June 19, 201511 yr Are you talking about a C-PAP/Bi-PAP for sleep apnea? Or one of those ambient noise makers?
June 19, 201511 yr Been a C-PAP user for a dozen years or more. On my 3rd machine now. I'm not sure if I'll be able to ever get clear of needing it. I can remember as a teenager (at ideal weight) being a horrible scorer and suffering from sleep apnea then, but not knowing any better. The benefits of the C-PAP may be here to stay for the next 46 years of my life. ????
June 19, 201511 yr I was just recently diagnosed, after complaining to my PCP for 2 years how exhausted I was (got the "lose weight, exercise more, blah blah") I have had my machine for a week now and I am gradually starting to have a little more energy. I definitely wake up much clearer-headed. I mentioned to the tech who set up my machine that I was having WLS later this year and maybe I wouldn't need it afterward, and she said that it's possible but she has a number of patients who still need it after large weight loss, but at lower flow rates. In my sleep study, my oxygen level was dropping down to 70 each time I stopped breathing (normal is in the 90's). The pulmonologist said that can cause a lot of damage to your heart over time, leading to a heart attack. yeah, it's kind of a pain but it's very worth it to me.
June 20, 201511 yr Author I guess I'm Surprised bcuz I sleep fine no problem I work a lot therefor I'm tired but can u sleep with this thing on u all night worried improbably sleep less
June 20, 201511 yr You will get used to it. Some people can get off it completely if they lose enough weight, some are stuck with it for life. My girlfriend hates my Bi-PAP. sleep apnea is a silent killer though, definitely get it checked out if they think you have it. Each apnea event is a lot of stress on your heart. In my case, the first few weeks on it were ROUGH. I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. I had a co-worker that also had this, and he was able to give me tips. I think I was prescribed the Bi-PAP when I weight nearly 380lbs. I got my weight down to 265ish at one point, and they cut my settings in half as I needed need as much. They think I could get off the machine completely if I get back down to a normal weight, and I'm hoping that is true.
June 20, 201511 yr I didn't know what a good night's sleep was until I started sleeping with my Bi-Pap. I can't sleep well without it. Post-surgery I had to get a new machine (mine was several years old) that automatically adjusts the pressure and it's great.
June 20, 201511 yr You need the machine because with sleep apnea, you stop breathing multiple times a night, sometimes up to minutes at a time. The cpap machine will make sure whatever is obstructing your breathing stays open to make sure you can breathe. If you have a bipap machine, which is for central or central/obstructive mixed, makes you breathe when your brain decides not to breathe. So basically, the machine is helping keep you alive.
June 21, 201511 yr Author Tks but I thought I was fine ????noe doc said I'm borderline dietbetic what else
June 21, 201511 yr I am sorry that you have also this bad news. At least by using your cpap you are taking a step in the right direction to managing your health. Without good sleep it's hard to find the energy to take the steps we need to in order to get healthy. When I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea 2 years ago by doc said she was amazed I was even functioning.
June 21, 201511 yr I was diagnosed as well. Moderate to severe. I went in was put on CPAP and still had episodes. The last two hours they switched me to BIPAP which hurt my stomach like I was swallowing air. I'm also allergic to latex, silicone, and many types of plastics so after 5 hours my skin blistered.
June 21, 201511 yr So as of now I am sleeping on a wedge propped up. Hoping something else comes along and the weight loss does the trick.
June 21, 201511 yr There are things you can buy like mask liners for those allergic to the typical plastics used on the masks. I don't know any details, but I remember seeing posts about allergic reactions and remedies on a sleep apnea forum years ago.
Why do we need one