Hope2SleepGuide

Sleep Apnoea Forum Bringing Help + Support to the Patient

Welcome to our Forum - Feel Free to Introduce Yourself Here.

Welcome to the Hope2SleepGuide Forum, which is a service run by the Hope2Sleep Charity founded by Kath Hope with a marvellous team of trustees and volunteers. 

Kath herself has severe sleep apnoea and hypoventilation/hypercapnia, and has used CPAP for several years and is now on non-invasive ventilation.  Our trustees and volunteers are all either sufferers of sleep disordered breathing or clinicians/medics working in this field, and most importantly, we are all passionate in supporting (with empathy) others and raising awareness to help people live healthier and more energised lives.

 

Whilst we do not give medical advice, more often than not, with support, tips and knowledge, people can overcome any problems experienced with our therapy, and there is a whole page dedicated to this on the website http://www.hope2sleep.co.uk/tips-for-problems-sleeping-with-cpap-or...

 

Please come and join us, and don’t feel obligated to use your ‘real’ name if you prefer to remain anonymous as this is a public forum.  Don’t be shy in posting and sharing, as we’re all in this together and to help each other.

Best Wishes for good sleep!

Kath

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Hi all, and many thanx to Kath for the warm welcome and advice on some items that can be bought from Hope2sleep.

My name is Gaz, I was diagnosed about 6 Months ago, but the sleep problem got worse over a number of years prior to me going to the Doctors.

What made me go to see the Doc was by talking to some other S.A sufferers to whom I mentioned that when I started to fall asleep I noticed I held my breath, plus I was getting to the state where I felt tired all the time, falling asleep at work ect. luckily I never nodded off whilst driving. Anyway The Doc referred me to the Sleep Nurse @ Pontefract Hospital,m I took an oxygen monitor sensor thingy home (i don't know the Clinical name for it) to see what my Oxygen level was when I slept. When the Nurse (Terri) downloaded the reading she showed me the printout and explained to me that I was holding my breath 73 times an hour, I was really taken aback, shocked and upset, so much so I didn't know what to say. anyway Terri issued me with a CPAP machine and it had an almost instant effect on me. After three weeks I had another Oxygen test whilst on the CPAP and the holding my breath was brought down to 0.04 times, an "exceptional result" Terri told me. I feel a lot better with using the CPAP machine.

As my SA is reportable to the DVLA I got Terri to fill in the form I printed off the DVLA website, and within a month I got a letter back from them stating that they are happy with the results and I can keep my Driving Licence.

This is the second part of a double whammy, as about 20 months ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, but that's another story.....

Gaz 

Hi Gary,

 

 Welcome to you from me too! You are doing all the right things with the cpap now so don't be disheartened. Things don't stay static when you do what you are advised to do so stick with it all.

I was diagnosed as stopping breathing over 100 times an hour (this was nearly four years ago now)and I also had type 2 diabetes diagnosed at the same time. Once I started to use my cpap machine the effect was also instant (my technician was also called Terri - at the Conquest Hospital in Hastings) and my weight started to drop with the dieting I had been trying to do unsuccessfully prior to this.

Two years later I had lost eight and a half stone and my diabetes was diagnosed as neutral (gone  really, although I am still on the register so they can keep an eye on me). I have managed to control the diabetes with diet alone thankfully. I had other things wrong as well but I suspect I am a fair bit older than you and that gave me more time for things to go wrong.

So well done to you and take heart. You can affect your health by listening to the right people and being brave about it all. We can get our lives back!! It is nice to not be tired isn't it? Bye for now.

Rosemary     

Gary Pearson said:

Hi all, and many thanx to Kath for the warm welcome and advice on some items that can be bought from Hope2sleep.

My name is Gaz, I was diagnosed about 6 Months ago, but the sleep problem got worse over a number of years prior to me going to the Doctors.

