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>CPAP is only tolerated by fewer than half of patients I know several people who are in this boat... but without exception, all the people I personally know wh

by lsc 8y ago

>CPAP is only tolerated by fewer than half of patients I know several people who are in this boat... but without exception, all the people I personally know who did not tolerate cpap treatment just used one mask, and when that didn't work, they stopped. I think I went through like ten masks from three brands before I really dialed in one that was comfortable for me, and I think that's key to tolerating sleeping with a face-hugger. >the efficacy of surgery is up in the air. The surgeon in the Bay Area that does jaw reconstructive surgery to open up more space for the airways charges six figures for the procedure, and it is not covered by insurance. I know two people who got the less invasive version of the surgery where they hack out parts of the soft pallet or something, which is dramatically cheaper (and usually covered) - and they both rave about it, a way better ratio than the CPAP, but when I asked my doctor about it, he pointed out that it tended to work well at first, but the fleshy bits that are cut away tended to grow back. I didn't really research too much further... I mean, really, going under the knife every five years doesn't sound that unreasonable, but I dunno if that's how it works.

Udik 8y ago
I wonder if actually had any experience similar to mine: in short, I had no problem in using the CPAP but after a couple of years I started suspecting it was decreasing the quality of my sleep. I suffer of a- I think- mild-to-severe sleep apnoea; it was measured once and has been witnessed by anybody having the misfortune of sleeping in the same room with me. There have been periods of time when I used to wake up quite often at night with my heart racing and completely dizzy because of lack of air. Finally, scared by the horror stories about sleep apnoea, and despite the fact that I was lacking any obvious symptoms of daytime drowsiness, I decided to buy a CPAP machine (Philips Respironics). Had little trouble in adjusting to the mask- didn't even need a humidifier- and after a while I found the bedtime routine quite normal- except for the annoying aesthetical issue of sleeping attached to what looks like a life-support machine. I've used it regularly maybe for a couple of years. I can't say I witnessed any improvement in my daytime wakefulness or in anything else, possibly the opposite: I was feeling confused and found it difficult to concentrate, often forgetting mid-sentence what I was about to say. In the end I started noticing that I was waking up in the morning strangely lightheaded, possibly hyperventilated. Some people started asking me if I was sleeping at all at night. In the end I gave up using it, and found no noticeable difference. Actually my sleep apnoea has decreased since then, and at least the major awakenings due to lack of breath have almost disappeared. Anybody with similar experience?
- Hydraulix989 8y ago
  Yes, when I was on CPAP, I also felt like I slept much worse with it on, despite the machine showing an AHI < 2.0 every night. One doctor suggested it was psychosomatic and that I am effectively cured of my apnea with the CPAP on. To this day, I continue to feel much more well-rested without the CPAP even though I _may_ have more apneas.

by lsc 8y ago

Udik 8y ago

I wonder if actually had any experience similar to mine: in short, I had no problem in using the CPAP but after a couple of years I started suspecting it was decreasing the quality of my sleep. I suffer of a- I think- mild-to-severe sleep apnoea; it was measured once and has been witnessed by anybody having the misfortune of sleeping in the same room with me. There have been periods of time when I used to wake up quite often at night with my heart racing and completely dizzy because of lack of air. Finally, scared by the horror stories about sleep apnoea, and despite the fact that I was lacking any obvious symptoms of daytime drowsiness, I decided to buy a CPAP machine (Philips Respironics). Had little trouble in adjusting to the mask- didn't even need a humidifier- and after a while I found the bedtime routine quite normal- except for the annoying aesthetical issue of sleeping attached to what looks like a life-support machine. I've used it regularly maybe for a couple of years. I can't say I witnessed any improvement in my daytime wakefulness or in anything else, possibly the opposite: I was feeling confused and found it difficult to concentrate, often forgetting mid-sentence what I was about to say. In the end I started noticing that I was waking up in the morning strangely lightheaded, possibly hyperventilated. Some people started asking me if I was sleeping at all at night. In the end I gave up using it, and found no noticeable difference. Actually my sleep apnoea has decreased since then, and at least the major awakenings due to lack of breath have almost disappeared. Anybody with similar experience?

Hydraulix989 8y ago
Yes, when I was on CPAP, I also felt like I slept much worse with it on, despite the machine showing an AHI < 2.0 every night. One doctor suggested it was psychosomatic and that I am effectively cured of my apnea with the CPAP on. To this day, I continue to feel much more well-rested without the CPAP even though I _may_ have more apneas.