I hate the cpap!

I hate the machine. I can't stand it. Will I still get to have my RNY if I don't wear the thing. UGH! I don't know how people deal with it. I didn't think it would bother me....but man oh man. I will not go near that machine.

I have a Bi-pap instead of a c-pap but I use to love it. Now I am having issues with burning in my nose. I do not think they will not do your surgery because you do not use the machine but I believe that you need to use it. I can be life threatening if we do not. (I was told this several times on a post two days ago on the main forum.) You will get use to it. I took me about a month. Hope it helps! Blessings.

Thanks for your response. I appreciate your words. I will give it a short again. UGH! Good luck with your condidtion with burning in your nose...ugh! What a bummer.

I just did my sleep study, and I have to get the full mask machine. I fell like I am going into chemical warfare!! I have to go get fitted on the 20th of Feb. I have a hard time when my husband breathes on me, so I am not sure how I am going to do with it either! Good luck!

I have two different masks. I have the one that goes over my nose and the other that is small and goes directly into my nose. I don't mind the in the nose one because I don't feel claustraphobic. It did take me a long time to get used to the machine. I could only wear it for 1-2 hours the first week. After that I found myself sleeping longer with it on, but would take it off when I got up to use the bathroom (and not put it back on when I went back to bed). I had burning nose problems. I have the humidifier on my machine and turned it up. I also line the inside of my nose with a little bit of petroleum jelly. That seems to help me. I hope you're able to find a way to make peace with your machine. FYI - I named my machine Darth Wheezer.

I have had a CPAP for about 10 years now and the biggest problem was finding the right mask. There are so many different types and brands available to us now. I have had 6 different ones over a 10 year period and my favorite is the Activa it moves with you and is quite comfortable. The original respironics mask that came with it was awful and the headgear was not at all comfortable. A good medical supply house can show you several types and once you find the right one you will enjoy a good nights sleep.

Lisa maybe you should try a different type of mask. I used the BREEZE. It had nasal pillows and I did have to wear a Tiara chin strap that I ordered from the internet. But the mask that fit over my nose and mouth was just horrible, I coud never get it to stop leaking had to tighten the straps so tight that my face was bleeding in spots. But the nasal pillow masks are the way to go IMHO.

Hi Lisa I haven't gotten my CPAP machine delivered yet, it is suppose to come next week...but just from having the 2nd sleep study I know how you feel. The sleep center only gave me a choice of 2 masks and they were both awlful. I don't know how I am actually going to sleep with it on but I must. My surgeon said that the CPAP must be used for at least 4wks straight or she won't do the surgery. She said theat when it is time for PAT's that I will have to bring in the CPAP to them and they will read the computer chip that is inside and she will know if I wasn't using it everyday or properly. I am going to just have to suffer through and besides I really don't want to stop breathing in my sleep or on the table. You should definitely check with your surgeon because he/she may have similiar requirements. Good luck

i am interested to hear more about having to wear the cpap before surgery or else. what is that all about. why is it required. i have had a cpap for 6 years but cannot wear it (tried for a year) so it sits and gathers dust for last 5 years. but i want an RNY and want to know what you were talking about. stop breathing on the table do you wear it on table?

I used to do home health and I set people up on CPAP machines in their homes. FIrst and foremost, you must be patient. Don't go to bed thinking you must wear it all night. Put it on and wear it until it's bugging you and then take it off. Don't just give up at the first bit of irritation, but also don't wear it until you're so disgusted with it that you can't even look at the machine. Just try to wear it a little longer every night. If you keep at it, you will get used to it eventually, I promise! About 1% of the people who are put on CPAP take to it like ducks to water. The other 99% of us take a little longer. I'd say the average time it took most of my patients to get used to CPAP was about a month. I go to get my CPAP titration study in a couple of weeks, so we'll see how long it takes me. As others have said, it is crucial that you find the right mask for your CPAP if you're going to have success with it. There are tons of different masks. Call the company that provided you with your machine and ask if they can show you some different masks, or go on the internet and do some research and see if any other masks look better to you. Do you hate the air, the mask, or just everything about it? If it's the air or pressure that bothers you, talk to your doctor. CPAP is one continuous pressure blowing at you, but there's something called BiPAP that is two different pressures, lower when you exhale, and many people who can't tollerate CPAP do pretty well with that. If you've proven that you can't tolerate CPAP, insurance is pretty good about covering it if you switch to the BiPAP. Also, if you don't have a humidifier with your machine, see about getting one. Someone else said they had problems with burning in their sinuses. Proper humidification of the air will help that. There are heated and non-heated humidifiers. Heated humidity adds more moisture, and you can adjust it until it's comfortable for you. I hope you're able to get used to your machine. Untreated sleep apnea is extremely bad for you. It can cause high blood pressure, pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, stroke, and all sorts of nasty stuff. Okay, I preached a little more than I meant to...sorry about that! Good luck with your surgery! Donna