My Dr says it becomes more of a problem as we age, leads to high Bp, renal problems heartfailure, and may even contribute to weight gain and diabetes.

gapwedge

There are dentists now who are molding mouth pieces to help position the bottom jaw in a position that helps open the breathing path. This is not the mouth pieces you see advertised on the internet to stop snoring, but are individually designed by dentist for sleep apnea patients. Air Force pilots cannot fly if they are on a CPAP machine, but if they use the dental device they can still fly. I am on a CPAP now and have recently had my machine adjusted from 10-16 cm H2O range to 6-10. My 11 pound weight loss is helping already. IF my weight loss does not correct the problem I am looking to a dentist to get fitted for the mouth piece. I realize even thin people have apnea but that could be genetics. I never had a snoring nor apnea problem until I gain a lot of weight over the past couple of years.
So, if the idea of a machine freaks you out, check with a dentist who also specialized in developing such mouth pieces.