Discussions

to folks who have apnea & have a SAM do you find that when you use it do you have a good sleep do you feel rested through out your day or are you still tired ?

My CPAP machine has been nothing but a miracle in my life. Worth every penny (and then some).  
 
When I first got it, I found it difficult to get used to. The positive air pressure caused me to change up my natural breathing rhythm and it made it difficult to fall asleep at first. I would say it took me about 8 or 9 days to really get used to sleeping with it.  
 
But ever since then (4 years now), I sleep way better, I'm not always tired, I dont get constant headaches, and I get sick way less. Previous to my sleep apnea machine, I would get chest colds legitimately 6-8 times a year. Now I get less than 1 ever year.  
 
Admittedly they're not perfect. They're expensive. replacing the masks/hoses/filters can get expensive. Parts of it also require daily cleaning. However, for me my cpap machine has been a miracle. And my significant other enjoys not having to listen to me snore anymore.

For me it took months to get used to. I felt like I was having crappier sleeps and that the effort wasn't worth it. Finally after months of sticking with it, I won't go without it. So much better than without. No headaches, increased energy, no snoring, less sore throats, and less waking up at night. Sure there is the hassle of finding the balance between a nice chilly room and a condensation free hose... but some things are worth the hassle.

Go see the folks at Vitalaire (basement of the Brandon clinic)— they are amazing!  
You just need to pick up a referral from them for your doctor to go to the Sleep Disorder Clinic, and best of all it’s free with the provincial program!  
 
The staff there are friendly, and extremely knowledgeable!!!

Regarding condensation in the hose... there are a couple tricks here.  
 
One is I purposely keep my CPAP on a nightstand that is lower than my bed. That way if there is any condensation build-up, gravity naturally brings it back down to the resevoir instead of collecting in my hose and making that terrible "gurgling" noise.  
 
The other trick keeping your hose itself warm. My wife made me a thick cover for my hose that I keep on it. That way I can use a fan at night, but the hose stays warm.  
 
Even better, if you're willing to spend the money there are self-heating hoses out there. I havent tried one myself but I hear they're excellent.

please correct me if I''m wrong but, as it was explained to me by my doctor, the free provincial cpap machines are different than the paid ones correct?  
 
My machine is specifically tuned to me to start off with low pressure and then gradually build throughout the night to my optimum air pressure. This is important because the low pressure helps me fall asleep, then my optimum air pressure (for me, a much higher air pressure) keeps my airway open all night.  
 
How it was explained to me is that the provincial machine only uses one air pressure. So it's harder to fall asleep with because it's too much pressure. OR it can be set to lower pressure so that you can fall asleep earlier, but then it''s not enough pressure to keep your airways open at night...meaning you can still have apneas.  
 
My machine was $2000. Which is damn expensive. But insurance covered half of that. So to me $1000 on a great machine is a worthwhile investment in my sleep.  
 
Edited by underXtheXradar, 2017-10-12 19:32:04

I have had a machine for about 8 weeks and am still adjusting to it  
Some days: I have more energy and some days I’m still tired  
 
I was told this would balance out soon  
I know people that have cut back on meds and have lost weight since on c-pap.  
It definitely is a bonus

Counsellor said "I have had a machine for about 8 weeks and am still adjusting to it   Some days: I have more energy and some days I’m still tired     I was told this would balance out soon   I know people that have cut back on meds and have lost weight since on c-pap.   It definitely is a bonus "

Do you have one of the free government ones? If you dont have one of the machines where the pressure increases as you sleep, I can see why you would struggle with it for so long. At first, finding a new breathing cycle is hard. But after 8 weeks? I bet your air pressure is too high to start with.  
 
If you have one from Rana or another private company, you should bring them your memory card attached to the machine and have them adjust the pressure for you.  
 
If you have one of the free ones... all I can say is hopefully it gets better for you. Or if you can swing it, maybe look into one of the paid machines.

I was diagnosed by my doctor and sent to Winnipeg for overnight testing. I have a government Bi=Pap machine and it has the "ramp" feature - - starts out with less pressure and builds until full pressure. A bi-pap has constant pressure and also pushes air (mine is at 16 times/minute) I cannot sleep without it and it has literally been a life saver. I used to fall asleep at any time during the day and even while driving. If you think you need one don't wait!!! Once you get used to it you won't want to be without it.

before I got my sleep apnea machine, i quit breathing 65 times per hr.I would get up 5 or 6 times every night for bathroom breaks. was starting to fall asleep at the wheel. had to pull over and nap. i was lucky my insurance plan covered the cost of my machine and mask plus all filters.1st night i used it,I slept 7 hrs straight through.i now get into deep r.e.m sleep. it has really helped me to sleep.  
 
Edited by Rainy, 2017-10-12 21:32:07

that ever happened to me! I was waking up over 240 times a night & was a complete zombie for years during the day. Finally had an overnight sleep test done at the Misericordia. Went to VitalAire in the basement of the Brandon Medical Clinic & was given a CPAP machine with a) the ramp-up feature b) heated hose etc. I had absolutely NO problems adjusting to it - put it on & the sleep apnea is down to an average of 0.3 episodes a night. The only problem I have is that I have chronic migraines & can only wear the ResMed "harness" that doesn't go over the forehead. And unfortunately, ResMed does not yet have a gel cushion full mask so I have to use the silicon one. After about 5 months it starts to get less flexible & the seal isn't quite as good, especially considering I'm a side-sleeper. I bought a ResMed memory foam mask on sale off the Internet & it was absolutely FANTASTIC - comfortable when sleeping on the side, no pressure points, just great. However, it only lasted three weeks before the seal wasn't any good & at $64 a pop which the government doesn't pay, it's too pricey for the average user. I also bought a pole-type apparatus that keeps the hose up off the pillows which seems to help. If you have trouble sleeping make sure you ask for a sleep apnea test!

I have heard that this piercing can help with headaches/ migraines I noticed a couple of you suffer with headaches /migraines .

underXtheXradar said "please correct me if I''m wrong but, as it was explained to me by my doctor, the free provincial cpap machines are different than the paid ones correct?     My machine is specifically tuned to me to start off with low pressure and then gradually build throughout the night to my optimum air pressure. This is important because the low pressure helps me fall asleep, then my optimum air pressure (for me, a much higher air pressure) keeps my airway open all night.     How it was explained to me is that the provincial machine only uses one air pressure. So it's harder to fall asleep with because it's too much pressure. OR it can be set to lower pressure so that you can fall asleep earlier, but then it''s not enough pressure to keep your airways open at night...meaning you can still have apneas.     My machine was $2000. Which is damn expensive. But insurance covered half of that. So to me $1000 on a great machine is a worthwhile investment in my sleep.     Edited by underXtheXradar, 2017-10-12 19:32:04"

With the gov't program you do end up on one fixed pressure, but the machines are exactly the same as the one you purchased.  
Their is a ramp that auto adjusts to your breathing until you are asleep, and then gradually reaches your prescribed pressure.  
This does not result in still having apneas-quite the opposite in fact.  
The SDC wouldn't prescribe it that way if it wasn't beneficial. They are specially trained doctors to deal with polysomnography, and that is who works with the clinicians doing the gov't program.