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Anyone try one of these. I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea recently and have to get a cpap wich i am not looking forward to using. Just curious if these work at all
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https://external-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...sw=1198&sh=627
Anyone try one of these. I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea recently and have to get a cpap wich i am not looking forward to using. Just curious if these work at all
After a couple nights with a Cpap you will never want to sleep without it again. Sleep like a baby and wake up fully charged.
I got diagnosed with sleep apnea in November last year... I got a cpap... sleep like a baby now... lost 40 lbs.. and and feel like a million bucks.. I'd use the machine over some gimmick... it took me a month to be able to figure out how to sleep with the mask... but now I can't sleep without it.
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yup my dad has one.
Don't be afraid of a cpap. The night you spend at the sleep clinic is really no big deal, and you will sleep better the rest of your life. And if you are married, your wife will love you for it. Really really love you!
I too have sleep apnea and tried the cpap and gave it back...could not sleep with it under any circumstances...been slightly claustrophobic does not help either.
X2, tried 3 different masks, no luck.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brampton Mike
I had a battle with my cpap for about 4 years trying off and on to get used to it but I would always waked up with it off my face.
than I ended up at a new doctors office (I moved and had to start the process over again) he recommended I see a nose and throat surgeon, who recommended I get a septoplasty (deviated septum surgery) tonsillectomy and nasal turbinate reduction (they carve a bit of my nose out to make the passage bigger at night). since than I have been able to use the CPAP and it has changed my life. I use the full face mask (the third type I tried) since I often have plugged sinuses. it works well now.
I was at the point where I was so tired I couldn't function properly. I would get really tired driving and had to pull over always fell asleep in front of the couch at like 7pm, plus I developed anxiety (a tired brain cant process stress), and a bunch of other difficulties due to being over tired, not to mention the strain on my relationship when I snored excessively and was never awake.
now I have used the CPAP for two years straight and I have never been healthier. If you have sleep apnea I would recommend working closely with your doctor to find a treatment that works for you. sometimes a CPAP is not your only option, but I wouldn't use some gimmick just to avoid a CPAP unless its endorsed by your doctor. sometimes lifestyle chouices like smoking cessation or weightloss is all you need, sometimes that's not the solution though...
Going today to get one on loan from my clinic.
Hope it works .
I had a hard time with it at the sleep clinic , could not sleep with it then.
But am told that I have to get one and use it.
I tried 3 different masks before I found the best one for me. I found it hard to breath with the full face one. I ended up going with mask over mouth and prongs in my nose. Good luck and they do help.Quote:
Originally Posted by JUDGE
I have been using a CPAP for over 10 yrs now. I don't ever sleep without it. Of the dozen or more people that I know there is one resoundingly common observation..."Boy do I ever feel better in the morning!"
Some years ago there was a story about a 51 yr old man in Toronto, diagnosed with sleep apnea, that used his CPAP for about 3 months. After having felt so much better he stopped using it. He died of a stroke 3 weeks later.
Do yourself a favour, if you are diagnosed with sleep apnea and there is a recommendation to use a CPAP... DO IT! OHIP covers a good portion of it because it is considered a disability. If you have health insurance then they will pick up a good portion of the tab from where OHIP leaves off. Buy a good mask. REPEAT after me... Buy a good mask
Another thing to to Consider is if you don't use the treatment the doctor can get your drivers license revoked.... as it is a disability. .
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Has anyone else noticed that wives are less irritating after a couple of weeks of using the CPAP. It's like magic that a machine connected to me, took the bit ch yness out of her.
Good thread, I think I'm a candidate for one of these machines. Time to book and appointment. I never realized how common this is.
The start to end process will frustrate you.Quote:
Originally Posted by last5oh_302
step 1 go to family doctor and get a referal to a sleep clinic
step 2 wait for the sleep clinic to call you with an appointment date in the next 6 months
step 3 go for your sleep over
step 4 wait for your appointment with the sleep doctor to review your results / consultation . If the doctor finds you will benefit from using a CPAP machine, they will contact the sleep clinic to set up another over night sleep with a machine and provide you with a p.
step 5 go for a sleep over and will find out what pressure the machine needs to be set at
step 6 go back to the sleep clinic to pick up your doctors prescription for a machine and prescribed pressure setting.
step 7 if you have medical insurance benefits, send in the prescription to find out if they will cover the cost or how much of it will be covered. (the first $650 will be covered by the Ontario Assisted Devices Program)
step 8 once you have heard back from the insurance company, call the sleep clinc to book an appointment for the mask fitting and machine. CPAP machines / mask packages retail from $1200 to $2200 dependent on built in humidifiers , heated or non heated hoses etc.
step 9 go home with your machine and train yourself to sleep with something stuck to your face, after a few days, like others have said, you won't want to sleep without it.
step 10 go back to the sleep clinic with the machine or SD card so that they can review and share results with you of how well the machine is working for you.
