Sleep Apnea anyone? CPAP?

Julian · Sep 11, 2020

So I've been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and will be going in for a CPAP setup soon. I figure someone on here must be in the same boat? What should I expect? Are there different machines? Have you tried multiple? Can't wait to get a good night's sleep!!!!

Liveto99 · Sep 12, 2020

ResMed Airsense 10 is the best machine in my opinion. It is quiet and a workhorse, fully adjustable and will give you reports if you want. I use the nosepiece, the whole face mask drove me nuts. When I travel I just bring that machine with me, I tried the “travel machine“ the size of a deck of cards and still have it but it makes noise. Also when you put the humidifier on it it is bigger then the ResMed. I have and use the SoClean it works fine. It is a ozone genarator that is made for CPAP and is easy to use. If you have hard water use distilled in your machine. I use tap water most of the time when I’m away. You can take it on planes and it does not count as a bag, they know the bag it comes in, or tell them it is a medical device.
You will find out 7 out of 10 guys with a gut have one, and a bunch of people in shape also.
You will feel so much better in the morning!
If I sleep 5 hours then get up and pee or something and there is like a hour left I don’t use it for that I just leave it off and sleep on my side. You will find it easier to sleep on your back with that on. So I catch a hour with it and sleep stomach or side then.
good luck and sweet dreams.

Robconn · Sep 12, 2020

Today, there are many options available in regards to Cpap / Bipap masks. the standard is a full face mask that creates a seal over nose and mouth. mask configuration is key because you should have a certain degree of comfort in order for your therapy to be comfortable and successful. Especially because this is a long term therapy for some. Aside from full face is a nasal mask, leaving the mouth uncovered, the most minimal set up are nasal pillows, which depending on the severity of Apnea may not be adequate. The straps provided in the home setting are of a high quality Design. Some contain small magnets for easy placement and security. The seal may be a soft gel reducing facial marks due to pressure points.
Your study wether in a full functioning sleep lab or a modified study at home will determine the severity of your apnea and thus the actual pressure needed. Once the study is complete you will have a follow up consultation regarding the set up use and maintenance of your machine.
it is important to note, insurance companies have required the patient to use the machine for a minimum of 4 hours. and allow (I think 4 nights/ month of non usage?) They may audit your usage because your machine will most likely have WiFi connect ability. Honestly, 4 hours is the gold standard regarding achieving benefit of Cpap / bipap. Any less usage per night will be of little benefit. So a strategy for possible long term nightly usage is to acclimate yourself with the machine. Try increasing the time on the machine. So the first week you can tolerate 2 hrs then go 3, 4, 5, ect.
lastly, the technical. Cpap or continuous positive airway pressure. Measured in units of cmh20. What’s that? All you Really need to know it’s one pressure That ranges from 1 to 20 in most home units. Consider the point after exahalation and the few seconds, (ideally), before inhalation as 0 cmh20. so if your machine is set at 7cmh2o than you will inhale and exhale against that pressure.
today’s Cpap machines have smart technology that clinicians will set a range of Cpap pressure. The machine automatically changes Cpap pressure based on your bio- feedback And the pre-defined range of set pressure While Determining your current pressure need at any give time.
bipap. Is two pressures that alternate allowing inhalation and exhalation to occur at a low and high pressure. Inhalation is the higher pressure needed for adequate lung expansion, and the low pressure is a constant baseline pressure that the machine maintains.
yes it’s a lot to absorb At once. It’s a pretty common therapy.
I have a machine as well. your brain will be at full functioning capacity, no more brain fog, demeanor will improve, memory will improve, mostly you will be more active.

Ronnie · Sep 12, 2020

I was diagnosed about a year ago and was given a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) machine and a lifetime supply of replacement parts. I tried and have every mask and nose piece available at the time. In all I used it about two weeks before giving up on it. My wife claims she had the best sleep in years during the two weeks or so that I used it. I just could not keep it on my face or nose for an entire night, not even when I did use it. I didn’t feel any better after using it and convinced myself it wasn’t helping me, although the telemetry suggest that I did sleep better/deeper and longer when i had it on. My doctor said that if I lose weight I may not need it anymore but historically I’ve rarely slept for more than five or six hours straight since I started high school and I wasn’t considered overweight until I was in my early 30s. Hopefully your results will be better @Julian .

