Stopped waking up without machine?

[Greg543]

Hi all,

I've been using a machine for about 2 years and I found it helped, though it wasn't perfect.

I went on Vacation for 2 months and didn't bring my cpap machine. (Was worried about cockroaches getting into it)

Now I'm home and not using the machine. I notice I am not waking up and things are basically fine without the machine.

Does this mean I don't need the machine any more? 

I'm worried my body is just used to having the machine and is not waking up even though it is not getting the right amount of oxygen.

Before I got help for apnea, I felt like I was waking up A LOT, like 50 or more times. That is not happening now.

Any help is much appreciated.

[sheepless]

you didn't say how you feel but i assume you would have if you didn't feel well. feeling lousy would be a telling sign.

have someone check on you throughout the night. if that's not possible, a video camera and/or audio recorder can help you determine if you're having apnea, snoring, thrashing, whatever. sleeping with your machine on lowest tolerable pressure setting may tell you something. minimal pressure is still some level of treatment but any events that you had would be indicative of continuing apnea.

the chances of some kind of recovery from apnea are slim but not unheard of. have you lost a lot of weight?

a sleep study (polysomnography) is the only accurate way to know. the next best thing, home sleep testing equipment can be rented from online and sometimes local sources.

also, search this site for info on relatively inexpensive oximeters supported by sleepyhead and oscar. that would answer your question about O2 levels.

[srlevine1]

You might discuss having another sleep test with your doctor. Bad things, like pulmonary hypertension, CHF, etc. may occur silently over time. There must have been a reason for the CPAP prescription, so unless you have lost at least twenty pounds or stopped some other behavior (like drinking), it may just be that you are oblivious to minor disturbances and awakenings.

At the very least, I would use the machine for a week or so and post some of the charts for community comment. Perhaps someone might spot something to incentivize you to keep up with necessary therapy.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but you may be playing cpap craps with your health.

[Sleepster]

Now I'm home and not using the machine. I notice I am not waking up and things are basically fine without the machine.

Does this mean I don't need the machine any more?

That alone doesn't tell you whether or not you need the machine. It's possible that you're waking but have no memory of it.

In your profile you state you're unsure of the pressure setting and that you're not using software. You also state that during the two years you used your machine it helped but wasn't perfect.

Consider taking advantage of the tools available here at ApneaBoard. Get the user manual for your machine so you can learn how to read and, if necessary change, the pressure setting. You can also download the free OSCAR software here. That will go a long way towards determining whether or not you need to keep using your CPAP machine.

It's very rare that obstructive sleep apnea goes away, although significant weight loss can sometimes make that happen.

[srlevine1]

Sleepster: Testing OSCAR link ... OSCAR to see if the system provides the link as it did for the previous software. -- Apparently it does if you remember to put the number sign # (hash tag ) in front of the word OSCAR. -- All appears to be well.