Modern Vespa

Well, finally had it done, after tending to feel out of it too many mornings and unproductive at work, went in for a sleep study. Took me the better part a year to go from "I should just do this" to "Let's roll." Couldn't think of a better way to sandwich my birthday than by a colonoscopy and sleep study. Seems awful to say it, but I think the colonoscopy was a better experience-at least I slept better.

Anyway, I'm "mild to moderate" and of course in line for a CPAP. Of course it doesn't sound thrilling, but not too many other alternatives.... My sister and BIL, incidentally were away on a birding weekend and ran into a dentist who apparently impressed the heck out of them, who happens to do dental appliances for sleep apnea in my neighborhood. The challenge seems to be effectiveness vs.compliance. I know a couple of people who just couldn't take it and just gave up. Not too helpful....

Anyway, curious what others' experiences might bem while I'm still in the either-or camp....

A work friend had surgery to repair his apnea. It worked, but he said: "It's the most pain I've ever felt."

When he did breathe, the snoring was so loud the neighbors complained, he said.

I snore, but apparently not too bad. My wife's still occupying the bed at any rate. She gets a bit jealous, however when I go off to sleep in 5 minutes and start snoring while she takes an hour to get to sleep.

It would take a lot to consider surgery...and apparently success isn't all that great. Knowing airway anatomy, I can't think of anything I'd really want messed with in there either.

My dad, brother and I all snore horribly. My brother had the surgury and it didn't help. He and I both got CPAPs. It probably saved our marriages but the cost is high. Sleeping with an alien attached to your face isn't fun.

w.

My dad had a CPAP machine. He hated it and would rip it off his face every night. My younger brother was recently confirmed to have sleep apnea and after a few weeks of trying out a CPAP machine gave it up. My wife and kids claim I rattle the house when I snore, but the result of my sleep test is minimal sleep apnea. Go figure. By the way, the sleep test is horrible. It's impossible to sleep with all those wires attached to you.

I'll agree with the horrible part. Funny, the wires didn't seem to bother me. BTW, in addition to gluing EEG electrodes all over your head, they put an EEG electrode smack in the middle of my goatee.

What really got me was their emphasis on sleeping on my back to get better results. There's hardly a time I can fall asleep that way, so I spent way to much time awake trying to fall asleep on my back. Oh, the irony. When I finally said "f#%k it, I'm turning on my side," I finally went into REM sleep.

Oh, how complicated...

Le Wife suffers what she likes to call "Princess and the Pea" syndrome: for the first hour or so of sleep, the slightest of noises are like a gunshot for her. So my snoring, even slightly, sets her off. We thought is was a case of sleep apnea, but preliminary tests proved negative. (A good thing for me: I couldn't bear doing the Scary Scene From Alien thing on my face every night.) My teeth are in anything but great shape, so I think that's actually the bigger problem, but I'm a few years away from licking that, which will cost a bit (semi-seriously considering one of those Hungarian "dental holidays" others have gone on about...). So, sleep happens in different rooms, which I've discovered is more common than I'd thought. So it's a two-way street: your loudness of snoring versus your companion's sensitivity to same.

i was recently diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. About 16 episodes per hour. Have been using the APAP machine for just under two months now. It's super weird to have the thing attached to your face all night, but you do sort of get used to it.
My current numbers are down to less than 1 episode per hour. I can't say that it has "transformed" my life or anything, but I definitely think it has helped. I don't have the debilitating lethargy that I had before.

Let's put it this way -- I do what I can to make sure I don't go a night without it.

For me it was start eating right and get rid of a few pounds.........my snoring stopped.

I snore. My wife would nudge, shake, hit, push me to get me to stop.
Occasionally she would say I would hesitate in m6 breathing.
I passed it all off till I had my annual colonoscopy (family history stuff)
When I came out of it, the Doctor said they had to "tube" me because I stopped breathing.
As in intubation!
I did the sleep study, 48 episodes per hour!
I did my homework on machines and found a provider that had the CPAP I wanted (a Resmed 10)
I'm a retired navy diver, so I am used to something on my face or having positive pressure breathing.
I already use a contour pillow (it helps) and I purchased a cloth sleeve for the hose.
It's been three months, I wake when the mask slips and air blows by my eyes.

