Posted: 3/18/2009 9:56:26 AM EDT
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Has anyone tried this? Is it legit or snake oil?
http://www.nomask.com/ Sleep apnea is a pretty serious hereditary condition in my family. The normal fighter pilot style cpap didn't work out too well for me because I toss and turn a lot, so I've just been living with it since I was a teenager, but the past few months, things have been getting worse. Has anyone tried this style mask? I'm willing to give it a go, but I'm also VERY skeptical of anything advertised on the radio (for all I know it's made by the ShamWow folks). Feedback would be appreciated. |
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Quoted:
Has anyone tried this? Is it legit or snake oil? In a select few people, this will work and work well, however, you should really see a Pulmonologist or ENT who does sleep medicine and talk to them about the various types of masks out there as there are several that might be more comfortable to you. So go see a doctor. |
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Well the fighter pilot style does seem to stay on the best for me.
Try this site http://www.cpapsupplyusa.com/CPAP-Departments/CPAP-and-BiPAP-Machines/CPAP-Machines/Respironics The mirage swift nasal pillow mask is the most comfortable that I have tried. The site does have a really good selection of mask. Unfortunately, it looks as if the options are cpap or surgery are the only options. The other advertised crap iam afraid is worthless. |
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I have severe sleep apnea and us a BiPap.
I had problems with my mask for the same reasons as you. It's a pain in the ass...no doubt about it. Experiment with different masks, pillows, etc until you find what works best...then force yourself to get used to it. Good luck! |
| I had sleep apnea and was put on a CPAP so I will share my experience with it.First of all I hated the thing and found it very hard to sleep with it on. I was very uncomfortable and tossed and turned regularly. However I did sleep better at night with it than without it. I also didn't snore anymore so the wife was very please not to have to sleep on the couch most of the time. The biggest benefit I got from it was the fact that when I woke up I had more energy. Because of this I started to exercise. I stared with walking and eventually worked my way up tp the point where I can run eight miles. In the process I lost sixty pounds and with that the apnea went away and I no longer need the machine. My advice is to try it after carefully selecting the mask that works best for you. Once you have more energy start exercising with the goal of eventually getting off the machine. Using it for the rest of your life is only going to leave you miserable. Good luck! |
| Thanks for responding. I've struggled with this since I was about 13 or so. My father and uncles both have the same problems, and I suspect sleep apnea was one of the major contributing factors that did in my grandfather. It's not a weight thing, I'm not a big guy, but it definitely affects my energy level. I feel like I get more rest during the day than at night. I've seen a few doctors over the years, and they seem more interested in treating the surface symptoms and keeping you coming back to them rather than go to the source. I tried the cpap for a few months in college, but I tend to toss and turn a lot, and couldn't make it through the night without it coming off. The dental piece was no better, I'd wake up at night gagging and choking. Thanks for the links, I'll check them out. I never really knew that there were options regarding the masks, I figured they were a one size fits all sort of thing. |
Been using the ResMed Mirage Swift LT Nasal Pillow Mask for several months and it works well.
http://www.cpapsupplyusa.com/CPAP-Products/ResMed-Mirage-Swift-LT-Nasal-Pillows-Mask-and-Headgear__60560X.aspx |
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I started having severe headaches about 3 years ago, and they were getting to be pretty constant. Talked to my family doc about it, eventually leading to an MRI to rule out brain tumors and costing me big bucks. My neurologist then sent me in for a sleep study, and they had zero hesitation about diagnosing me with sleep apnea.
The neurologist, based on my results, said the CPAP would be life changing. She was right. You have no idea how much pain you can tolerate until you have suffered for years and then the pain goes away after a couple of nights. My wife loves that I no longer snore, and says the white noise of the machine actually helps her sleep. Unfortunately for me, I am already something of an insomniac, and the CPAP just makes getting to sleep a bit harder for me, but 5 hours of sleep using the CPAP is better than 10 hours without it. I do have meds I can take to sleep, but avoid it unless absolutely necessary. I am hoping that once I finish school (I work full time and am taking 21 semester hours of college for the next 3 months) I can take muzlblast's advice and start getting steady exercise. I really think that will help drop some pounds, which helps with both the insomnia and the sleep apnea. Finally, I do have a friend that had the surgery. He loves it, totally fixed his sleep apnea, but he can no longer carry a tune at all when singing. If your voice is valuable to you, keep that in mind when considering surgery. 12 |