About sleep and pain issues

[ahabthearab]

I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and received one of those machines. Shortly afterwards I lost my insurance so I no longer can afford to go to the clinic. I was told I awake 120x a minute and snore so loudly the walls move inward and outward (nurse agreed with my wife). It went well for about 2-3 weeks when I realized I was removing my tube in my sleep. This went on for awhile till I was let go from my job and no longer had insurance. I could no longer afford to deal with the clinic. I figured out that the problem was that the nasel spray they told me to use was constantly burning the inside of my nose and throat so I had stopped using it and in my sleep when the pressure built up in my sinuses, I would remove the tube. I have 4 different attachments and tried them all. I am realizing just now that I never retried the nasel spray but it burned all the way into my throat and was as bad as acid reflux. Anyway, I just heard that it is possible that the pain I am constantly feeling come and go in my extremites may be due to this disorder. I, of course, do not sleep well, only a 2-4 hours at a time, work 9p-6a and smoke about 1-1 1/2 packs a day depending on the stress levels. I had had a bout with optic neuritis and took the steroid treatment route. This increased my body weight from about 210 to 270 @ 6' tall. Any suggestions would be appreciated however ths smoking issue is not an option till I can reduce some of this stress. Thank you in advance.

[ahabthearab]

Thanks for the support! :) I pull the whole device off in my sleep. I have tried using water, distilled and tap. I have tried cold and warm. I may have not given it enough time but there was no marked difference. Respironics is the brand and I have the nose mask, nose hose (around the ears and behind), the over-the-head nose jets and ok, only 3.... :)
The nose is the only way KatEyes because they need to keep the pressure going to make me use my nose to sleep not my mouth. (Good idea, but in my case defeats the purpose according to what the nurse said.) Neti Pot? what is that and what does it do.....

Thanks for the input..... :)

[Red931]

120X a minute is a serious problem! Combine that with the smoking and being overweight and you have three strikes against you.

As KatEyes has stated there are so many new and different masks and nasal devices out there today that you should be able to find on that works for you. If you are pulling the hose from the machine or the mask there are clamps available that will prevent you from doing that anymore. You can also get a hose up to eight feet long to prevent tension on the hose while moving around while sleeping.

If you are gonig to continue to smoke and stop breathing 120X a minute you really need that machine. Find a way to stick with it.

[KatEyes]

There are some things you can do to methodically work through the problems with cpap until you can make it work for you. Sounds like your OSA is severe, so it's likely your body and brain is suffering and getting this to work is important.

About the nasal congestion - Have you tried a Neti Pot or any of the nasal rinses? Using a rinse a while before bedtime helps some, including me. Are you using a humidifier on the machine and on what setting? Some people need a lot of warm air, others need it cool to avoid sinus swelling. It takes some experimenting to figure out what works for you.

If these efforts still don't allow nasal breathing, a full face mask that allows for mouth breathing may be what you need. They can present more challenges due to leaks, but many use them successfully. Maybe if you post the name of the mask someone will have tips on how to make it work better.

Also, what is the full and exact name of your machine? It sounds like you could benefit from having a data capable one so you can see if your treatment is indeed preventing apneas.

Please do whatever it takes to make this work for you. I know the difference it can make in your life. I was once a cpap dropout but now I wouldn't even think of sleeping without it. Didn't come quick or easy, but was worth every bit of effort. My only regret is waiting till my health collapsed before finding the guts to refuse to give up.

There are sites dedicated to helping people work thru their cpap issues and mask issues. I learned everything I know at cpaptalk or I wouldn't have done so well myself this time around. To pass that hope of things getting better along to someone else is now my desire.