What made me go to see the Doc was by talking to some other S.A sufferers to whom I mentioned that when I started to fall asleep I noticed I held my breath, plus I was getting to the state where I felt tired all the time, falling asleep at work ect. luckily I never nodded off whilst driving. Anyway The Doc referred me to the Sleep Nurse @ Pontefract Hospital,m I took an oxygen monitor sensor thingy home (i don't know the Clinical name for it) to see what my Oxygen level was when I slept. When the Nurse (Terri) downloaded the reading she showed me the printout and explained to me that I was holding my breath 73 times an hour, I was really taken aback, shocked and upset, so much so I didn't know what to say. anyway Terri issued me with a CPAP machine and it had an almost instant effect on me. After three weeks I had another Oxygen test whilst on the CPAP and the holding my breath was brought down to 0.04 times, an "exceptional result" Terri told me. I feel a lot better with using the CPAP machine.

As my SA is reportable to the DVLA I got Terri to fill in the form I printed off the DVLA website, and within a month I got a letter back from them stating that they are happy with the results and I can keep my Driving Licence.

This is the second part of a double whammy, as about 20 months ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, but that's another story.....

Gaz 

Thanx Rosmary.

Yes I have to stick at them both for my health's sake, I was very poorly when I was diagnosed with Diabetes as it was the Diabetes making me ill, my sugar level was 72.

It took some getting used to wearing the nose mask for my SA, I still sometimes breathe a bit to heavy when I first start on it at night. i had to have my machine changed last week as it stopped working, so I had to do without it for a few days, I didn't sleep well at all, that is if I did sleep.

I still feel tired but that ids due to the work hours and work load, but the Cpap machine is a God send to me.

I am sure with help & advice from peeps on this forum (had loads off Kath already) and from Terri at the Clinic I will soon get the measure of my SA, & hopefully my Diabetes will soon follow.

Gaz



Rosemary Kemp said:

Hi Gary,

 

 Welcome to you from me too! You are doing all the right things with the cpap now so don't be disheartened. Things don't stay static when you do what you are advised to do so stick with it all.

I was diagnosed as stopping breathing over 100 times an hour (this was nearly four years ago now)and I also had type 2 diabetes diagnosed at the same time. Once I started to use my cpap machine the effect was also instant (my technician was also called Terri - at the Conquest Hospital in Hastings) and my weight started to drop with the dieting I had been trying to do unsuccessfully prior to this.

Two years later I had lost eight and a half stone and my diabetes was diagnosed as neutral (gone  really, although I am still on the register so they can keep an eye on me). I have managed to control the diabetes with diet alone thankfully. I had other things wrong as well but I suspect I am a fair bit older than you and that gave me more time for things to go wrong.

So well done to you and take heart. You can affect your health by listening to the right people and being brave about it all. We can get our lives back!! It is nice to not be tired isn't it? Bye for now.

Rosemary     

Gary Pearson said:

Hi all, and many thanx to Kath for the warm welcome and advice on some items that can be bought from Hope2sleep.

My name is Gaz, I was diagnosed about 6 Months ago, but the sleep problem got worse over a number of years prior to me going to the Doctors.

What made me go to see the Doc was by talking to some other S.A sufferers to whom I mentioned that when I started to fall asleep I noticed I held my breath, plus I was getting to the state where I felt tired all the time, falling asleep at work ect. luckily I never nodded off whilst driving. Anyway The Doc referred me to the Sleep Nurse @ Pontefract Hospital,m I took an oxygen monitor sensor thingy home (i don't know the Clinical name for it) to see what my Oxygen level was when I slept. When the Nurse (Terri) downloaded the reading she showed me the printout and explained to me that I was holding my breath 73 times an hour, I was really taken aback, shocked and upset, so much so I didn't know what to say. anyway Terri issued me with a CPAP machine and it had an almost instant effect on me. After three weeks I had another Oxygen test whilst on the CPAP and the holding my breath was brought down to 0.04 times, an "exceptional result" Terri told me. I feel a lot better with using the CPAP machine.

As my SA is reportable to the DVLA I got Terri to fill in the form I printed off the DVLA website, and within a month I got a letter back from them stating that they are happy with the results and I can keep my Driving Licence.

This is the second part of a double whammy, as about 20 months ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, but that's another story.....

Gaz 

Hi again Gary,

That certainly was a high sugar reading and I'm not surprised that you were poorly.

As far as adjusting to using the mask, it does get easier but I still have occasional difficulties after years of practice and practice makes you nearer to perfect if not perfect!.

Kath is great and she will help you to find the best mask when you feel ready to try something else. That is if the hospital doesn't help you over this. My hospital only gives out three sorts of mask and they don't give more than one a year if they can help it! (I wonder if your Terri is the same as my Terri was! I wonder if she ever worked at the Conquest!)

