My husband has had OSA for quite a few years. He finally followed through and got his CPAP machine about 6 months ago. But his use is hit or miss. He says he hates the thing and that it makes his nose stuffy. He will wear it for a couple of hours and then take it off. Sometimes he won't even wear it at all. The thing is, when he does wear it, he sleeps very soundly. His snoring stops completely. (It's a little eerie for me to wake up at night to total silence). Then if he wakes up for any reason, he will remove it. He is tired and falls asleep at his desk at work. Is there anything that I can do to help? I don't want to nag, but I am worried about his health. Would getting some kind of decongestant help for the stuffy nose? Is there a mask that works better for people who get stuffy? His current mask is a nasal kind  and very quiet. I have seen postings about people with different kinds... are there that many different ones? And how do you know which one to try? I understand that they are expensive and not returnable.

Now he is talking about a drug that helps apnea patients and narcoleptics stay awake during the day. Anyone know about that? Is it dangerous to use while using a CPAP?

Any help/advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Lexxa-

I'm a new CPAP user (about 3 or 4 weeks now) and I'm not as 'qualified' as some of the other folks here, but that won't stop me from putting my 2 cents in  

If his use is hit or miss, he won't get used to it.  When I first got mine I would do the same things, like taking the mask off in the middle of the night, putting off going to bed because it was a hassle to get 'geared up', etc.  It's like dieting, exercise, or anything else theraputic.  You either keep it up and reap the rewards, or use it off and on (or not at all) and gain no long term benefit.  It's been about a month now, and last night was the first night that I went through the whole night with the mask on.  I could tell the difference from day one, but today I am as wide awake as I've ever been.  Like your husband, I would fall asleep at my cubicle here at work, and get complaints from people who could hear my snoring at the opposite side of the building.  Now they all come over to see if I'm even here, since they can't hear me. *LOL*

Decongestants like Flonase can help with the stuffy nose problems, but I'm not sure about masks.  Speaking of, if his reluctance to use his CPAP is because of the mask, he should decide what he DOES want in a mask, and look for one.  I personally don't like anything strapped to my head, so the Breeze with Nasal Pillows works great for me.  I would check out CPAP.com or one of the other many sites that sell CPAPs and masks to see the variety that's available.

As far as drugs go, if it's something he's taking in the morning to keep him awake all day there probably won't be much harm in it, although it may not work as well as he'd like.  I went down that road and found it to be a dead end.  If it's a sleeping pill to knock him out at night, I would discourage it.  I've been on a few pills that specifically say in the patient's instruction not to take them if you have sleep apnea.

Good luck!

Lexxa wrote:

My husband has had OSA for quite a few years. He finally followed through and got his CPAP machine about 6 months ago. But his use is hit or miss. He says he hates the thing and that it makes his nose stuffy. He will wear it for a couple of hours and then take it off. Sometimes he won't even wear it at all. The thing is, when he does wear it, he sleeps very soundly. His snoring stops completely. (It's a little eerie for me to wake up at night to total silence). Then if he wakes up for any reason, he will remove it. He is tired and falls asleep at his desk at work. Is there anything that I can do to help? I don't want to nag, but I am worried about his health. Would getting some kind of decongestant help for the stuffy nose? Is there a mask that works better for people who get stuffy? His current mask is a nasal kind  and very quiet. I have seen postings about people with different kinds... are there that many different ones? And how do you know which one to try? I understand that they are expensive and not returnable.

Now he is talking about a drug that helps apnea patients and narcoleptics stay awake during the day. Anyone know about that? Is it dangerous to use while using a CPAP?

Any help/advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hi Lexxa,

Unfortunately 'hit or miss' usage means he is uncompliant with his therapy. He must use it all night, every night.
If he is continuing to fall asleep at work, it is quite likely that his OSA is deteriorating even further. This includes cardiac and renal problems which might ultimately kill him, if he isn't killed while driving first.

I hope that this gets your attention and that you will print off the post and make him read it. If he does not wise up soon he is heading for an early grave and unfortunately may take a few more with him in a Road Traffic Accident.

There are numerous devices/sprays for clearing the nasal passages, a phone call to his sleep doc will get the most suitable. Your husband has a health problem, which can be treated successfully however he has to go half way and this means wearing the mask each night. You will have to nag him, purely out of kindness and concern for his and your well being, (only for my wife's nagging I probably would not have become compliant).

Get the nasal problem out of the way before you consider a new mask, as there is a danger he might start to use the different masks as other excuses for not using cpap. It's his health he will have to take a grip of it.

The drug you refer to is Provigil and it is a stimulant. It is by prescription only and is usually prescribed to cpap users who are compliant but still have residual daytime sleepiness. It is not for long term use and will not help with the other cardiac and renal problems associated with OSA. It is not the answer to your husband's problem.

Best of luck, and don't hesitate to come back to this group.

Daniel.