How long do you actually use the machine for?
Question:
I use it all night, every night. I use it for all naps. I used it in the recovery room after surgery. As soon as they un-intubated me, they immediately put on the CPAP while I was still unconcious. I used it during the removal of a breat lump when I was sedated but concious, so that if I dozed off from the sedation, I would have the CPAP keeping me breathing. In other words, unless I’m concious and going to be absolutely sure of staying that way, I use it 100% of the time. So should you, so please keep working at it. It’s really important. Take care- Susan Geoff Bernstein <Berst…@btinternet.com> wrote:
: How long do members of this newsgroup use their CPAP machines for each : night? Ideally, all night. But I understand that compliance is not all that : good. I get the impression that somewhere between 3 hours and 5 hours per : night seems to be the norm, with many users only using their machines about : 5 nights a week. : As a new user to CPAP, I was quite upset at the difficulty I was having : using the machine. Now, 3 years later, I find that I was probably about : average. I would have preferred to have been told frankly what to expect at : the outset, rather than feeling a bit of a failure. : Would members of the NG mind saying how much they use their machines, : please? — polit…@netcom.com
Response:
ALL night… EVERY night……I’ve only been "on the hose" for a month but it has made a BIG change in my life -john Geoff Bernstein <Berst…@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:84q42j$4vo$1@neptunium.btinternet.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> How long do members of this newsgroup use their CPAP machines for each > night? Ideally, all night. But I understand that compliance is not all that > good. I get the impression that somewhere between 3 hours and 5 hours per > night seems to be the norm, with many users only using their machines about > 5 nights a week. > As a new user to CPAP, I was quite upset at the difficulty I was having > using the machine. Now, 3 years later, I find that I was probably about > average. I would have preferred to have been told frankly what to expect at > the outset, rather than feeling a bit of a failure. > Would members of the NG mind saying how much they use their machines, > please?
Response:
Anyone who does not use their cpap all night is a fool. By that I mean that since apnea is always occurring when we sleep we are endangering our health. I probably have less reason that most to not wear it, I have been on it for 11 months with no relief, but I have alveolar hyperventilation and lack of deep sleep completely and do not wake up refreshed, but after 3 more sleep studies my apnea is taken care of by the cpap, just not able to solve the other problems yet. Compare it to emphysema, you need the oxygen to breath, without it you don’t breath. Even when you nap use it. I went 4 days without my machine to see if it was causing my lack of deep sleep since it started when my apnea became apparent and I got much more tired. By the way, anyone not using it the whole time they sleep are not accomplishing two things: (1) if there is another problem or the pressure is not right they would not find out easily because not using it while you sleep all the time allows the apnea to occur and (2) not get the full benefit of feeling much better. After time you will hardly notice the machine. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Geoff Bernstein wrote: > How long do members of this newsgroup use their CPAP machines for each > night? Ideally, all night. But I understand that compliance is not all that > good. I get the impression that somewhere between 3 hours and 5 hours per > night seems to be the norm, with many users only using their machines about > 5 nights a week. > As a new user to CPAP, I was quite upset at the difficulty I was having > using the machine. Now, 3 years later, I find that I was probably about > average. I would have preferred to have been told frankly what to expect at > the outset, rather than feeling a bit of a failure. > Would members of the NG mind saying how much they use their machines, > please?
Response:
Geoff Bernstein <Berst…@btinternet.com> wrote > As a new user to CPAP, I was quite upset at the difficulty I was having > using the machine. Now, 3 years later, I find that I was probably about > average. I would have preferred to have been told frankly what to expect at > the outset, rather than feeling a bit of a failure.
You shouldn’t look upon this as success or failure, really… it seems fairly normal for folks to take 2-3 months adjusting to the mask and whatnot. I probably averaged 40-60% sleep time for the first couple of months, and it gradually went up to 100% in the week afterward. It’s been 100% ever since. — Help Second Harvest — BUY OUR CD! All artist revenues go to Second Harvest, largest US charitable hunger relief organization. http://www.mp3.com/picklefactory/
Response:
All night, every night. If you have trouble using it all night you need to find out why and fix the reason. Are the straps on too tight? Has the hose gotten twisted so that when you turn over it pulls to one side? I guess I’m one of the lucky ones, I didn’t have many problems adjusting to my BiPAP. Occasionally I need to adjust the straps, sometimes a little tighter, sometimes a little looser, and luckily I don’t turn over much in my sleep. Nothing beats getting a great nights sleep, I can’t sleep now without the BiPAP. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Geoff Bernstein wrote: > How long do members of this newsgroup use their CPAP machines for each > night? Ideally, all night. But I understand that compliance is not all that > good. I get the impression that somewhere between 3 hours and 5 hours per > night seems to be the norm, with many users only using their machines about > 5 nights a week. > As a new user to CPAP, I was quite upset at the difficulty I was having > using the machine. Now, 3 years later, I find that I was probably about > average. I would have preferred to have been told frankly what to expect at > the outset, rather than feeling a bit of a failure. > Would members of the NG mind saying how much they use their machines, > please?
