Had a 5 day trial of CPAP machine now banned from driving and no chance of CPAP kit !

[Sleep2Snore]

A lot of people do have a one night trial, but I think it is asking a bit much for someone to try something totally alien to then and expect results on the first night at home.

[Fredxx]

To answer the question "does this person have the symptoms of sleep apnoea" doesn't actually take much sleep to test; you can easily tell from well under an hours sleep, and most manage that easily in a one night test.

Answering the question "what CPAP pressure will help" firstly takes the assumption that CPAP will help...and it does for most, so can be assumed, and then takes a little time to monitor the sleep and pressures. The pressure required isn't a precise measure, so a reasonable indication can again be got from a short time (again an hours sleep can give a fair idea) to set up an initial therapy pressure. Again in most cases you can get an indication from a single nights trial.

As for testing whether CPAP will provide an effective long term treatment, yes, a single nights test will not tell you that. A month or two or even just a 6 night test will give information better information on the long term effectiveness for the person of CPAP, but as it helps most, taking the assumption it will work, issuing equipment and monitoring over the coming months and years is the more cost effective solution and reaches the same end result.

[Harrow]

Well here is my update to my CPAP trial.

After changing the mask at the suggestion of the sleep technician from a full face mask to a nasal one I managed 6 nights at about 8 hours a night.

And the result, I don't feel any better. I must have some kind of Parasomnia.

[Sparticus]

Well here is my update to my CPAP trial.

After changing the mask at the suggestion of the sleep technician from a full face mask to a nasal one I managed 6 nights at about 8 hours a night.

And the result, I don't feel any better. I must have some kind of Parasomnia.

For a lot of us sufferers there is no overnight cure, it took me months before I noticed any difference and then it was only very slight. I was having to catch up about 2 years of lost sleep. APAP/CPAP was a life changing event, for the better.

[Harrow]

Fixed

It turned out that I am type 2 diabetic as well.

Have been treated with Metformin tablets and I used to have a sleep after breakfast, lunch and tea time, now that's all fixed, no more day time naps.

Sure I wake up with the hose tangled around my head but I feel so much better.

Oh and a little snippet off the web "Estimates suggest that up to 40% of people with OSA will have diabetes"

[dravidio]

Informing the DVLA

Informing the DVLA if you have been given a diagnosis of Sleep Apnea - is a personal responsibility. Medical staff will inform you of your responsibility - if you ignore them and they find out that you are continuing to drive - then they may inform the DVLA directly.

You have the right to obtain a second opinion.

If you are diagnosed and ignore the advice then you may be liable to criminal penalties.

It does beg the question how many doctors actually check up whether their patients are continuing to drive or not. I suspect that 99.9% of them are far too busy to do so...

[Harrow]

Eczema and the face mask straps

One of the additional problems I have is I suffer from Eczema and the straps on the face mask just make the situation worse, do others have the same problem?

[Harrow]

The problem I found was that I was developing continuous large boils on the back of my head underneath the rubber straps.
The solution has been to wear a cotton hankie underneath the rubber strap on the back of my head and folded up toilet paper pads under the straps on my face