A few observations:
My machine sends data about my sleep to my medical provider so they knew when I used it and when I didn’t. If you don’t like the thought of being monitored in your sleep try to get a machine that doesn’t.

if you use water in the machine to keep it from drying out your throat you have to clean the hose and mask / nose piece more often to prevent them from developing mold.

when you open your mouth the machine will force air out of it, so talking with it on is “different”.

I always got that death Vader feel and sound when I used it, like the feeling I get when I use snorkeling or diving gear.

I will try and post pics of the machine later, it is still set up near my bed but it is also early and my wife is still sleeping. I’m sure she would not appreciate me turning on the lights to take pics of a machine I’m not using.

a lot of women use one as well. I only know because my wife has gone on several girls weekend out trips and sometimes she comes back with stories of who had and used one during such trips. This reminds me, you need to be close to an electrical outlet to use a CPAP, obviously.

Jack Long · Sep 12, 2020

Yes, I have used a CPAP for 10 years now.

I hate it but it does allow me to sleep all night and my wife does not have to count the number of times I stop breathing or listen to me snore.

I also have the ResMed 10 machine. I use a Minimal Contact Mask called Wisp. It just covers my nose and does not cover my whole face! Works perfect.

Good luck, but you will feel better each morning if you use it.

mark_m · Sep 12, 2020

Julian said:
So I've been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and will be going in for a CPAP setup soon. I figure someone on here must be in the same boat? What should I expect? Are there different machines? Have you tried multiple? Can't wait to get a good night's sleep!!!!

Have had it for several years now. I have a Phillips model machine. It was really the only choice the DME company offered me. Supplies are on demand (filters, masks, hoses, etc.)

The supply thing is a bit of a racket I think. So i kind of have a backlog of supplies I keep on hand.

My machine is two part with water and a heated hose. I got tired of buying distilled water after a few years and broke the machine down into its separate parts and run just the air piece. It’s a little more pressure that I had to get used to at first, but I won’t go back now. The one piece is more portable and easier for travel. Other thoughts on the machine... it has Bluetooth so it will talk to an app on your phone where you can see the metrics around your sleep. Kind of neat. The machine has a modem and a flash memory card to store the sleep data. This gets sent back to your doc so they can make any adjustments from their side.

After the first year I didn’t see the need to follow up and pay copays to see my sleep doc so I dunno if they are still monitoring me. You may want to consider if you don’t want someone tracking your location and sleep habits long term. I have never disabled the modem or the memory in years. However, I don’t ever miss, it’s too impactful for the quality of my sleep (and my wife’s) to not use it.

You will notice an immediate impact Julian. No lethargic afternoons. No nodding off driving, etc. It’s not horrible to travel with and I have done so (including overseas) and I think you will benefit from cpap a lot. Feel free to pm if you want pics of my setup or other details.

Julian · Sep 12, 2020

I was diagnosed probably 12 years ago with this, and was told if I lost weight it might go away. So I lost weight and it did. Then I gained weight again and it came back and I just lost weight again and it hasn't stopped. I just had a home sleep study that confimed this. So now I need to go in and get set up with CPAP.

Anyone heard of or looked into Inspire?

Inspire Sleep Apnea Innovation - Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment

Inspire® therapy is a mask-free solution for people with obstructive sleep apnea who have tried and struggled with CPAP. No mask. No hose. Just sleep.™

www.inspiresleep.com

Thanks for the info everyone....I'll keep you posted.

mark_m · Sep 12, 2020

Julian said:
I was diagnosed probably 12 years ago with this, and was told if I lost weight it might go away. So I lost weight and it did. Then I gained weight again and it came back and I just lost weight again and it hasn't stopped. I just had a home sleep study that confimed this. So now I need to go in and get set up with CPAP.

