CPAP machines???

Hey, any of you folks use them?? If so, ever use the humidifier attachment for them? Started with a new general practice doctor yesterday (other one retired)... Told her I was fine except for I coughed a lot in the morning and didn't breath real well til I was outside and moving around... She said the cpap was drying me out and causing the coughing, the occasional headaches I get, and (and I have no idea what she is talking about on this one) makes me crabby..... Maybe she knows a couple of my neighbors and just threw that part in :roll: ..
Things are pretty pricey, just wondering if they are really that good.....

Thanks, Dave

worth everydime....my first machine had no humidifier. when i got this one; it was great.
if you have insurance; with doctor's prescrip; it should be covered. now i have oxygen, the morning headaches are a thing of the past. found my oxygen levels really went down about 3am. my memory really improved when that problem was fixed.

(quoted from post at 03:16:07 05/31/12) worth everydime....my first machine had no humidifier. when i got this one; it was great.
if you have insurance; with doctor's prescrip; it should be covered. now i have oxygen, the morning headaches are a thing of the past. found my oxygen levels really went down about 3am. my memory really improved when that problem was fixed.

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You mean an actual oxygen tank, or just that the humidifier improves the oxygen? There is a universal one that is reasonable and one that is made for and plugs into my machine that heats the water as needed (or maybe makes steam??)..... My memory really sucks... I can see the decrease in oxygen because the dry air makes the nostrils swell and restricts the air....

Thanks...

I started using mine last fall and it had a humidifier which I have always used. Changed my life. Changed my wife"s life as well, now she does not have to endure my snoring. Used to keep her up every night until she was exhausted enough to sleep through the night then the cycle started over again.

Never used it without the humidifier so not sure what it would be like.

Kirk

(quoted from post at 03:26:01 05/31/12) I started using mine last fall and it had a humidifier which I have always used. Changed my life. Changed my wife"s life as well, now she does not have to endure my snoring. Used to keep her up every night until she was exhausted enough to sleep through the night then the cycle started over again.

Never used it without the humidifier so not sure what it would be like.

Kirk

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I just have these visions of the ting tipping somehow and I get waterboarded in my sleep :shock:
I'll be getting one ASAP (thought I was coughing up a lung this morning :roll: ), just not sure if I should go with the universal or spend the bucks for the plug in/heated one... Does yours make steam or just make the water about body temperature?

Thanks...

Mine is two pieces that assemble to look like a finished box. CPAP feeds into the humidifier half which has a reservoir with a heated plated at the base to vaporize the water. It has variable settings (1 thru 5) for how much moisture is being added. I have run it on every setting, seems to depend on the season.

See link below for what I have.

~Kirk
My CPAP

Thanks! Mine is different but the same principal.... If I can't get a used on off ebay, I'll go to the sleep doc and get a prescription and let the insurance pay it... I's breathing better just thinking about it :roll:

Thanks....

I had one that I ran without a humidifier. several
years ago I got one with the attached humidifier.
I think it works a lot better. I has a heater for
the water, water just gets warm, not hot, and has
different settings for heat. I use distilled water
in it. before I got the cpap I had a lot of
trouble with heartburn, now I don't. I do not know
if the cpap has anything to do with the heartburn
going away but I think it does. I went camping
with the Boy Scouts one time, had no power. worst
two nights I ever had. woke up both nights gasping
for breath. the cpap made a real different in how
I sleep. Good luck with yours and let us know how
it works out for you.

frank

Doesn"t enrich O2 content of the beathing air. Humidity
addition is vital. The main most of the machine is to have the
user breath in air above atmospheric pressure. This
overcomes restriction from broken, congested or snotty noses
in some folk. Or pushes air past over relaxed tongues and
throats. Being over weight or drinking before sleep exaberated
the condition. Can"t get a decent nights sleep without my
cpap if sleeping on my back.Blood pressure and blood sugar
has dropped since using the cpap.

Yep, husband had same problem... cpap dried nasal passages and throat so he had a slight cough and stuffy nose all the time! Though it did help him sleep better, feel more energetic and snore a lot less - though somehow he could still manage to snore some, even with a chin-strap.

Interesting to read below about units with humidifiers built in (or add on units). Will have to research it - maybe could convince him to get it out of the closet and give it another try. *Note for those who may be unaware of it... but sleep apena is really hard on your heart because it makes your heart work harder without the proper amount of air/oxygen needed.

SweetFeet,I would encourage him strongely to get back on it and use it,I hated it when I started,but now I know that it will keep my life going a little longer.Sleep Apena is dangerous stuff

(quoted from post at 05:28:24 05/31/12) SweetFeet,I would encourage him strongely to get back on it and use it,I hated it when I started,but now I know that it will keep my life going a little longer.Sleep Apena is dangerous stuff

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I didn't take mine on vacation with me and really missed it. Woke up almost every hour and was about shot in the mornings... Couldn't hold my eyes open while riding the bus and on a couple boat rides.....

Thanks, I think I will encourage him to give it a try - especially if we can get an "add-on" humidifier. If it requires a new prescription with new sleep-test, he probably won't play!

Thanks. Again, I will encourage him to give another try.

Just gotta ask though... Dave, are you sure the "groggy" didn't have something to do with the wine and schapps you were "tasting"? (Smile). Again, those were some neat vacation pics you posted...saved some for the artistic child to look at - gulls in flight, way cool.

