Hi There...Here is my $0.02...... My CPAP machine ALWAYS makes me sick.. It is just a side effect with me. But when I am too stuffed up and I can't tolerate it, I do not wear it. I go to my PCP and they usually write a note to my Apnea MD to excuse me for using it for a couple of days, becuase I was sick. Now, I currently use O2 with my machine, because I have had too many sinus infections, Strep throat, and URI(colds) using the machine with room air. I sleep with my window open year round, and the toxins and grems from the room air, was being directly introduced into my lungs thus making me sick. Now the O2 is making every night a lot better to sleep with the machine. I have to wear it for 4 hours a night for 30 days too, I had one clearance, but did not make the compliance clearance for surgery, so I was postponed until I get a compliance clearance, and some other things done. So just talk to your PCP and Apnea MD, they should be able to do something for you. I hope this helps.... Nissah 360/281/???/180 Ima comin soon....Still Pre-op for a surgery date

Hi there. I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea about 6 years ago & have used CPAP ever since. I must say you are very lucky if you had that many disruptions on your sleep study and were not feeling tired the next day. However if you are perhaps like me you've had it for years and just felt "that was the way it is." I knew something was wrong when my husband told me I would stop breathing sometimes and snored very VERY loudly. Yes they hook you up like frankenstein's monster for the study and it is VERY difficult IMO to sleep like that. Though you may not actually realize you wake up at night there is a reason for that. You physically do not wake up, but your BRAIN does each time you have an obstruction or "event"... thus taking you out of your proper sleep cycle and starting over. It happens without you ever noticing it so your brain is not resting even when your body is "asleep." It is serious and untreated can even be fatal. Please do NOT ignore the CPAP and sleep drs advice. CPAP is a pain in the butt to sleep with but eventually you get used to it. The plus side is if you are having any type of WLS according to my drs it has a 96% success rate with "curing" sleep apnea... which is better than the UPPP surgery success rate of around 50% (they remove your tonsils, adnoids, uvula, and other soft palate tissues.) WLS is the way I am going... I hope to wave bye bye to my CPAP afterwards. Good luck with everything...

I put this as a response under another entry but I want to share it with everyone incase it may make someone giggle. Anything for a laugh :0p I have a full face mask, it whistles and toots during the night which doesn't bother me because I'm usually sleeping. Sometimes it wakes me but I'm usually fine. My husband doesn't seemed to be bothered much either. The funny part ... I have an African Grey Parrott in my room ... YEP, he LOVES the sounds my mask makes! He mocks them EXACTLY, it's HILARIOUS until company comes over when he's in the frontroom and he starts making his BURPING NOISES!!

I don't have positional apnea where my airway closes when I relax. I have R.E.M. sleep apnea - I (unknowingly of course) hold my breath when I start to dream causing my oxygen level in my blood to drop into the low 60's. I would never enter into a dream sleep because I kept becoming hypoxic and would wake up gasping before I ever could dream. The doctors said it severe and extreme as well as rare and usually caused from brain trauma, medication or loss of oxygen, hmmmm. I am now on a CPAP at 13 pressure with 2.5 lpm supplemental oxygen. If I don't use my CPAP I wake up gasping or I dream I can't breath, at least I can dream now ... My question is, does anyone else have this type of sleep apnea? Has anyone had this type go away with weight loss? Is there any evidence it might go away or get better? Thank you for your time, the doctors can't really answer my questions. They are more familiar with the positional type ( relaxation apnea ) and not enough is know about REM apnea.