And my sleep/rest? I feel rested when I wake, I am at %100 earlier.

I knew I had sleep apnea and put off getting tested for a decade. When I finally did I found out my apnea was severe. I elected for a CPAP machine with a mask that covered half of my face and adapted to it very easily as the reward was so great! It was much less hassle and easier to tolerate than I had ever imagined.

Don't put it off. Apnea can lead to heart conditions and shorten your life.

HAOLE-- what does the cloth sleeve on the tube do? My tube is heated.

I'm awake right now at 3:53a because I didn't wear mine last night. The rest of my day is fucked.

w.

It's a weird feeling to be actually looking forward to using one.

Still wanting to check out the mouth appliance route.....they say it's only 40% effective, but then I keep hearing about people not using their CPAP (clinic actually mentioned insurance won't pay if you don't use it enough...must be a frequent enough problem). Can't work if you don't use it.

Over two years ago, after much insisting from my wife and daughter, I was tested for sleep apnea. Mine was so severe, that they stopped the test and put a CPAP mask on me that night. While I only slept about 3 hours with the mask, I woke up the next day more refreshed than I had felt in years.

I've been using a full face CPAP mask ever since. I feel 10 years younger. No more waking up feeling hungover, no more biting my tongue at night, no more constantly getting up to pee (I sleep through the night now) and no more "old man naps" in the middle of the afternoon. Life changing for the better and I highly recommend getting tested for anyone who has a severe snoring problem.

For some folks, losing weight might help. In my case, I am "built" with a predisposition to apnea so I will be on "ground air" for the rest of my life. I have been fortunate that I have worn the mask without problems since day 1. I did notice that for the first few months every couple of weeks or so I would wake up at night and find that I had carefully removed my mask and placed it on the night table by the bed. My doc said that is actually a common experience. He also said that even if you have trouble with the mask, wearing it a couple of hours a night is much better than not wearing it at all.

As others have pointed out, the immediate health benefits are substantial. My blood pressure dropped almost immediately. Supposedly there are long term benefits regarding lowered risk of stroke and heart attack. I have also heard that the uninterrupted sleep has a beneficial effect on the chemistry of your brain and may have a positive impact on reducing the chance of dementia or Alzheimer's. Of course with all medical research, YMMV and further studies may indicate exactly the opposite result.

Get the mask and use it. When I got mine, the test said I was stopping breathing almost 30+ times and hour and sometimes up to a minute in length. That's enough to stroke out or cardiac. The mask was weird at first but now no big deal. And the snoring which was horrendous is now gone so my wife came back into this bedroom.

I have it as well. I've been wearing my mask for about 18 years. Like many of you, I was always tired, and snored and was prodded and shaken every night because I was snoring or because I stopped breathing.

When I was tested, by doing the overnight sleep-in, they told me I was milde - moderate, and that I stopped breathing 157 times during the night.... that is a lot of sleep interruptions. Considering that respiration is essential to life, I was a bit concerned.

I find the hose a pain, but I won't leave home without it. I have an extra (older) machine in Italy so I don't have to carry it there from here, but otherwise, it's the first thing I pack.

By almost all reports I've heard, and discussions I've had with others, the surgery rarely works, or has an adequate effect. Some mouth devices that push the chin forward/ out can help, but the damn machine is the best treatment. Annoying, cumbersome and about as far from sexy as is possible, it makes an incredible difference in improving the quality of my sleep, and my life.

Gee- Thinking of that other thread, I hope this is not the most interesting thing about me....

Seems to be much confusion here. Sleep apnea and snoring are different things. My sleep study revealed 60 episodes on my back, 80 on my left side. I thoug sleep apnea and snoring wete the same thing and went to my ENT guy for the operation which took care of my snoring, bud did nothing for apnea. The pain was'nt a problem at all. I now wear a mask and no longer snore.

I think it's something like a Venn diagram. Definitely snorers in the apnea camp...maybe a LOT of them, but it's not fair to simply equate the two either. Naw, I'd go for the blue hair, hands down.