It can be a long process, but well worth it. It took me 4 months start to finish, and that was only because of my flexibility to be on their last minute cancellation list, I would get a phone call at 3 pm and asked if I could be at the hospital for the sleep over at 8 pm that night.
Just thought I would mention this, as it's not a quick and easy process like I thought it was going to be.
got a letter in the mail one day saying I had to have a doctors note by a certain date or risk losing my license. went to the doctor who had been treating me, he asked a few questions and I was on my way with a note to get my license renewed.Quote:
Originally Posted by topher
if I had been in the middle of the time when I was not using the CPAP, I would have had to lie to him and tell him I was using it, and he would have any number of ways to test this and prove me a liar. so if you are advised by a doctor that you have sleep apnea, get some sort of treatment or else they could take away your license tomorrow.
another thing to consider is life insurance eligibility. I am of the belief that regardless of what it is you should be completely honest with your insurance provider. if you have a claim you don't want them to come back and deny it based on a question answered incorrectly in the past.
so I told them I wasn't treating my sleep apnea years ago. three different companies all denied me, and didn't have any options for me due to this. now that I have a kid I will be getting quotes soon for life insurance at which time I hope they approve me now that I am actively treating sleep apnea.
it has a wide range of affects on your life and not all in the bedroom.
and it can be definitely more serious than a sleeping at night problem. I remember being in a Doctor's office ,and while talking to a guy he immediately starts snoring. Now I can be boring but.................:)
(Hope he didn't drive to the Dr.'s office.)
After some 7 yrs after being diagnosed, I had to do an Alertness Test. What a PIA ! Anyway, after sitting in room all by my big self and managing not to fall asleep after two hours I got the PASS. Just another means to assess whether sleep apnea is being treated effectively.
Before I started my cpap treatment my BP was 190/80 (that's crazy bad) 3 mths later i was 150/40... (that's high/normal) the cpap saved me from having to spend a life of high blood pressure pills... also went from drinking 3 pots of coffee to a travel mug a day... the first month was h@@l but after the first Month of no sleep you get used to it.... and you suddenly wake up.. looking back to before I had my cpap, I have absolutely no idea how I functioned... I compare it to a 1 hour sleep versus 8 hours...
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I woke up 60x per hour in my test. there is a good chance I have never slept more than a minute straight before my CPAP, or atleast since it had been affecting me.Quote:
Originally Posted by topher
I forget how many times I woke up my ahi was 43% now I'm at 11cm full face at 1.8%ahiQuote:
Originally Posted by bowj
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Had a family member require one, he lost some weight and got himself into better shape and never needed the thing again.
Mine was alot quicker... I had my sleep er 2 weeks after I saw my doctor... three months later I saw the sleep doctor.. was given an Apap from the clinic for a week... pressure was found.. and than purchased my machine.. all in all cost me $50 after Ohip and my drug plan...Quote:
Originally Posted by B Wilson
I actually like the sleepovers... it's like a hotel minus room service... and all the wires connected to you... and cameras watching you sleep.....
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I have a feeling this might be my case. My blood pressure is high as well so it's good to hear what Topher mentioned about that. I never snored in my 20's and 30's but have since gained some weight, aged, and apparently I shake the house, from what I've been told. One guy in the group I've fished with for years never snores so we've always shared a room (because I didn't snore either) when renting cottages but the last few years I'd wake up and he'd be on the couch in main living area of the cottage because he couldn't stand my snoring.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bandwagon
I already had a doctors appointment setup because of the blood pressure but I will be getting him to set me up with some sleep study as well.
Another interesting fact. Schneider Transport has a huge program for their drivers ( I think it might even be mandatory to get hired on with them) All drivers have access to a sleep study and if a driver needs a CPAP, Schneider's pays 100% of the costs. Their at fault accident rates dropped significantly after they started the program.
That's a very good/responsible safety plan, especially for a long haul company as large as Schneider is.Quote:
Originally Posted by B Wilson
Yes I have to agree I started the process in June and am not finished yet. Got my loaner today for a 1 month trial ,then do the sleep over again. Then will have to purchase a unit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by B Wilson
I started the CPAP route about 8 years ago with a clinic in Belleville who sent me to an outlet in Belleville who sold me a unit under the OHIP plan and sent me home. Took about a month.
