and I'm totally aprehensive about it. I hate it. Tell me it gets better.

Ask me what I do professionally!?!? I help people get setup with Cpap/Bipaps. I do the insurance aspect and my sister does the actual setting up. The biggest hurdle most of my patients have is getting used to sleeping with the masks. There are MANY different types of masks out there. In my professional opinion the best ones are made by ResMed. Are you a mouth breather? I tell my patients that it is a great idea if at night while watching TV or reading they wear their mask just to help them get used to wearing it. If your pressures feel too strong don't hesitate to contact your doctor. He can order a pressure change that your home care company will be happy to help you with. Also, if you experience any discomfort on the bridge of your nose there is something called a comfort care pad. It's a little gel cushion you put down before putting the mask on and it helps patients A LOT!! If you need any help/suggestions feel free to message me! I'm the Cpap/Bipap queen!

My personal tips from experience on how to get used to the mask:

1. Try wearing it for a little while before bed to get used to the mask and to keeping your mouth closed. Even if it's a full face mask, keeping your mouth closed makes sleeping with the mask easier, IMO.

2. Ask your tech to set the machine to ramp up, especially if you're on a high upper number. Mine is 22/12, but it's set so that it takes 30 minutes from the time I turn the machine on before it reaches that high number.

3. Buy some Biotin gel. It helps keep your mouth from drying out while you're learning how to keep your mouth shut while sleeping.

4. Put the mask on before you turn on the machine. Then start breathing out when you hit the power switch. By the time you take a breath in, the machine will be ready to push air at you.

5. Hold your hand in front of the mask, near the nose hole. Feel the air coming out? That means that you WILL be able to breathe even if the machine goes off for some reason.

6. Lay down immediately for sleep, close your eyes, get comfortable, and then concentrate on something else. Count sheep, recite the alphabet, tell yourself a bedtime story. You'll be asleep in minutes and wake up feeling more rested than you've felt in forever.

7. Keep a bottle of Water near the bed so you can get a drink as soon as you wake up. Even with the biotin gel, I'm always thirsty when I first wake up.

Oh, and before you ever put the mask on, make sure you know how to pull the tubing off the front. It comes off easily and goes on just as easily. Also make sure your tech shows you how to clean the mask, tubing and machine.

I'm totally clausterphobic, but I have worn my mask every night since 2 weeks before surgery. As soon as I started using it, the swelling in my legs went away totally and I have feet again! I also stopped snoring and quit falling asleep during daytime driving. I attribute my amazing increased energy level post-op to having the bi-pap.

At this point, I "need" the bi-pap to fall asleep at night and I'm usually out within 5 minutes of putting my head on the pillow. It is worth getting used to the machine..and, if your doc is like mine, once you lose 20% of your body weight from the day of your sleep study, s/he will take you off the bi-pap machine!

After 10 years I got rid of my cpap with the weight loss.

For the first 12 months the cpap did nothing for me, it did not give me more sleep. As for getting used to mask, that was not a problem. From day 1 it is just a matter of getting it adjusted so it is not to tight or loose.

No need to be apprehensive.

Some great advice from Lissa.

I was diagnosed with REM-related sleep apnea a couple of years ago. Before that, I'd have lots of microsleeps on the interstate when I was driving to our weekend place. I could hardly stay awake at work in the afternoon. I found out my "mild sleep apnea" was causing my oxygen levels to go down to about 80 percent and I was waking up about 13 times an hour in REM. In other words, I was not getting any REM and no deep sleep. And -- I'm just thinkin' -- having your O2 drop that much every night while you're sleeping can't be good for any part of your body.

Ironically, the first time I used my CPAP, I knew it would help me. I HATED IT -- but I KNEW it would help me. My husband who works overseas, whose first response to seeing a picture of me in it, wanted to know if I might not have to wear it when he was in country. But after the first night I wore it when he was here, he changed his tune. He says I used to sleep like an egg beater, now says when I put it on, I go right to sleep and don't move. And I don't snore anymore. Apparently, I sawed some good ones before the CPAP.

Now, I wake up rested and revived and rarely have microsleeps. The only thing I wasn't prepared for how differently my body felt -- because I had a "new normal." You know how you hear that people who have heart bypass surgery sometimes get depressed. I understand that now, because I had a lot of trouble getting used to my new energy.

I figure that eventually, I would have a significant microsleep on the interstate and I would have killed myself or someone else. Thankfully, that didn't happen and hopefully never will because I am much more careful to use the CPAP before I know I have to get on the road.

It will get better -- promise -- and you will make friends with the darn machine.

Hope that helps,

CC

I am getting wls because of the constant haggling from the USCG about my sleep apnea. Every year it costs me $2000 in tests because I am a captain. I had to buy an Auto25 vpap. I think its by resmed. My insurance wanted me to rent one for 5 months @500/month then pay the deductible . I told them to run that buy me again cause I thought I heard them say $500/month and then pay the deductible. I told that insurance man "you think I am %**++ing crazy" lol

So I bought one cash and I tried to use it for over a year and I just cant do it then a godsend gave me a website to jerusalem hospital and that day was the beginning of my wls Quest to end this sleep apnea mess.

On another note. I do perfect Maintennance Wakefullness tests which is odd because I have severe sleep apnea according to my doc.

I hate my machine because I wake up more using it then without it. I also hate when the mask leaks in my eye

(null)

Capt Derel, I'm sorry you don't have good success with your machine. It definitely takes some time and effort to get used to the sleep machines! I thought I wouldn't be successful, but a dear friend gave me some tips on using the machine, most of which I passed on earlier in this thread. He even takes his when he goes hunting and uses it in the tent!

My doc says when I lose 20% of my weight from the date of the sleep study, he will take me off my machine. I'm almost scared for that to happen at this point! I know that I'll be asleep in minutes once I put my mask on at night. I hate to lose that instant sleep inducer.

Hey cpt i have to get rid of my machine with all attachments and new unopened mask and filters plus humidifier. Kaiser didnt want it back and said to put it up on eBay

Lissa

Glad you had success with it, I woke up over 100 times an hour got better than normal

after surgery

Sleeve master

Good luck sleep center was negative with me yammering less than 5% ever get off but my doctor and I confident and got rid of it after study took more than 20% more like 30% from 305 down to 200 lbs

I did use the ramp up setting. I couldn;t tolerate a mask so I have the nostril thingies. I was "okay" for a while, but I coughed and then panicked. I took it off. Bad me huh?

Can you ever sleep on your side with this? My comfortable sleeping positions are on my side and half stomach. I never sleep on my back.

Can you ever sleep on your side with this? My comfortable sleeping positions are on my side and half stomach. I never sleep on my back.

I have the nose thingys and I sleep on my side all the time. It sometimes wakes me up for a second or two while I adjust my head or pull the tube, but I wake up refreshed and that is priceless. My heart and brain like oxygen. :cool: Like Lissa said "it takes time and effort to get used to it". You have to want to make it work.

Take it slow. The first few weeks I used it for only 4 hours per night. I would take it off on my way to the bathroom and not put it back on. I slowly increased that and eventually slept the whole night for a few months before surgery and 3 weeks after surgery. After that I got very nauseos and couldn't eat or drink much. My surgeon and I figured out it was the Cpap filling me with air. I had the air pressure reduced but haven't used it again. My husband says I no longer snore but I will have another sleep study to confirm I am ok.

Good luck. I hope it works out for you!

Thanks :regular_smile: