Newb and still tired...

[DesperatelySeeking]

Morning all,
First post

Anyhoo - Been on CPAP for over three months now. Seem to have had all the normal problems - leakage, dry mouth, nosebleeds blah, blah. Lurking around here as provided help and the comfort of knowing I'm not the only one. My issue is that I have one or two problems that don't seem to be getting sorted and I thought I'd sign up and ask advice.
Firstly - my daytime tiredness doesn't seem to have been improved at all. It doesn't help that I work in a very quiet office with not that much to do so I tend to spend a lot of time "bored" (negative word I know but I can't think of a more appropriate positive one) - this in itself is tiring enough. I also live with a confessed night-owl who simply cannot sleep if she goes to bed before she is tired. Problem is she doesn't get tired until gone one in the morning. She has the ability to store up her need for sleep until the weekend then can spend all day in bed on occasion. I just can't do this. However - all of this was the case before I had my sleep study and none of it has changed. Assuming the bench was set before I started using CPAP I would have expected at least some improvement but I am still nodding off at work and unable to sit and watch TV in the evenings with out dropping off. I guess I get about 5-6 hours a night of sleep. Am I being unrealistic or should I be seeing more of an improvement?

Secondly - intimacy, we seem to be struggling to combine our normal bedroom life with the CPAP - the main issue is that spontaneity is a lot harder when one of the people involved is tied to an air pump most of the night. This is made harder by the fact that during the week we normally don't go to bed at the same time - any suggestions would be helpful

Thirdly - bloating, wind and stomach pains. Just recently I appear to have started suffering quite badly from this in the morning. It may be completely CPAP unrelated but from what I have read it is a common side effect. Does anyone have any suggstions? I am going to try some over the counter ant-bloating pills today...

I don't have access to a PC at home (spend all day on them at work so not going to do the same when I get home) so I can't do the memory card and software thing to evaluate my treatment like many do on here....

That's about it for the first post - sorry it was so long. I've put the necessary details in my profile re equipment etc...
Look forward to any replies
TTFN
DS

[Sparticus]

I've been there and got the T-shirt, trousers etc. I work nights and was always tired untill I realised that I just wasnt getting enough sleep. Before cpap I was happy with 5-6 hours but not anymore. Due to day time naps Ive had to up my hours to 7-8 and that stopped the nodding off. For the intimacy its not a case of no fun, your mask can very easily be pulled off if your wearing it or give yourselfs sometime before you put on your mask. And finally for the bike pump belly syndrome this too I had with great pain, I used windeez from the chemist or if I hadnt any I used fizzy drinks to set the ball rolling then would spend 30 mins in the bathroom whistling tunes from my ...... Hope this helps.

[Fredxx]

What Spartacus said! - you may just not be getting enough sleep now, but as well there may be some other underlying something. If you try another couple of hours and it doesn't help, see your GP again.

Intimacy and spontaneity - once you have the tiredness under control you will of course have more energy for that! having been a CPAP user for over 10 years now I can tell you the mask doesn't really stop it, it may however change the dynamic a bit; the other half can snuggle into you a lot easier than you can snuggle into them. My words of planning advice would be have somewhere you can ditch the mask quickly where it won't get easily damaged (hung over the bed head, dumped on the bedside cabinet etc. I use a hose lift which has a hook I can dump the mask on really easily). Also, don't get hung up on turning the machine off as soon as you take the mask off; it really doesn't matter if it sits there blowing air out of the vacated mask for a while.

The difference in the amount of time you each need in bed is something I can't help with other than to say talk about it and work out something that works for you both. Intimacy doesn't have to wait until you go to bed, and don't forget, you can wake and have those spontaneous intimate moments, and then go back to sleep afterwards...

Hope that helps
Dr. Fredxx Ruth