Anyone heard of or looked into Inspire?

Inspire Sleep Apnea Innovation - Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment

Inspire® therapy is a mask-free solution for people with obstructive sleep apnea who have tried and struggled with CPAP. No mask. No hose. Just sleep.™

www.inspiresleep.com

Thanks for the info everyone....I'll keep you posted.

No. But have heard it advertised... no idea how / if it works. Maybe a mouthpiece?

Ronnie · Sep 12, 2020

I have a res med airsense 10 like @Liveto99 does. It’s not like I had a choice since I got it for basically free.

when I took this pic my wife asked if I was selling it. I admit I thought about it before but doing so may bring me bad karma plus my insurer may find out and charge me for it. I was told the basic unit retails for $800, I don’t know what the additional mask/nose pieces are worth but they are probably not cheap since it’s all medical grade. As I stated earlier, I got and tried every option available to me. The one I disliked the least is the one attached to the hose, it circles my face above my mouth and sits under my nose.

Beachbummer · Sep 12, 2020

Machine and Mask provide several options. I've had it for 5 years or so. It takes a little while to get used to it. I was falling sleep while driving back from work daily and has sinus problems I could not explain, so I went to the ENT and she asked me to open my mouth, and she diagnosed me on the spot. Sleep Study guy said I was the second worst ever he had diagnosed. My Ox level went down to 56% during the sleep study.

If you do have sleep apnea from the study... try the machine, it just might work for you. Depending on the pressure that you require, nose only may or may not be an option. The clinic can help you try several masks and if they are good they will have an idea of what will work for you based on your needed pressure and face features. I thought I could do better than their recommendation and tried a few, none were better.

Also tighten the mask the least that you can that still secures it and seals it in place, tighter mask just means pain and discomfort later, and the elastic bands wear way faster, so lose lose.

I bought another strap to close my mouth as I was having trouble with the high pressure I was told I needed and this set up has restored my sleeping power to what they have usually been in my youth. I'm rested and sleep enough, and I'm good all day. and, the snoring is gone. but don't do it for the snoring, do it because you are not sending oxygen to your brain while you sleep, and you heart is working overtime shocking you into waking you up to breath.

Also, with the right machine, you can later adjust your pressure and see the impact on the machine. It's like a daily sleep study that you can see how you did. (don't ask the sleep clinic, they don't like you messing with their settings

)

Best of Luck!

Julian · Sep 12, 2020

I guess I'll get to find out what my insurance covers!

tabbibus · Sep 12, 2020

Well I got late to the party. It what folks said above is correct. Most insurances will cover the resmed. It’s kinda standard of care. Get the so clean device. It makes cleaning so much easier. Lack of cleaning can be dangerous! Stick with it. It will be worth it.

GTBRMC · Sep 12, 2020

Give it a try and stick with it. I was first diagnosed in 2002 - after I fell asleep on the freeway coming home from work (fortunately, the rumble strip on the freeway edge woke me, so I was able to avoid a very serious crash - barely). I fought with masks and my machine for years. In 2007, I finally got serious and began using it every night. Other than occasionally falling asleep unintentionally for a few minutes on a sofa with a football game, or similar, I never sleep without my CPAP. It has been life changing.

Recently, I got a new machine, my first since about 2008. The tech has improved by miles. The continuously variable air pressure makes it much easier to use, more comfortable (much less mask seal blow-by, don't have to overcome inbound pressure on exhale, etc), and it is quieter. My new machine is the Resmed Airsense 10. It is a great machine, but it is bigger than my previous machine. Worth noting, the data collected and reported by the Airsense 10, while some disconcerting from a privacy view, essentially eliminate the need for cumbersome and expenseive periodic sleep studies in a clinic.

I haven't seen anyone mention this: A key consideration (and motivator for me) to use CPAP is Obstructive Sleep Apnea's strong association with TIAs and strokes. Especially for those that have a family history of TIAs or strokes, CPAP is a good option to improve your odds.

