CPAP - 1, Leah - O

By Leah Thursday, March 13, 2008

- A
- A
- A

It was a knockout! The CPAP had won. But it was only a temporary victory...

For whatever reason, I had the worse night yet in my fight to conquer the CPAP. My husband had to turn on the light twice--and get up to help me... At first, I was totally unable to get the nasal pillow to fit correctly. In the dark, I tried to adjust the straps--NOT a good idea, as I found out. When the light was turned on, we discovered that I had gotten the velcro straps attached to straps one could never believe they could reach. I was all twisted up. After getting it straightened out, I tried again to sleep.

Mumble. Grumble. Mad Gnashing of teeth... Embarassed Thrashing about...

The light comes on again, and my husband asks what is wrong. Blink

This time, I felt like I wasn't getting enough air. Now, this was not a new problem. I had been struggling with the level of air coming out when I used the "ramp", a feature which turns down the air flow and then slowly raises it. This feature is great--but the respiratory therapist had turned it too low. We got out the manual and found that we could increase the initial level. We turned it from 40 up to 60...and, before turning off the light, I took two Tylenol PM's...didn't want to take any more chances.... Lights out.

I was out.

CPAP-1, Leah-1 !

Once again, I was victorious. (And my poor husband finally got some sleep, too!) Big Grin

Leah

New Report: Americans Getting More Sleep Than They Think

Comments (10) | Add comment

Sue

3/15/08 8:43pm

Hey Leah - Glad to here you won in the end. I guess we all need a little extra help now and again. Keep beating that CPAP down! All the best, sue

Leah

3/17/08 6:45am

Thanks, Sue, for your comment. I hope that my post will show readers that getting used to the CPAP is not necessarily a continuously positive experience, but, with perseverance one can have nights of restored sleep.

Leah

NOSAJones

3/27/08 10:57pm

Leah,

Sounds like you've got it licked. I had the same problem with the nasal mask, full face mask, oral mask, but it didn't prevent me from sticking with it from the time I went to bed until I got the next morning.

Dr. Barbara Phillips, past president of the NSF, has made it clear that one obstruction per hour during sleep can be deadly and it is vitally important to stick with the machine 100% to prevent even that one obstruction per hour. This is a concept that some folks don't seem to understand.

Leah

3/30/08 4:43pm

I appreciate your response. It is very important to stick with the process until you are comfortable. Lots of people are impatient...

My husband and I have appreciated how quiet the machine is...it could be lots and lots noisier and still not be as loud as I was at times before the CPAP.

I hope that anyone who suspects a sleep disorder get it checked out IMMEDIATELY. It could mean the difference, you are right, between life and death.

Leah

NOSAJones

3/27/08 11:52pm

Leah,

I forgot to mention, that your CPAP is likely to improve your dementia.

I'll be surprised if it doesn't. That's assuming that the machine is doing what it's supposed to do (preventing all obstructions 100%).

Stick with it, you've got the right idea.

By the way, I prefer the APAP machine over the CPAP because the computer chip in the APAP automatically adjusts the needed pressure for each breath, whereas the CPAP has only a fixed single pressure that never changes. That would be ok if you never changed, but unfortunately, the blockage in the back of the throat is subject to a lot of variation, especially with time (position of the body, head and neck while asleep, weight gain or loss, aging, health status, etc.). You have to keep taking your machine in to get "titrated". The APAP doesn't have to be taken back for titration because it adjusts for the correct pressure with every breath you take. My own sense is that CPAP has done great job in the past, but it has it's problems that are being appreciated more recently. It's time has come, so to speak. I've noticed a lot of sleep doc's are taking this position too.

I have a friend who was on CPAP and asked his sleep doc. if he could switch to APAP and his doc. didn't bat an eye and said, "No problem" and wrote out a prescription without hesitation. He says he's doing better with his APAP machine.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm not telling you what you should do. I'm expressing my opinion based on my own experience and anything you decide to do should be between you and your sleep doctor.

Ok, now I'll step down off my soap box and get to bed.

NOSAJones

3/30/08 2:46pm

Leah,

Some people with OSA forget that weight loss remains extremely important even when the PAP machine is working satisfactorily. I'm certain that you already know that, but a lot of folks I've talked to don't understand that it's possible to eliminate OSA entirely if they can get their BMI (Body Mass Index) down to the normal range. Most OSA patients are over weight, but not all. About 20% are of normal weight, but have a family trait consisting of a small jaw and airway that predisposes them to apneas. Obviously,weight loss isn't going to help these patients. Duke University did a study about 2-3 years ago in which 8 patients with OSA had BMI's of over 40 (morbid obesity) and underwent gastric bypass surgery. After they had lost 100 lbs. or more, 7 of the 8 no longer had OSA. This is an extreme example, but it proves the point that weight loss can put a stop to OSA. I don't know the odds of curing OSA by wt. loss, but my sense from what I've read is that the odds are small. But, hey, if there is only one chance in 10, 50, or 100, it's still worth a try because it's still a win-win situation. Even is your OSA is not cured when you get your weight down, your overall health is much improved by the weight loss itself. So far, there doesn't appear to be a way to tell which patients will benefit the most ahead of time. So, for those who need to, go for it, lose to win!

Leah

3/30/08 5:05pm

I agree with you about weight loss...many of my problems might be licked if I was of normal weight. I am looking into some weight loss programs...I am determined to lose a bunch of weight and keep it off during my old age. I do not like how I feel. Thank you for all your comments. You certainly seem to know your stuff, and I appreciate the fact that you are willing to share it!

Leah

NOSAJones

3/30/08 6:00pm

It's a struggle, but one thing that helps tremendously is physical activity (your muscles love you and reward you for moving them). A regular physical exercise routine is as important as the diet you have chosen...and not to forget your 7.5 - 8.5 hours of PAP controlled sleep. Put these three parts of your life; exercise, diet and sleep, on automatic and I'll bet before long you'll look back and say, "You know what? It was a struggle, but it was worth every minute of it." ...or something to that effect.

Leah

3/31/08 5:43am

Thanks for the pep talk. My husband says WE are going to begin to sweat...(through a regular schedule of exercise). I HATE to sweat at any time...don't like the wetness...just a little glitch in my psycho system. I have read that sweating is actually good for you, so I guess I'll just have to suck it up and ... S W E A T !

Leah

NOSAJones

3/31/08 9:23am

You talked me into it. I'm going to the gym to get a workout right now.

CPAP - 1, Leah - O

Ask a Question