There are different sorts of mask and different people get on with different methods. I personally still get best sleep with nasal masks and I reckon that if you take really deep breaths when you start the night the cpap gets easier. I just get as comfortable as I can and I concentrate on the breathing.

I count as I breathe in and then I count the same number as I breathe out. Then I try to increase the counts a little as I breathe out. So for example I breathe in to three and out to three a few times. Then in to three and out to four (which is slower breathing). This relaxes you and helps the whole process I find.

I do that for a while and then I breathe in to the count of say four and out to four for a bit and then I breathe in to four and out to five. This gives you something to focus on and it is all done while the machine is ramping so that when it is going full blast, you are already relaxed. Hope that makes sense.

Anyway, it may work for you the same as it works for me. You're certainly not alone!

Rosemary      

Gary Pearson said:

Thanx Rosmary.

Yes I have to stick at them both for my health's sake, I was very poorly when I was diagnosed with Diabetes as it was the Diabetes making me ill, my sugar level was 72.

It took some getting used to wearing the nose mask for my SA, I still sometimes breathe a bit to heavy when I first start on it at night. i had to have my machine changed last week as it stopped working, so I had to do without it for a few days, I didn't sleep well at all, that is if I did sleep.

I still feel tired but that ids due to the work hours and work load, but the Cpap machine is a God send to me.

I am sure with help & advice from peeps on this forum (had loads off Kath already) and from Terri at the Clinic I will soon get the measure of my SA, & hopefully my Diabetes will soon follow.

Gaz



Rosemary Kemp said:

Hi Gary,

 

 Welcome to you from me too! You are doing all the right things with the cpap now so don't be disheartened. Things don't stay static when you do what you are advised to do so stick with it all.

I was diagnosed as stopping breathing over 100 times an hour (this was nearly four years ago now)and I also had type 2 diabetes diagnosed at the same time. Once I started to use my cpap machine the effect was also instant (my technician was also called Terri - at the Conquest Hospital in Hastings) and my weight started to drop with the dieting I had been trying to do unsuccessfully prior to this.

Two years later I had lost eight and a half stone and my diabetes was diagnosed as neutral (gone  really, although I am still on the register so they can keep an eye on me). I have managed to control the diabetes with diet alone thankfully. I had other things wrong as well but I suspect I am a fair bit older than you and that gave me more time for things to go wrong.

So well done to you and take heart. You can affect your health by listening to the right people and being brave about it all. We can get our lives back!! It is nice to not be tired isn't it? Bye for now.

Rosemary     

Gary Pearson said:

Hi all, and many thanx to Kath for the warm welcome and advice on some items that can be bought from Hope2sleep.

My name is Gaz, I was diagnosed about 6 Months ago, but the sleep problem got worse over a number of years prior to me going to the Doctors.

What made me go to see the Doc was by talking to some other S.A sufferers to whom I mentioned that when I started to fall asleep I noticed I held my breath, plus I was getting to the state where I felt tired all the time, falling asleep at work ect. luckily I never nodded off whilst driving. Anyway The Doc referred me to the Sleep Nurse @ Pontefract Hospital,m I took an oxygen monitor sensor thingy home (i don't know the Clinical name for it) to see what my Oxygen level was when I slept. When the Nurse (Terri) downloaded the reading she showed me the printout and explained to me that I was holding my breath 73 times an hour, I was really taken aback, shocked and upset, so much so I didn't know what to say. anyway Terri issued me with a CPAP machine and it had an almost instant effect on me. After three weeks I had another Oxygen test whilst on the CPAP and the holding my breath was brought down to 0.04 times, an "exceptional result" Terri told me. I feel a lot better with using the CPAP machine.

As my SA is reportable to the DVLA I got Terri to fill in the form I printed off the DVLA website, and within a month I got a letter back from them stating that they are happy with the results and I can keep my Driving Licence.

This is the second part of a double whammy, as about 20 months ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, but that's another story.....

Gaz 

last week i was told about reflexoligy to send you to sleep and it works great

1 rub your index finger over the top of

see new topic "reflexology to sleep"

May I revive this discussion? I've been looking here for some time, and have bought things from Kath in the past but not posted on the forum before. 

