Sleep apnea and potential treatments

in my original message, I said"I tried CPAP"...twice!!! Also, my wife is a very light sleeper...the does make a humming noise in a quiet bedroom. Trust me me if it worked 12yrs ago..and again 6 yrs ago, I would have usedit!!!

@wgatap21 I was diagnosed with sleep apnea 15+ years ago. I'm claustrophobic, so I didn't expect to be able to use the mask. Surprise! I was so sleep deprived, I slept 12 hour nights plus naps the first month. I used the full face mask for more than 10 years, and yes, it did make some noise. The machine didn't make much noise but I fought for years with the leaking mask. I think that part of the reason was my beard. A couple of years ago I had a sleep study and the doctor thought that a Bipap machine with nasal cushions would work better for me.

The new machine makes no noise at all. The cushions are so much better than the mask. Sometimes my moving around in my sleep, the cushions get pushed out of where they need to be, and will make a little noise, but when I put them on and adjust them, they are totally silent. Sometimes I take it off because I can't tell if the Bipap is on.

My wife was unhappy with the leaking noise for years and threatened to make me sleep in the guest room. The new machine is a ResMed air wave 10. I use it with a humidifier, and it has a heated hose. Medicare pays for two cushions and filters each month, and I learned with the full face mask the importance of replacing the mask/cushions twice a month.

I know that a lot of people can't get used to a mask, but there are several options that are pretty recent that have improved the functionality of the machine.

The other, compelling reason, that I started using a CPAP was my snoring. No more snoring. If you snore and/or stop breathing when you're on your back, the doctor told me that I could try the low tech solution, sewing a tennis ball in the back of a t-shirt. I never tried it, but it would possibly work for me. But I'm so used to my mask I don't want to quit using it.

I hope you can find a way to treat your apnea. The health risk list for untreated sleep apnea is a long one.

Jim

@wgatap21 I was diagnosed with sleep apnea 15+ years ago. I'm claustrophobic, so I didn't expect to be able to use the mask. Surprise! I was so sleep deprived, I slept 12 hour nights plus naps the first month. I used the full face mask for more than 10 years, and yes, it did make some noise. The machine didn't make much noise but I fought for years with the leaking mask. I think that part of the reason was my beard. A couple of years ago I had a sleep study and the doctor thought that a Bipap machine with nasal cushions would work better for me.

The new machine makes no noise at all. The cushions are so much better than the mask. Sometimes my moving around in my sleep, the cushions get pushed out of where they need to be, and will make a little noise, but when I put them on and adjust them, they are totally silent. Sometimes I take it off because I can't tell if the Bipap is on.

My wife was unhappy with the leaking noise for years and threatened to make me sleep in the guest room. The new machine is a ResMed air wave 10. I use it with a humidifier, and it has a heated hose. Medicare pays for two cushions and filters each month, and I learned with the full face mask the importance of replacing the mask/cushions twice a month.

I know that a lot of people can't get used to a mask, but there are several options that are pretty recent that have improved the functionality of the machine.

The other, compelling reason, that I started using a CPAP was my snoring. No more snoring. If you snore and/or stop breathing when you're on your back, the doctor told me that I could try the low tech solution, sewing a tennis ball in the back of a t-shirt. I never tried it, but it would possibly work for me. But I'm so used to my mask I don't want to quit using it.

I hope you can find a way to treat your apnea. The health risk list for untreated sleep apnea is a long one.

Jim

I have been using CPAP device for nearly 9 years. To begin, any Dr or sleep specialist who tells you by using CPAP you'll get the best sleep of your life is blowing smoke. I started with a solid plastic nose piece but found every time I moved my head even slightly, the seal would break and the hissing would wake my wife. After several adjustments I learned of the Dreamwear nose cushion. It can be used with either pillows which have a flange-like pad that sits just inside the nostril, or there is a pillow that rests on the upper lip just below the nostril. the pressure setting allows for air to gently blow into the nose to the back of the throat and out the mouth keeping the airway open. It attaches to the head by a soft very flexible head piece, and the air is supplied via a flexible hose attached to the top of the head gear. Thus no snoring. Nevertheless, I still need to adjust once or twice throughout the night. It works, but its not great. If I do not wear it I am guaranteed what I describe as panic dreams where I am in crazy situations and gasping for breath. I've read, that is my brain telling my body to wake up.