Question:
I CAN NOT tolerate my cpap
has anyone had wls that had severe sleep apnea but was unable to tolerate wearing thier cpap? I know I need to wear it but Ive tried and tried and cant handle it. I pit on the mask (or nasel pillows) and within seconds I feel myself starting to panic. I hate that feeling and rip the cpap off. On the few occasions I have fallen asleep with it on I wake up holding it in my hand, so at some point Ive taken it off anyway. HELP!! — justaboutkrazy (posted on August 6, 2003)
August 5, 2003
I was prescribed a CPAP three weeks ago. I use the nasal pillows with the
over-the -head gear. However, my machine has a ramp feature. This means
that I don't get the full perscribed blast all at once. Pushing this
buttons allows for the pressure to slowly build up to allow you to fall
asleep. If yours does not have this feature maybe you can look into that.
Hope this helps. God bless.
— eprise616
August 5, 2003
I've been using my CPAP for a little over a month now, and I hate it too.
Although it doesn't make me panic as you say you've been doing. It just
wakes me up a lot when the mask shifts and air shoots into my eyes! Have
you tried just putting it on periodically while you're doing other stuff?
Maybe if you try wearing it a little while watching TV, or just doing
ordinary stuff that's not connected with sleeping, you will get used to it
more easily. As the first poster said, check the machine for the
"ramp" feature. This really helps me to get to sleep. I'd have
a lot more trouble if not for that feature. I hope that you'll have more
success in getting used to it. They are really a pain, but necessary,
unfortunately. I sure hope WLS will help my apnea, so I won't have to have
it for too long. Good luck to you.
— Carlita
August 5, 2003
I also found it very difficult to adjust to my CPAP, although eventually
was successful. The fact that you can get to sleep at all is a great plus.
Two things helped me, although they sound weird: 1) I gradually lengthened
the time that I would wear it at night, and I wouldn't let myself take it
off until that time. I started out telling myself "You only have to
wear it to 1:00 AM". If I woke up after 1:00 and wanted to take it
off, I would. Then I lengthened it to 2:00 AM, etc, etc. 2) I also had
the problem where I would take it off while sleeping so I did some
"self hypnosis", or maybe it was "self-suggestion"?
Before bed I would tell myself over and over as I was going to sleep
"Don't take it off, don't take it off, don't take it off". It
worked for some strange reason. Good luck!
— mom2jtx3
August 5, 2003
I hate my mask too. It farts and snorts (plus several other pleasant
sounds) all night long no matter what I do. I generally fall aspleep with
it on but some during the night I rip it off my face and end up air
conditioning the entire room. There are night where my husbands wakes me
to put it back on and I simply hand it to him to use. It doesn't make me
panic or anything, but the pulmanary doc I use told me if I did have a
problem to try to wear it when not sleeping to get used to it. And the
ramp feature is helpful.
— smmeow
August 5, 2003
Mary ~ I have severe sleep apnea and have been using my CPAP for 5 years
now. For the first 3-4 weeks, I absolutely hated my CPAP. I would wake up
in the middle of the night and my mask would be on the floor. Have you
tried using the "ramp" feature? My advice is to stick with
it.....it does get better and soon you can't imagine sleeping without it!
Good luck!!
— Terri G.
August 5, 2003
Did you doctors who prescribed the CPAP machine tell you that people die
from Sleep Apnea? Did he tell you that someday you may just never wake up?
It took me about a month to get used to it. I considered the consequences
and bucked up and got used to it. You may try it during short naps at
first to get used to it. Now 4 months after surgery I no longer have Sleep
Apnea and my CPAP sits in my closet.
— Charlene W.
August 6, 2003
I have had a CPAP for 2 years now. The first month was hard, but I slowly
adapted to using it. Definitely use the ramp feature on it. My machine
allows the tech to adjust the ramp from any where from 10 minutes to 30
minutes. What helped me was telling myself at first that I didn't need to
use it all night that any little bit helped. So started out at probably 2
hours a night and within 2 weeks was using it all night. Now can't imagine
sleeping without it. If you are using nasal pillows, you might want to see
about using the over the nose area mask. It might be easier for you.
Another thing that has helped tremendously is that after I put on the mask,
set the ramp and I lay down and do deep breathing. It seems to relax me
and I fall asleep right away. Good luck, I know you can do this.
