solo60, from a males perspective, I wouldn't care as long as my partner was healthy and well. I'm married and my wife doesn't like it so I sleep in a seperate bed but that is my choice. I moved prior to being diagnosed because I was kicking, tossing, turning, getting up and down all night and sometimes even jumping up about 6 inches off the bed so I was waking her up as much as I was being awake myself and she was getting as bad as me. She doesn't believe I have sleep apnea but I feel so much better than I ever have before. I am slowly tapering off the antidepressants that I have been on for a couple of years. My story probably doesn't help you but we are all in different situations.

Hi there, you got a lot of good reply's here. My husband loves me know matter what. The first time he saw me I said, Want to go snorkling? And we both laughed. I have the nasal cushions so it does not look bad or cover my whole face. I love it. Im sure your guy will still be attracted to you. This is for your health and you are important!!

Like Butterflybaby, my husband and I keep it light. He calls me Major Tom or he makes the Darth Vadar voice when referring to my "gear". I was even brave enough to put on a nightie and my head gear and I attempted to seduce him! It was all over the top ridiculous and we laughed like fools. Having apnea negatively affected our relationship, being on cpap, helped heal it!

I first went to this doctor because she was an endrocrinologist and I needed to find someone who would help me with my thyroid. I had been diagnosed as hypo several years ago and had always managed it well with Armour thyroid but I have moved, needed a new prescription and was having a heck of a time finding someone who would write one for Armour. This new doctor did all the standard tests, did some radiology test and then wanted me to do the sleep study. She's part owner of some facility that does them and I'm thinking that she was just tryin' to make as many bucks off me as she could but I went thinking I could cross that medical problem off my list but I was totally rocked when I got the results. I still am. I've had night when I've been scared to go sleep wondering if I'd make it through the night. I still don't have my thyroid meds and the soctor has said that I won't be able to have any success with that ubtil I get the apnea addressed. Have any of you been told that? Ther are so many other conditions that are connected to the sleep problem...depression seems to be connected....for sure.

Interesting. Do you feel like you have sleep apnea? Do you know if you snore? Or do you ever wake gasping for air of feel like you're "forgetting to breathe"? Do you toss and turn a lot during sleep and wake with a headache? Those are very classic and tell tale signs of sleep apnea. I think I might be suspicious of my doc if she suggested a sleep study without my first having had some symptoms.
I don't have hypothyroidism, but it seems to me that she should give you a prescription for a thyroid med regardless of treated sleep apnea or not.
Yes, depression is very common with sleep apnea, but it's common with many diseases, hypothyroidism included.
If you feel confident in this doctor then trust her and continue to go with her recommendations, but if you are doubting her in any way perhaps it wouldn't hurt to seek a second opinion.

solo,

Most machines are sooo quiet they can't be heard at all, even with someone sleeping right next to you. My partner, the first time she slept over admitted she was "frightened by it" because she had never seen anyone using one. So maybe the solution is to explain this to your man, and if need be, show him the machine and how you look with it on when you sleep.

As for love making, it never had any negative effect for us. In fact if anything, I was rested enough to WANT to make love. If your man is going to judge you based on how you look with the mask...or such, then I'd have to say, he's not worth having around, Once my honey got over her fear of it, she sort of liked the idea that it was keeping me safe, told me it had no effect on how she saw me....

hope it works out for you. But i Have to tell you....not using your cpap, could eventually lead to stroke. So think about the consequences of worrying about "beauty" over health. Love making will be fine...you will be great...if you just worry about your health and wear the mask!