CPAP Difficulty

[WisdomSeeker]

I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea.  When I went back for the second part of the sleep study (where they test improvement while using the CPAP), I could not do it.  They tried the full mask and then the one that only covers your nose.  I felt like I could not draw a deep breath and panicked.  The main reason is that it always seems like one side of my nose is stuffed up (for the past 6 months or so).  This makes it harder to breath with the machine and, once it gets in my head, I just cannot go to sleep.

Any suggestions or ideas?  I heard about the mouth guards that help snoring/apnea, do these really work?

[Steven Y Park, MD]

If your nose is stuffed up, take care of that first by seeing an ENT doctor. Having open nasal passageways is important if you want to eventually benefit from sleep apnea treatment options, especially with CPAP. Once your nose is open, give CPAP another try. There are many ways of gradually adjusting to using CPAP.

Another option is to use a formal mandibular advancement device that's made by dentists (not the boil and bite over the counter anti-snoring models), but you have to have the right anatomy and severe sleep apnea patients don't respond as well.

[coffeen]

Sirry, you asked another question that I did not answer for you.  No, I do not think the mouth guards solve the problem and I wouldn't waste my money on one.  

Sally

[coffeen]

I started wearing the nose mask in June 09.  I am claustrophobic but knew I had to do something.  As you probably know, Sleep Apnea can cause many health problems even death utimately if not treated.  So with me it was a mind set and the technician I had at the sleep study let me try both masks and what really convinced me that I could to this was I asked her how could I get out of this thing quickly if I felt I couldn't stand it.  She showed me how quickly I could unsnap if ot in my case with my CPAP strap slid it out of the hooked area.  Once I know that I had control of the situation I knew I could do this.  Most of it was phycology (sp) for me.  Now with an MRI I have to take something because I know if I panic that I cannot just jump out of there and get out quickly. If you do panic you can even just slide it over you head if you  have to.  As far as the stuffed up nose I have that quite often but my nose is stuffed whether I have the CPAP on or not so that does not bother me anymore.  I think the key for me also was learning to relax and breath with the machine.  Also helpful is to just sit on the side of your bed and do not slip the straps over your head and just hold the mask up to your nose and learn as I said to breath with the machine.  This really helped me alot.  If you fight it then it will not work for you.  I can remember years ago saying that I would never sleep with one of those things but now that I have to I try to look at it as a friend that is helping me and not against me.  (as corney as that sounds it does help.)  How serious is your Apnea?  Mine was pretty bad and scared my husband out of his wits.  He said the first time he heard me holding my breath it was at least 30 or 40 seconds.  I do  not like sleeping with this think but I have accepted it now as a part of my life. Having to get used to wearing glasses, or anything that is not natural to the body is difficult but try to think of the benefits.  I developed a heart arrithmia several years ago and just 11/2 I had a heart ablation and the heart dr really thinks it started because of the Apnea so It's so  important that you can find a way to conquer this little machine and not let it conquer you!!  If you have further questions do not hesitate to write back..Sally