TOPIC:

Sleep Apnea ....

.... anyone who has it or has a loved one with it and you or your loved one does not use the CPAP here's something to think about:

We are having some painting done, the painter is a good person & very nice - yesterday morning he got a call and learned his best friend of 30 years had died.

Painter is back this afternoon - his friend was 37 years old and had sleep apnea.

Died in his sleep.

Before I got my CPAP I was always exhausted, and an accident waiting to happen when I drove. I came dangerously close to falling asleep behind the wheel many times.

Now, I do not ever let myself fall asleep without it, and I always keep a backup power converter so I can run my CPAP off of a car battery if the power goes out.

Good for you Rob! I always use mine - it's been in many States and in various overseas countries too. It has not helped me sleep or wake refreshed, but I'll never stop using it.

I'll admit that I am not always consistent with mine. However, a few weeks back I hadn't been using it for a while and woke up three times gasping one night. The third time it happened, it was pretty bad so it scared me enough to start using it again.

I think I slack off because I have so much trouble sleeping and am always sleepy during the day whether I use it or not. I don't actually feel the benefits. But I do realize the dangers of not using it as far as heart attacks, strokes and death. I also know that for some reason, my muscles do not get enough oxygen which causes a lot of stiffness and pain. Several doctors have told me that. Using the C-Pap probably makes a big difference with that too.

I don't know why I slack with it. My mask is perfect, no leaks. It's not uncomfortable or cumbersome. But I am trying! Between that and the wrist splints at night, I am quite the spectacle.

Sandi wrote:

I think I slack off because I have so much trouble sleeping and am always sleepy during the day whether I use it or not. I don't actually feel the benefits. But I do realize the dangers of not using it as far as heart attacks, strokes and death.

Hopefully the death of this young man will have some good come from it - making those who do not use their CPAP to use it!!

Sandi I am exactly the same way - I have so much trouble sleeping and rarely, rarely, do I awake in the morning refreshed and not tired. The only time I have not used it was when I babysat overnight at the grandkids house - but won't do that again.

Just remember you may not feel the benefits but you are receiving them - one who has sleep apnea does not get the proper amount of oxygen to their organs, don't want to deprive your organs of oxygen because that's basically killing them. If you are depriving your organs of oxygen then it makes sense your muscles aren't getting the right amount too.

Use your CPAP - no excuses!!!

You look like you belong in a horror show when you are sleeping huh?

Yep. No hot mama in bed any more. I know you get the reference to those two words.

Hey question - do you guys feel the air coming out when your mask is on? I don't. I even sometimes feel like I'm not getting enough air. If the mask is off, I feel the air coming out full force. As soon as I put it on, it feels just like room air. I don't even have to set the thing to gradually raise the air pressure....it starts full pressure when I put it on.

The air has to come out somewhere when you use the mask. otherwise you are breathing the same air over and over. Mine vents thru little holes in the front. I have had other masks that vent out the side. Depending on your sleep position, it can be annoying to your bedmate.

My machine has an adjustment called "ramp up" to gradually increase the pressure. I leave the feature off.

You're too funny!

Like Rob said, the mask has to vent - yes I feel the air coming out of at the top of my nose pillow - it was annoying to hubby so we put a pillow between our pillows so it didn't blow right on him.

I leave the "ramp up" off too - mine starts at a low setting anyway and if I have an episode then it gets going and when episode over then it goes back down. I don't think it really ever stays as low as it is when first turn it on.

Yawning causes the thing to get so high I have to turn it off and start over again - guess yawning causes throat to close.

I've used mine so long that I don't notice if it's working or not other than when it's not positioned right and it squeals. My wife though has used it as an A/C unit when she has her hot flashes(or as she calls it her own personal summer)

But kidding aside, sleep apnea is dangerous even more so for those with other serious health issues.

Yeah, I feel the air coming out of the front of the mask. I just don't feel like the air in the mask is forceful enough. When my husband first got his, I tried it on and wasn't even able to talk because the air blasted my mouth. I can't remember if I used to feel that way about mine too. A few months ago I kept taking it off in the middle of the night because I felt like I was suffocating. The air pressure on his was the same number as the air pressure on mine.

Maybe I'm just that used to it, but I feel like I need more air even when I'm awake.

Do you have a respiratory tech Sandi or were you just given the CPAP and told good luck? They used to send me home with some small equipment about 1x a year that measured blood ox and pulse rate etc and episodes - I'd take it back the next day and they'd call to let me know if machine had to be reset to higher or lower or was ok as is. Haven't don't that in a while because my respiratory techs seem to move on to higher jobs and they don't assign me a new one.

But if you are having trouble like that you probably need to talk to someone - also how old is your mask?

I found out the secret code to reprogram mine because I was not getting enough pressure (weight gain, alas) and I did not want to do another sleep study.

I used to feel like I was suffocating when the dentist worked on me. I started using my machine during dental treatments and that has made all the difference. Of course that won't work with a full face mask.

I spoke to the doctor about it about six months ago. He raised the pressure from 11 to 13. I need to go back soon anyway. I'm overdue for my annual lung MRI. Maybe the air temp is too warm...I just feel like I'm breathing all of my own old air. I'll try lowering the temp tonight.

My mask isn't old at all. I get replacements in the mail all the time.

I wish I could raise my air pressure. They should let people have a little leeway with it. It's only air.

I took a look at things last night and found that I did have the ramp set to 10 minutes. Not sure how that happened; I know I set it to off at one point. I must have been trying to shut the C-Pap off one morning and just reached backwards and started pushing buttons.

I also turned the temp down 5 degrees. It helped air-wise, but my tongue was sticking to my mouth.

13 kills me - I turn mine on and start reading then turn light out & "go to sleep" [that's so funny, sleep]. If while reading I yawn the machine thinks I'm having an episode an it can go up to 13 which is way too high! Mine starts out at 6 but usually it goes to 7 or 8 before I turn the light out - goes higher overnight if have an episode.

My humidifier is set at 82° - 5° would give me not humidity at all, in fact I'll check to see if I can set it for 5°. I do know that one time I decided I didn't need to take the humidifier part on a trip - WRONG!!!

Ha, I said I turned it down 5 degrees, not to 5 degrees! It was on 78 I think. The 80's were too hot, felt like I was breathing used air from someone else's mouth.

It's odd, but I can barely feel 13. Like I said, it feels like just a bit more than room air. It blasts out when the mask is off, but when I put it on, not much pressure.

Sandi I can't get my brain to engage - yep, I read it as you setting the humidifier to 5°, I tell you I need a brain transplant or maybe just some sleep would do the trick.

felt like I was breathing used air from someone else's mouth.
Ok, now that is really disgusting But I'm laughing at it - now with that thought in mind I'm off to bed. Which reminds me of the song by Barenaked Ladies, "Who Needs Sleep?"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsf_GSbPV14

I have never heard that song before! I love it! Getting it for my iPod....it's my new anthem!

I haven't slept the past two nights, back to that again.

I like the Barenaked Ladies - well some of their things. Believe they sing the theme song for The Big Bang Theory.

I didn't sleep either.