How old are you when first diagnosed?

[GregCavalier]

Great point Uncle Bill. I know that it is more than a question of how the therapy makes me feel. And I know that low O2 saturation has a pervasive impact on systemic health, and is linked to risks of stroke, etc. And while I understand that, it seems that I have to be constantly reminded. It is sooooo easy to put the stuff away in a drawer. And, for me anyway, the draw back to the machine is the realization that I am less functional, less alert, and less able to focus during the afternoon. The CPAP gives me more energy, and I feel genuinely healthier and alert. That is the dividend for me. If I didn't have that kind of feedback in sense of wellbeing, I doubt I would ever have been drawn back to using it. The academic argument is very real, but also very abstract ... of course, until it kills you. Then I suppose it isn't academic anymore... lol But I am glad that I am on CPAP, and I'm glad that I forced myself to go back to it. And that is my primary point... for new users not to give up on it! The fact that there are now so many ways to buy masks online has made a huge difference for me. If I was dependent on my local DME I would still have been fitted with a standard nasal mask, that left welts over the bridge of my forehead and down the sides of my cheek. Would wake up looking like I lost a fight in a bar. The DME store never mentioned alternatives, and my insurance, as far as I know, only covered the single mask. But on my own, I went online and tried a bunch of different models and finally found one that I like, am comfortable with, and at a price that I didn't feel that I was being ripped off. I mean come on, can anyone really justify charging $165.00 for a $3.00 piece of silicone? At least with the online options, it isn't cheap by any means, but it is at least affordable and you can see what is available. And again, the right mask is what made the difference for me. Without even knowing the choices existed, the monstrosity I was first issued would have been chunked in the trash along with the machine.

[greatunclebill]

some people put it on, have a relatively short adjustment time and never think about not using it. most people, i think, struggle every night with it. the easiest thing in the world is taking it off or not putting it on. the hardest thing in the world is putting it on after a night of not using it or taking it off early. every night you don't use it, it becomes exponentially easier to leave it off and harder to put it back on.

by most people i didn't mean forum users that come here to learn. i meant the people that don't adjust well to it, if at all, and don't want to know about it and don't look for forums to help themselves. they give up and put it in the closet.

[joepublic23]

I knew I had it in my 20s but never bothered to do a sleep study till this year when I was 43. I was given a CPAP machine about 2.5 months ago. I have managed to fall asleep with it about 4 times and I had to be sedated for that to happen, so I will probably be returning the CPAP soon and pursuing a dental or surgical procedure.

[DH575]

I had a sleep study in 1963 because I was sleeping on my desk all the time. The doc just gave me a sedative.

[Uzupan]

I had my first sleep study in July 2021 at the age of 61. I Went on CPAP for about six months and then tried an oral appliance and that did not work and had to go back on CPAP. I am trying to lose weight so hopefully I might be able to come off of CPAP one day.