Anyone here use a CPAP?

[Brian Elfert]

I have had trouble sleeping for several years. It got even worse this winter so my doctor sent me to a sleep center for a sleep test. It turns out I have moderate sleep apnea so they gave me a CPAP on Friday.

I used it for the first time last night and I couldn't get to sleep at all. After several hours laying awake I turned the thing off and took off the mask. Is it normal for the CPAP machine to make noise and speed up and slow down all night long? I think the constant changes in the level of noise kept me from sleeping, not the mask. I'll certainly call the sleep center Monday too.

['Jacques Malan']

The sound should be very low, it is designed for married couples as well and no wife will be pleased with a noise in the bedroom. Speeding up and slowing down is normal as the air sensor react to your breathing. As for getting used to it, it will happen eventually. I am still having periods where I remove the mask during sleep after 2 years of using it. And sometimes I even switch of the machine and do not remember it the next morning. On the positive side, I am well conditioned and go to sleep quickly once I've put on the mask. And it helps a lot, I am not tired during the day anymore.

[paul cottingham]

I used one for years, and you do get used to it. My wife said it is less noisy than my snoring or gasping for breath was. The only reason I don't use it now is I can only sleep face down, for a bunch of reasons, and when I do, my apnea goes away.

[Jim Tobias]

Yes, started several years ago. Now, I couldn't sleep without it. It only took me a couple of nights to get used to it. The one I have(ResMed S9 Elite) is very quiet. It certainly has made a huge difference in my energy level during the day. I used to feel tired most of the day and always felt like taking a nap. Now, I don't think I have taken a nap in several years.

Jim

[Jerry Bruette]

Been using one since 2005. Changed my life.

Sounds like you might have a APAP not CPAP. The APAP will automatically adjust the pressure needed, CPAP stays at one set pressure. If your machine has a ramp up feature I would recommend using it until you are comfortable with your machine. Some machines are more quiet than others and the brand/type of mask you have can make a huge difference.

There's a website cpapdotcom that can offer lots of advice and support if needed.

Good Luck

Jerry

[Brian Elfert]

Been using one since 2005. Changed my life.

Sounds like you might have a APAP not CPAP. The APAP will automatically adjust the pressure needed, CPAP stays at one set pressure. If your machine has a ramp up feature I would recommend using it until you are comfortable with your machine. Some machines are more quiet than others and the brand/type of mask you have can make a huge difference.


Yes, it is an APAP and not a CPAP. The technician at the sleep center said the ramp up feature wouldn't do anything because the machine is set to start at a low pressure and automatically adjust as needed.

I don't know if I'll use it again before I talk to the sleep center on Monday. Getting some sleep without it is better than no sleep with it.

[Matt Meiser]

According to the display on mine, I've used it for the last 1374 days--well over 10,000 hours. :eek:

I went for the sleep study about 10 years ago and was diagnosed with mild-moderate. I didn't think I got overly tired, didn't want the machine and cancelled the followup study to determine my pressure and get the machine. Several years went by and both my doctor and my wife beat me up about it enough times that I went ahead. But first, my new sleep specialist also diagnosed me with a deviated septum that was almost blocking one side of my nose which required 2 surgeries in the end. Then the followup sleep study and getting the machine. The first night I hardly slept a wink. Within a week I was doing reasonably well. Within a month I wouldn't think of not sleeping with it. I'd said I didn't want to travel with it and the doctor said that's fine, but at least use it at home. By the first trip there was no way I wasn't taking it.

What was really amazing was this was all right before I started building my parents kitchen. I found myself putting in long evenings over and over and still having energy. Now I don't often find myself tired mid-afternoon. I don't wake up choking about once a week (both self-induced or with my wife's hands around my neck :D) I've also noticed I sleep a lot more soundly in general. I used to wake up several times a night. Now its not uncommon for me to wake up in the exact same position I fell asleep.

The biggest noisemaker on mine is if I try to sleep with the hose swivel in front of the exhalation holes in the mask. That make a a pretty good wind noise. I learned to sleep with the hose either over my neck toward my back or down toward my chin and chest depending on whether I'm sleeping on the side facing the machine or away. The negative to that is that if I roll over I can get tangled in the hose. That was a short learning curve.

