Seep apnea...

Yes. For the last 20 years or so. Been through a vaiety of CPAP machines and about 10 sleep studies. Feel free to ask me any questions. Nearly80

Hi @Mistyme

Welcome to the Forums!

Like yourself and @Nearly80, several of our members have discussed their struggles with sleep apnea. @Neito @kato @Griff25 @500bluebirds to name a few. @Appleblossom also once knew someone with sleep apnea. You can read more about their experiences here. Feel free to jump in anyone who wants to share a bit more about how they're managing.

@Mistyme Is this something something you've suffered from for a long time? Or have you just been recently diagnosed?

It is true to say that I have had a lot of experience suffering from apnea, well over 20 years. I have been able to cope with it much better because of what I have learnt over time.Sadly there quite a bit of misinformation and rorting of the system.

1. The purpose of the sleep study is primarily to determine to what level, if any, the blood oxygen saturation drops below 100%. This will also show your sleep quality. How refreshing it is. The bench mark is 80% oxygen saturation when asleep, compared to 100% when awake. At this level your doctor will advise you to get a CPAP machine;' they will also give your condition/study tests a variety of medical terms. This way they make it far easier to get you to come back in one to two years time to go through the whole thing again "just to be sure every thing is alright."

2. When you go back the technicians will again fit you out for the night. As is widely practiced in the medical field the technicians will tell you nothing about your results, only your doctor will be in touch. Instead a technician will phone you to tell you to come in with your CPAP machine for an adjustment needed as a result of your last sleep study test. End of dialogue!

3. What no one tells/or properly explains to you is:-

3.1. CPAP machines cost from $250.00 for a re-conditioned 2nd hand (my last one cost me $300.00 and works fine.) Up to $3000.00 for a new one. With our winters becoming so mild I no longer use a humidifier.

3.2 The CPAP m,machines are deliberated into cm of water at sea l;level. Mine is set on 10 cms. Yes all those "special sleep" doctors have had me on the full range - 6 cms water to 14cms water for no good reason, except deception.

3.3 My first sleep study showed that my blood oxygen saturation dropped down to 40%. I used to experience those horrible cough - gasps when it woke me up. Apnea can be lethal you if the oxygen level goes too low. The reason why mine was so bad is another subject. A drop down to 80 or 90% is quite common, however it's enough to deny you good refreshing sleep.

3.4 No one out there is at all experienced and knows how to properly use all the other gear. There are lots of different brands and fittings. They are all expensive. From my experience most brands are not designed by some one who uses a CPAP. They are shocking! I have seen that most users try to use what they have bought, but after a month they still find them such an unusable hassle that they give up. Note; the elastic bridal which holds the mask to the face perishes over time, a new one costs $150.00, I now make my own using divers neoprene for $10.00 each

Enough for now. I look forward to replies, if any! Nearly80

I have sleep apnea and use an APAP(auto CPAP). The CPAP is the golden standard in treating sleep apnea. There are many "treatments" for sleep apnea, but research will show there success rate is very low and/or long term success is very low. Please do your research on sleep apnea. A good place to start is http://www.cpaptalk.com/ and the best top to choose non expensive CPAP machine is http://healthyhowardmd.org/cpap-machines/ . There, you will find information on the type of machine to get and what to look for in a DME supplier and who to stay away from. I would also suggest that you look for a new sleep doctor that supports your going on a CPAP. Properly treated sleep apnea can improve your health in many ways.