— [Deactivated Member]
August 6, 2003
Why dont you see if you could try a mask, that covers your nose and
mouth,w/headgear? It may be a little better for you< it doesnt bother
my husband and his cpap is set on 16 so its quite high, and if its tight
enough, no air should seep out the sides, and be fairly quiet to use, I
very rarly hear my husbands.
— wizz46
August 6, 2003
Maybe you should try the nasal aire.........I could not stand the mask or
the head gear so the nasal aire was a God send for me. It is much the same
as the oxygen gear they use in the hospitals. It is not necessary to use
any head gear and with it I can sleep on my side or on my back with no
problems.........I have even been able to sleep on my stomach with it! Do a
Yahoo search for :nasal aire and it will direct you to a website that
explains how it works. My hospital was able to get one for me so I did not
have to order it online and my insurance covered it..........although if
you have to pay out of pocket it is cheaper to buy it online. Good luck and
hope it gets better for you because once diagnosed I would not dream of
risking the chance of dying in my sleep.......hope you won't either!
— Marilyn S.
August 6, 2003
Marilyn, I was curious about the nasalaire ... here's a site with photo
that shows how it is worn.
http://www.etrode.com/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/23769&CFID=1410917&CFTOKEN=67627616
— [Deactivated Member]
August 6, 2003
There are two types of machine, the CPAP (Continuous pressure) and the BPAP
(I think) which has variable pressure. The second one is defintiely better!
Talk to your doc and get him/her to prescibe the variable one, with the
ramp feature so you can ease into sleep. Your insurance may balk at this
(more $$ of course!) so your doctor must insist. The suggestion to wear it
while doing other things is very helpful; that's how I got used to mine.
Also, the different types of masks really make a difference, so keep
experimenting. BTW, WLS WILL cure apnea, and amazingly fast!! BUT--the
surgeon won't do the surgery unless you wear it (you could die), so...hurry
up and learn how so you can get rid of the damn thing! :-)
— Chris T.
August 6, 2003
OMG!!! I hate it too! I just got mine Monday 8-4-03!! Mine does have
the ramp feature and I was able to sleep with it the first night for a
little while. last night I couldn't tolerate it at all!! The technician
who went over the machine with me told me to keep trying even if I have to
take it off everynight. She said that eventually it will get better. I
hope so because I hate it...and my family telling me I look like Darth
Vader in it didn't help either. It's about a zero on the sexy things to
where to bed list.
— sweetangel2002u
August 6, 2003
Mary,
For some who can not tolerate the masks at all, surgery is an option. BUt
please don't ignore the issue and stop using your machine, it is life
threatening to do that. Talk with your doctor about it. Good Luck!
— Michele B.
August 7, 2003
I got my BiPAP 3-1/2 weeks before surgery and adjusted to it instantly -
had no problems. My settings were 22/18, which was very high. After
surgery I was never able to get back on it. My surgeon asked me to stay
off of it for a month to let the pouch heal without that pressure on it.
At one month I started using it again. My pressures had been lowered to
17/14 already before surgery as the 22/18 was very high and causing me lots
of teeth pressure/ grinding problems. I used the machine for 3 nights
before I realized that the new severe rib pain I was experiencing was being
cause by the machine. It was forcing my chest to move way more than it had
to and made the muscles very sore. I felt like I was 3 days post-op again.
The settings were lowered with no success. This happened 2 more times.
Eventually it got to 10/7. I could tolerate that better but I actually
slept worse than with nothing. My teeth pain was a much bigger issue with
the machine than without at the 10/7.
<p>I had a new sleep study this week and I don't know the official
results but do know I had some apneas in dream sleep only. It only took a
6 CPAP to get rid of them. The technician said that my oxygen level did
not drop so I am hoping that will mean I do not need to attempt to get back
on the machine. Unless he can clearly prove to me that they were
obstructive I may not agree to go back to it. I figure I have been
sleeping without it for the last 6 months and have been fine, so as the
weight continues to drop further it can't do anything but get even better.
Since the machines start at 5 it hardly seems like it's worth it to use
with a 6 setting for apneas that occur only in dream sleep. Time will tell
what the doc thinks. I see him on the 21st.
<p>You need to be calling the doctor and get your pressures lowered.
They are way too high and your body is reacting. Too much pressure can
cause all kinds of problems including what you describe. It would make
sence that you would need the setting reduced as the weight comes off.
— zoedogcbr
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