I also have to use a chin strap. I've almost get myself trained to keep my mouth shut but my wife says she wakes up to me snoring with my mouth open once in while when I experiment going without that. I briefly tried a full mask and hated that. For one, they are hard to get sealed.

I would encourage you to tough it out. I think its like any change in sleeping environment--it may seem impossible but after a short time you get used to it. In the end it will be worth it.

[Mel Fulks]

Had mine 10 or 15 years ,it is one speed .You will get used to it .Some can be helped by one surgery ,I was told I would need at least 3 to not need the machine.

[Brian Elfert]

I don't understand how one is supposed to get used to the machine if you can't sleep at all for the entire night. I wouldn't have slept more than 15 minutes last night had I not turned the machine off after four hours. I guess I'll try it again tonight.

[Matt Meiser]

I'd definitely call the sleep center and/or your doctor. Maybe they can suggest some changes or other temporary solutions to get you used to things.

One thing my machine had was a ramp function that slowly ramped up the pressure with the idea that you'd fall asleep before it got to full pressure. I used that at first as suggested by the DME company and once I got used to things turned it off.

Also, if the noise is bothering you, maybe ear plugs or some kind of background noise you are more used to (maybe a fan?) would help ease you into it?

[Stephen Tashiro]

I don't understand how one is supposed to get used to the machine if you can't sleep at all for the entire night. I wouldn't have slept more than 15 minutes last night had I not turned the machine off after four hours. I guess I'll try it again tonight.

You said you'd "had trouble sleeping" before using the machine. Did the trouble involve not getting to sleep quickly? Perhaps the apnea isn't the only problem.

[Matt Meiser]

By the way, the surgeries for sleep apnea had a pretty low success rate and they've really reduced the use of that option to the most extreme cases according to my doctor. There's a dental appliance--extremely expensive and my insurance wouldn't pay a dime saying its a dental issue and my dental insurance said it was a medical issue. There's also (as of my checkup last year) what's basically a leaky check-valve you stick on your nostrils that restricts exhalation but not inhalation. The idea is you make your own CPAP-like pressure. No insurance would pay for it as of last year and I want to say it cost about $2/day. I think that option would freak me out more than wearing a mask and I wonder about the long term affects of putting adhesive on your face for 1/3 or so of your life.

[Gary Hodgin]

I've used a cpap for about 5 years. Problems with machines and masks are common. I have a RemStarPro M-series machine with C-flex and a resmed mask. I know the newer machines are suppose to be quieter. We have an air purifier that we run continueously that drowns out the sound. The sound does bother a bit if there's no background noise. Had that problem when away from home.

BTW, I had alot of trouble getting use to a cpap. I gave up on cpap for about 4 years after being diagnosed. I gave it a serious effort but never had a minute of sleep with the machine on for along time. A change in equipment made a world of difference. The c-flex and nasal mask really helped me. Went to sleep the first night with the c-flex machine. Unfortunately my health went down over those 4 years and some of it might have been prevented if I'd stuck with the cpap.

It's not uncommon to have problems, but you need to stick with it. Be sure to tell your doctor or medical device provider if necessary. There are a couple of good sleep apnea forums with a great deal of information.

http://www.cpaptalk.com/CPAP-Sleep-Apnea-Forum.html?sid=b46611663ae5adbe1b67ca7e17e67355

http://www.apneasupport.org/

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/

[Charles Wiggins]

Is it normal for the CPAP machine to make noise and speed up and slow down all night long?

I've slept with one for almost 20 years. I'm on my second machine, and both my dad and best buddy have them and I have never heard of such. In my experience, you should have been given a Rx for a specific air pressure at which your breathing evened out and your apnea ceased during the sleep study. Your CPAP should have been preset to this pressure so that your apnea stops when you use it. A variation up and down makes no sense from what I know of it.

Both of my CPAPs have the option (which I don't use) of starting on low pressure with it ramping up to the full, preset pressure over time, but once it is at that level, the pressure, and thus the noise is constant, not variable. I find it to be "white noise" and it just sings me to sleep. In fact, my mom, who was a nurse on graveyard shift, bought a white noise fan when I was in high school to help her sleep during the day, and one of the first things I noticed was that my CPAP sounds just like it.

