Your Personal CPAP Success Story - Post Here

[Leemax]

I've only been on cpap since Feb. 21 but I happy that I'm getting things are getting dialed in, with the help of you great folks on the board! I only had mild apnea to begin with (6.7 on the initial sleep study) but it was still bad enough to leave me feeling crappy and, I'm sure, to be doing some long-term damage to my overall health. Anyhow, in the last ten nights I've only had two nights where my AHI has been over 2 (but still less than 3) and one night was actually 0.6! This is due in large part to some of the advice I've gotten here.
A great part of all this is that for the past three nights I've woken up at some point not sure if my mask (either p10 or DreamWear) or chinstrap (Ultimate chin strap) were on! It was that comfortable and normal feeling. I've pretty much gotten a little routine down for taking my mask off and putting it back on quickly, in the dark, without waking up my wife! I'm sure things will continue to improve, but for just over a month of use I'm feeling pretty good about things.

[Kayak18]

Good for you!  

[Habsman]

I just recently joined and have really enjoyed reading the posts and have learned quite a bit already. There is a lot of expertise from members here. While I am not new to therapy, I am just in the beginning stages of seeing success and thought I would share my story now, and then update it as I go along (and I know that I will have questions).

I was diagnosed in 2006 after many years of restless nights and insomnia, followed by chronic fatigue, which was impacting both my personal life and work. When I was a student in university, I even wondered how I would ever be able to hold down a job given my struggles to get a good night's sleep - and wondered how I would ever be able to get up in the morning lol. After many years, and with prodding from my wife, I finally spoke to my physician and was referred for a two night sleep study in hospital.  I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, although my study showed that all of my events were hypopneas - relatively moderate at 17. I was prescribed Alertec (modafinil) for the fatigue and to help with daytime drowsiness. I struggled with using a cpap, was constantly congested and felt like I was being smothered, was then switched to an auto-set, and tried multiple masks - but I was unsuccessful and generally gave up. Every now and again I would try (a friend who is on a cpap would nudge me along to keep trying), but only ever put in 2 to 3 hours per night, but with most of that time just lying there wide awake and mad as hell (lol), before I would throw my mask across the room (much to the amusement of my wife). 

In 2014, I decided to take control of my sleep apnea once again.  I went back to the sleep clinic, got a prescription for Nasonex to deal with my congestion issues (and changed medications that were contributing to my congestion), got a new machine, and started experimenting with different masks.  It wasn't until this January that I found the perfect mask, a Resmed N20, and I went from 2.5 hours to 4, then 6, then 8 hours per night!  Then after reading on this Board about going into the Clinical Menu on my Resmed, I started looking at more detailed information about my sleep patterns, and logged into Resmed's MyAir reports.  I just added the heated ClimateLine hose - and that has made a world of difference.  Several weeks ago I downloaded Sleepyhead (after reading about it here), and now I am looking at my data (although I will need some help here analysing it). It's weird, but I look forward to going to bed now, and I am even going to bed earlier (rather than waiting until I am so tired that I crawl upstairs to pass out).    

I have to add that I am a Type 1 diabetic (been using an insulin pump since 2004), have hypothyroidism, B12 and D deficient, high cholesterol, have some diabetic neuropathy and circulation issues (legs and feet), and have suffered from chronic pain off and on over the years.  I am not overweight, and have been active and had a successful career for decades despite my health issues.  In 2013, I suffered an occlusion in my left eye and lost a significant portion of my vision. As I write this, it looks pretty horrible, but my life has been anything but - I have been married for over 30 years to a supportive and loving wife, have successful grown children, 6 wonderful grandchildren, and great friends.

Well I guess that's a lot for a first time post - I hope that it wasn't too much at once.  I look forward to being a member here and thank everyone for their posts, as I've learned so much already.

