I received my new BIPAP and it is so much better than a CPAP but you have to have severe sleep apnea.  I've had 3 back surgeries with nerve damage down left leg and foot.  I suffer from chronic pain and depressed.  I'm am looking at a revision in Grinnell, Iowa within the next 3 months.  I quit smoking yesterday by patches.  I quit i***** and started back up 2 months ago to try to get my husband to quit - he bought me a carton.  My surgeon said I had to quit.  I had a vacation last week and I waited till last night to smoke my last cigarrette and put on my patch.  I have not had a cigarrette today and do not plan on it.  I want to get this surgery on the road and over so I can lose this weight and possibly lose some of this pain I live with daily.

Anyone else out there using a BIPAP?  I take 200 mg of morphine twice a day and that is telling my brain to quit breathing.  This machine is similar to the machines they use in the hospital to keep people breathing.

I'd like to hear from anyone else that has one of these machines.

I was having some of the same troubles with mine, they let me borrow a petite size mask and it worked soooo much better. Doesn't leak, feels better and I was finally able to meet my compliance once I got a smaller mask. So maybe find out if you can try a different size mask?

I have 2 different masks and they both go completely over my nose.  The first one I got uses the pressure from the mask to inflate a sort of air pillow and is the most comfortable one.  The problem is that it is too big and it sort of leaks, so to avoid leaks I tighten the straps which end up leaving red marks around my nose.  When I told my sleep clinic about it they gave me a free gel mask one that is smaller  and fits better but it absolutely smells from the gel and is not as comfortable. 

When I order my next one I am getting the smaller version of the air supported mask.  I know that the masks that cover your nose are less attractive but I think they work better. 

You should google sleep apnea message boards there are a couple sites out there and those people know about all the equipment and usually give great advice.


You also might need your pressure increased if you feel like you can't breathe. 

I am so frustrated with my mask! I end up taking it off about 3-4 hours into my sleep because its makeing me crazy and I feel like I cant breath. Its either leaking into my eye or so tight its uncomfortable. SO my question is ... do you all have a mask you bought after the fact that works well for you? I an using a nasal mask right now and uh! making me nuts!!! SO nuts I didnt sleep with it on at all last night!

Saw my doctor about the CPAP. He's making me switch masks from a full face mask to one that just covers my nose.  He still wants me to use the CPAP machine because I wont heal as fast without O2. :)  Is everyone else who is having issues, also on full face masks or are they using mouth and nose masks?