I have a Bi-Pap machine which takes distilled water and oxygen(2ltrs). I wear a full face mask too. My apnea was so bad that my doctor thought I was going to be considered COPD for life. After six months with my Bi-Pap my blood gases were normal again and my doctor was ready to dance a jig when he go the results. it's to the point now that I can't fall asleep without my Bi-Pap now. It has really made a big difference in my quality of life.

I would talk to your sleep doctor. Tell them the problems your having with your machine. It could be something as simple as needing a new nose mask or a clogged filter. Also the reason for the distilled water is because the flow of air traveling through your nasal passages trends to dry them out. This could also be a reason for your coughing. I would want these problems solved before surgery. I would also wear your C-Pap every night until your told other wise. My surgeon told me to bring my machine with me when I come for surgery. I hope this helps! 

Hello, 

I am having some problems with my cpap. i have avoided using it for about a year, but i know i have to use it before they will let me have the surgery. so i have been spending the last few nights with it on. i make it to 3 am (ish) with disrupted sleep, and then i wake up coughing. i don't know why this is. maybe because i have not filled the water tray? do i need to fill it with distilled water. i am disabled and it takes a lot to get to the pharmacy never mind haul a huge bottle of distilled water home. ( i use a cane so it is already one handed and lopsided) can i use regular water? do you think that would help the coughing? anyone? i am sure some of you had problems at the beginning. any advice is adored. thanks. 

Rce884

An update. i made it two nights till 5 am with it on and then i took it off and threw the nose piece across the room. but still it was great i didn't feel discomfort or anything no coughing until about 5 am. then last night i put it on at about 9pm and read for a bit. but i noticed that i was making small snoring noises. and that sometimes i had to take a big breath with my mouth (i have a nose piece) and then when i finally took the device off at 10:30 i was really lightheaded and dizzy as if i hadn't received enough oxygen? any ideas, should i stop using it until i see someone. can you alter the pressure on a cpap yourself?

any help appriciated

I have used a CPAP for years prior to surgery, I feel no discomfort and I actually look forward to wearing it when I get to bed because I'm knocked out in minutes.  All the symptoms I had from sleep apnea prior to wearing the CPAP were gone after I started using it.  I'm only three weeks post-op and of course I still use it, give it another try, your sleep quality will improve incredibly.  

During the process I also found that I had sleep apnea. The CPAP machine is a godsend. Even the first few nights I got a better sleep than I had in years. 

You also have survived this long...I am sure you will survive until you get your machine :) 

Did you get a surgery date yet?

Good luck!

Wendy

Hi all. Hope everyone is having a good Monday.  I had my consult for a sleep study this morning.  No big deal, or so I thought.  I thought I'd go in, we'd chat, they'd schedule a sleep study, and that would be it.  Nope.  She came in, and I instantly liked her.  We talked, and then she put her light on her head and took a stick and took a good long look at my mouth.  

I guess I should give a bit of history and let you know that I've not slept a full night since I was a child.  It takes me hours to fall asleep and I'm awake so many times during the night that I no longer count.  There are nights that I never even doze off.  I've been prescribed many sleeping pills and have never found one that helped me rest successfully.  I'm a worrier, and I worry about everything, all the time.  When I lay down to sleep, it's like bumper cars in my brain.  My brain never stops.  And I toss and turn all night long.  The best thing that has helped me so far has been xanax, however, I've been out of it for some time now.  It just helped me to relax a bit to fall asleep.  

Anyway, onto this morning.... 

She said "honey, you have a tiny mouth and a BIG tongue".  Big deal, right?  Then she sat down and proceeded to tell me that the reason I do what I do at night is because most people have a U-shaped mouth, and mine is more closely related to a V, and a tongue that is too big for my mouth.  She said my brain is smart and what it's doing is keeping me awake to keep me alive.  There's nowhere for my tongue to go when I sleep except down my throat, cutting off my airway.  She said she can't believe I'm 44 and this has not presented itself until now.  I told her that my sleep has always been a problem, but I'd always been handed pills.  She said whatever I do, don't take sleeping pills because they have some muscle-relaxer tendencies and that could be deadly to me in my sleep.  So I have broke down and am absolutely terrified to even try to fall asleep now.  Scared to death.  She is positive that I have sleep apnea and she also said that most people get to come off the CPAP machine when they lose weight, but that won't happen for me, due to the shape of my mouth.  I have a sleep study on the 23^rd, then a week or so after that I will get the results, then have to go back to get a CPAP, and follow up with her on May 16^th.  So I definitely won't be having surgery in April, as I'd hoped.  I just can't believe I'm that close to death when I try to sleep.  I guess I've woke up for 44 years, so another few weeks should be fine.  However, I can tell you that I will be a wreck come bedtime.....  

Anyone else experience anything similar to this?  I really hope not... I wouldn't want anyone to have that worry.  I live with my children, and obviously do not plan to share this information with them, because I don't want them to worry.  But I don't have a sleep partner to 'monitor' my sleep, or lack thereof.  

Thoughts??