The thing that gets me about OSA is the way that it is seen as a byproduct of obesity, smoking and drinking and other things that certain parts of the media see as symptomatic of Britain. Although being overweight can of course be a contributory factor there are many other reasons why we may have the condition. In my case I believe it to be hereditary - although my father was never diagnosed he certainly had breathing difficulties and snored. 

When I was diagnosed (in about 1998) I was normal weight. Although, like most of us, I put weight on with age, I have now lost that and am back to around where I was 15 years ago. As far as I know it has made little difference to my OSA.

Back then OSA had a rather low profile, and it's good to see it getting more recognition. I went to a sleep clinic (now long gone) at King Edward VII hospital in Midhurst run by a Dr Hopkirk because it was just being recognised that OSA could be a reason for hypertension, and was issued with my first CPAP.

Later I moved to France, where I found OSA was hardly known. My GP there refused to understand it, despite being given explanatory printouts from the ResMed France website. My requests for a new mask and/or a check of my CPAP settings were met with an offer to prescribe oxygen. I believe things are better there now, though the postcode lottery principle still applies.

Returning to England, I went to the sleep centre at QVH in East Grinstead - very good - where I had another sleep study and my ancient S5 was declared non-functional. It was replaced with a Fisher Paykel machine, but I never really got on with that.

After moving to a different part of the country I had a problem with the mask, and the GP referred me to Prof Stradling's excellent clinic at the John Radcliff in Oxford. There my CPAP was exchanged for a ResMed S8 with new Mirage mask which I find marvellous - though my search for a less obtrusive mask continues (I bought a ResMed Swift which I use occcasionally, particularly when travelling).

Talking of masks, does anybody here have experience of the CPAP Pro (http://www.nomask.co.uk)? It looks raher promising, but a forum search didn't find any references.

 

Hi Bill,

I agree that there is too much focus on obesity, alcohol and smoking in discussion about OSA. It distracts attention from the real issue, probably reduces the likelihood of people without those risk factors getting referred for a sleep test and conveys the impression that the condition is due to people's behaviour.

I am one of the many people who did not have any of those risk factors. I've been called skinny all my life, have never smoked and don't drink alcohol, but have severe sleep apnea. Like you, it's presumably hereditary in my case.

Pete








Bill Thomson said:

May I revive this discussion? I've been looking here for some time, and have bought things from Kath in the past but not posted on the forum before. 

The thing that gets me about OSA is the way that it is seen as a byproduct of obesity, smoking and drinking and other things that certain parts of the media see as symptomatic of Britain. Although being overweight can of course be a contributory factor there are many other reasons why we may have the condition. In my case I believe it to be hereditary - although my father was never diagnosed he certainly had breathing difficulties and snored. 

When I was diagnosed (in about 1998) I was normal weight. Although, like most of us, I put weight on with age, I have now lost that and am back to around where I was 15 years ago. As far as I know it has made little difference to my OSA.

Back then OSA had a rather low profile, and it's good to see it getting more recognition. I went to a sleep clinic (now long gone) at King Edward VII hospital in Midhurst run by a Dr Hopkirk because it was just being recognised that OSA could be a reason for hypertension, and was issued with my first CPAP.

Later I moved to France, where I found OSA was hardly known. My GP there refused to understand it, despite being given explanatory printouts from the ResMed France website. My requests for a new mask and/or a check of my CPAP settings were met with an offer to prescribe oxygen. I believe things are better there now, though the postcode lottery principle still applies.

Returning to England, I went to the sleep centre at QVH in East Grinstead - very good - where I had another sleep study and my ancient S5 was declared non-functional. It was replaced with a Fisher Paykel machine, but I never really got on with that.

After moving to a different part of the country I had a problem with the mask, and the GP referred me to Prof Stradling's excellent clinic at the John Radcliff in Oxford. There my CPAP was exchanged for a ResMed S8 with new Mirage mask which I find marvellous - though my search for a less obtrusive mask continues (I bought a ResMed Swift which I use occcasionally, particularly when travelling).

Talking of masks, does anybody here have experience of the CPAP Pro (http://www.nomask.co.uk)? It looks raher promising, but a forum search didn't find any references.