Now that I've made the decision, i can't wait to try my machine. If half of my expectations are met....

I had a sleep study many years back because of reported snoring. I had to go to the hospital three days in a row to sleep with all the stuff connected. They said I had 100 episodes an hour.

I was prescribed a C-pap machine and I just never got used to it. I would pull the mask off and toss it every night. My machine had a humidifier to prevent sore throat.

It is somewhere here in the house. Haven't used it in many years. I still wake up every hour and take naps during the day whenever I can.

My wife has said she feels I have the sleep apnea, says I stop breathing for what she says is a long time during the night.

I just can't imagine I would ever be able to wear one of those masks.

To me my main problem is nasal passages getting partial plugged when I'm laying down, much worse if I lay on left side than right.

I have a recliner in bed room that is one of those wall hugging types so back only reclines a little. If I sleep in that I can breath much better at night and wife says I seldom snore when sleeping that way. In TV room have a different recliner that lays back much flatter and she says I snore bad if sleeping in that one.

Tried going to an ENT Doctor and he just gave me some prescription nose spray that was to open up nasal passages to let me breathe better. Well to some extent that did work but after a week or two I started having nose bleeds. So he changed the prescription with basically the same result. I was not at all impressed with him in general so I stopped seeing him.

On a totally different subject I now have this guy who wants to cut open my eyes one at a time and put in new lenses. Says it only takes ten to fifteen minutes for each one. That sounds like "fun"! probably should more that over to it's own thread!

My wife was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea -- just shy of 100 events per hour. That's not good and was causing an array of issues.

CPAP didn't help. They switched her to a BiPAP. Still didn't get her where she needed to be. Eventually they got her on an ASV unit that did the trick. Now she usually is in the 0 to 2 event range per hour.

Learning to get comfortable with the mask was difficult. She went through six different ones before finding one she could sleep with. The entire adventure took 9 months to get to a good place. What kept her going was after a few months of using the right setup she began to feel better. Mentally more alert. Felt rested. And generally a more positive outlook on things.

Really difficult though to get past the mechanical nature of something strapped to your face...

I suffer from the "plug" as well. My doc said it is blood pooling in capillaries when you lay on your side. I use Flonase, which helps, (and also helps with my allergies). You should get tested, the mask isn't as big a deal as you might think. Until you wear it -- and notice the benefits of a real night's sleep -- you won't know what you're missing.

Sorry about rebooting an old thread but thought this might be the one to post this information I just learned from another forum:

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/certain-philips-respironics-ventilators-bipap-and-cpap-machines-recalled-due-potential-health-risks

I have Phillips and am following recall protocol by not using it after 25 years of continuous use. Have an older Phillips and removed the foam as many show to on utube. Phillips says the SoClean ozone breaks down the foam and is NOT approved by the FDA. I registered a FDA complaint because I have newly developed breathing problems. SoClean got notified of my complaint and called me to discuss this. They are spinning that their ozone is safe. I asked why don't they have FDA approval and was told this isn't a medical device and doesn't require approval. Now they are submitting but it'll take awhile.
Yesterday I got a lung CT and am praying it's negative. Hopefully Captain Curk [Shattner] knows his SoClean that he promotes isn't approved and may set his tazer to Kill.

Please everyone, wear it. If it's uncomfortable you have the wrong gear for your face. When a therapist fitted me he had several options. The one with two air pillows is comfortable for me. Since I close my mouth a full nose and mouth is not required. It just sits under my nose and the tube is attached to the top of my head so it doesn't get pulled off like the ones that attach at the bottom like an elephant trunk.
Just wear it, please

My sleep doctor prescribed a bacteria filter that fits in between the machine and the tube. A very easy fix to ensure no foam particles

I have a Resmed CPAP machine and I don't mind it at all.
As for waking up the wife, I actually prefer sleeping on my own.
I discovered this when our marital bed mattress became uncomfortable for my lower back.
I started sleeping on the living room couch and found the backrest most comfortable to sleep against. (I sleep on my side.)