By the end of the next month I still could not wear the unit for more than an hour. The outfit that sold it to me would only sell me another mask for list price.
Got on the Internet and found that my CPAP was an obsolete model number. The same unit (different number) was available in New York State and the list price down there was the same amount as our portion AFTER the OHIP subsidy. This seemed to apply to every unit I checked. Canadians could buy and import them with NO DUTY or tax but the suppliers here just raised the price by the amount that OHIP paid....
Since then I have found that there are places in Canada that sell masks and other parts for a fraction (25%) of the list price at the clinics. Many people with health plans just let the insurance pay but if you have to pay your own way then check the Internet to save hundreds of dollars. You can also find masks on Kijiji, in fact you can find the whole unit there.
Since these need a prescription to purchase from a clinic anyone selling a used one can theoretically be charged the same as someone selling prescription drugs but full setup instructions can be found on the web anyway.....
Oh, I have just stated to make another attempt to make it thru the night wearing my unit...after another sleep test. Wearing my wife's FITBIT showed me that I do need a CPAP....
sleep apena is considered a disability? then if you have one have you been filing out T2201 (Disability Tax Credit)
Who sent the letter and how did they know about your sleep apnea?Quote:
Originally Posted by bowj
Also ebay has alot of supplies for dirt cheap.... $30-$40 for a max... works out the same price after most insurance Copay. .. however forking out $300 is alot Harder than $40.... Even hough you get a good chunk back.
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Thank you so much for all the replies!! I have been to the sleep clinic (stopped breathing 70 times that night) I have a prescription to go and get a cpap. I just wasnt looking forward to strapping that thing to my face, but after all the positive and helpful comments on here i will be stopping tomorow night to get fitted for one and continue the process.
I'm guessing mto... my doctor told.me has a legal obligation to report it... IF treatment is not being done.... sleep apnea supposedly is one of the few things that they can (patient doctor Confidential thingy)Quote:
Originally Posted by trimmer21
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Attachment 31585
Just a few of the wires/ electrodes attached for a sleep study, all those other wires over the shoulder, going to other sensors.
I tried and tried, couldn't get use to the mask, choking all the time.
Someone mentioned truck drivers using them, a word of advice, never run a CPAP machine from a truck mounted auxiliary power unit!
I have one and what terry m and others say is correct - you will never sleep better! Sleep apnea is not just obese people. It can affect anyone.
My old hunt camp has a whole sleeping area reserved for hose heads, and their CPAP batteries...
Quote:
Originally Posted by patvetzal
What do you mean by CPAP Batteries?
I drag a generator with me where I go.
What kind of batteries are recommended?
If anybody is interested, somebody is trying to sell a CPAP machine on the Simcoe site.
http://www.lakesimcoeoutdoors.com/fo...howtopic=21072
I use a trolling motor battery and a 250 watt inverter to power mine (my respironics S9) needs 200 watts to operate. The guy in the bunk above me is a light sleeper and he says he can't hear a thing. Everyone sleeps better in the camp now that 2 of us got CPAP machines.Quote:
Originally Posted by RHYBAK
I easily get 3 full nights before recharging the battery
Your pressure must be insane.... my s9 ran for two nights on a 12v7ah battery... and a 60w inverter... pressure 11cm ... of course I didn't use my humidifier...Quote:
Originally Posted by B Wilson
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it was either my family doctor or the sleep doctor. but the sleep doctor is who had to sign off on the treatment. yes it is there ethical obligation to report you if it is untreated.Quote:
Originally Posted by trimmer21
I gotta get a battery for mine. everytime we go camping now I get barely any sleep and cannot sleep in at all. not to mention everyone else around can hear me snore.
I surrender to the fact that I wont be able to use it while backpacking or portage camping, but atleast for car camping I would like to have one.
funny story, before I started carrying the CPAP when I went overnight I was staying at my moms trailer. the neighbours thought there was animals fighting behind there trailers. it was me sleeping with the windows open....
my pressure is set at 9 cfm, and yes I use the humidifier and heated hose, so there is a bit of power consumption.Quote:
Originally Posted by topher
Quote:
Originally Posted by bowj
you can get a back packable battery, but it's going to cost you $$$ http://www.batterypowersolutions.net/
They were over $300 went I priced them last year
Much cheaper to build your own... all you need is a battery and an inverter )for resmed) if your running a humidifier however you will need a sine wave inverter... so that will add extra cost.Quote:
Originally Posted by B Wilson
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Last time I checked, most just needed a 12v cord to run off a battery, if you did not use the heater on the humidifier...(or hose)
Mine is a 24 volt
i have 12 volt power plug wired to the deep cycle agm battery and then plug my 250w inverter into it and then plug my regular cpap power cord into the inverter.
