Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.
Login or Create an Account
Apologies for being negative, but cpap just seems so pointless sometimes.
Most people on here and majorly struggling even after a long period of time. Myself I have been on cpap and then bipap for years and hardly see any improvement. Ive manipulated settings, talked to my doctor, done sleep studies, used online support, and still the same struggle.
Is there anyone that has found success after years of struggle? It seems like we are all on here fighting a battle that most seem to be losing. Sometimes I wonder if I should just give up bipap and see how I feel after a few weeks.
I am so envious of those people that wake up in the morning and have energy to get through the day.
Yes there's struggles, but lots on the Apnea Board are successfully using and benefiting from CPAP.
Every CPAP must be set per the individual needs. Sometimes it'll take a month to get it right, some less than others more than this. After that you'll begin to benefit.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Folks have been sleeping poorly for many years and just dealing with it. It may take months to fine-tune CPAP settings, but once you reach that point you will be glad.
The challenge for many is relying on their doctors and sleep techs to help. Sadly, few medical professionals have enough experience tweaking things to do so. Their expertise is in the diagnostic aspects of sleep apnoea, not the fix it aspects.
After faffing around with the machine and reading about it for months, folks come here and elsewhere looking for help. That is what we try to do in finding settings that work, along with helping point out other ways to improve sleep quality.
One good piece of advise I was given long ago applies equally well here. When you go to a surgeon for advise, don’t be surprise when the answer involves surgery.
I started CPAP Therapy Sept. of 2018. From the get go, all went well and I had little to no issues at all getting used to it.
After a couple of years, I didn't feel any improvement. I gave it up for two years and put all my CPAP equipment on a shelf in a closet. I'm dealing with some AFIB issues now and my doctor wanted me back on CPAP. So.....that's what I did.
My #'s are good and I still have no issues with it at all. It helps that I have great insurance to cover the equipment that needs to be replaced every so often. Nothing out of pocket for me.
I'm looking at have a Catheter Ablation done in mid October. I'm hoping that it will go well and my need for CPAP will diminish. I've been assured that I'll feel much better after it's done.
Many times in the past, I questioned the need for CPAP. But, sooner or later, I went back to it. I can honestly say that I can sleep just as well w/o any of it.
Before lowering pressure support, set the Trigger setting to High or Very High. Experiment and see what feels best.
The Trigger setting is known to lower CA events.
Above all, don't give up. There's not too many of us here that adapted quickly. It takes some time to zone in on the right pressures, a good mask fit, and most of all a good mindset helps.
Your leak rate isn't bad, but if you look at your leak rate graph, the spikes indicate mask movement. If you haven't already read through the Mask Primer, take some time to read it, especially this:
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
I've started using the VPAP in February 2008. It took me a few weeks to get use to it. My Sleep Apnea was so bad I developed an enlarge heart (Upper Portion of Heart). After about a month I couldn't go to sleep without wearing the VPAP. I slept like a baby with it. After about a year using the VPAP my heart returned to normal. Don't get me wrong, there are some nights, not many, I like to throw that Full Face Mask through the window because I can't get the proper seal. Now I can't take a nap without the VPAP.
(08-22-2024, 04:31 PM)DreadPirateRawburts Wrote: Is there anyone that has found success after years of struggle?
Once you have apnea, you change your lifestyle because it stays with you for the rest of your life. It is best to learn the art and monitor yourself. I have been doing this successfully for about 20 years. I ignored doctors and sleep services. I found them useless and ignorant. I have closely watched my OSCAR and changed its settings according to my health condition, supplements, and diet. Finding the right instrument, mask, settings, and sleeping position takes patience.
Be humble, accept your limitations, and live together with this condition.
