CPAP machine

[mr97]

Hi

Does anyone have any tips re. sleeping with a full mask & CPAP machine?

I've had my machine a few weeks now and I'm still not getting used to it I tend to go to bed really late as I have to be really, really tired in order to get off to sleep with the mask & machine on. When I do get off to sleep, I have about 3 or hours of very sound sleep. The trouble is that I'm now going to bed at around 3am; sleeping well until 6am - 7am before needing the toilet. When I get back into bed I just can't face wearing the mask again so I doze off without it until I awake.
The strange thing is that I'm not too tired, in fact I can't remember the last time I felt so alert

It's not just that it's a real drag having to stay up so late just to be tired enough to sleep with the CPAP, but I have to be settled with this machine for 6 weeks before I can move to the next stage of my journey to WLS.

Speaking with the bariatric nurse today, I was informed that the anesthetist would like me stable and comfortable with the CPAP before they can give me any idea of a date. The good news is that my situation was discussed with the medical team involved with my WLS and as I have type 2 diabetes they have agreed to carry-out a gastric bypass.

As I breath through my mouth and not my nose, whilst sleeping, the nurse at the sleep clinic recommended a full face mask as opposed to the 'nose pillows' that they offer those that primarily breath through their nose. I have a slightly deviated septum so perhaps I'm doomed to get used to the mask

So, if anyone has any tips or tricks to help me get used to this machine, I'd be very grateful

 

[chrisa]

Hi I don't have mine anymore. some nights wore it longer than others though, somenights would be unbearable and feel panicky but then other nights would be fine. I use to put my eye pod on at first to get me off to sleep so I couldnt hear the machine and it took my mind off it. After losing 5 stone I sent my machine back after having nutha test it worked a treat, I hardly snore at all now most nights not a noise do I make. Good luck better using it this weather than in the warm weather. xx

 

[mr97]

Thanks Chrisa, like you I'm hoping not to need it anymore when I've lost enough weight. I just hope that the readings on the CPAP, when viewed by 'sleep nurse' next month, don't delay my getting an op date any further.
I'm just finding it very easy to be negative at the moment as all my WLS appointments have dried-up and I was sort of using them as mini stepping stones to a surgery date as well as being able to get weighed. Each appointment seemed to give me a little boost, especially as I'd been doing well losing weight for surgery.
Thanks again

 

[Lush121]

I persisted using mine for a few months, but since surgery I have not used it. The surgeon who eventually did my surgery actually advised me not to use it in the immediate post-op period as he said it might put pressure on my internal stitches. Very different to the approach taken by the St Thomas' surgeons who initially assessed me.

Like you I found it very difficult to get used to, and I inevitably woke up about 4 am and just took it off as I could not get the seal readjusted so I had air blowing into my eyes. I did eventually buy a different mask on line, it wasn't cheap but I found it better than the one given to me by the NHS

 

[highspirit]

it takes a bit of getting used to .i was like u at first ,,,taking off and falling bk to sleep without it .u just have to relax ..my main thing was being quite panicky at first felt like i couldnt breathe ...obv i could !!!
couldnt be without it now ....refuse to go anywhere without it .its given me bk my life .the pressure on mine is 11.mayb that makes a difference as well .the mask needs to fit well to get a gd sleep .good luck .keep adjusting till u r comfy .

 

[chrisa]

I used to wash the whole thing every saturday morning used to come in to bout 15 bits, I had a water reservpoir attached to mine because of my allergies and without it my throat was very dry and itchy. I took it on holiday before I had my op and the girls could not believe thta i didnt snore at all and the machine wasnt as noisy as they thought it would be, so it was win all round. It is difficult and some nights you might use it longer than others, quite often I used to get it on then have a hot flush one thing you don't have to cope with Mr97. Its amazing the difference it can make though, I had be in the wls process for 25 months before my 1st sleep tes then my machine, surgeon likes you to be using it for bout 6 months before op I had my op in the August and my sleep test was Jan, the following Jan my machine went back. I know some people have to go to ICU when they have sleep apnoea but I didnt I came back to the ward and was fine back on ward bout 12. 40 was up n bout at 3 got me nighty on went to loo. Greeted me visiotrs at the door with me drip stand at 6 they were amazed I had also rung every one I knew who was worryn bout me, so defo helpe dme, but did slow my journey down, long wait around here for wls and sleep clinic, they dont hurry anything. xx

 

[chrisa]

 

[chrisa]

Sorry thats me with my mask won't crop down xx

 

[mr97]

Lush121 - like you, I hope I don't need it after surgery.

highspirit - I can imagine not wanting to be without your CPAP - when you've adjusted to it. Even though I'm struggling getting to sleep and staying asleep, I'm astounded at how alert & energized I am with just a few hours sleep!

chrisa - I washed my mask the other night as I thought that it may help the seal as well as freshen it up. I don't know if it helped a great deal but it sure smelt nice.
I must admit my heart sank a bit when you said it delayed your wls 6 months. I want wls surgery now! lol

Thank you for sharing your after surgery recovery too; it's reassuring.

