[Woolly Bugger]

Anyone out there suffer from both? Does the CPAP machine really work? I have one, but I can't get used to it.

Any thoughts would be welcome. Thanks.

[Raindropvampire]

I have both and I couldn't get used to the machine either. I even tried the bipap and it was a no go. I just gave the machines back and will deal with what happens.

My dad on the other hand has severe sleep apnea and since using his C-pap he has lost weight and is 1000% more rested. I wish I could have gotten used to my machine

Fingers crossed for you that you can get used to your machine.

[Sunflower123]

I have both. I couldn't get used to mine for the longest time but when I found out that during my sleep study I stopped breathing 9 times an hour, I decided to try harder. Not only do I sleep better now but so does the rest of the household.

[bioChE]

My sleep study showed I stopped breathing 32 times per hour. So yep, I have apnea and BP.

My CPAP is my best friend. Once I got used to using it, I can hardly sleep without it. I've been using it for 8 years, and my sleep has changed 100%. I no longer get tired in the evenings and feel like I'm slogging through mud just to walk across the living room. I know there are quite a few members here that use CPAPs regularly.

Oh, and my CPAP is also my wife's best friend. She actually sleeps now without someone next to her snoring like a freight train.

I have both BP and use a CPAP. CPAP works for me. I forget how many times per hour I stopped breathing but I know it was enough that during my sleep study they quickly put a CPAP device on me. I wouldn't call it my best friend, but I no longer wake up exhausted from sleeping or taking a nap. I've slept without it a few times and came to regret it each time.

To further complicate things, I have chronic sinusitis with a deviated septum. One of my nostrils is completely blocked up. If I get a sinus infection and don't treat it right away it won't matter if I'm using a CPAP or not.

[neverending]

I m bipolar and have been on a CPAP or bipap for approx 18 years. I just now got on a new machine named IVAPS and I live it. Along with sleep apnea I have asthma and respiratory problems. I also use oxygen when I sleep. I need the xPap machine therapy as much as I need my bipolar stuff. If your sleep is a mess, it messes up the bipolar too.

[neverending]

Love it. Misspelled love as live.

[HALLIEBETH87]

I suspect. I may have sleep apnea. It's runs in my family too.

[Unrigged64072835]

I have bipolar and a CPAP. Works great and I don't wake up with my mouth wide open, gasping for air. I'm less tired as well.

There are many types of masks. If you're going through a health supply place, try them on and see what works best for you. I have a triangle-shaped one that goes over my nose but also presses on my upper lip, so I don't open my mouth. My husband has one that fits into his nose, and it works for him as well.

[Woolly Bugger]

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I've had my machine for a month now and have barely used it, but I plan to use it consistently starting today. I have a terrible memory and often feel foggy during the day. It's hard to tell whether it's because of the disorder itself, taking too many meds (or not), or due to sleep apnea. I do feel strange while wearing the apparatus, I must admit.

[neverending]

A suggestion to getting used to using CPAP is to put it on in the daytime for an hour or so to train yourself to the feel of it.

[bioChE]

Yeah, wearing a hose strapped to half a Darth Vader mask feels weird for a while, but it really doesn't take long to get used to it. The first time I used mine I woke up with the tips of my fingers and toes tingling. The doctor said that's because they were getting a normal amount of oxygen for the first time in a long time.

Another suggestion would be to try using the mask while taking a nap. It might be easier to get used to it that way. Or use it for a few hours each night and work up to wearing it all night.

There are a lot of ways to get acclimated to it. I think I was fortunate in that I didn't have much trouble. Best of luck to you, hope you get some great sleep.

[wiretwister]

Originally Posted by Woolly Bugger

Anyone out there suffer from both? Does the CPAP machine really work? I have one, but I can't get used to it.

Any thoughts would be welcome. Thanks.

89 times an hour for me ... We got it down to 18 and my Dr said all he can do ... My pdoc is still trying à hogpog of meds trying to get more than 4 hours of sleep a night ... So far no cigar ... Sleep and depression is my thing ... And it really sucks. .... Good luck ... Stick with the machine ... Try a different mask can make a lot of difference ... I am at 24 and a pillow is all I can use but just like bp everyone is different … ..