Sleep apnea, CPAPs and other sleep health solutions.

[Duds13]

I had my sleep pressure too high for years and fought my mask leaking and tried different masks. Would be fine for a while and then for no apparent reason start to leak. I changed sleep drs. and the technology of the machines was getting better and she prescribed a machine that auto adjusted the pressure. That was a real game changer. I had my pressure at 16 and this machine auto adjusted it to 8.5 based on what I actually needed.

No more mask leak and no more hatred of the CPAP, well I still hate it but it is saving my life and well being so it is a love hate relationship

I find that when my mask starts to leak, it is time to change the cushions on the mask. I also love the mask liner from Pad-A-Cheek, not only helps prevent leaks but also prevents the red lines on your face and forehead every morning and is much more comfortable especially in the summer months.

 

[Needville]

I can echo most of these stories. I was a severe snorer. Never got any rest at night and if I sat in a chair for more than a few minutes I would fall asleep. I got so bad that when I went on hunting trips the guys with me said they got no sleep because they worried about me all night and wondered if I was going to wake up. They said I would stop breathing for over a minute.

Finally got tested and my blood oxygen level dropped to 59, a number my doctor said "is pretty scary." I got the machine and still fought it for another year. I am a mouth breather and have to have a full mask. I finally got to the point I could barely function during the day and made a real effort to get used to the machine. I watched TV at night while wearing the mask just to get used to it. I finally got to where I could use it. That was 10 years ago and one of the best things I ever did for myself. It gave me my life back. Do I like it, no, I tolerate it. There are still nights I rip it off at 2 or 3. But if my machine broke today (Resmed 10), I would buy a new machine before tonight.

Do some research on the effects of sleep apnea. It is serious and leads to some serious complications. I am convinced I was heading to an early grave before I got tested and got my machine. If you have even a thought that you might have it, get yourself tested--it is worth it.

 

[Yander]

I find that when my mask starts to leak, it is time to change the cushions on the mask. I also love the mask liner from Pad-A-Cheek, not only helps prevent leaks but also prevents the red lines on your face and forehead every morning and is much more comfortable especially in the summer months.

Oh yes, the dreaded mask lines. I have a good friend who also uses a CPAP and we used to work in the same company. We were walking to get coffee one morning and passed another guy who worked with us who had REALLY deep and visible mask lines still. It was like 9:30am and he was about to enter work. Both my friend and I looked at each other and had to laugh because we could both relate. It is funny but also kind of not funny. It is embarrassing when you're the one with the lines.

 

[Yander]

I highly recommend, and I'm sure most of you already do, having backups of every component for your sleep gear; including the machine. I have 3 backup machines now that I have my new machine. The three backups were bought from CL. All function fine and I plan to use the newer model ones (2 Resmed Airsense 10s).

I bought both Resmed Airsense 10s from a lady who had gotten an new machine and said they were lightly used. One looks like a new machine but it has flowers on it LOL. IDK it was cheap ($400 for both machines)..

 

[Duds13]

I highly recommend, and I'm sure most of you already do, having backups of every component for your sleep gear; including the machine. I have 3 backup machines now that I have my new machine. The three backups were bought from CL. All function fine and I plan to use the newer model ones (2 Resmed Airsense 10s).

I bought both Resmed Airsense 10s from a lady who had gotten an new machine and said they were lightly used. One looks like a new machine but it has flowers on it LOL. IDK it was cheap ($400 for both machines)..

Great advice. My first machine fell under the Phillips recall and I had no backup. Since there are basically only two manufacturers of CPAP machines, it was almost impossible to find a new one that I could use in place of my Phillips. I actually had to do another sleep study just to be flagged as a "new patient" which helped me get a new machine faster. I now have the Resmed Airsense 11 and it is quite nice. I now need a backup though which I plan on getting from Phillips...they offered those of us who had a machine recalled the choice of $50, or a new machine. LOL! I'm obviously opting for the new machine, which hopefully wont cause cancer...

 

[kenmbz]

Phillips is sending me a new machine as the one I have is < 2 years old and a recent model.
Not sure how useful the $50 is

 

[EarPlug]

It's a hassle to travel with it because of the size and plan to find a smaller one for travel.

I got the Resmed Mini for travel. Less than half the size of my S7 and works great.

AirMini portable CPAP

 

[kenmbz]

I got the Resmed Mini for travel. Less than half the size of my S7 and works great.

AirMini portable CPAP

That looks pretty nice. I travel with my backup CPAP and it takes up a chunk of my carry on space.

