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.

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 ) 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-A...67ca7e17e67355

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.