hypertension Sleep Apnea

[COOL BREEZE]

Just finished having a sleep study the other night. Halfway through, I was hooked up on the CPAC machine. I was asked afterwards if I thought my sleep was better.

The official results won't be known for another week. My guess is based on this test and the fact that I had respiratory failure due to low oxygen level I will be recommended to go on the CPAC.

I am already service connected for hypertension and cardiomegaly. Would I file this new claim requesting secondary to either one as sleep apnea?

[Computer Tech]

John

We wouldn't even need to make custom mask, I don't know if you've priced makes but the cheapest ones are about a hundred dollars and you're supposed to replace them every six months. If I had had to buy the full face mask that the VA gave me it would have cost me $195.

I did an experiement last night, I set my humidifer to its highest level and it made no difference in the dryness of my mouth. Yow know John I can live with the dry mouth as long as the machine does it's job and I get a good night's sleep. It's a hell of a thing when a sixty-five-year-old man has to take a nap two hours after he wakes up in the morning.

Have a good day,

Rick

[wadedenney]

John if you clean the mask and tubing about every 2 weeks by soaking in hot water and a cap full of beach, I have been able to get my mask to last 1 to 1.5 years and the tube for a year. I also rinse with hot water a wintergreen alcohal in the water, makes it smell good for a couple of days. Mine is not provide by the VA yet so the cost can be a challenge. Also the little blue filter for the air intake for mine is made out of the same fiber filter for my fish aquiremum and you can cut your own for about a tenth the cost. Just a few hint to help cover the cost when times get tough.

[Pete53]

I am a mouth breather. I have full face CPAP with humidifier. After I learned the correct way to adjust my mask to get a good seal its a miracle I can sleep until I need to go to bathroom. I disconnect the hose at the CPAP and go to bathroom looking like Darth Vader. Hook it back up and good to go back to dreamland although I don't dream.

My CPAP Doc wanted to do an operation where he would put a medal gizmo that is permanent in my lower throat he said would solve need for CPAP. I told him hell would freeze over before I did that.

Lastly the tempurpedic bed VA gave me has made it possible for me to sleep on back making CPAP work a lot better. Bed also keeps me from thrashing around as much as I used to do.

Good Luck John

[lugnut]

I've been using my CPAP since October 2011, have tried every adjustment that I can, and I still have dry mouth and could use a nap around 11:00 o'clock in the morning. I actually do have an afternoon nap , as I cannot get past 3:00 PM. I have been on meds for depression and anxiety for years also, and they have a tendency to give a person drymouth too, I hear. But I had so hoped that I had found the answer to my fatigue problem when I was diagnosed with aplea, but I'm still as tired as ever. Guess I will have to wait for my next PCP appt. Thanks. This is a great site.

Lugnut AKA Buddy

[Computer Tech]

Lugnut,

I used to have to take a nap every day at 11AM but now that I'm using the CPAP machine I rarely need a nap even later in the day. I'm under the impression that if you're a mouth breather then you're going to have a dry mouth in the morning. From the sounds of it you're not getting the full benefit of the CPAP machine, you might want to call the sleep clinic and talk to them about it, maybe they can help you.

Pete;

I started with the nose mask and although I did have a few times where I ripped it off because I couldn't get my breathe it worked pretty good, I'd wake up in the morning remembering that I breamt but not what the dream was and I can't remember doing that for years. When it came time for a new mask they gave me a full face mask which did not work, I was getting up every hour finding that the mask mask had slipped and no longer covered my mouth. I talked to the sleep clinic about the problem and they gave me a larger mask which works great, I get up once of twice a night to go to the bathroom or roll onto the other side, for me it's easier to disconnect the hose at the mask, my machine sits on a bucket on the floor which makes disconnecting the hose from there difficult. The other thing that I find that makes it easier for me is to have the hose come over the headboard that way I don't get tangled in the hose if I roll over.

Rick

[john999]

My doctor told me that most of the people who have operations to cure apnea end up on the CPAP anyway. There is a lot of BS in the medical field. Some of these guys will sell you the Golden Gate Bridge without the gold. If you have a chronic problem watch out for the magic cure. I don't thing the CPAP falls into that category.