Sleep Apnea Support Group

What is the problem...the masks themselves, or having problems exhaling? Are you titrating up to your prescribed pressure? BiPap has less pressure on the exhale...I didn't like it. I found a great mask for me as I'm allergic to silicone (what all but one mask is made of) and nothing touches my face but the nose pillows. What kind of masks have you tried? Nose pillows, nose, full? Once I found the right mask and use titration to get to my pressure I can't do without it. I can tell the difference immediately when I get up if I don't use it. I'll help you any way that I can....I went through the mill finding something that works.
Carol

Thanks for the advice. I have been changing it around because I did a home sleep study and I just don't believe it works higher or lower.
I went over this like a year ago witht he company.

Only God knows why, I will pull it off my face and I feel suffocated. I also start getting stuffy nose from humidity and if I use dry I get a sore throat.

The pillows didn't work either but I haven't retried them in months. I will be trying once again to try to get it right.

I don't know if my RLS place into this because I have to move around alot and it may move my mask around? Who knows. I just want to stop biting my cheeks and my mouth when it is on.

Check out the mask I use...nothing touches your face at all but the nose pillows themselves. It is made by AEIOMed and is called the Headrest. It adusts forwards, backwards, up and down. You'll understand when you look at the pictures of it. In addition, the nose piece has a wire frame inside so it is adjustable too. It's the only thing I can wear. I've had very little slippage once I get it adjusted and I sleep on my side or stomach. See what you think.
Carol

im with you, no matter what mask i tried i felt suffocated and could not breathe. i tried a machine which relieved the pressure when i breathed out by 3 (thats not bipap). even that didnt help. even a max of 9cm was too much for me to breathe against when i fell asleep.

so the untrained folk at the sleep centre said it must be my lungs and i have problems. (sheesh like they are doctors, not).

it all depends on what type of sleep centre u go too. in the US i think they are better.

anyway, i dont know what my next step is because i cant do CPAP

You know I have been physically ill fighting something off. I can't wear anything and I haven't recieved any info on the next plan from my primary.
I did get a ct request to check out a polyp in my nose to see what it is doing? Just take it out. How many times are they going to look at it and say oh it is not causing problems.
Anyway, patience is truly a virtue.

Well, hanging in there and staying in touch with doc is important. I tried really hard for 9 mo. But I couldn't tolerate the mask, headgear with my fibromyalgia. Doc referred me to dentist for oral appliance. I'm really looking forward to trying this option. The dentist actually referred me to a physical therapist to work on my TMJ muscles.

Ah gosh, TMJ. I can get all the different headgears mouthpeices etc for only 10,000.00.

Other than that i am doing okay today. I hope we all get a goodnight sleep.
Seriously

i wake up alot..cuz i had 200 apneas and 400 hypopneas..was on cpap 14 mothes settings 14 15 16...now on bi pap 5 lpm o2 added a min..getting pulse oximeter test tonight at home..i got it for te weekend..my daytime o2 is avg 97...during cardio workout its 94-97 not bad fo a smoker thats got copd..yes trying to stop..but need to sleep wright..sleeping is proved to be more important tha eating..ui just seen this this week..my o2 at nights drops below 88% to 63 %at the lowest 55 min total,,but not knowing how long at 63%..a mean oif 93%..this would be a load off of me to see a READING OF AT THE LEAST 90% AT THE WHOLE NITE..NO MATTER WHAT I DO..IVE LOST 65 POUNDS IN 14 MONTHES OR MORE.IM DOING CARDIO WORKOUTS 5 DAYS A WEEK AND MUSCLE MASS TRAINING..AND STILL NOT SEEPING.my pulmanary doc says you need to start sleeping..i have no problems going to sleep..am staying asleep longer but not noticing a real big change...this bi pap woud do you alot better my opiun..you dont have that exhale against the pressure..but the bi pap seems to make me more bloated and gasy.alot...when i eat in the am it dont seem to take much to fill me..+++ im on 1200 Cal's diet now doing good..i want to get this under control..i need to drop at least 40 more..be at 220..thats good enough..i think your (R.L.S.) RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME..MAY BE CAUSED BY THE APNEA'S...DIDN'T THE DOC THINK SO? CUZ WHEN YOU STOP BREATHING UR BRAIN REALIZES THE CO2 HAS WENT UP.THEN UR BRAIN MAKES YOU WAKE UP,,THIS MAY OR MAY NOT BE YOUR CASE..KLONOPIN IS GREAT FOR RLS..AND IT ALSO HELPS WITH ANXIETY'S AND SLEEP INDUCED..I WAS ON IT 11 YRS PRIOR TO XANAX......

just got a bigger mask. seems like as a mouth breather i need nose and mouth covered. it's not so comfortable but i do feel better the next morning. sometimes i forget to put the mask on when i awake at 2-3 am to take my second dosage of xyrem for sleep. then i'm in real trouble and wake up sleepy again. last night i did ok. kept it on all night. love feeling better.

You know my bruxism is so bad and the teeth I have are so out of whack. I think I might have to go to the TMJ doctor and start trying to help myself that way.

To be honest I feel like sometimes in order to be able to use the cpap I have to have false teeth or no teeth.

Yeah, vanity is really in my way now.