 

Welcome to the forum Bill, and I totally agree with you and Pete!  I've been spending a lot of time lately with parents of very young children with OSA, and whilst it's sad to see them struggling with CPAP, it's been encouraging that at last the medics are recognising it in children, which will hopefully protect them from the other related medical conditions that untreated OSA is linked with.  We had a similar 'lively' discussion here on the forum a while ago.  If you've not seen it it's on this link http://hope2sleepguide.co.uk/forum/topics/is-sleep-apnoea-hereditary?

I've yet to hear any feedback on the NoMask Bill.  I did ask for some on a recent blog I wrote about masks http://www.sleepapnoeablog.com/choosing-a-cpap-bipap-masks-for-slee... but have had no response so far.

I am overweight, I have to admit, but was told by my consultant that a combination of things like the size of my neck, and that hasn't changed, the size of my tongue, receded jaw and the fact that I have always snored, wether I were a size 8-10 or size 18-20. Although losing weight is good for us all if we are heavier than we should be, i totally agree that there is to much focus on the wrong things. He knows its not easy for me to lose weight as i unfortunately have other health problems but he said it wouldnt make much difference if I did. (OSA wise I mean…of course it would help my overall health) I don't have high blood pressure or any of the other conditions that go along with OSA

They should be concentrating on trying to get people to get a referral and go and have a sleep study, it could turn out its 'just' snoring after all and they are perfectly healthy.

Although I am 100% compliant, and Kath knows I hate using it, although I have now found the most comfortable mask for me, it happened to be a petite size Philips Respironics True Blue, one of their 'new' masks.

I have spoken to many people about my condition and its amazing the amount of people who say the OH sounds like that etc etc….. but will they get referred…. no! they just don't seem to want to know.

I am very lucky and have an excellent consultant, but i was nearly scared of trying CPAP, but the shock of being told my AHI was 62 made me read and read up about all I could find and remake that appt to back and see him. 

He was glad I went back, otherwise I guess inside he would of felt he failed me as a patient. Knowing how bady I needed the treatment, he wasn't going to force it on me. So anyone who I have spoken to who could be at risk  have suggested get a referral, even to see him, he is happy to see anyone not covered by our HA, but if theur GP agrees he is happ to see them.

He has been trying to persuade our HA/PCT (Whatever its known as these days) that if they treat people now, it will cost less in later years hopefully cutting down the number of strokes, heart disease,Uncontrollable hypertension or diabetes… the list could go on.

Although I hate my machine, and i don't think I will ever 'love' it, in fact the whole diagnosis has turned me upside down, but I would rather use it and  not get 'all of the above'

Im no expert in any of this and regard myself as relatively new to it, 20/01/2012 I started using CPAP, Kath and the members on here have been a huge help to me……so I will try to continue to spread the word, even if just one person's life is improved it would be something……and thanks to Kath for putting up with my 'just a quick' (long) emails. I dont think I could have got from january to october being 100% compliant without finding Kath ….. so thank you xxxxx

Hi,

I don't smoke or drink.  I am overweight.  With undiagnosed OSA, I felt so drained of energy, that I started "snacking" more.  I have lost weight since, but comfort eating is now an in-grained reaction to stress, and it's hard to keep my weight down.  So I suggest that OSA can be the cause, rather than the result, of weight gain.

I switched from my NHS-provided mask, to a Respironics Comfort Curve which I found to be much less claustrophobic, and much less prone to causing in-growing facial hairs.  Sadly Respironics discontinued the mask, but I bought a couple to keep in reserve.  More recently I discovered the SleepWeaver (www.sleepweaver.com).  It's unbelievable that a little bit of cloth can work so well.  And it packs very easily.  Now I just keep the Comfort Curve for those rare occasions when I want a change.

I appreciate I haven't answered your question, but thought my experience with the SleepWeaver might be of interest to others reading this forum.

Jonathan



Bill Thomson said:

May I revive this discussion? I've been looking here for some time, and have bought things from Kath in the past but not posted on the forum before. 

The thing that gets me about OSA is the way that it is seen as a byproduct of obesity, smoking and drinking and other things that certain parts of the media see as symptomatic of Britain

[...]

though my search for a less obtrusive mask continues (I bought a ResMed Swift which I use occcasionally, particularly when travelling).

