CPAP Problems - ThinnerTimes

Midntsgirl · 05-06-2004, 11:07 AM

Hello everyone. I've been having some trouble with my CPAP machine. I'm not talking about with the machine itself, but personal problems. I go to bed every night and strap that thing to my head. I turn it on and very shortly afterwards drift off to sleep. But since I've had the machine (got it the 27th) I have not slept more than 3-4 with it on. I wake up in the middle of the night for no reason, and "convince" myself I can't breathe with it on or SOMETHING and end up taking it off. Or the last couple of days I don't even remember taking it off, but it's laying on the floor or on top of the machine when I wake up. I've thought about taking some Tylenol PM to help me sleep better, but what good is that gonna do?? I have spoken to Woody about my problems and he says it just takes some getting used to. My question is this: Is there anything I can do to stop freaking out and actually sleep through the night with the CPAP machine?? Any input will be deeply appreciated!

lealphachienne · 05-06-2004, 11:38 PM

I've had my machine for a month and still can't get use to it. The most I can tolerate is 1-2 hours. The tech said it can take months to get use to. I've tried booze and sleep aids to no avail. Fortunately my surgery is in a few weeks and I won't need the darn thing anymore.

CLAIRE · 06-10-2004, 03:19 PM

I Had My Cpap For Almost A Year Beofore I Had Surgery. I Ended Up On A Pressure Of 16 For Sometime To Work On The Apnea. I Found That Adding A Chin Strap Helped With The Issue Of It Coming Off At Night. Also When I Woke At Night And It Was Bothering Me I Would Set It On The Ramp Up Setting That Makes The Pressure Go Up Gradually And I Had Time To Fall Asleep With It Going. It Jsut Took Being Consistent With Using It To Get Used To It. Thank God I Don't Need It Any More Now But At The Time It Was A Godsend So I Could Get Quality Sleep.

Claire

HapBird · 06-10-2004, 07:04 PM

I've been on CPAP (pressure 17!) since August 2003. It took weeks to get used to it, but I kept on plugging. Getting even a couple of hours a night on the machine is beneficial, they say, so don't beat yourself up about not going all night with it.

There are LOTS of options for headgear, nasal pillows (prongs that squirt the air into your nose), face masks, etc. There are heated humidifiers, which help warm and humidify the air so it's more comfortable, insulating tubes to keep condensation down, and lots of other stuff - so don't think you have to live forever with the machine and equipment you got from the start. Keep in contact with your primary care physician - if you need additional / different equipment, this can be ordered for you and hopefully your insurance coverage will eat the cost. If you have to buy on your own, there are lots of online CPAP supply shops where you can get supplies and equipment for competitive prices.

I had LOTS of problems getting used to the face mask I started with, and finally switched to nasal pillows. They were great at first, but as time went on I was tolerating them less and less. I've been able to get my CPAP pressure reduced, so as of this week I'm sleeping 5-6 hours with the machine, a great improvement.

Hang in there! And if we get this surgery done, who knows - we might be able to be CPAP-free one day!