I emailed you back but had another idea....after re-reading your original post.. if anything...if you have lost weight you might need less pressure but I can't imagine needing more your sore throat etc...tells me you are sleeping with your mouth open and in essence you are back to your pre-cpap days. headache etc.. you may want to sleep 1 night without your cpap and see if you feel the same as you do with it....chances are it won't be any different because you are basically NOT using the machine now if you are opening your mouth. Does that make sense?? If your nasal passages etc are blocked....you will open your mouth to breathe. simple as that...cpa*****t... at least with a full face you are covering both bases

I think Ozzy Osbourne had a Home sleep test....but he's got LOTS of $$$$. I initially had a take home kit (called a 4 channel) that only looked at my pulse ox and breathing. But IT really is better and shows the full gamut by doing the Sleep Lab route. We see your stages of sleep If you take anti-depressants you will usually have altered sleep-- little or no REM, less slow wave. Also if you have Apneas with arousals you have trouble getting into those deeper sleep stages. We can tell if you have Periodic Limb Movement where you move your legs which causes you to wake up Some people have something called Central Sleep Apnea where the BRAIN tells you not to breathe and it has nothing to do with fatty/relaxed tissue in your throat. There really isn't anything to be nervous about. The application of the wires is painless. IF you are really hairy...taking them off in the morning could be uncomfortable on your chest and legs! We don't take blood! There really isn't anything to worry about. Don't worry about whether or not you will sleep etc... Don't worry about calling us for help with something...if you need another blanket....ask! Bathroom, Sip of Water, Temperature control? Pillow for your knees....try to be as comfortable as possible. Eat before you come in....have your normal meal, some folks come in hungry and then wake up hungry at 3am. We aren't going to let you get up and wander the hospital looking for food! Some Sleep Labs might! We get kids, old folks with dementia, handicapped, obese, skinny middle aged men, I can go weeks without seeing a Pre Op WLS patient and then some nights I will have 2 of my 4 patients. Once we get you settled...we normally just chart every 30 minutes about what stage of sleep, body position (left side, back etc...) any respiratory distress, heart rate, pulse ox (oxygen level), loudness of snore. We you move we note your body position change.... For the most part we aren't staring at you all night....mostly watching the computer screen for your brain waves and apneas. I prefer to watch TV and read books instead of staring at folks sleeping!

Since you are having problems with your mouth staying closed...i would second the last poster. If it has been 6 months ask for a new mask. There are several full face masks available that cover your nose and mouth. if you are feeling congested you may be opening your mouth to breathe and then the machine is basically USELESS. Chin straps aren't very effective...IMHO Ask the home care company to let you try on SEVERAL styles...don't just accept the first thing they show you. Our sleep lab has 3 styles of full face don't let them tell you NO!!! And it is PRESSURE not suction coming from the machine!!! If it was suction you wouldn't have any air to breathe!!