[Sleepster]

Welcome to Apnea Board, Habsman. I predict that you will begin to enjoy going to bed even more as time passes. Like you, before CPAP I avoided bed as it was a torture chamber for me. I also predict that you will see lots of your other health problems subside as you start getting more of the deep restorative sleep you need to be healthy. I also suggest you try the NeilMed sinus rinse kit. You can pick one up at any drug store for about $10. If it doesn't make you squeamish to rinse out your sinuses, you will find that it really helps with the congestion.

[Sleeprider]

Welcome Habsman. Looking forward to seeing more of you here. Glad to hear you found your way back to success.

[MitchS]

Welcome, Habsman. Congratulations on getting your treatment on track.

[Habsman]

Thank you - I looked up the nasal rinse kits (there are a lot of different ones) and I should be able to pick one up this weekend - I will give it a try and see how it goes -

[TASmart]

I have been on CPAP for two weeks now, and thus far it's been a total success. I was 99% sure I had sleep apnea for many years, basically since I first heard about sleep apnea. Of course I did not realize either the severity of the disorder, nor what treatments were available. First noticed snoring, multiple night awakenings, and extreme restless sleep since I was in high school in the early 1970s. I first noticed that I was tired most of the time a few years later, wrote it off to college pressures. Years passed. I refused treatment for HBP saying I was always that way gained lots of weight, entered recurrent depressions, went on and off and on anti depressants. Since I was first treated for depression in the 1990s, I complained about being tired all the time. The standard answer was give it time for the antidepressant to work. I gave it time, and felt better, but still fought to get out of bed, and never felt like doing much of anything outside of work.

And so it went. Finally in 2003 psychiatrist told me he thought I had ADD and possibly Sleep apnea. By then I was self insured, and could not afford sleep studies. Treatment for ADD ( now I know it was not ADD but was being so tired I needed the stimulation of work) was a low dose of amphetamine, plus the long cycles of antidepressants. It all helped, but I still was tired and worn out all the time. I had no reserve to do much other than work, ski and a bit of bicycling.

Pretty much from that point on, I forgot about apnea, and whenever I saw a Dr complained about tiredness. Tried some thyroid meds only slight help.

Finally in 2016, fully too tier to be any more tired, I got a referral to a sleep center for an initial consultation. The referral was in July. Sleep Centers here are so backed up I had the initial consult in October, the first sleep test in December and the titration in March. Dx was moderate sleep apnea, desaturation down to 82% for 1/4 of my sleep time. I received a Resmed Airsense 10 Auto on March 22. First couple of nights were difficult. Had my sinuses swell shut the first night, lots of leasks and mouth breathing the next couple of nights. but my AHI was down from and untreated 27 to 3ish. Over the last couple of weeks a few tweeks and its running from .7 to 2 nightly. And I Feel fantastic.

From the first morning I felt awake. I can't remember when I did not feel tired nor want a nap. I have quit napping, i wake spontaneously w/o an alarm at between 5 and 6 daily. My mood is better than its been in a very long time. Although I have not felt a big energy surge, what has happened may be better. I am not sleepy. I am awake all day every day, and I feel a sense of calm. Previously I needed to drink a lot of coffee to feel alert and needed that wound up nervous tension to be productive. Now, I am calmly and happily awake and alert. What a great feeling.

Oh yea, I only have to get up once per night to pee, at most. Before it was 3-4 times most nights.

That's my story, hope it helps someone seek and get treatment. Apnea is worse than death - its a half death that does not need to be.

[Habsman]

Hello TASmart - your story reminded me of mine, because when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I was told that my tiredness would be eliminated after I started meds. It wasn't, even after the dosage was increased over the years. Then when I was told that I was B12 deficient, I was told my fatigue would go away once I started taking it. Again, it didn't help. While I still have a long way to go, I am beginning to feel better and I know that things will finally improve. 

It's funny how there are so many similarities between everyone's stories. TASmart your AHI has already improved so much - congrats!

[TASmart]

Thanks. It's exciting to keep noticing little improvements almost daily. When that becomes old hat it will more of a challenge to be consistent with the therapy - I have been 100% each and every day since I started.