 

[EarPlug]

That looks pretty nice. I travel with my backup CPAP and it takes up a chunk of my carry on space.

Takes up less space than a pair of my size 12 shoes! Works great and quiet. You do need to use their phone app for settings and options.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Google finds way too many rabbit holes.

I just read this end to end and it sounds like sleep apnea hell. At this point I don't know to make of his story.

sleep apnea aw sp | Snoring Advice

 

[kenmbz]

You can find bad stuff about anything, just look long enough and you'll find people complaining about heaven.

 

[EarPlug]

Google finds way too many rabbit holes.

I just read this end to end and it sounds like sleep apnea hell. At this point I don't know to make of his story.

sleep apnea aw sp | Snoring Advice

This is a typical BS article to get you to buy some quack cure.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

This is a typical BS article to get you to buy some quack cure.

Interesting.

The effect of playing a wind instrument or singing on risk of sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To systematically survey the scientific literature concerning the effect of playing a wind instrument or singing on sleep, snoring, and/or obstructive sleep apnea.The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched up to December 2019. Observational ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[ponytug]

The trouble with meta analyses is that they are an average of a many smaller studies, a number of which may have statistical issues, clinical study design issues, or an inability of the authors to draw factual conclusions form their data. Tread carefully would be my advice... In the example above, there are a number of issues; it was three dentists doing the statistical analyses on six other studies, and the statistical power of their analysis was...wait for it..."The magnitude of the effect was zero to small". (I.e. not statistically significant)

Personally, if you snore and you have any trouble staying asleep or awake, you should see a doctor and see if you can get some improvement. I know many folks who have had improvement just by changing from back to side sleeping (it is cheap!), and many others for whom CPAP machines of one sort or another help. My view is why go through life impaired if you don't have to?

Thanks for starting the thread @Gale Hawkins! I learned a bunch.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Gale Hawkins]

The trouble with meta analyses is that they are an average of a many smaller studies, a number of which may have statistical issues, clinical study design issues, or an inability of the authors to draw factual conclusions form their data. Tread carefully would be my advice... In the example above, there are a number of issues; it was three dentists doing the statistical analyses on six other studies, and the statistical power of their analysis was...wait for it..."The magnitude of the effect was zero to small". (I.e. not statistically significant)

Personally, if you snore and you have any trouble staying asleep or awake, you should see a doctor and see if you can get some improvement. I know many folks who have had improvement just by changing from back to side sleeping (it is cheap!), and many others for whom CPAP machines of one sort or another help. My view is why go through life impaired if you don't have to?

Thanks for starting the thread @Gale Hawkins! I learned a bunch.

All the best,

Peter

You are welcome.

One of the used CPAP machines I bought about 15 years ago came from a guy and I asked him why he was selling it if it was a good machine he said he had lost a large amount of weight and no longer needed it. So there's many fiscal things that can help with sleep apnea in some cases it seems.

My father died at the age of 72 with congestive heart failure enlarged heart and dementia. 5 years later my mother died at age 72 from breast cancer but one thing that I now wonder about was if all the years that she stayed awake to try to wake him up when he stopped breathing didn't negative impact her health.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

This is like my new CPAP machine.

 

[lman]

I saw this a couple weeks ago and found it interesting. I don't use any machines to sleep but do snore in certain sleeping positions according to my wife.

 

[RalphVa]

I finally ditched my CPAP about 4 years or so ago after about that number of years of having used it. Did weekly flushing of it with vinegar to destroy algae, etc.

Think this is one of the most missused and expensive health care things dreamed up in a long time.

 

[kenmbz]

While I needed CPAP, and it was easy to prove I needed it.
I am sure that any time a multi-thousand dollar transaction through third parties happens in the medical field, a lot of people will suffer.
Snake Oil is still for sale if you look.
I must know personally about 5 people that use CPAP. Who knows how many more people I know who have one. So it's not a small market.
The philips recall was for millions of devices.

 

[not2old]

I used to snore so loud that on a dirt-biking trip to Baja all the other guys went to sleep outside and told me I wasn't allowed to leave the bus/camper. I have severe sleep apnea and have used a Resmed 10 for about five years. Testing showed I stopped breathing for thirty seconds or more about fifty times an hour. The problem I have with using the Cpap is that I ingest a lot of air. The pressure is set at a compromise between fewer events and even more swallowed air. I am going to investigate using a dental device, possibly in conjunction with the Cpap. Haven't been able to find any information on doing this but the therapist I recently saw thinks the theory is sound. Anyone have experience with this?