Response:
Cynthia, I also have lots of long fine hair and trouble with the straps slipping, I usually braid my hair each side of my head then pull them up over the top straps, the bottom ones still creep up over my earlobes but it has stopped sliding off the top of my head. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Cynthia Conn wrote: > Now a message from the non-compliant side. Got my cpap over 3 years ago. > First two months, had multiple problems with masks leaking, ripping off the > gear, headgear constantly slipping off (have fine hair and a round head, > NOTHING works). Noticed that even when I managed to wear the contraption > all night, I didn’t feel a bit better the next morning. Doctors were much > less than helpful. If you really want to see the worst side of the medical > profession, go in with a complaint that is not a "quick fix" like apnea or > depression. After weeks of "we’ll get back to you", I said screw it and > gave up. Didn’t use it much more than 1/month the 2nd year. Started > reading this newsgroup again when my cousin was diagnosed with apnea. > Started trying to be more compliant and have been using it about 60-75% of > the time for the last 3 months but still can’t say I see much of a change if > any. I use the nasal pillows which usually feel like someone is picking up > off the floor by my nostrils. I have extreme delayed sleep phase and > constant pain from the nasal pillows doesn’t help. Headgear still doesn’t > fit so I usually lose the mask during the night. Short of stapling it to my > head, there doesn’t seem to be an option that I can live with . Chin strap > is NOT something I can tolerate (can’t wear turtlenecks, normal T-shirts, > ANYTHING that remotely touches my neck). Change of equipment is probably > indicated, unfortunately I was turned down for a decent insurance policy > BECAUSE I have apnea. My present policy doesn’t cover any of the equipment > or sleep studies and I am not too keen on spending hundreds of dollars more > on doctor visits, equipment etc considering how the first batch went. My > local DME is one of the "lets see how many masks we can get you to buy" > types. > Cynthia > "Geoff Bernstein" <Berst…@btinternet.com> wrote in message > news:84q42j$4vo$1@neptunium.btinternet.com… > > How long do members of this newsgroup use their CPAP machines for each > > night? Ideally, all night. But I understand that compliance is not all > that > > good. I get the impression that somewhere between 3 hours and 5 hours per > > night seems to be the norm, with many users only using their machines > about > > 5 nights a week. > > As a new user to CPAP, I was quite upset at the difficulty I was having > > using the machine. Now, 3 years later, I find that I was probably about > > average. I would have preferred to have been told frankly what to expect > at > > the outset, rather than feeling a bit of a failure. > > Would members of the NG mind saying how much they use their machines, > > please?
Response:
On Mon, 3 Jan 2000 13:48:48 -0600, "Ruth Logerquist" <rlo…@lakefield.net> wrote: >How does the apnea affect your heart and lungs?
I had what’s called "bradytachycardia." During the apneic event, my heart rate up and down on a rollercoaster (40 to 178 beats per minute). When that’s going on, your cardiovascular system is taking a pounding. One of the things that can go on is that you generate a diuretic hormone during sleep… apneics tend to want to wake up and go to the bathroom. I found that after a few weeks of CPAP, that I had to have my blood pressure medicine adjusted. My cardiologist: "Yes, you’ve got edema…. yes, it’s from the CPAP…. no, don’t stop using it, we’ll get the edema straightened out." We did.
Response:
What bed did you get? I wake up with a backache almost every morning. BTW, I use my CPAP all night, every night. I sleep so much better with it than I ever did without it. I also switch between the mask and the pillows periodically. Glenn — O Lord! thou knowest how busy I must be this day: if I forget thee, do not thou forget me. ~ Sir Jacob Astley ~ Glenn & Charlotte Wolf 4811 County Rd 22 SE Brainerd MN 56401 218-764-3150 I support Alan Keyes and Keyes 2000! Learn more at http://www.Keyes2000.org Jo H <jl…@zoomnet.net> wrote in message
news:s71nf5kc5k221@corp.supernews.com… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Geoff Bernstein <Berst…@btinternet.com> wrote in message > news:84q42j$4vo$1@neptunium.btinternet.com… > > How long do members of this newsgroup use their CPAP machines for each > > night? Ideally, all night. But I understand that compliance is not all > that > > good. I get the impression that somewhere between 3 hours and 5 hours per > > night seems to be the norm, with many users only using their machines > about > > 5 nights a week. > Geoff, I use my machine every single night, and even for the rare nap. > I sleep well and rested for 7-8 hours every night. Once in a rare while, 6 > hours will do it but I need a nap (with mask on) if that happens. I have > been on CPAP for 3 years. I didn’t get to the 7-8 hour stage till about 5 > months after I started using my machine, and got a new bed that helped my > aching lower back. Actually I was averaging 6-7 hours and then worked > gradually up to 7-8 hours a night during the next six months. > I’m sorry that you aren’t doing as well. Quite frankly, you weren’t > told what to expect because most sleep doctors don’t know that much about > the coping part of it all. They do know that it is a difficult road to > travel for most folks when you start on CPAP, or whatever PAP, but they > can’t seem to do much else but hand you the equipment and say "start using > it, now don’t bother me I’ve got other patients." > Jo
Response:
On Mon, 3 Jan 2000 12:21:46 -0000, "Geoff Bernstein" <Berst…@btinternet.com> wrote: > | How long do members of this newsgroup use their CPAP machines for each > | night?
All night, every night since day one. I even took it with me to the hospital last week when I had to stay overnight following an angioplasty. —————————————————- "Trudy is Beauth, Beauth, Trudy"