I'll just have to be a patient patient.

 

[Paul-H]

Hi

When I used cpap before my bypass, I used the small nose mask, as I also did not get on well with the full face one, although it was better than nothing when ever I had a cold.

What I did to help me get of to sleep was to use an iPod to play soft relaxing music. This not only masked the noise from the cpap but also in my case masked the tinnitus sound I get as well.

Doing this ment that I never had any problems getting to sleep when using the cpap. Give it a go, it might also work for you.

Re using cpap after bypass, I had my bypass at St Richards, and they put you on cpap from the very first night after surgery, and I never had any issues using it.

My cpap is no longer used as I have now lost enough weight to make it's use redundant.

Paul

 

[Yvessa]

those of you who are now san cpap how did you know? I have to admit I have loved my cpap and only started having issues after bypass as now my mask does not fit. I assume its because my face is changing shape.

But how did you know you didn't need it anymore? I've had a couple of naps without it but I can't really tell if I don't need it anymore, my partner says I don't snore.

 

[chrisa]

Yes Paul I used my i pod, I used to have aPaul Mckenna weight ;loss mediatation playing which used to relax me n I just went into a deep sleep.

Mr97 I seemed to struggle to get an appointment for the sleep clinic to get the initial ass and 1st test done it all took time, each time I went to bariatric clinic they used to ask i f i had had my sleep test but could only say no. They used to tell me to chase it up with my gp, problem is the sleep clinic are very busy and you have to wait for a slot to get the machine over night. Once you get machine thye like you to be established on it and each time you go back to the clinic the nurse will look at the readings on your machine to see how many hours you have used it for, she reports back to the hospital, then the bariatric team decide if they think you can cope with the anaesthetic. This all takes time wouldn't do my endoscopy till I had it done then I had to have a second one of those i am such a lucky girl. xx I did not have any other health problems only this. xx

 

[chrisa]

Well Yvessa, I had to go for another sleep study wire up where they measure once again what kind of sleep you have, if you stop breathing as before and mine was a major difference much much lower and in the normal range after losing 5 stone, I got the results through the post and sent the machine back. Simple as that some people will need it for life but some people like us need it because of our weight pressing on our airways when we relax n sleep xx

 

[mr97]

Thank you all for the tips and advice, I will certainly give the mp3 player try.

 

[chrisa]

Really does help, my relaxation tape used to work a treat. xx

 

[Paul-H]

those of you who are now san cpap how did you know? I have to admit I have loved my cpap and only started having issues after bypass as now my mask does not fit. I assume its because my face is changing shape.

But how did you know you didn't need it anymore? I've had a couple of naps without it but I can't really tell if I don't need it anymore, my partner says I don't snore.

Hi

There are three ways of finding out

The first way is the official way, and that is as said above, you have to have another sleep test.

The second way is to just ask the person you Share your bed with, they will soon tell you when you have stopped snoring, in my case not only have I stopped snoring and snorting but I now sleep on my back which I could never do and I don't move a inch during the night and wake up in the same position I well asleep in.

The third was is to measure your neck size, it is said that anyone with a neck size of 18 inches or above will have OSA so if you have lost a lot of weight and you neck size is under say 17 you stand a good chance of reducing the need for your cpap machine.

Paul

 

[becky2381]

I have been using my CPAP for over two years believe me it is not easy. At first I had a full face mask not a problem got on with it fine, then for some reason I kept pulling it off in my sleep and not knowing I was doing it until I woke up the next day. I have tried every mask they can give me put I seemed to now be comfy with just the one that sits over my nose but i think i am very much like you breath through my mouth as my nose seems to be always blocked in the morning. I have since then got a humidifer (sorry cant spell it) attached to my CPAP and i use a drop of olbas oil in the water which I find helps.

 

[chrisa]

Yes I had the water reservoir with mine because of my allergies, it makes all the difference. x