CPAP Machine

[Narragansett]

If you are one of the lucky people in the world to have one of these mournful machines, and your luck is doubled by the fact that you have a partial or full plate, then you are familiar with denture cleaning tablets.

You are also familiar with the necessary cleaning of the CPAP water reservoir. They can get nasty if left uncleaned.

Well I have both, Oh boy, but I have figured out, that if you fill your reservoir with hot water to the brim, and throw in a couple denture tablets and let it sit all day, it will be real clean when you rinse it out

Use Walmart Equate Tablets, just as good and much cheaper than brand name. Who knows, Equate may be packaged by Polydent. Remember, Walmart makes nothing

PS: if you do not have dentures, denture tablets clean a reservoir container well

 

[ColbyBruce]

I got a CPAP on 11/30/17 and have absolutely despised it ever since, though I use it religiously. Surely the designer of that cruel device will go to Hell when they pass. They will be sitting on a hot rock along with Hitler, the inventor of the reverse beeper mounted on heavy equipment, and whoever thought up the popcorn ceiling finish.

 

[S42N8]

I got a CPAP on 11/30/17 and have absolutely despised it ever since, though I use it religiously. Surely the designer of that cruel device will go to Hell when they pass. They will be sitting on a hot rock along with Hitler, the inventor of the reverse beeper mounted on heavy equipment, and whoever thought up the popcorn ceiling finish.

A bit harsh, methinks. Have had four different CPAPs since the late 90s, and throughly despised the lot. Hate every minute of wearing, cleaning, dealing with the CPAP suppliers. That said, they will undeniably extend your lifespan, improve the quality of your sleep, and even help breathe cleaner air - all good things. If only I could get past the Alien facehugger nightmares. On balance, the inventor probably deserves a pass; at worst, binge-watching several seasons of Dr Pimple-Popper.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

I have to use a bi-pap. While I look like something from a science fiction movie when using it…doing so has literally been a life-saver for me.

 

[jbtrucker]

I'm on BIPAP and first Sleep Doctor was a jerk had it on highest setting that blew the mask off my face . The Doctor I have now listens to me and with fancy new machine can adjust it via internet from the office. I can't sleep without it and mask still hurts my nose have to cover with band aid. Bad thing with CDL have to show at least 4 hrs 90 consecutive days to obtain my Med Card .

 

[DWalt]

I have used a CPAP for about 14 years, and am on my third one at present. I use tap water in the reservoir, and when it gets scaled, I put some Citric acid in it to dissolve the crust. I have never cleaned the mask and hose religiously, maybe every two to three weeks. Normally, I put the mask and mask components in the dishwasher. I flush the hose with hot water out of the tap. I haven't gotten sick from it so far. Using it doesn't bother me that much.

My latest Resmed is the best I've had. It is very simple to adjust the inhale and exhale pressures to suit yourself without taking it to a technician. I find the full face "Quattro" mask, which covers both he nose and mouth, sort of like what a fighter pilot would wear, is the only type I can tolerate, and I have tried all styles.

 

[czgunner]

I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea about 8 years ago. I'm young, in shape, and not overweight. I don't hate my CPAP, but its like anything else that helps, like exercise. I'm just glad to not be exhausted when I wake up. Mine is the recall replacement Philips. I liked the last model a lot better. This one seems cheap in comparison.

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk

 

[BSA1]

I use distilled water. No scaling and very little scum. Rarely have to clean the mask and hose.

 

[Moo Moo]

I've only just started on a CPAP machine; Resmed Autosense 10. I've only got "mild" sleep apnea. Had it about three months. I'm not sure if it's really making that much of a difference. I've got other health issues also impacting on my sleep too, ie, Low Iron (possible iron leak), chronic lower back pain, and a heap of other associated medications.

I've found the mask with just the nose covered to be the best in regards to avoiding leaks. However it takes a while to get use to as you have to strap your mouth shut.

 

[Old 44 Guy]

I tried one, worked OK. but the mask did me in. Guess I'll just have to snore the rest of my life.

 

[SMSgt]

Been on a CPAP since 2007 when diagnosed with "very severe" sleep apnea. It literally saved my life. If I sat down for five minutes, I'd fall asleep. I don't even take a nap without it. Those who complain about it probably don't need it. A full nose or face mask works best. The nasal pillows are bad. Like sticking an air hose up the nose.