Talking of masks, does anybody here have experience of the CPAP Pro (http://www.nomask.co.uk)? It looks raher promising, but a forum search didn't find any references.

 

 "Agreeing" that our obesity is probably not the reason for our OSA isn't helpful in my opinion. Although there are certainly people out there who have OSA who are not at all fat, we should look at the evidence. There are many, many OSA sufferers who are huge. I was no exception to this.

It is silly to pretend to ourselves that the overweight is not a really significant factor in the whole thing. Whether the overweight came first or not, we know only too well that a wide neck is associated with airways' obstruction. I stopped breathing over 100 times an hour. I was eight and a half stone larger than I am now, four years ago, prior to my diagnosis.

I found it possible to exert self discipline once I started to sleep with the help of the cpap equipment but it is the weight loss mainly that has reduced my huge risk of heart attack and stroke and that was made possible by getting sleep. That doesn't mean that it is easy to lose weight even when we get decent sleep but it is a hell of a lot more possible.

So four years into my cpap treatment, I do hour and a half long work outs at the gym and feel loads better. My diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure are under control. I still struggle to lose weight and the "lovely and supportive" medics still say: "Have you ever considered having gastric surgery to help lose the weight?!" This constant suggestion that I should have gastric surgery really upsets me but I will continue to struggle with the weight loss without the need for surgey. The hospital said that I wasn't big enough now to justify surgery anyway. It is just my health centre that seems to have this mission to prevent diabetes with gastric surgery! Here is me refusing to have the surgery yet there are folk who would kill to be allowed to have it! We live in a crazy world.   

I hardly drink any alcohol either and I don't smoke but that doesn't mean that I am not at risk of all sorts of health difficulties if I don't continue to lose weight.I have lots of weight to lose still and I hope that I will eventually get there. I need to get as much sleep as possible to help me and in the meantime, I know that my past behaviour affected my health adversely and although I have made myself a lot better over the past four years, I can't turn the clock back completely and my health will always be less good than if I had not been so big.

I may have ended up with OSA regardless but I may not have had such a severe case. Who knows? There's no point in me blaming people for going on about my excess weight. They obviously don't realise that they aren't helping me with their judgement. I just need to try my hardest to deal with it and lose as much of it as I can.  

I also had reason to need to comfort eat (still have) with the severely autistic child I needed to care for but that understanding didn't and doesn't help me to be healthy. I think it is dangerous to make excuses for my condition and not take resposibility for my own mistakes. I still deserve to be helped though. The fact that I made mistakes and make mistakes doesn't mean that I don't deserve help. We are human and as such we get it wrong some of the time.

Rosemary

Roz B said:

I am overweight, I have to admit, but was told by my consultant that a combination of things like the size of my neck, and that hasn't changed, the size of my tongue, receded jaw and the fact that I have always snored, wether I were a size 8-10 or size 18-20. Although losing weight is good for us all if we are heavier than we should be, i totally agree that there is to much focus on the wrong things. He knows its not easy for me to lose weight as i unfortunately have other health problems but he said it wouldnt make much difference if I did. (OSA wise I mean…of course it would help my overall health) I don't have high blood pressure or any of the other conditions that go along with OSA

They should be concentrating on trying to get people to get a referral and go and have a sleep study, it could turn out its 'just' snoring after all and they are perfectly healthy.

Although I am 100% compliant, and Kath knows I hate using it, although I have now found the most comfortable mask for me, it happened to be a petite size Philips Respironics True Blue, one of their 'new' masks.

I have spoken to many people about my condition and its amazing the amount of people who say the OH sounds like that etc etc….. but will they get referred…. no! they just don't seem to want to know.

I am very lucky and have an excellent consultant, but i was nearly scared of trying CPAP, but the shock of being told my AHI was 62 made me read and read up about all I could find and remake that appt to back and see him. 

He was glad I went back, otherwise I guess inside he would of felt he failed me as a patient. Knowing how bady I needed the treatment, he wasn't going to force it on me. So anyone who I have spoken to who could be at risk  have suggested get a referral, even to see him, he is happy to see anyone not covered by our HA, but if theur GP agrees he is happ to see them.

