General Forums >> Ask A Nurse >> Continuous Positive Airway Treatment
Continuous Positive Airway Treatment
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Posted almost 6 years ago Does anyone have any experience threating sleep apnea patients using Continuous Positive Airway Pressure? What have been your experiences? |
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| Posted over 5 years ago Yup. 1st hand experience. Used one of those dang machines. My sleep study found I had sleep apnea up to 90 seconds long, occurring every 60-90 seconds. No wonder I felt crummy in the AM. Got my machine and spaceperson get-up and had a great nght;s sleep. This is from one who is obsesed with nothing over my face and nose. I used to joke, I hope I never need O2 as I couldn;t use the mask!! Afew minor problems with pressure spots on nares and ears from the equipment, but had great suppliers who interchanged and gave me new equipment to resolve problems. Used it every night for 2 months, then had my gastric bypass. Woke from anesthesia feeling I couldn;t breathe and fighting the nurse who was attempting to put that mask on my face. Haven;t used the CPAP since. Don;t need it. It is a godsend and bales one out of poor sleep. Takes some getting used to.; Potential for pressure sores same as for long term use of oxygen. Patients need a knowledgeable practitioner and one who is willing to trouble shoot and devise corrections. |
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| Posted over 5 years ago Gallp, Have a questiom. My husband has had sleep apnea for a number of years and he just had another sleep study. This study showed many periods of apnea during REM sleep. He's going to be fitted for a mask in a few weeks, we think. From what you and others have said, he'll likely feel so much better. However, I can't help but wwonnder how I'LL feel here. Will I be able to sleep? When I worked in the hospitals, the CPAP machines made a lot of noise. Granted, that was nearly 20 years ago, and I know they've changed, but do I stand a snowballs chance? teamRN |
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| Posted over 5 years ago teamRN: it does make some noise. but lots less than the older models. Minor hum sound. I usually sleep with a floor fan on as "white noise" and the CPAP was no noisier than the floor fan. There are masks, & nasal "air pillows" which are like nasal O2 prongs. They are extremely comfortable. I had 51 periods of apnea in an hour and some lasting 60-90 sec. They put the cpap machine on me during the sleep study after only 2.5 hrs. I was then sleeping so well and having deep REM sleep that they couldn't bear to wake me and let me sleep 1 hr past usual end of study. Nice of them,. but I had to get to work and was late. never knew how much sleep I was missing. Unfortunately, I was divorced before I got the CPAP, so have no significant other to give feedback. All I know is that daughter and son-in-law upstairs (I sleep on 1st floor) said and say they no longer hear me snoring.
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| Posted over 5 years ago Rey had 48 episodes of apnea during REM and when he goes back in a few weeks, he'll be fitted for a mask, I think Glad you let me know. Really am not selfish, but I don't sleep well. (Though in reality, most of my not sleeping well is because of his snoring.) Maybe I'll take an afternoon nap with HIS machine! Many thanks. Do they make portable machines for when we go out of town (doesn't happen often, maybe 3 or 4 times a year), but still we like to grab a weekend and head in to the mountains. |