(quoted from post at 05:53:16 05/31/12) Thanks. Again, I will encourage him to give another try.

Just gotta ask though... Dave, are you sure the "groggy" didn't have something to do with the wine and schapps you were "tasting"? (Smile). Again, those were some neat vacation pics you posted...saved some for the artistic child to look at - gulls in flight, way cool.

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You's the boss aintcha???? Wife just ordered me a humidifier... I's gonna plug it in and go. If it works, good, if not, I'll go to the sleep clinic...

Buickanddeere,
Really interesting about the drop in blood pressure and blood sugar. Does your doctor think that is connected to using the cpap? Or are you just inadvertenly getting more exercise because you feel more rested, thus more energetic. Just curious.

mine has the humidifier built in
makes a difference when it runs out of water
started on one least August up to 14" of pressure
Wife has a bipap machine
would not want one without humidifier
Regular doc dosn't believe in them
Ron

Dave2,

Nope, he's the boss (as it should be) - I'm just his administrative assistant. I just do all the research, paperwork, test drives (except tractors or equipment - out of my league), etc. He makes the decisions. But occasionally the boss will take what the administrator says "under advisement".

Please post back how the add-on humidifier works out. Hope it works well.

My second CPAP is identical to Kirk"s. Both were with humidifier, from VA. With the second machine I got the full face mask, covers mouth and nose. Way better for me.

A friend got one of those machines, and, "it
killed my love life", he says! His wife can"t
stand the sound, can"t sleep, sent him, forever,
to sleep in a different room. No more cuddleing!

(quoted from post at 06:50:04 05/31/12) A friend got one of those machines, and, "it
killed my love life", he says! His wife can"t
stand the sound, can"t sleep, sent him, forever,
to sleep in a different room. No more cuddleing!

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machine is just an excuse... The real problem is him going to sleep while cuddling :shock: Maybe there is something wrong with the machine cause it shouldn't be loud....
I tried the full face mask but couldn't handle it...

I have one similar to one of the previous posters- two parts that latch
together, one side is a heated water tank and the CPAP feeds into the water
tank, air moving through a series of baffles causing it to pick up
moisture. Not add enough heat that you notice the air is warmer then the
room. If it runs out of water you know it when you wake up, a couple times
I think I have woken because it ran out of water. If the tank goes dry my
sinus swells up, it's hard to breath through my nose and it's hard to
swallow the first few times until some moisture get into my throat.

I have had a bipap for over 10 years now. first one had no humidifier and new one had one but removed it as it was too bulky and needed two cords. Doesn't seem to dry me out though.

Mine is identical to yours Kirk. Got mine through VA in Sioux Falls. I"ve been using mine for almost two years. I also have an oxygen concentrater that feeds oxygen into the tube to the mask. Never used it without the humidifier, but sure made a difference in my life.

I have been using my CPAP for about a year. It has a "drawer" that I have to fill to the line with distilled water for humidification. I didn"t like using the machine at first, but now I just about cannot sleep without it. A couple of times when the power went out, I had to sleep without the CPAP, and I really slept poorly and was very tired the next morning.

Using the CPAP has really helped me sleep better and wake up rested. I used to snore real bad, and the sleep study showed that sometimes I would go for over a minute without taking a breath--which made my supposed sleep very interrupted. I was tired all the time and NEEDED naps almost every day. With the machine, I don"t snore almost at all, according to my wife, and I seldom need a nap during the daytime.

The humidifier also helps my nasal and sinus problems, especially in the Summer when we have the central air conditioning on. The moisture keeps my nasal secretions moving, rather than becoming crusty.

It is necessary to keep a CPAP, especially with a humidifier extremely clean. It should be sanitized and the assembly should be dried fully to avoid colonies of bacteria, yeasts or ? from growing in it that could make you sick. I have heard a few horror stories, so I keep my assembly super clean.

My wife has complained about the CPAP making noise, especially when I move around and the seal isn"t quite what it should be. She uses foam earplugs, which she keeps on her bedside table. She says the CPAP noise is lots less of a problem than my snoring was, especially when I would stop for so long and then start up again. I suggest that the guy whose wife banished him to another room consider this compromise. Earplugs are not that hard to get used to, and are a whole lot better than enduring her husband dieing.

And sleep apnea can kill you. One of my friends died unexpectedly at 58 and the doctors decided that sleep apnea was the cause of his death. He was a huge guy, and others said he snored like a steam train. There also is research that is supposed to have indicated that people with untreated sleep apnea lose cognitive ability over time. That is IQ. Not so good...

I wouldn"t go so far as to say that I LIKE the CPAP, but I believe that using it really helps me sleep better and feel better. Until something better comes along, I will use the CPAP and humidifier every night I possibly can.

If you need it, you need it and should use it. The humidifier makes the CPAP much better and is worth the added hassle. Good luck!

wfw said that he has no trouble with heartburn now. Same thing happened to me. After a few months on my CPAP I noticed less heartburn. Mentioned it to the Doc and he said that was because I breathe better and don't wake suddenly like I did. I also have an oxygen concentrator that I use at night, Sounds like a small air compressor, but it helps a lot. The Doc prescribed oxygen tanks for me to carry around also, but so far I don't really need them that bad. Besides, it is hard to use a chain saw with a ten pound oxygen bottle on your back or strapped around your waist.