CPAP therapy starting today :(

[Life is Good]

I am going for a CPAP mask fitting today with a view to renting a machine for two months to see if I can do this whole CPAP thing. I had an awful experience trying to get the titration done during a sleep study 2 years ago (I didn't sleep a wink!). It was awful.

My sleep apnoea has just got worse and worse and I really need to give it another go if I am ever going to be able to sleep next to my husband without him complaining that it is like sleeping next to an airport

I am trying to lose my baby weight, but the doc thinks that it is a pre-existing condition and I will need CPAP even if I get skinny

I was just wondering if anyone has any positive stories for me. Would love to hear them

[blessedatlast]

No stories or advice, but good luck

[Yael]

my husband is on cpap... has been for around 7 years now.

Over the time we have had 2 different masks (tried a few different styles in-between). Currently his covers only his nose. He also uses a chin strap to keep his mouth closed. He is on APAP, which means it stays on a low pressure and only raises up when you are having an apnoea.

Best thing about the machine is it has a chip that reads the data, so when he goes to see the sleep specialist, or when we just want to know what is happening (apnoea levels, frequency7, snoring levels etc) we can get the data without needing another sleep study.

Getting the CPAP was the best thing we ever did.. we would be living in different rooms without it. He can actually function during the days, feels so much better mentally for getting a decent sleep (and so do I). We went through resperonics, and even if I could have brought a cheaper machine on the internet, the post sales follow up (6 years later) is great. We can always pop in to get the card read for free, and they are so helpful with different masks (especially when my husband was having surgery and just needed a different type for a month).

Compliance is the biggest issue, and in all honesty, a lot of people give up on it, but it is worth persevering. It probably took a month or so once he found the right masks to get him to stop taking it off in his sleep.

Hope that helps, and good luck!

[Patti]

Hi there,
My DP has been using his CPAP machine for over a year now and it's brilliant. I was sleeping in the spare room most nights just to get some sleep. He has a nasal mask, so not too claustrophobic for him and the machine is basically silent. He used to nod off to sleep all the time but now has so much more energy. Nothing influenced his apnoea, whether he is overweight, smoking or had too much to drink, it doesn't change. If you can give it a good go and try a few different masks, hopefully you'll be able to find a solution that is comfortable for you. Good luck!

[leesha]

My dad has one and he has had to try a few different masks till he got the right one! He definately has more energy and isn't as worried about passing away in his sleep...his apnoea was extremely bad at his sleep study they said he stopped breathing more than 20 times
It takes a lot to get used to but you will have a better quality of life getting a better sleep

[Nai]

My Dad has one too and he has lost 20kg since using it. He has so much more energy and is able to exercise and function normally so it has made a huge difference to him. He also found that by losing weight it has helped his apnoea a bit as well.