I have an appointment to pick up a cpap machine next week - things to keep in mind?

[gtsxmb]

So my appointment to "collect my cpap machine" to quote the letter has come through for next week. They say it should take about 90 mins for some reason. Is there anything I need to be aware of/ look out for/ know in advance or should all become clear on the day?


Looking forward to falling asleep at night without knowing I'll spend half of it struggling for breath.......

[James @ Intus]

That's great news.

Make sure you walk out with a mask you are comfortable with. The machine is far less important than the mask as the mask will be key to success. It helps when trying and fitting to lie down as your facial shapes change when you are flat and relaxed. Mimic sleep as best as you can. If you can get them to give you two or three masks to try, even better, but that would be lucky!

Also make sure they enable ramp (comfort delay) and that all comfort features are enabled (and accessible by you where possible). A handful of spare filters won't hurt either.

On and upwards from here!

[Tigers Fan]

and also .....

Ask for a humidifier! Tell them how your sinus' dry out, how you get a dry mouth during the night.

Ninety minutes is about right for al the info they have to pass onto you and for you to try out masks and get over the initial reaction, whatever it may be.

Let'shope you get good sleep straight away but be prepared to have to work at it for a while.

Pay particular attention to the mask and its fitting. It's the key to good sleep, as James says.

Tigers Fan

[guy1home]

So my appointment to "collect my cpap machine" to quote the letter has come through for next week. They say it should take about 90 mins for some reason. Is there anything I need to be aware of/ look out for/ know in advance or should all become clear on the day?


Looking forward to falling asleep at night without knowing I'll spend half of it struggling for breath.......

I hope all goes well, I pick mine up on Friday the 13th !!!

[gtsxmb]

thanks for the replies,

so what should I be looking for when trying the mask on? is it just a question of how comfortable it feels on the face?

as for the dry mouth - that is actually something I've suffered from for a number of years -I always need to have a bottle of water next to me when I go to sleep

I really do hope it works. I imagine that I should adapt quite well seeing as I like the feel of wind on my face! and at least I'll have the reassurance that my airways won't be closing. Hope I'm right - I'll of course update after I've started.

[Tigers Fan]

No wind, just a zephyr

Hi gtsxmb

You're spot on - does it feel comfortable? is the question.

Speaking from my own experience and what others have said on the forum, and talking about a full face mask, the usual pressure points are on the bridge of the nose and over the cheek bones.

Holding the mask in place while sitting is one thing - and not very useful. Though you'll probably need to do this to get used to the mask and breathing under pressure in the first place, the actual fitting absolutely must be done laying in your usual or favourite sleep position. A successful mask fitting will be comfortable (considering you have this object strapped to your face!) with minimum strap tension to achieve a no-leak fit. Anyone can stop leaks by tightening the straps enough, but then you have to sleep like that!

A good attitude is to think that the mask you walk away with is going to cost you many thousands of Pounds (put a value on a good night's sleep and multiply by your life) so you want the one that suits you the best and with which you feel confident (like a suit of clothes). Don't let them send you away with anything less! They'll only have a limited number of models available probably - but you may need to try them all.

Several of us have reported that once you've breathed into a mask, it becomes yours! The NHS don't want it back.

Good luck. This is a crucial step forward! (No pressure, mind )

Tigers Fan

[Mr Stefan]

Masks

I am a month in on my machine, which I have no problem with, but I agree with the previous posts I am on my second mask which still is not right. I wear a nose mask as I sleep with my mouth shut ( so my wife informs me) and I have even tried wearing nasel dilators as I do not feel I am getting enough air, I have stopped using the ramp as that was even worse.
Back to the clinic this week to try and get some support for a mask which fits but does not leak and maybe get the air flow adjusted, I will get this right eventually.

Good luck to all new users and do persevere the benefits are worth having, you will feel so much better for a good nights sleep, and your partner will too.
Stefan

[Floatyboaty]

When I went to the clinic for my 3 week check last week, I said that I was not getting enough air. I thought it was to do with the pre set pressure but I am still in ignorance of all this! I was told that the model I had (CPAP resmed escape S8 II), breathed with me, apparently it lets you breathe out easier.
She gave me another machine (just happened to have one to hand) same make but without the II this one pumps out all the time so you have to fight to breathe out. I hope this makes sense because they are not APAP.
Anyway, upshot is, it works better for me and I no longer have problems with the nasal mask or feeling short of air might be worth mentioning this to the clinic?

[Mr Stefan]

Update

Due to the problems I have been having with masks leaking etc the sleep clinic has given me an 'Opus nasel pillows mask', by Fisher Paykel, which I can say is great for me as a nose breather, I still have to visit the ENT clinic to get my nasel passages checked as my GP has found that I have narrowing in one side, which requires further inverstigation.
What I would say is if you are not comfortable with what you have been given do keep working with your clinic and trying alternatives until you are satisfied you have achieved the optimim comfort level for you.
Mr Stefan