Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here

[gamatiasz]

I've been using a CPAP machine for the past 2 years. I've been diagnosed with mild to moderate apnea and all was going well until my scalp developed a persistent itch bordering on annoyingly irritating due to the straps and tubing involved with wearing my mask. I use various OTC shampoos (T-Gel, T-Sal, Ketoconazole) as well as prescription medications (fluocinonide, desoximetasone) to try and control the itch. Not all at once, but alternating between various treatments over several days. My success story is that I found this website and message board. I was able to order padding for my mask, find out about other shampoos and medications, adjust my CPAP pressure, etc. I'm really glad you're here!

[Dormeo]

Wow, you sound like a real problem-solver -- that's great!

If you ever want to get wild and crazy, check out the Bleep mask. It has no headgear; the nasal interface just stick onto your nose. My skin is very, very sensitive, and I have no trouble with the adhesive.

If you ever go that route, be sure to get the newer version of the Bleep, with a little black dealie that holds filter material over the vents plus a longer, more flexible short hose. And do use something to clean the oil off your skin.

But why mess with success? If you're figured out what works for you, stick with it!

[method115]

I'm 26 days in now and I've had some unexpected results from using CPAP. I've been struggling for a while now to get over 165 pounds and I eat a lot of food just to maintain that. Now I'm at 170 and this is with cutting out about 200 calories (daily) from my diet as I stopped eating peanuts. On top of that my lifts in the gym have become much easier. I used to struggle to bench 205 pounds and now I'm lifting it easily even after taking a week off which usually makes everything harder.

Air filling up my mouth seems to happen a lot less frequently as well or it's not waking me up as much either or.

[Dormeo]

Yes, unexpected and wonderful -- congrats!

[emmgee]

One thing that drove me crazy in the beginning was the accumulation of moisture in my full-face mask.  I tried various settings for humidity and temperature.  That didn't really help much.  I got one of those sleeves you cover the heated tube with.  I think that helped.  I got an arm that holds the tube over my head.  That helped a lot.  

But I would still wake up with a clammy feeling between my mask and skin.  Often there would be a small pool of condensation on the downhill side of the mask.  I would wake up in the middle of the night and try to dry it out.  That generally woke me up enough that it was hard to fall back to sleep.

I got the idea to get a second mask.  I use the F&P Vitera mask which pops in and out of the frame that is connected to the headgear.  Other masks work similarly.  Now I get up, pop out the first one and pop in the backup.  It takes seconds.  Then back to sleep (or pee first).  If I get up a second time, the first mask has dried out and it's good to go.

I've never seen this suggestion before so I thought I would contribute it.  It has made a huge difference.  I wake up at least once a night, so this works well for me.

[Dormeo]

Neat idea, and I haven't seen it before. I'd suggest that you copy and paste what you've written into a new thread in the main forum, with some kind of informative subject line so more people will see this.

[Captain Howdy]

This might not be quite a success story just yet. Hopefully well on the way. But what did everyone experience when they finally started to actually sleep well again with good solid OSCAR numbers? For me i am sleeping so soundly. I'm asleep within about 15mins. I am able to wake up for only one pee a night and then readjust and go straight to sleep again. Unheard of! I don't wake with crippling headaches. My eyeballs dont hurt and i don't stay in bed spinning the world around in my head so much. My sleep is a total blackout, rather than a semi conscious, super alert sleep. I'm definitely not bouncing out of bed yet - but i don't care. I do feel like i'm wading through mental porridge tho. I assume that is to do with my body and brain getting used to this new thing called sleep.

[emmgee]

Fantastic!

[RayBee]

This might not be quite a success story just yet. Hopefully well on the way. But what did everyone experience when they finally started to actually sleep well again with good solid OSCAR numbers? For me i am sleeping so soundly. I'm asleep within about 15mins. I am able to wake up for only one pee a night and then readjust and go straight to sleep again. Unheard of! I don't wake with crippling headaches. My eyeballs dont hurt and i don't stay in bed spinning the world around in my head so much. My sleep is a total blackout, rather than a semi conscious, super alert sleep. I'm definitely not bouncing out of bed yet - but i don't care. I do feel like i'm wading through mental porridge tho. I assume that is to do with my body and brain getting used to this new thing called sleep.

Sounds like success to me. Congrats on the improvements.

For me. it took 6 to 9 months before I could really say I felt notable better. I suppose the damage to my body, in so many ways, took time to heal from the plethora of ill effects for so many years.

You'll be doing cartwheels in no time.

[Captain Howdy]

Sounds like success to me. Congrats on the improvements.

For me. it took 6 to 9 months before I could really say I felt notable better. I suppose the damage to my body, in so many ways, took time to heal from the plethora of ill effects for so many years.

You'll be doing cartwheels in no time.

Yeah. It's been a good year of experimenting, changing masks, pressures, woeful sleep and much swearing. But the past two weeks I think I've found a good solution thanks to the lovely people here. 

Onward!