sleep apnea

[SKYLANE]

I need to shed about 35 lbs. I believe shedding that weight would help me eliminate my sleep apnea to my pre-heavy days. I took the sleep study and slept like I hadn't in years for the latter part of the test with the CPAP on. I have been on the CPAP religiously for over three years now.

I hate the thought of surgery. My doctor said that surgery was nearly ~80% unsuccessful. Therefore, I agree with the earlier post where someone said go with the least invasive option. It may seem to be a hassle to carry that unit all around where ever you go, but you will sleep well. Took me about 3 weeks to finally get comfortable sleeping with it. My oxygen saturation levels are too low during sleep to even consider sleeping without it. So, until I get my weight back under control (assuming it is the source of my apnea), then CPAP it is... even for naps.

By the way, I use an unheated humidifier on my CPAP. Without it, the CPAP will dry my throat out. Love using my CPAP in hotels where the air is typically always dry. The CPAP with humidifier keeps my throat moist. Oh, be sure to keep that CPAP clean on a regular basis.

http://www.cpapusa.com has some information too.

[Pops]

Ive been on a bipap machine for 4 months. It was very difficult to adapt to, but I got myself into a Zen mood and told myself I could be getting up and strapping on a prosthetic limb every day. It got better. The straps were very constricting at first due to the high pressure. I lost 40 pounds, the doctor ordered the pressure reduced, and it's much better. Great? No, though my wife says the snoring has gotten better and SHE can sleep better. I still wake a few times a night, but I trust my doctor who tells me my heart is less stressed and I may live a little longer.

Nobody ever promised things get easier as we get older. Try the cpap machine for 6 months before looking at surgery. My $.02

[GeneL]

lazydays wrote:
I have a question for GeneL and all of the rest of you CPAP users. Where you able to pick any machine you wanted and have the insurance pay a set amount of the bill or did you have to purchase one from their list? I am primarily concerned with noise level and having the humidification option. Did you rent first? What is that process like? Thanks again.

My experience has been that the sleep specialist recommends the model that he/she wants you to use and in most cases they will try several masks that they have as samples in the office. Once they have figured out which mask is best suited to your needs, they will set you up with a equipment supplier that they "like" (usually someone that has performed well for their patients). That supplier will come out to your home with the equipment, set you up by fitting the mask for you (that usually changes after you start using it and you will have to readjust it), setting the machine to the pressures that the doctor has specified and leave you with some extra supplies. As far as the machine, you should have an opportunity to see whether the machine is right for you before you are "locked in." If you find that there's something you don't like you should make sure that the provider is going to "work with you." If you don't feel comfortable with the recommended supplier, ask who else is available in the area. In my experience the nurses/receptionists are usually pretty hip to who does the best job for the patients.

I always had a heated humidifier supplied with the machine. It seems to be based on the doctor's saying that you need it. BTW, I never had any luck with a non-heated humidifier, so I'm glad to hear that one is working for SKYLANE. YMMV!

Costwise, my insurance has always covered everything that I needed, but once again YMMV. Also, when I've been set up I've always been given a choice to continue to rent the machine or to own it after a certain period of time. Ask the supplier what the ramifications are for either choice and then decide. For me, I've always ended up owning the equipment.

Based on personal experience, it is a tough thing to lose weight, but some people starting losing once the effect of deeper sleep kicks in. If you do lose some pounds you may find that your problem might disappear as mine once did .

Hang in there, lazydays.

[space-time]

lazydays wrote:
...

I have a question for GeneL and all of the rest of you CPAP users. Where you able to pick any machine you wanted and have the insurance pay a set amount of the bill or did you have to purchase one from their list? I am primarily concerned with noise level and having the humidification option. Did you rent first? What is that process like? Thanks again.

I am still amazed that each sleep study costed about 11k and the insurance paid 8k and I didn't even have to pay a co-pay. Also, I didn't have to pay anything for my CPAP machine. No, I didn't have a choice regarding the model. My doctor contacted a company and they showed up at my place with a CPAP machine which looks pretty fancy and also has a humidifier. The machine was like $450 and the humidifier 200 something and there were several other charges, I still have the contract and I can look it up. The insurance covers all of it (my employer offers 2 plans, a regular plan and a premium plan - I have the premium).

the noise level seems to be related to how well I fit the mask. when the mask is not put well and there are leaks, it make a small noise. When the mask is tight, the machine is whisper quiet.

I just got the machine about 2 weeks ago and I ams still getting used to it. Last night was the first night when I used it all night. Before I used to wake up and take the mask off between 3 AM and 5 AM.

I am also in a catch 22 situation. Wife has to get up to feed the baby several times a night and many times I hear the baby crying (the baby sleeps in our room for now). Or sometimes my 4 year old wakes up and yells "Daddy, come here" so I have to get up and go to his room and stay with him 1/2 hour or so and sometimes i fell asleep there.

[rgG]

Apparently the sleep study price can vary widely. I just looked at my mom's sleep study bill last week, paid for by medicare, and it was less than $1,000 each of the two times she had it done. I think it was somewhere in the $800-$900 range, so less than 10% of what space-time's was. When I first read that ST's cost 11K, in a previous thread, I was floored.

[digby]

Bad news: I never got used to the CPAP. In fact, my body did sneaky things like take the mask off in the middle of the night. OR... make me instantly fall asleep before I got the straps over my head.

Good news: I lost 15 lbs (mostly by cutting out the all-day snacking and getting off my big butt and onto my bike). That helped a LOT.

Best news: A tennis ball is doing the job for me.

A second sleep study showed that I only had apnea when lying on my back. So I've been taking a pocket T-shirt and putting it on backwards with the aforementioned tennis ball in the pocket. It's painful enough when I roll over on my back that I'm training myself not to.

Wow--we're like a community. Good luck all!

[Pops]

I initially thought the bipap machine for apnea wasn't doing its thing, as I still wake up a few times each night. My GP informed me that it was dealing with my apnea, not a 60 year old prostrate. Now, if I wake and have to pee, I don't worry about the machine anymore.

I frequently will take the mask off for the last few hours of sleep, but average >4 hours ON, which my doctors say is fine.

[Lux Interior]

C'mon! The American way is to go after the symptoms & ignore the cause!

Get a script for modafinil!

[blooz]

I couldn't deal with the CPAP. Gave it back before the time limit for being locked in came up.
I do have a moth device which I find easier to deal with. It hasn't eliminated all the symptoms tho.
I also need to lose weight and I'm working on that as a possible cure.

[Felix]

My friend was just telling me last night about his sleep study. He ended up with an APAP rather than a CPAP.

Says he has not slept so well in years.