I go at 9:am today for the fitting and picking up the cpap. Any suggestions on what to do on the first night. Where do I put it, and all that stuff???

I keep my machine on my bedside table, and route the tubing so that it goes up and over my head under my pillow (though you will find what is comfortable for you in that respect).  I would suggest wearing your mask or nasal pillows on their own for a while before bedtime (while you watch TV or whatever) to get used to how they feel, etc.  Also, don't be afraid to readjust your headgear once you get into bed -- it may fit a lot differently than when you put it on standing or sitting upright!  

Also, if you have a humidifier on your machine, use it!  It makes your nose much more comfortable!

And maybe most importantly, cruise the posts here and see what kind of info you can get -- this forum has been more helpful to me than anything when it comes to getting used to my CPAP!

Cheers!

I keep a towel rolled up between the wall and my pillow and have the hose rest between the towel and the pillow...otherwise the hose 'grates' on the wall all night when it moves.....

Experiment with the settings on the humidifier.  I found that more humidity made me much more comfortable.

Good luck.  You'll be glad you got this machine.

When I first got the machine, I was a little bummed that I needed to use it.  Now, I wouldn't let anyone take if from me for any amount of money!!!!!

    just stick with it and don't get frustrated. i had my first problems last night but my husband was very supportive and helpful(thanks ron-love u). i am having some problems-my md ordered a medium mask;then the rt decided the small cushion of the flexifit 431 actually was a better fit-i called i want everything that comes with my mask-i want to decide what's best for me-my face hurts on 1 side from mask cutting into it.i know this sounds terrible but i've used my cpap for about a week and can't describe how much better i feel every day. it is worth the small setbacks... according to my boys-the grateful dead-"every silver lining has a touch of grey"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     

Well,
I got all the (stuff) and will give it a shot tonight. I realy like the mask. It is small, and does not get in the way of your eyes. I don't remember the name? They had a bunch of them, and I tried all of them. They said if I didn't like it, all I had to do was call. I got an extra long hose, so I can roll over? I think the cpap was a Resmed 8 or something like that. The girl said I got good equipment. I have to get some distilled water, and I THINK i AM READY.

Resmed S8 Elite CPAP. That is the machine. I think I chose the Mirage swift nasal pillows.

I have the Resmed machine you described and the Mirage Swift Nasal Pillows and adjusted well...  Good luck and sweet dreams!!!!  

Well, Got through the night. I had a hard time going to sleep. Must of taken an hour. Kept waking up at first. The air felt cold against my nose? Th humidifier didn't use any water at all. Do I need to turn it up? I keep the bed room very cold. I woke at midnight, rolled over and went back to sleep. The next time I woke, was 4:am. I proably got about 6 hours of good sleep. I feel pretty good this morning.

How much water you use will depend on how dry the air is in your house. Some nights I use alot and others none at all.

Dave

Ambrola -

It can be hard to learn to get to sleep with your head encased in the mask and headgear; taking an hour to fall asleep the first night isn't really surprising.  It'll become easier.  

Don't worry about how much water the humidifier used; instead, use how your nose and throat felt in the morning as an indicator.  If you wake up feeling dry and scratchy, increase the humidification setting.  Otherwise, don't worry about it.

Having 6 solid hours of sleep the first night is a great start; good luck completing the transition!

- Ridge Runner

I picked up my machine yesterday and was only given the choice of 3 different masks - a Respironics Comfort Gel Nasal Mask, a full facial mask and a nasal pillow mask (can't remember the makes of the other ones).  After having visited this site prior to going I also asked about a longer hose.  The rep said that the longest you can get is a 6 foot hose.  Are longer hoses available?  Where?  I would appreciate any suggestions re other providers that I may be able to contact.  I am only renting now.  It just seems to me that these guys really did not have many options.  I am in Houston, and the company was Respironics.  The sleep study was done at Total Sleep Diagnostics.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  I really want to make this work with the most comfort.


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Janice

Well, for me at least, the nasal pillows were a lot less encumbering than the FF mask.  I think I'd have a lot of trouble getting used to that much strapped on my face.  The pillows were a most welcome relief.

Also, if I can get my sinus clear enough to use the pillows, I think almost anyone can...LOL.

I've always been a mouth-breather too, but I do what someone on here said to do - I use my tongue on the top of my mouth to seal off my throat air passage.  The cpap seems to cause a bit of a suction that holds it there all night.  So...my mouth doesn't actually need to be "shut", which is welcome relief to my slightly misaligned jaw.  I also don't need one of those chin straps - yikes, I really didn't like that (probably because it generated jaw pain to me).

I was glad to read on here that almost everyone has some problems falling asleep.  There just something a bit unnatural about using a "breathing machine" to sleep.  In my case, the ramping feature was actually keeping me awake.  I need the full pressure to clear my sinuses and allow me to sleep.

For my first week, I could only fall asleep on my back.  Not sure why, but it seemed easier to breath.  It took some practice, but now I can fall asleep on my side with the cpap.

Oh, one thing you can also try if you are having a real problem are some sleep aids.  My doc gave me a 1 month script for Lunestra and Ativan.  Lunestra is an actual sleep aide (which I've only used twice), and the Ativan is an anti-anxiety drug (one of my probs was nervousness about being able to breath).  Not sure what the Ativan (Lorazepam is the generic name) really does - it's a very mild dose, only .5 mg, but it did do the trick in making me feel more relaxed (though not actually sleepy, like the Lunestra).  

If I've learned anything from reading on here, it's to stick with it.  If one thing isn't working, try something else.

It's really worth it.  Not only do I feel better, but I had no idea what an effect this would have on my wife.  She usually ends up in the guest room half the time.  Not only does she spend the whole night in our bed, but she no longer wakes up several times a night.  I didn't realize I was sharing my sleep deprivation with her  

Good Luck!

Have been trying for about a week now but can't seem to get more that 5 hours a night on the CPAP.  Also, the last few days have noticed sinus pain and very dry at the back of my throat.  I can still breath through my nose.  I may have a sinus infection.  Has this happened to anyone using the CPAP or is it just coincidence.


_________________
Janice

I read on here about Ayr Nasal Gel and picked up a tube at my local CVS.  You can put it in your nose - that seemed to solve my nasal pain issue.  I thought I had a sinus infection too, but it turned out being dry nostrils.  

I also had throat dryness and some throat pain for the first few nights - upping the temp on the humidifier seemed to fix that.

Rich

kowchjr wrote:

Have been trying for about a week now but can't seem to get more that 5 hours a night on the CPAP.  Also, the last few days have noticed sinus pain and very dry at the back of my throat.  I can still breath through my nose.  I may have a sinus infection.  Has this happened to anyone using the CPAP or is it just coincidence.

Wouldn't worry to much about hours, remember before using CPAP you were probably only sleeping about 2 hours out of 8, if your getting a good 5 hours your doing well, I only ever have about 5 hours.
Do you have a humidifier? without mine my nose and mouth get really dry and clogged, mine is usuallt set to about 4-5.