However, the wife decided that my presence under the duvet was preferred* so we got another mattress when we moved house this year.



* - her feet get cold.

There is nothing better than a nice cup of coffee in the morning while reading threads like this...

It always makes me feel better, knowing that is not just me "having a ball" in getting old..

My two cents here are:

Lose weight
Eat less at night or don't eat at all
Sleep with a window open, especially in winter
Have a hot shower, just before going to bed
Don't go to bed thinking about tomorrow. That never helps!
Get a quality mattress and a pillow that fit you
Learn to listen to your breathing
and off course, make love to your wife, like it was the first time or the last

Anything else I tried, it was just the usual "western society way" of covering an issue instead of fix it. Like Panadol, it doesn't fix the problem you have created for yourself, it just numbs your brain..

Happy riding

Haven't taken the time to sort out which machine I have...seems like the label on it isn't all that clear.

On the bright side, when I got it my wife was really interested in getting me a cleaner (probably SoClean) and I resisted, preferring the basic cleaning maintenance. Guess it was a winner after all.

Interesting journey for me. Hated my CPAP with a passion for a couple of years, though tried to be a good patient and do it, but could never tolerate it until I was dead tired....and I'd wake up at maybe 4 am and have to toss my headpiece aside. Very, very gradually accustomed to it until at this point, maybe 3 years on, I can say it's a non-issue. I'm sure my sleep doc is relieved to not have me pissing and moaning about it anymore.

Do you have the make and model of this filter? My machine is on the recall list but this is the only machine that has really worked for me. I don't want to give it up!

So you are telling me that there might be light at the end of the tunnel for me, been about two years and what you describe is very close to what I'm going through. Just curious what mask are you using? Right now I'm using an AirFit F30, it goes under nose and around mouth. Less uncomfortable than others I've had but the sealing can be touchy.

My events per hour are right around 3.6. And I think I set a record for me with current machine last night at 6:55 hours!

My wife has been having good results with an oxygen concentrator, using the much easier to tolerate nose thing

So, of course, my CPAP machine is on the recall list. I fought using them for a long time but now rely on it for a good night sleep.

I have seen a notification that these in-line bacteria filters will not mitigate foam particulates. They are designed to trap germs and to be used for only a few days since they restrict pressure as it traps.

Sleep apnea machines have become much more user-friendly, quieter and comfortable to wear. Besides all the attachments have also been made better and improved. There is a lot of negativity in some of the comments in the thread. That's not helpful. You also should purchase your machine at a specialized store where you can find people who are professionals in the fitting of the ideal products. Good luck and I hope you are compliant.

Mine looks like this and it's cheap! $2.90
https://cpapsupplies.com/vent-bacteria-filter-single-use
Amazon has them too in packs of five for $24

Sorry for the delay...I was going to check and get back to you and got distracted. Damned squirrels! Don't have my machine here, but I'm using the headgear with the nose pillows that seems least uncomfortable...I'm not a mouth breather as long as my nose isn't stuffy (CPAP is great for that) so it's been working. It's just always been really annoying having air pushed into me without my control. I can understand why they put you out to intubate you.

Congrats on your partial success. Yes, I guess there is hope. Kind of surprised that I'm actually more comfortable than I was even 6 months ago.

The reason anyone snores is because they can't keep their mouths shut at night. No animal, other than humans, sleeps with their mouth open. Take a look at your dog, cat, pet bird, what have you.

A simple fix is to tape your mouth shut at bed-time with 1" wide paper tape. Even if you have a stuffed nose, your body will quickly open it up and allow you to breathe, THROUGH YOUR NOSE.

CPAP machines are expensive nonsense, foisted on the general public by the medical complex because people are ignorant as to what to do.

Any recommendations, duct tape?

Good to know, I hate spending money for medical advice from professionals.

While I can see where you may got your infos, there are however animals that do sleep with their mouth open.. Sharks and Crocodiles are just two of them..

My cat and dog do sleep often especially in summer, with their tongue sticking out of their mouth..

I do however agree with you on the concept, as I too can snore if I sleep with my mouth open.. Never thought of using tape, mind you..