Apnea / CPAP

[ashling]

I got my new mask delivered a couple of weeks ago. I have gotten more sleep with it in the last few weeks with this new full face mask than I did in a year with the other mask.

Anyway, what type of masks and CPAP experiences have other Apneatics have.
How many different masks have you tried? What is your sleep number - to borrow a mattress marketing phrase. Mine is 13. With this new mask I don't even have to ramp up.

[xultar]

1. What about watching tv?

[hedgehog]

2. I've tried 4 different masks. The last one is pretty much a keeper.

After trying on masks with the respiratory therapists at the health agency, I finally hauled my machine to a c-pap supply store and tried the masks on with the machine running. The others seemed to fit fine until I got them home on and actually used them.

So the moral of the story:
1. Have your machine on and running to do a final fit test on any mask.
2. Keep trying masks until you find one that suits you.

Once you start looking at people's faces, it's amazing how diverse nose size and shapes are, and how noses relate to cheekbones and foreheads. Yet, a lot of suppliers think one-size-fits-all.

I may try switching to nose pillows. The mask I have is good but it sometimes rubs the bridge of my nose and leaves red marks.

[xultar]

3. I have the resumed swift fx nasal pillows and it is FAB! Small and effective!

[hyphenate]

4. Newly diagnosed here

But I have already said I won't wear that huge mask--I'm too claustrophobic. Even the thought of wearing the nostril thingy will be distressing to me--nothing about anyone else, except for my best friend died, it was partly because of apnea, and I feel a little too close for comfort even having the apnea.

My friend didn't know she had apnea, and thought all along she asthma, so when she was having trouble, she went to the ER for breathing treatments. Eventually, she found out she had apnea, and she was diagnosed as having pulmonary hypertension. She eventually went into congestive heart failure and died.

So besides my clautrophobia regarding the mask, I associate it with my friend.

I have always said I couldn't have apnea, as I don't snore or sleep on my back. Evidently, I can still have it. But the sleep study said I did. I guess I might have a different kind? Otherwise, it is just the same old crap for me--I'm sort of falling apart, one thing at a time. I swore to myself just a few weeks ago that if I kept up with the rate of diagnoses, I'll be dead within 5 years.

Meh.

[hedgehog]

5. Most masks are much smaller. I know a woman with claustrophobia

who swears by her nose pillows. Quite seriously, untreated apnea will make you fall apart one piece at a time.

[hedgehog]

6. You didn't mention having a humidifier. I think this should be standard with

all C-PAP machines. My humidifier ran out of water the other night and I really noticed the difference.