He has been trying to persuade our HA/PCT (Whatever its known as these days) that if they treat people now, it will cost less in later years hopefully cutting down the number of strokes, heart disease,Uncontrollable hypertension or diabetes… the list could go on.

Although I hate my machine, and i don't think I will ever 'love' it, in fact the whole diagnosis has turned me upside down, but I would rather use it and  not get 'all of the above'

Im no expert in any of this and regard myself as relatively new to it, 20/01/2012 I started using CPAP, Kath and the members on here have been a huge help to me……so I will try to continue to spread the word, even if just one person's life is improved it would be something……and thanks to Kath for putting up with my 'just a quick' (long) emails. I dont think I could have got from january to october being 100% compliant without finding Kath ….. so thank you xxxxx

the excess weight is usually caused by poor sleep and in my opinion some tablets and becase of poor sleep it is difficult lose weight

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John posted a discussion

Nasal valve collapse

Does anyone have any experience of nasal valve collapse?Wondering if I have this but I don't know what the norm is.Been trying widgets that hold the nose open and it's like night and day.See More
Mar 24
John replied to John's discussion Airsense 10 -humidifier runs dry
"Wow it's the other way round for me.I found with the Sleepcube I'd often have a good bit of water still there in the morning. Today I woke up with a dry tank on the Resmed again and it's not on full heat or flow. I got it on 6…"
Mar 24
Becky Murkin posted a discussion

F20 AirFit small marking bridge of nose

Please help or give advice all wise people on here.I have had the Resmed F20 AirFit small mask for over a month. Seals yet…See More
Mar 19
Frances Knight replied to Frances Knight's discussion Air Sense 10 - changing pressure settings
"A very helpful reply Jonathan. I found the pressure setting for the full face mask to be too high when I changed to a nasal mask, but perhaps I should have persisted? I'll try again and I'll also discuss with the clinic whether an APAP…"
Mar 13
Jonathan replied to Frances Knight's discussion Air Sense 10 - changing pressure settings
"Ramble alert!  My history is that I spent part of each week at a different location, so bought a second machine identical to my fixed pressure NHS machine and set it up to match using the clinician menu.  This was a very long time…"
Mar 12
Frances Knight replied to Frances Knight's discussion Air Sense 10 - changing pressure settings
"Thanks Jonathan - I had seen the YouTube video. My question is really about the experience of people who have control of their pressure settings, for example those people who have bought their machines directly and not obtained them through an NHS…"
Mar 12
Jonathan replied to Frances Knight's discussion Air Sense 10 - changing pressure settings
"This is NOT a recommendation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNUWhd2UgQM"
Mar 11
Frances Knight posted a discussion

Air Sense 10 - changing pressure settings

I have been successfully using my air sense 10 since OSA diagnosis, and my AHI is now under 2. I had an appointment with my clinic this week and have been told there is no need for further appointments and just to contact them if I need supplies or…See More
Mar 11
Swen Greve is now a member of Hope2SleepGuide
Mar 4
Jonathan replied to Sue Reeves's discussion A few questions..
"If you have a helpful GP, I would ask them to re-refer you to the sleep clinic."
Mar 3
Sue Reeves posted a discussion

A few questions..

A quick bit of backgroundDiagnosed with OSA about 7/8 years ago by my local sleep clinic and given a F &P Icon CPAP.  After a couple of follow-up appts to sort out any issues, I was sent on my merry way. I have had no further face to face…See More
Mar 3
Jonathan replied to John's discussion Airsense 10 -humidifier runs dry
"I previously had a DeVilbiss Sleepcube and the dehumidifier did sometimes run dry.  On the other hand I now have an AirSense 10 and it never runs dry, and I've had the humidity turned up high."
Feb 26
John posted a discussion

Airsense 10 -humidifier runs dry

Hi. I'm finding the Airsense 10 the hospital gave me, the humidifier chamber runs dry. It's not even on max settings, which I'm guessing would empty it a lot quicker. Seems like a big design oversight to me. Does anyone else have this trouble? The…See More
Feb 26
David Hudson posted a discussion

Decline in hearing

HiI have regular, well yearly check ups at work. One being a hearing test. Since having my cpap machine my hearing has declined rapidly in 1 ear.....could this be as a result of pressure? I believe I'm on 15cm p max h2o. I just use a nasal…See More
Feb 26

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