Mild - Moderate Apnea - Should I buy?

[Galgenstrick]

I was diagnosed with mild to moderate OSA. AHI of 9 while side sleeping, AHI of 20 while back sleeping

I'm trying to decide if I should fork out the money for a CPAP/APAP. insurance only covers 50% if I go through them, so it would be cheaper to buy it outright online and not deal with the hassle.

I feel like it would be no issue if my AHI was a solid 20 or higher, but I'm unsure how much relief I'll get from a machine and if I'll even be able to tolerate it. I guess I could rent, but at $100/mo + mask and hose costs it seems a bit steep.

I guess I have a couple questions here:

1. Anyone notice a big difference on CPAP/APAP that has a similar lowish AHI (9-20)?
2. Did it take anyone more than 1 month to adjust to using a CPAP machine? I feel like renting for 1 month isn't long enough to judge anything.

I'll add that I wake up several times per night, more than 5 most nights, sometimes more than 10. Sometimes when I wake up my heart is pounding. I don't really snore. I breathe through my nose unless congested. I didn't sleep very well during the study, so my apnea could be worse than what they recorded, or maybe better?

[C0mbe]

Welcome to the forum!   Personally I would treat it if it was over 5.   I don't know whether you were diagnosed with a PSG or at home test, but there is a consensus that home tests under-estimate.  

I also tend to find that Apnea severity can be really inconsistent and depend on factors you may not be aware of:  i.e. Diet, weight gain/loss, altitude, alcohol.  

Getting on an xPAP has changed my life.  I sleep longer than before, am happier, and have started losing weight.  You might find that you don't wake up as often and your heart rate isn't racing.  Keep in mind everyone is different and responses vary, but with a little perseverance it gets to be second nature at bed time.

[TASmart]

I would spring for it. The difference in how I feel and think since I started using my CPAP is huge.

[Galgenstrick]

Thanks for the welcome!

I was diagnosed with a PSG. I had a take home several years ago and they said they didn't find anything with that. I did the PSG last month since I switched to better insurance. 

Some other info. I don't really drink alcohol more than once a week and when I do, it's one drink. I don't use any caffeine at all. Exercise 3x week or so. Maybe 10-20 pounds overweight.


I think I'll give it a try, my wife definitely noticed I stop breathing at night. What's weird though is I don't gasp for air or anything, just breath shallower and shallower until I stop for several seconds.

[MitchS]

Hello Galgenstrick. Welcome to the forum.

I have mild sleep apnea and can't imagine not using my cpap. There is a world of difference in the way I feel in the morning. On the few occasions I have dozed off without it on I woke up gasping, feeling like I couldn't get enough air. It makes a huge of difference in how well I sleep and in how I feel.

I didn't have as much trouble adjusting to using a cpap machine as a lot of people who have posted on the forum. How long it takes is very individual, however.

It was several months before I stopped waking several times a night. It kind of tapered off. At this point I don't wake up on most nights and when I do it is just once.

There is really no way to know how accurate your results are. If you had your study done in a sleep lab, it is probably pretty accurate. I understand, however, that home studies do tend to under report events.

For me, knowing what I know now, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a machine online if it was the most economical choice available to me.

Sleep well,
Mitch

[Galgenstrick]

Awesome info. I'm looking into the ResMed airsense 10 autoset APAP. I was also thinking of using nasal pillows instead of a mask since I have a bit of a beard. 

That all seem like a pretty decent choice? I am pretty sure I sleep on my stomach, side and back at certain times through the night.

[C0mbe]

The airsense 10 auto set is an awesome machine. You wouldn't do badly with either Resmed/Philips Respironics, but you'll notice after browsing a few threads that PR machines are a little slower to respond, and have to be dialed in a little more.

The auto set also has 3cmH20 expiraratory pressure relief ("EPR"), which feels somewhat like a bilevel, and is very comfortable.

[pholynyk]

It's a good idea to jump on any case of mild to moderate apnea, because it will probably progress to moderate to severe so slowly you won't remember that early diagnosis. I was diagnosed in 2003, and I refused a machine because it only happened when I slept on my back, and I never slept on my back. And the machine was noisy and the mask uncomfortable.
Five or six years later, I'm falling asleep in the afternoon at work, and eventually took early retirement, complaining to any doc I saw about tiredness. Finally in 2015 a resident doc said "Why don't you go to that sleep centre across the street and get checked out?" Bang! two months later I have an Autoset, and I started to sleep nights and stay awake days; no more woolly thinking, and I could go back to work if retirement wasn't so much fun now.

[Apnea Infant]

Hi Galgenstrick

I was diagnosed with mild to moderate sleep apnea after home oximetry with 15-20 events. I live in the UK and things are rather different here. A hospital overnight assessment concluded 7 AHI events but required 20 cm H2O at REM sleep. Many different medical views on this understood via internet. Further 2 weeks APAP home assessment advised therapy of 16.8.

I would promote XPAP therapy. If you read my thread, my journey after diagnosis has been problematic but the great guys here have pointed me in the direction of a first night of uninterrupted sleep last night after nearly 2 months altogether of PAP use. Before that I got to the point where I was dragging myself home with a 5 minute walk from the train station after work. I used to be very active but found myself retiring to bed every evening immediately upon returning from work. Had to rest in bed all day on Saturday due to sheer exhaustion. Was only capable of doing the absolutely minimum of keeping myself alive on Sunday i.e., food shopping, laundry and eating. Now I am looking forward to a break away for a week!

Your assessment of an Auto CPAP machine and nasal pillows is sound. As you have come early to this forum you may discover a month is sufficient to get on the right path.

I certainly look forward to reading about your journey but feel confident you will be well supported here.

All the very best

Apnea Infant .......maybe Apnea Toddler now!!

[Galgenstrick]

Thanks everyone. I just put in an order and should have the machine next week. Sounds like everyone here as well as my family and doctors are thinking it's a good idea to start therapy. fingers crossed that once I work out the kinks with the new routine, i'll start sleeping through the night. I really appreciate all the advice, and feel free to leave any more comments, suggestions or stories, I'm sure I'll be back here with more questions!