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CPAP and the Great Outdoors
#11
RE: CPAP and the Great Outdoors
(02-15-2014, 10:09 PM)twloughlin Wrote: I mean, it took them two months from the initial diagnosis to getting the machine; I could have died in those two months while waiting for therapy. Am I willing to take the same two-month risk to accomplish the hiking goal?

There's a bit more to it than that. Apneas put a lot of stress on your cardiovascular system, and the cumulative effect could be that you will suffer a heart attack or stroke. It's rather like saying you smoked for two months and it didn't kill you, so maybe it's ok to do it for two more months.

I believe that you could go hiking with your CPAP machine. You could carry a light weight battery and a solar charger. You could plan your hikes so that you have access to the grid on enough occasions to charge your batteries.

Check other sources such as backpacker magazine for more information. You can't be the only hiker with sleep apnea.
Sleepster

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.
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#12
RE: CPAP and the Great Outdoors
TW, like you my apnea is not severe and I enjoy camping and outdoors. I think sometimes we get the feeling that if we take the mask off we are going to die or something bad will happen. But you are right, my sleep doctor never seemed to be in a big hurry to get me diagnosed and I was ok.

Even now I take a night off occasionally. I went skiing with a couple of younger guys last weekend, three nights, and I had no problems. I think since using cpap my air passages have expanded from the pressure and I breathe easier all the time. I have no illusion that I can quit cpap, or it would eventually come back.

Nights when i'm having leaks (cpap I mean) or problems sleeping I just take it off. I figure that i'm no worse off than before. I do realize that some people have a more severe apnea and may be more tied to the machine. Good luck with finding the best solution.
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#13
RE: CPAP and the Great Outdoors
The largest problem with CPAP therapy is compliance. The machine won't work if you don't use it.

The choice is yours, of course, and you can do whatever you want.

I would caution others against taking your advice. Going without CPAP is like smoking. You increase your chances of disease, lower the overall quality of your life, and you develop bad habits that can lead to abandonment of your therapy. And you justify the practice with rationalizations that are mental errors.

I have a family member and a co-worker and friend who have fallen into this trap. When I try to talk to them about it I get nowhere. All I hear are rationalizations based on mental errors.

In your particular case I could be wrong, but the large number of CPAP machines gathering dust in closets is a reality.
Sleepster

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.
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#14
RE: CPAP and the Great Outdoors
So...what you all need is a decent power supply that will keep the CPAP running at least all night (two or three is better)
And still be compact/light and be able to recharge from solar + wind power.

(luggable?)

"With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable." - Thomas Foxwell Buxton

Cool
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#15
RE: CPAP and the Great Outdoors
Also, there have been several remarks on threads here of those who have skipped CPAP for a night after beginning it and have been really sorry with how lousy they feel. Prior to beginning CPAP you have developed coping skills and don't know any better. Once you begin using it and start feeling positive effects and then skip it, many on here have said how awful they feel.

I live within a quarter mile of a portion of the Finger Lakes Trail =]
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#16
RE: CPAP and the Great Outdoors
I would get the oral appliance and sleep on your side. What would be real cool is to have a sleep study wearing the appliance after you've had some time to adjust to it.

Another thing to think about is what elevation you'll be at? High elevations compound SA issues.
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#17
RE: CPAP and the Great Outdoors
What Sleepster and ImaSurvivor said.
trish6hundred
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#18
RE: CPAP and the Great Outdoors
You might also talk to your doctor about an oral appliance to use on your hiking/camping trips instead of a CPAP. It is a mouthpiece that moves your lower jaw forward to help prevent the airway from closing. It works for some people, not for others, and it can take awhile to get adjusted properly. I started with an oral appliance, got some good results but it didn't completely eliminate my apnatic (sp?) episodes, so I am getting ready to get a CPAP. However, I plan on keeping the mouthpiece around for camping trips or power outages. Seems like a better option than not doing anything!
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#19
RE: CPAP and the Great Outdoors
You may want to look into the hammock sleep systems available. You could raise your head higher than your feet which may help with the breathing if you can't take the machine with you.

Good luck.
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#20
RE: CPAP and the Great Outdoors
Hi chicky,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Best of luck to you as you start your CPAP therapy.
trish6hundred
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