Category: Health and Wellness
Hi, all. I ordinarily wouldn't post something like this, but here goes.
I was recently diagnosed with mild sleep apnia, and given a CPap machine. For those who may not know, it's a machine which includes a face mask, that provides continuous pressurized oxygen so that you don't stop breathing in your sleep.
However, I'm having a heck of a time adjusting to the mask. They've tried several models and sizes, and none seems to fit me. my face is rather small due to radiation when I was a child, so it borders on the need for a pediatric mask, and the smallest one made for adults.
I'm just wondering, if anyone here has ever been diagnosed with sleep apnia, and how you dealt with it? Were you ever given one of these machines, and if so, how did you adjust?
BTW, sleep apnia can sometimes be weight related, but definitely not always. One of my friends is totally in shape, but has extremely severe sleep apnia, and wears the CPap mask.
Anyway, feedback would be helpful. thanks in advance.
A friend of mine uses this machine and loves it simply because she sleeps better through the night. But I’ve never thought to ask her what it was like to get use to wearing the mask and using the machine. Her sleep apnea was definitely not mild, so maybe her experience with the machine was different from yours. Although I’m glad that I don’t have sleep apnea, because I would think wearing a mask while sleeping would feel a bit awkward even if the mask was the right fit. Sorry I cannot be more helpful. Maybe it will just take some time to adjust to the machine. Although if your sleep apnea, is only mild, are there any other remedies you could try besides the machine? I’m not too familiar with treatments for sleep apnea, so it may be possible that this is the only treatment option, but it was just a thought. But anyways, best of luck in finding a good night’s sleep.
Nope there ain't.
I have it and yeah it's not weight related. I weigh in pretty normal for my size and appreciation of microbrews all things considered, and work out regularly but I have to use the bloody thing ...
Call 1800-cpapman
or 1800 272 7626 I think the numbers are that match the letters.
Their site is www.cpapman.com
I don't like it but my wife makes me wear it ... lol I've gotten better over the years. And yeah it's all different. Some snore and some like me just stop breathing until you wake up gasping for air. I did it after some prodding from the better half because I was affecting her sleep; probably ought to have done it sooner but me hates medical things of all kinds ... lol
The CPAP store which is the site and number has a mask with nose pillows set they call something with Conjo Head gear. You can get your head measured if you have someone sighted to look at their pictures and all but the head gear is cloth and adjustable. Anyway they have lots of different ones and if I were you I'd just call them and be honest with what has happened with different ones. Even if you don't remember the kind, describe it and they know, and their recommendations have been good. You may have to buy several over the years to get the one that works for you. For health reasons they can't take one back of course, once you've opened the plastic on it.
I don't really know you too well or know what it's like bein' a girl of course but I had to go through with it when I was 33. I too was embarrassed about being kind of a fag or wuss going in to some sleep place like an old man ... no offense to gays or elderly folk, I mean the social perception. That and I travelled a lot then and was embarrassed at airports since she insisted I take the beast of a machine with me ...
But honestly, there is a difference much as I may be grudging to admit it and it vastly improved my seizure condition which only affects me at night, or I should say affected ... since I've been free of those for six almost seven years ...
Hope this helps some
Thanks, Robozork. I'm not extremely overweight, but I could probably lose a few pounds, and I can't help but wonder if that would help, since it's such a mild case of it. I don't know. I'm going to talk with my sleep specialist this week and see what he thinks we should do.
I've never felt weird about going in for the sleep studies, or needing the machine itself. I just wish it would actually work for me. Trying out different masks and such is a little complicated, since my insurance is Medicare, so I can't just switch masks like crazy. Bleh. But thanks for your suggestions, and if any of the rest of you have them, I'd appreciate them.
the masks from CPAPMan aren't that expensive though that's relative I realize ... I'd just ask them and see and maybe they take Medicare?
And good on you for being gutsy enough to not have a problem with going in and all.
Not to be a downer but I doubt the weight's gonna be an issue. I asked the guy should I lose the thirty-something belly and would that make it go away, he just laughed and said when weight is concerned we're talking 300 lbs or thereabouts not ten vanity pounds ... so yeah there's other miedcally stufff he said as to why something about the airway and how it's constructed and all stuff I don't remember but that was more it. And again good on you for the guts to do it; it's hard being our age doing these things - you're in your thirties if I remember ...
Good luck with this and some masks are around 40 bucks - I know that's a lot when you have nothin' I had to buy one when I went through the loss of my consulting business ... so hope they can help you out.
i'm glad to see this. i am probably going to have to get a sleep study. snoring is a new thing in my life. anyway, i don't want to get it as i have claustrophobia and te thought ofsleeping with something on my face totally freaks me out.
Hi there
Are you a mouth or a nose breather when you sleep? If you're a nose breather, you can switch to a nose mask which will do the same thing. They should be more customisable and easier to fit. They also tend to be more comfortable and less invasive.
Hope this helps.
FM
Turricane they shouldn't snap it on you - when you go in you gotta sort of just do it for awhile put it on, take it off, all that until you get used to it. They don't poke you or nothin' but they do hook up electrodes or whatever but yeah I think them letting you try it / mess with it first helps. I was pretty freaked out about having something blowing in my face like that so I had Fear Factor and then some fight show on while I was doing what they said as a distraction, till they came in and ordered lights out or whatever. But anything to distract yourself till you get used to it. At that time - six years ago - they mostly had old people in those places so my selection of media took them aback. But they must've sorta liked it as they kept on lookin in ...