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Many questions from a newbie:

Posted by Sleepless in St. Louis on March 11, 2002 at 05:52:09:

I’ve had sleep apnea for a few years now, as evidenced by two sleep studies. The most recent showed 120 apneas in a two-hour period.

I had a somnoplasty done on my turbinates last summer. I think it has improved my breathing but not my apnea. My ENT now tells my I have a deviated septum.

- I’ve had a CPAP machine for two weeks now. It’s a Respironics Remstar Plus. I have a simple Fisher & Paykel external humidifier. What is the “reputation” of this machine within the community? Yugo, Honda or Rolls Royce? I’m using breeze headgear with nasal pillows.

- The first thing I noticed when using the CPAP is the resistance when I exhale. Inhaling is quick (obviously because it’s assisted) but exhaling seems to take a long time. Apria Healthcare would not give me a BiPAP machine without a prescription. How well do the BiPAP machines work? Should I pursue one through my ENT? Currently, my machine is set at "11" which I understand is a moderate setting.

- After two weeks I’ve only put about 14 hours on the machine. I’ve sat up and watched TV comfortably before going to bed with no difficulty. In bed, I usually nod off for about 15 – 30 minutes. Then, I wake up and can’t fall back asleep. By then, I just take the headgear off, turn off the machine and go right to sleep. I’ve been taking Melatonin as per my ENT but it doesn’t seem to help. Any other suggestions?

- My ENT has recommended the following for the future: fixing deviated septum and tightening tissue around throat (UPPP I assume). If you’re supposed to keep your mouth closed (I use a chin strap) with a CPAP machine, what’s the point in getting a UPPP?

Thanks

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Archived Apnea Forum86 viewing only. To post a new topic go to the Apnea Forum Homepage

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