An invertor is not needed. Your CPAP is a 12volt system to start with so why start with 12 volts, go through an invertor to get 120V and then reduce through that again to feed your CPAP.
For years now I run mine on a 12V deep cycle battery. All you need is and adaptor($30) from your supplier for your particular unit and then a connector with 2 alligator clips to hook to your battery. If not using humidification you can easily get 3-5 days without recharging.
I have 2 batteries and have no problems running my humidifier all night, I just recharge the battery when I can either by generator or off the solar panel system we have for lights.
John
Resmed systems REQUIRE a resmed 12/24 adapter if you don't want to use an inverter... it has been tried before... and the system will NOT turn on... resmed are also 24v.. it is far cheaper to purchase a 12v battery and an inverter than the adapter (100+) from my supplier...Quote:
Originally Posted by johnjyb
Battery is $40 (assuming you know where to get it) and an inverter is $50.... of course it's not as efficient as you get a loss going across an inverter... but it's more economical... I get 2 days off a 12v12ah battery. . With no humidifier... I can charge it from a solar panel... or my car...
Most people already have an inverter kicking around...
And a battery.
The battery I use is 3" high 5"long and 4" wide. alot smaller than two deep cells...
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I have a home auto switch system I built.. out of an old ups I find in the garbage... took the buzzer out so it makes no noise when power shuts off.. and replaced the bad battery.. (common cause of people throwing then out) I put a bigger battery in though. .
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Good thread and some interesting comments here, but it looks like nobody can answer the question from OP. Keep it going, it's educational to all.
In that case noQuote:
Originally Posted by oldbuck
I would say the answer is no to the OP question. Will it stop the snoring ? probably but snoring is not sleep apnea.Quote:
Originally Posted by ysyg
I have an appointment at Vital Air monday afternoon to get cpap. She said it would be an hour long appointment to get everything fitted etc... and i will be walking out with a new cpap. I again thank everyone with the advice, hints and encouragement!
I mentioned that I would not try a primary treatment that my doctor did not endorse. If my doc thought this might work I would try it, but both doctors I saw were for the CPAP and surgery route, but my condition is severe.Quote:
Originally Posted by ysyg
Late to the party again. CPAP x 1yr. Nasal mask, auto 6-14 cm. Borrowed a Devilbiss machine with a scooter battery and a Cdn Tire smart charger for the hunt. Recharged in under 2 hrs every night when the genny was on.
Its not a miracle machine. It takes some getting used to but those that said you will look forward to using it are correct. I am not nodding off in the lunchroom at work AT THE START OF MY SHIFT anymore and dream OMG you will dream like high school kid on an acid trip...
You know you are being corrected when you hit REM sleep and dream because the apnea never let you get that deep into sleep.
In hindsight I was sick and untreated for 20 years and I was an ars ehole. I am so much better to be around that that in itself makes it worth it.
Anyone can P.M. me for support/advice if they dont want to come out of the closet on the forum lol.
The other thing is no more getting up in the middle of the night to pee. I can't even remember the last time I have had to "go" at night. That alone used to wake up the wife.
That's too funny because sleep apnia and pee have nothing in common.
It's all about age.
I'm 61 and getting up to pee is inevitable.
Another thing to consider for those overnight camping trips are the Canadian Tire 1000w power booster packs.
They last one night, a/c, d/c and usb outlets.
I personally bring a generator on our icefishing trip into the backwoods.
Not sure about that. Your body compensates for lack of breathing in many ways. After going on a CPap i never ever had to get up during the night to go.Quote:
Originally Posted by RHYBAK
With 3 guys on them in our group we do the same. The Genny runs all night both at deer camp and when we do tent based moose hunts out West. My 3000w Honda runs 3 machines nicely and the others rather hear a genny than 3 guys snoring.Quote:
Originally Posted by RHYBAK
100% true
I could shake the nails out the rafters ,the way I snored.
the thing with peeing and sleep apnea is that you notice that you have to pee more when you are not on the CPAP because you are more awake.
that's how I understand it atleast.