I just finished Respiratory Therapy school and have been working in a sleep lab since January. Feel free to ask me any questions. I may not know the answer but I work with folks that have a TON of experience. Of course every Sleep Lab does things slightly differently but overall the outcome is the same. I can offer a few hints/advice in general. Don't wear something sleeveless because the belts rub and they have to be fairly tight....folks that obese...it is even harder especially females and large breasts. The belt has to be snug AKA very tight because it works by expansion...with all that extra "skin" there isn't as much stretching going on and it is harder to see that you are trying to breathe. Our lab allows for split studies so you don't (or hopefully won't) have to go back for a 2nd night HOWEVER you must meet certain criteria early on in the study. This can be both good and bad. Good-- you don't have to spend another miserable night wired up in a crappy unfamiliar bed...BAD you may need more than 4 hrs to get the correct pressure and need to come back anyways if you are very severe. Most insurance companies allow for a new mask every 6 months. Our lab offers a variety of masks to try on and during the night you can ask to try something else if you can't get comfortable with the one you start out with. We have at least 10 different masks. IF you can't keep your mouth shut...you will probably end up with a mask that covers both your nose and mouth or they will use a chin strap to hold your mouth shut. IF you have severe OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) the NASAL prong looking masks may not be tolerated as well since the air is blowing right up your nostrils but they are nice because the head gear is usually easier to adjust/less bulky and you can wear your glasses with it on. It seems to work best on folks that don't need a lot of cmH20 (probably less than 12) We start our patients out at 6cmH20 and increment by 2's if you are snoring or having Apneas or Oxygen Desaturations. Try to sleep in various positions with the mask on or how you normally sleep at home. We need to see how it fits/leaks. IF you lie flat on your back and stiff all night BUT don't sleep like that at home it may not work for you. Most people have problems on their backs. IF you start out sleeping on your side and don't sleep on your back til much later in the night you may not exhibit symptoms early enough to be split. REM sleep tends to be the problem time for a lot of people probably because your body is most relaxed at this time. BRING a hat to wear home!! Unless you are bald....but sometimes the techs won't wipe off the markings from when they measure and with no hair ...you can't cover that up!! ummmm what else can I think of right now??!!! I just worked 7 days straight of Sleep Lab so I am trying to remember stuff that stood out to me. I haven't slept since 4pm yesterday! Yikes.... Don't wait til the last minute to ask to go to the bathroom...it takes a few minutes to unhook... it is our job to help you out of bed so don't feel "bad" for disturbing us! IF you are too hot or too cold or something is causing a problem that you can't sleep...don't lay around tossing and turning for hours. TELL us!! Cut back on drinks if you tend to get up a lot during the night for bathroom breaks. The more data we have of you sleeping --the better. We are watching you and listening to you....we HEAR and SEE everything! So don't do anything you would be embarrassed of! Please shower before you go! Unless you just love hospital gowns...bring your own pj's (unless they specifically say not too...) Don't wear slick/satin gowns because the belts won't stay put. Unless your lab touts itself as the Holiday Inn...we don't offer snacks, breakfast, ...we have TV and an assortment of magazines of varying dates. We don't allow TV on all night. You might walk around all night and watch and eat etc...at home but you are NOT home...you are there to have a sleep study. We put everyone to bed at the same time and have lights out. We allow the TV to be on a 30 min sleep timer but that is it. We need 6 hrs of study time for insurance to pay. Unless you have 2000+ dollars out of your own pocket ....it is best to tolerate your sleep study. You probably won't sleep as good as you do at home. We expect that. BUT once you do get to sleep ....you will sleep like you do at home. Your brain waves don't lie!!!! IF you snore and stop breathing at home...when you sleep at the sleep lab you will snore and stop breathing! Some folks even sleep better because they don't have the distractions at home like kids/spouses/unlimited tv/computers to keep them up. Sleep Apnea is a very serious thing. Long term effects are bad on the heart. Being overweight already puts a lot of strain on the body. ONCE you have the WLS and your body changes shape....your mask may not fit properly. If you start feeling tired again/pre CPAP feelings you may need another study. Your pressure may be able to be lowered when the weight comes off. You may not need CPAP after extensive weight loss but skinny people have Sleep Apnea too so it isn't all fatty necks--they are just prone to it! Just because you have lost 100+ lbs doesn't mean your Sleep Apnea is gone as well. It is best to get it verified with another study. Listen to your body. Try sleeping a few nights without your CPAP once you get close to goal. Have your sleep partner listen for snoring (especially on your back while sleeping). Gasping, pauses of 10 or more seconds without breathing etc... Morning headaches, dozing at inappropriate times. Take an Epworth Sleepiness Scale test and see how you score. 10+ probably still have Sleep Apnea and even lower doesn't mean you are free and clear. Sleeping on your side can alleviate a lot of problems once you lose a lot of weight. But when you are sleeping---hard to control how you move.... ok...I think I have exhausted my information for now and I am exhausted. So I am off to SLEEP!

i had my lap band surgery 6 days ago. the first night in the hospital i used the machine, thereafter i had probems - the air now seems so powerfull that i can't relax, once i put the mask on itfeels as if my body fills up with oxygen and i can actually feel the air building in my stomach. I have been using this machine for a year without any real problems. This is very noticeable and it is wasy to premature to not need it ---- i know i need it. Anyone else struggle post -op with c-pap?