My biggest obstacle when I got my first machine was learning to sleep with my mouth closed. I would wake up in the middle of the night and rip my mask off and gasp for air because all of the air was going out of my mouth instead of down into my lungs. I had a chin strap to help keep my mouth closed, but it never worked. I can't explain it medically, but over time I learned to constrict the opening at the back of my mouth to keep the air moving down my trachea, even if my mouth opens while I'm asleep.

One other bit of advice, particularly if you have sinus allergies, get a Neti pot to rinse out your nasal passages before you go to bed when your sinuses are acting up. If your nasal passages are clogged you can't use your CPAP. You can get a Neti pot at just about any pharmacy now and there are several videos on YouTube on how to use one. My best tip is to just relax and let it happen.

[Charles Wiggins]

I've slept with one for almost 20 years. I'm on my second machine, and both my dad and best buddy have them and I have never heard of such. In my experience, you should have been given a Rx for a specific air pressure at which your breathing evened out and your apnea ceased during the sleep study. Your CPAP should have been preset to this pressure so that your apnea stops when you use it. A variation up and down makes no sense from what I know of it.

Both of my CPAPs have the option (which I don't use) of starting on low pressure with it ramping up to the full, preset pressure over time, but once it is at that level, the pressure, and thus the noise is constant, not variable. I find it to be "white noise" and it just sings me to sleep. In fact, my mom, who was a nurse on graveyard shift, bought a white noise fan when I was in high school to help her sleep during the day, and one of the first things I noticed was that my CPAP sounds just like it.

My biggest obstacle when I got my first machine was learning to sleep with my mouth closed. I would wake up in the middle of the night and rip my mask off and gasp for air because all of the air was going out of my mouth instead of down into my lungs. I had a chin strap to help keep my mouth closed, but it never worked. I can't explain it medically, but over time I learned to constrict the opening at the back of my mouth to keep the air moving down my trachea, even if my mouth opens while I'm asleep.

One other bit of advice, particularly if you have sinus allergies, get a Neti pot to rinse out your nasal passages before you go to bed when your sinuses are acting up. If your nasal passages are clogged you can't use your CPAP. You can get a Neti pot at just about any pharmacy now and there are several videos on YouTube on how to use one. My best tip is to just relax and let it happen.

I just read the other posts. I had never heard of an APAP. I agree that having the machine adjust constantly would be annoying. Good luck with getting it resolved.

[Ole Anderson]

My wife has been using one for about 5 months. I find that is is surprisingly quiet most of the time and I can barely hear it, but if she gets a leak around the mask it gets much noisier, it usually wakes her (and often me) up so she can adjust it. But it has a constant stream of air out the front of the mask and if she sleeps with it facing me the stream of air on my neck or face will wake me.

[Brian Elfert]

The whole reason I went to my doctor about sleep is because I'll be in bed for 8 hours and still feel really tired in the morning. I keep waking up all night long. My doctor sent me to a sleep specialist. I did a sleep study and was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea. Right now, I can sleep better without the APAP than with it.

I'm currently looking at the information over at cpap.com to get more insight on using my APAP.

[Brian Elfert]

I called the sleep center today and the only real suggestion they had was to bring the unit back to see if it is noisier than normal. They also suggested a minor adjustment to the strap on the mask.

[Brian Elfert]

It has now been two weeks since I got my APAP. I'm now able to sleep 4 to 6 hours with the APAP on before waking up. I usually can't get back to sleep until I remove the mask and shut the machine off. The machine also seems to be making a high ptiched whine and may need replacement.

The hard plastic sides of the nasal pillow mask are really bothering me. I left a message for the CPAP technician to call me on Wednesday and she never did call. I want to see if she has any suggestions on the mask. I am also considering a CPAP pillow, but I hate to spend $50 or $60 on something I can't at least touch before I buy since they can't be returned.