I know I still usually get up once a night for a pee, usually about 5 hours into an 8 hour sleep. I'm 53, and I do drink a lot of liquids be it beer, water, milk, or juice right up to bedtime as well as if I get up in the middle of the night I will have a swat of water.
Still feel a much better in the morning since starting the CPAP, and haven't woke up since wearing 1 covered in sweat or unable to take a breath because your throat feels like it is flattened and glued together which sucks.
I have only had 2 nights that I can recall in over 5 years when I didn't wear the mask due to major nasal congestion as I use the Swift FX nasal pads and couldn't breath through my nose and I didn't like it at all.
John
Lets change it up a bit.
I stopped using my humidifier due to the humidity collecting in the loop in the hose and causing a trumpeting effect.
Anybody else having that problem?
Heard of it.. but don't experience it... try putting the unit lower than you are sleeping... are you using a heated tube? Heard that will help as well... possibly the unit is set too high as well... if your room is cold it could cause problems. Like that..Quote:
Originally Posted by RHYBAK
After thought.. j had something similar once or twice.. but I think that was caused by me OVER FILLING the humidifier. .
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Bet you pee like a racehorse when you wake up though... your just so deep sleep you don't notice it anymoreQuote:
Originally Posted by terrym
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Big time. I can check my email on my phone when standing there !Quote:
Originally Posted by topher
LOL, well I'm waiting for a call from the sleep center for my appointment. It's the one near the Spectator building in Hamilton.
Wow
We can have a Meet and Greet just for CPAP owners.
Call it the CPAP invitational.....LOL
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea this summer, just before a serious slip and fall accident while getting up during the night to use the bathroom. While I was in the hospital, they tried to get me to use a cpap machine. I felt like I was being slowly suffocated and I always ripped it off and tossed it off the bed. They would always tell me " you might die in your sleep if you do not use the cpap machine!" Wrong thing to tell a 75 year old man! I can not think of a better way die!
I have been on the cpap for 5 days now and do not notice much difference.
Some say it takes a couple weeks.
This is a loaner for a 1 month trial .
I believe it is set to low and they will have to adjust the pressure at the end of the trial period.
Its set at 7 mg
Pressure is cm not MG ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by JUDGE
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whatever
Quote:
Originally Posted by topher
I was under the impression that "they" adjust the machine to what works for you. Are you having a sleep study done?Quote:
Originally Posted by JUDGE
Yes I am.
Quote:
Originally Posted by last5oh_302
I agree with what Topher said, your humidifier might be set too high dependent on the humidity in your house. Since getting a new heating system in the house this summer, I find I use less water every night. I have mine set right now at 3 out of 5 and use maybe 1/3 of the reservoir in an 8 hour sleep. At the camp the same setting will use 3/4 of the water, probably due to the drier air from the woodstove.Quote:
Originally Posted by RHYBAK
John
Look up www.apneaboard.com.....
Might want to check the owner's manual for the generator, it will probably specify not to use it for a CPAP machine, general wording, "not for use with any medically necessary devices".Quote:
Originally Posted by terrym
Have you ever heard the sound of 3 guys on CPAPs, in a cabin, when the generator goes out? The movie Twister comes to mind. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulR
That is funny. Three guys in our camp do the CPAP thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by last5oh_302
Mostly a CYA situation as far as CPAPs are concerned....IMHOQuote:
Originally Posted by PaulR
Exactly right, however there are 2 issues, a portable generator doesn't necessarily produce a clean signal, and generators typically have shutdown features for various things, low oil pressure, overheating, things like that. Since they can shut down with no warning they could leave you without the "medically necessary device" while you are sleeping. Hopefully one would wake up and realize that something was wrong,,,,,,Quote:
Originally Posted by patvetzal
We built an APU, auxiliary power unit, as a proto type system for evaluation for the military. That unit had a "Battle Field Switch" on it, over road all safeties, over road all breakers, no matter what happened that unit would keep running until the system burned up or the engine wouldn't run any more! It was a diesel and even the default position of the fuel solenoid was on. I guess they didn't want it shutting down when they were under attack!
We were up camping in the bush several years back, me and my kid and my dog in one tent, in the middle of the night my kid got up and moved to another tent, couldn't figure out who was louder, me or the dog! But they figured that we didn't have to worry about any wildlife coming around, the noise would scare anything off!Quote:
Originally Posted by last5oh_302
Sounds like the dog needs a CPAP as well. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by PaulR
Your Battlefield Switch makes me think of people who insist on overload protection on a series winch motor. Better to learn how to use the winch than have the breaker trip at the wrong instant for the wrong reason.