Does anyone have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine to sleep every night?
- Thread starter Maple
- Start date
Did it work for you? I'm thinking of getting one as well.
Yes it did. However, not as massively as I had hoped. Still a net benefit at the end of the day. Takes some time getting used to.
My condition improved even more once I increased my exercise, and started a new position that was much less stressful.
All in all, try to lose weight if applicable and reduce your stress however possible because those factors exacerbate the effects of sleep apnea. That combined with a CPAP or MAD will produce the best results.
Thanks, appreciate the response. According to every girlfriend I've had, I snore like a motherfucker, like, EXTREMELY loud. Hoping this can help at least some.
If your insurance offers coverage for sleep studies, I highly recommend contacting your primary and discussing it with them.
I actually went for a quick diagnosis (I know this doesn't replace a full study), but the doctor specifically mentioned that my jaw seems to fall far too back while I'm sleeping. That's where I got the idea for the MAD. If it doesn't work at all, I will go for further studies. Thanks!
Sorry about the bump, but there's no 'ApneaEra' thread. I've been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea (I average about 90 events per hour, a mix of obstructive and central apnea, mostly the former, with O2 saturation levels as low as 73%), and I'll be getting a further in lab sleep study this week to determine whether those central apnea events are real or just a side effect of using a home test. They're also going to figure out whether a CPAP is sufficient or whether they should go straight to a BiPAP. It makes so much sense - I just feel tired all the time, and it affects my life in many other ways. I nap during the day, I fall asleep at my computer all the time, I feel like I can't concentrate or get anything done, and I know it affects the quality of my work.
Now I need to find out what my insurance will cover regarding CPAP/BiPAP equipment, and whether I get a say over the type of device I can get. Aetna's website is practically useless for things like that, so I'll probably have to call someone to get an answer.
Now I need to find out what my insurance will cover regarding CPAP/BiPAP equipment, and whether I get a say over the type of device I can get. Aetna's website is practically useless for things like that, so I'll probably have to call someone to get an answer.
I did an in-lab study last week for CPAP titration. They were able to reduce the obstructive events from 90/hr to 10/hr using higher pressure CPAP, but when they switched to BiPAP for comfort testing I started getting more central apnea events so I don't think they want to go that route. At least my O2 sat numbers were better - during my initial home study I spent about 25% of my sleep time below 88%, but on CPAP I never dropped below 90% and averaged around 93-94%. I'll have to see what my doctor thinks about ASV units - I suspect they'd work best, but insurance isn't likely to approve a multi thousand dollar device unless I can demonstrate I'm willing to consistently use it.
Yeah 15 years now and it changed my life. My sister actually thought I was on drugs after a week on it. Went from no energy and depressed and living at my parents to happy and full energy almost immeadiately. I swear by it and highly reccomend it. I as well can not sleep with out it anymore. Period.