Billtex2000 · Sep 12, 2020

Sounds like I have the same setup as mark_m ... Philip's Dreamstation. I was super reluctant to use it at first, but once I tried it, I haven't missed a night in 7 years. I gave up on the humidifier portion too. We use a room humidifier in the winter so I didn't see the need for redundancy. I have the full over-the-nose mask because I'm a "mouth breather". Totally concur with Mark's comments. You will definitely see an immediate difference. I bought a small battery backup and a small backpack that I use for travel/power outage. So clean was a little expensive in my opinion so I went with solidCleaner from Amazon. I can post links if you'd like.

Billtex2000 · Sep 12, 2020

mark_m said:
No. But have heard it advertised... no idea how / if it works. Maybe a mouthpiece?

Inspire looks like an implant.

Not crazy about any kind of implant.
BTW... I pay a small co-pay every couple of months for supplies. They come automatically. Works out good.

tabbibus · Sep 12, 2020

Inspire sucks. At least I haven’t seen good outcomes with it. It is definitely last resort for people who can’t tolerate PAP and who an orthodontist mouth piece is not enough.

Ronnie · Sep 12, 2020

You guys convinced me to give it another try. Cleaning mine today in preparation to use it tonight is now on my to do list. I love the room humidifier alternative.

Billtex2000 · Sep 12, 2020

The battery backup and backpack I use. Backpack fits the battery and CPAP (w/out humidifier), adapters, hose, mask, etc. The CPAP with humidifier fits without the battery. Battery will get you through several nights of use and more if you use the DC adapter.

Amazon.com : Generator Portable Power Station,NusGear 155Wh 42000mAh Camping Solar Generators Lithium Power Supply with 110V AC Outlet, 2 DC Ports, USB QC3.0, LED Flashlights for CPAP Home Camping Emergency Backup (Renewed) : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com : Generator Portable Power Station,NusGear 155Wh 42000mAh Camping Solar Generators Lithium Power Supply with 110V AC Outlet, 2 DC Ports, USB QC3.0, LED Flashlights for CPAP Home Camping Emergency Backup (Renewed) : Patio, Lawn & Garden

www.amazon.com

Amazon.com: iGuerburn Carrying Laptop Backpack for ResMed AirSense 10 S9 AirMini AirCurve 10 Philips Respironics DreamStation Go and Humidifier CPAP Carrier Machine Supplies Travel Holder Bag: Health & Personal Care

Buy iGuerburn Carrying Laptop Backpack for ResMed AirSense 10 S9 AirMini AirCurve 10 Philips Respironics DreamStation Go and Humidifier CPAP Carrier Machine Supplies Travel Holder Bag on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

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Amazon.com: Philips Respironics Shielded DC Cord for DreamStation CPAP : Industrial & Scientific

Buy Philips Respironics Shielded DC Cord for DreamStation CPAP on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders

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mark_m · Sep 12, 2020

Billtex2000 said:
Sounds like I have the same setup as mark_m ... Philip's Dreamstation. I was super reluctant to use it at first, but once I tried it, I haven't missed a night in 7 years. I gave up on the humidifier portion too. We use a room humidifier in the winter so I didn't see the need for redundancy. I have the full over-the-nose mask because I'm a "mouth breather". Totally concur with Mark's comments. You will definitely see an immediate difference. I bought a small battery backup and a small backpack that I use for travel/power outage. So clean was a little expensive in my opinion so I went with solidCleaner from Amazon. I can post links if you'd like.

Yes! I couldn’t remember the name of it. I use the minimalist just nose mask and it works. Would like to see solid cleaner. I just use soap and water and clean periodically (probably not as much as I should)

Billtex2000 · Sep 12, 2020

This is similar to the one I have. Can't find the exact brand anymore. There are a few all about the same price.
Makes it easy to just hook it up and let it run (30 min.), so you'll clean it more often!

Sleep Apnea anyone? CPAP?

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