[Jim Tobias]

Brian,
You should have received these to pad the plastic area that goes over your cheek area.
They make a huge difference.
http://www.thecpapshop.com/soft-wraps-for-swift-fx?___store=default?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Base%2BOrganic&utm_term=ResMed+Swift++FX+Soft+Wraps&utm_campaign=Google%2BProduct%2BSearch&gclid=CNDssaDcorcCFSEV7AodrxEAOg

Jim

[Brian Elfert]

I did not get any soft wraps with the mask. It does have foam on the plastic. The mask didn't bother me for the first week or so, but that was probably because I was getting used to the noise and such at first. I can almost never get back to sleep unless I roll over on my side, but then the plastic really bothers me and the nasal pillows sometimes leak. I could try the soft wraps, but I suspect I will still feel the plastic.

[Mel Fulks]

Take heart in remembering that I was right about having to get used to the noise. Now you need to get used to the mask. They have a number of different types,demand to see all of them. I have found the technitions do too much of the choosing .

[Brian Elfert]

The sleep center has an entire wall of masks all hanging on hooks. It is overwhelming if you have never used a CPAP before. Unfortunately, they won't let you put them on to test how they feel which I totally understand. The technician asked me a few questions about how I sleep and recommended the mask she gave me. They will exchange masks for the first 30 days at no charge, but it is hard to get to the sleep center since it is a 40 mile round trip for me.

I've seen all of the masks, but just seeing them I have no idea what might work for me. If I go back again I might have a better idea after using the machine for two weeks. Unfortunately, I have a training class all next week and out of town the next week.

[Matt Meiser]

I use a nasal mask--a Zest by Fisher and Paykel. They are about $50 at CPAP.com. I don't think I could stand a nasal pillow and I briefly tried a full face mask (long story) and never could get it to not leak.

[Brian Elfert]

I've been thinking about just buying a mask rather than spending $10 in gas per trip and a bunch of time going back to the sleep center. The Sleep Weaver Elan looks like a good choice with 30 day return policy included. The nasal pillows in the nose don't bother me. It is the hard plastic pieces on either side that bother me.

CPAP machines are a racket. The insurance company is paying over $1000 for mine not including the extra filters, mask, hose, and other accessories. I can get teh same machine online for half the price of what insurance is paying the sleep center.

[Jerry Bruette]

CPAP machines are a racket. The insurance company is paying over $1000 for mine not including the extra filters, mask, hose, and other accessories. I can get teh same machine online for half the price of what insurance is paying the sleep center.

CPAP machines aren't a racket....insurance companies are the problem. They're more effecient at extorting money from people than any other organanized crime group I can think of. I'll leave it at that for fear of being bounced off this forum if I express my real feelings on the subject.

The sleep lab gave me the cheapest mask they could when I first started therapy, probably because they didn't know if I'd stick with using the machine. When that mask was worn out I tried the nasal pillow type mask and thought it was a torture device. Did my own research and now I use the Comfort Gel nasal mask made by Phillips/Respironics. I sleep on my back for most of the night and usually roll on one side or the other about an hour before the alarm goes off, but I've developed ways to keep the mask sealed when on my side.

Have patience and you'll become accustomed to the sounds and feels of the machine and mask.

[Matt Meiser]

Jerry, how is that mask holding up for you? I thought about switching but there's a lot of reviews, even good ones, saying they break too soon. I've eventually broken or worn out core parts on 2 Zest masks, but went through several sets of headgear before doing so.

CPAP.com says a lot of the reason they are so much less is that they don't deal with insurance companies. I wouldn't say the DME company I was using was better at customer service, especially once the incessant phone calls started when they didn't think I was buying enough supplies. Then they started recorded calls and I won't deal with them again after that.

[Jerry Bruette]

The masks used to break at the strap swivel attachment points. I had one break at 10PM one night as I was putting it on. Lucky thing I had some super glue to do a temp fix. Since then they've beefed up the attachment points and I haven't broken my present mask. The hard plastic lip that the cushion snaps over is broke on mine though. That's after 3 cushion changes or about a year.

I'm still using the old model that cpap.com has for $55 and haven't tried the new model.

I've stopped using my insurance company for all my cpap needs.

[Bill Summerlin]

I am a respiratory therapist with experience with cpap your experience is typical for new pts, don't let first night experience deter you. May have to experiment with the right kind of mask and the settings on your unit. Most new units are set up to start slow and ramp up, the changes in speed may be related to leaks in the system as you change positions, work with the sleep therapist to work thru these problems and when everything is right, you will get some good sleep. Hope this helps.