I’ve been using my cpap for a year now without any problems. As of last month, I can’t tolerate it anymore. It feels like the air is stale. I’ve washed every single piece that is meant to be washed. I’ve replaced the filter. I force myself through the air, and I keep waking up. I wake up probably a dozen times within two hours until I finally tear it off and realize that my chest is in massive pain. It’s giving me asthma attacks that last for an entire day and I can’t sleep once it starts. My doctor prescribed steroids but it was just a temporary fix. Every time I turn on my cpap at night, it starts almost immediately. My doctor even changed the settings to turn on the pressure relief, but no dice. I’ve been messing with the pressure too — turning it down and getting the same results.
I thought there was something wrong with my machine so my friend sent me her cpap machine (she doesn’t use it, it’s just been sitting in her closet for a year.) I made sure all the parts were clean and the same exact thing started happening again.
I’ve had a chest xray and an EKG and everything turned out normal. My bloodwork was normal. When I don’t use my cpap, I don’t have any asthma symptoms at night.
Now I go through the day feeling like a zombie, so exhausted and tired all the time. I’ve lost my desire to do anything with my life. I’m rambling because I don’t have any answers and my doctors don’t either. My only other option is the mouth guard, except I’m on Medicaid and the only places that do it here do not accept Medicaid. They quoted me $2400 to get it done, which isn’t an option in my financial situation.
I have all this weight on my shoulders now because my inability to treat my apnea has left me exasperated and severely depressed. I’ve been crying almost every day because my life is so much more difficult when I’m falling asleep all the time. I’m so desperate for a fix. ;-;
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The mouth guard is pretty terrible I would definitely not pay 2.5k for one. It's a 1$ piece of plastic usually sold for around 100$ to patients. At 2.5k I think solid gold is cheaper....
You seem to have eliminated most physical symptoms, which leaves one obvious one. Especially since you think it's "stale" when it's really not.
Are you prone to panic attacks? Anxiety? Try wearing it during the day to get used to it again. Anxiety can get worse if you're not getting enough air and have a feeling of suffocation, I would try to increase the minimum pressure.
I wasn’t having anxiety for the longest time but now it does make me anxious. But when I try to sleep through it, it only gets worse. :/ I take trazodone and that usually makes me fall asleep pretty quickly.
Wear it during the day, while sitting at the computer or watching tv, with the machine on of course. You need to train your subconscious that the mask is good for you.
I’ve been doing this and I still have to take it off because it gives me chest pain. And it lasts for a while too
Are you using the humidifier? Have you tried changing the temperature and humidity? With the colder, drier air as winter approaches, I've needed to adjust those settings.
Me too and its made a huge difference. I also added a humidifier to my room. Big difference.
My husband has both obstructive & central sleep apnea. Local Dr didn’t know how to treat because CPAP actual made it worse for him during the sleep study. Went and seen a specialist through Cleveland Clinic. He set the machine up differently Airsense 11. I have noticed on nights he can’t tolerate it his events are higher during the short time he uses it. Have a video follow up with specialist next week will discuss it with him then. You may need to see a specialist or maybe an inpatient sleep study done.
What mask? What machine? What settings? Got Oscar?
Both machines are the Airsense 11. I’ve tried three different masks now. I used to have it set to 10-15 but I’ve since turned it down to 7-13.
Also Oscar did not seem to provide any answers. It seemed like I was having some central apneas but that was it.
It damn sure isn't providing us any answers.
Last week I began having central episodes for no reason. Idk why. I hope I find out. My doctor said they aren’t too bad at 10/ hour, but it’s dumb because i wake up up for a couple of minutes and then fall back asleep, then wake up, then fall back asleep. Of course it’s only 10 an hour. I’m up 50 minutes.
But I’ve begun to get periods of 2 hours straight when I sleep on my side with my head elevated. I’ve accepted I need to retrain my body.
I’ve begun to use a nasal mask, as my throat was getting enflamed. Turned my pressure from 20 down to 12. I’ve got nothing substantive but I believe my GERD worsened my apnea or one vice versa.
I want to start working out as supposedly that can help too. Which is hard to do when you’re asleep.
As stupid as it is, I’m trying to face this with the idea that I can fix it, since my doctors will take months to do so.
I use 4 Humidifiers plus turned up my airsense humidifier. That did the trick