Does anyone use a CPAP machine?

[wabi-sabi]

I did a sleep study that showed mild obstructive sleep apnea. I've been trying a CPAP, but find it too tiring to breathe against a machine that is fighting me.

Does anyone have a positive experience or found a CPAP to be helpful?

 

[almost]

Does anyone have a positive experience or found a CPAP to be helpful?

Yes.
First, it does take some getting used to, but shouldn't feel like a 'fight.'
Second, there are a number of variables that have to be right for it to be therapeutic and comfortable: the right machine, the right settings, the right mask, etc. The mask takes experimentation -- you need to try more than one to find the one that works best for you. The others also take experimentation . . .
Third, go to https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/index.php. It is like a pheonixrising for cpap users. They are very good. They can help you with your machine type, settings, etc. Highly recommended.

My wife is going through this right now too, and it takes time.

 

[wabi-sabi]

First, it does take some getting used to, but shouldn't feel like a 'fight.'

I wore it for about 30 minutes on day one and the next day I was so tired and weak I could barely sit up. It gave me PEM!

Thanks for the link. It looks very helpful. It seems I have one of the better machines!

 

[linusbert]

i do not know anything about CPAP machines. but i bought for asthma a inhalator device, its for shorter seasons like 5-10 minutes inhaling in moistered air, sometimes with medicine.
i did get sore throat and what feels like a beginning bronchitis the next day, i realized i must react to the material of the hoses or the mask and it irritating my airways.

i wonder, are there some other types of devices which provide o2 more passive? like those tubes you put under the nose?
or is it that you stop breathing at night?
a german doctor recommended for snoring and sleep apnoe high dose b12.
somewhere else i read that it kinda can come from mitochondrial dysfunction, so mitochondrial support might help.

 

[southwestforests]

A few years ago I used one for about 90 days.
Even with having understood the positive pressure breathing concept from being in a family having military aviators & having read about that kind of system in aviation magazines in the 1960s and 70s and 80s,
and with my Dad using I forget if it is a CPAP or BiPAP,
it did not play well with my body.
There is a phrase in the autism community which goes something like "Sensory Hell"
Turns out that phrase has foundations.

And then a Nurse I know, (Julie) brought this manner of thing to my attention,

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cpap-cleaners

Bacteria and fungi can grow in CPAPs, as can viruses. Allergens, dirt, dust, mold, and pollen can also get into them. Unless people remove these contaminants, they can cause serious illnesses for CPAP users. They can also interfere with the functioning of the unit and make it smell unpleasant.

The best way to clean a CPAP is to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Often, this involves using warm water and a gentle cleanser, such as a mild detergent or baby shampoo. Some manufacturers might also suggest using a mixture of water and white vinegar in equal parts.

People should clean the following CPAP parts:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-your-cpap-make-you-sick-2019100818005

Do CPAP systems really get dirty? Yes, they can harbor germs if they’re not cleaned. “The mask sits on the face, in contact with organisms on the skin. Over time, bacteria and oils on a dirty mask may give you a rash or infection on the skin,” says Dr. Epstein.

Another risk — one mentioned in some of those commercials — has to do with the bugs you may breathe in from a dirty water reservoir in the air pump. The water is needed to put moisture in the air you breathe through the mask. Otherwise, the air would be too dry.

“But if the standing water in a reservoir isn’t cleaned regularly, there is the potential for bacteria or mold to grow, which you could breathe in,” Dr. Epstein points out.

“Breathing in those organisms can make you sick or increase problems related to conditions such as asthma, reactive airway disease, or other lung conditions.” If you are frequently getting sick or your CPAP smells moldy, it could be a sign that the device is not clean.

 

[wabi-sabi]

or is it that you stop breathing at night?

Yep, that's the problem.

 

[Zebra]

Hi, @wabi-sabi

I know you are just getting started in your CPAP journey, so perhaps you'll acclimate to it eventually.

If that doesn't happen, I wonder if during a return visit with your doctor, it might be worth discussing a BiPap machine.

Either way, I hope this works out for you!

I'm interested in pursuing this treatment as well!

 

[wabi-sabi]

If that doesn't happen, I wonder if during a return visit with your doctor, it might be worth discussing a BiPap machine.

I am doing that- it's just that I can't get an appt until September. In the meantime, I am seeing my dentist to see if he would recommend an oral appliance for apnea/snoring. My doctor did recommned a BiPAP initially, so i was surprised to see a CPAP arrive in the mail.

The issue that I am running into is the pressure. As far as I can tell, there aren't any machines that have a pressure setting as low as I need. I was trying to look up what people with muscular dystrophy or those types of illnesses use, but I haven't been able to find anything useful yet. Too tired to look more into it now. But I do think that getting the apnea treated. There are so many times that I feel primarily sleep
deprived rather than sick. It just must be playing a role in the fatigue.

I know you are just getting started in your CPAP journey, so perhaps you'll acclimate to it eventually.

Ironically, I am going to try using it as strength training for my diaphragm. It's just that I can do a few minutes of strength training every few days, not all my sleeping hours every night! I've been doing pilates and strength training since January (health had a slight uptick), I can feel I am stronger than I was, but I'm still not strong enough for the CPAP. So how long it would take to build up to 8 hours of sleep?!

 

[wabi-sabi]

And it looks like they are developing a medication for sleep apnea:
https://apnimed.com/article/ad109toplinephase3results/

 

[2Cor.12:19]

I did a sleep study that showed mild obstructive sleep apnea. I've been trying a CPAP, but find it too tiring to breathe against a machine that is fighting me.

Does anyone have a positive experience or found a CPAP to be helpful?

@wabi-sabi I’ve used my CPAP for 7 years and won’t even take a nap without it. It helped greatly with brain fog, headaches, and other things but only somewhat with energy. Even though my SA was classified mild, I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me. Another surprising benefit was that I used to get killer bronchitis at least once a year but haven’t had it once since being on CPAP. I think it’s because of the humidifier in the machine.

It definitely took some getting used to and the first mask didn’t work. Also I had to adjust the settings to make it easier to breathe. If you’re laboring to breathe against the air blowing. it needs adjusting, You can google how to change the settings yourself.

@almost ‘s suggestion of joining the apnea board is excellent. Highly recommend. They’re awesome plus they have a free program you can download in your computer called Oscar. If you insert the SD card from your machine into your computer the Oscar program will provide very detailed info about your sleep. I print a copy off for my pulmonologist for my yearly visit and he really appreciates it because it’s more detailed than the ResMed report he gets. I hope you can stick with it because we need all the help we can get, right?.

Good luck!