 

[charlie sherrill]

Doc insisted I test for a CPAP machine. He said I would die within three years if I didn't get one. I told him where he could put it. That was 12 years ago and I've been fine ever since.

 

[BigBoy99]

I was suppose to get one but I could never get one which fit correctly or work right. The one they said was correct for me had the pressure set so high it was causing pain in my lungs because it was blowing up my lungs by forcing so much air into them. As far as I'm concerned, the name is wrong, the first "P" should be replaced with an "R".

 

[hemiram]

I have mild apnea, but I couldn't tolerate the 3 different machines I tried. I had the same complaints my mother had about it, mostly the air blowing annoyed me to the point sleep was impossible. I finally told the doctor to stop talking to me about it, it was annoying me to the point I wanted to just quit going to him. Oh, that was in 2012, and my problems are all mechanical. Bad back, neck, knees, left hip needs replacement, prostate wakes me up every 2.5-3 hours, all the fun old guy stuff. I snore , but snorting awake is rare.

 

[mrchick]

I've been on a CPAP for over twenty years. I use nasal pillows and find them much easier to use than masks. It did take some patience to get used to them. I am no longer tired all the time and feel great. I've been using the CPAP so long that I can't sleep without it. If I try and fall asleep without it, my own snoring wakes me up.[emoji1]

I should mention that I am now using an auto setting CPAP, which is much better than the ones that have a fixed setting. The CPAP adjusts for my needs.

 

[mtgianni]

A bit harsh, methinks. That said, they will undeniably extend your lifespan.

In 1982 I was told that failure to have an annual rectal exam could cost me 0.53 years of my life. The survey projected my life to be 88.75 years with it. I figured I was just as happy if it cost me 6 months.

 

[Golddollar]

Been on a CPAP since 2007 when diagnosed with "very severe" sleep apnea. It literally saved my life. If I sat down for five minutes, I'd fall asleep.

My life is almost a carbon copy (OK, I'm showing my age) of yours. I could sit at the bar in the American Legion and VFW and fall asleep sitting upright in the bar stool. I almost got thrown out one time because the manager was afraid I would fall off the stool and fracture my skull.

My family used to say that I would shake the rafters in the fishing camp with my snoring. I always said, "I don't hear anything." But one day the local sleep doctor sent questionairres to my old cardiolgist's office. When I filled it out, I realized that I was in trouble.

I made the appointment for the sleep apnea test and the results showed I had severe sleep apnea with 43 breathing stoppoges an hour. So that meant I had the trifecta of diabetes, coronary artery disease and sleep apnea. They often go together.

I received my CPAP machine in February 2018 and it has been a blesssinig. I stopped falling asleep at the bar in the service clubs. I started losing weight. My blood sugar levels went down 20 points across the board. And about 3 months later I noticed that my ambition and problem solving skills increased dramatically.

My breathing stoppages have gone from 43 an hour to less than 1 an hour, an improvement of 97%. Some nights the CPAP machine registers no stoppages at all.

Yes, I have put out a lot of personal medical information, but I believe that I need to share this with my friends on the Forum so that they can get checked out sooner rather than later and not suffer unnecessarily like I did for years.

 

[Jebus35745]

I use distilled water, keeps everything WAY cleaner. Tap water is dirty. Clean my water tray about every 2 weeks with dish soap and a sponge.

Have severe apnea, was told i stop breathing 70 times an hour. Got mine over 10 years ago. Always wake up tired using the Vpap. If I fall asleep before I put it on I am severely tired the next day.

Last May I was surprised and got 2 stents, Monday I go back for another heart cath and probably add to my stent collection. Why only 6 months later. I accept the Vpap and use it but still have problems. Larry

 

[DWalt]

My wife forced me into taking the sleep apnea test because of my snoring and perpetual dozing off. I don't remember the number, but I was also getting many breathing stoppage episodes per hour.

It took me several months to come to terms with the CPAP, but it can be done.

I also got one cardiac stent in late November, scheduled for another at the end of January.

 

[grover99]

Got my first CPAP machine in 1989 and been using one from that time. The first few masks were medieval torture devices and I hated them but over the years they have improved so much that I have no problem using my machine at all now. I am lucky I didn't have one those Philips CPAPS that caused a lot of problems if you cleaned it with the wrong stuff. Just always use distilled water and wipe out the reservoir now and then.