CPAP / sleep apnea

[Luv2Phuket]

53 minutes ago, Phoenix Dave said:

I've never used anything on my mouth when using nasal pillows. I just land my tongue on the roof of my mouth and it stays there all night, all on it's own. I do get the occasional 'cheek fart' though.

.....uh.....WTF IS THAT?!?

[JakeG]

8 hours ago, Luv2Phuket said:

.....uh.....WTF IS THAT?!?

I get these too. If my mask slips slightly it will wake me up as every time I breathe out the air escaping between the seal and my cheek makes a great fart sound. One of those high pitched, musical note type toots  

All you nose breathers are really lucky! There's a whole genre of books on the damage mouth breathing can cause:

[Lacan]

I had my appointment with the oral surgeon last week and got an x-ray as well as a 3d scan of my teeth. Everything looks good and I will receive a freshly 3d printed mandibular repositioning appliance somewhere next month. It's covered by my health insurance too, because it will be used to treat sleep apnea rather than just snoring.

I was informed too about the potential risks/side effects. The most severe one (for me) would be permanent repositioning of teeth/jaw, but I was also told I wouldn't really notice that at all.

[JakeG]

8 hours ago, Lacan said:

I had my appointment with the oral surgeon last week and got an x-ray as well as a 3d scan of my teeth. Everything looks good and I will receive a freshly 3d printed mandibular repositioning appliance somewhere next month. It's covered by my health insurance too, because it will be used to treat sleep apnea rather than just snoring.

I was informed too about the potential risks/side effects. The most severe one (for me) would be permanent repositioning of teeth/jaw, but I was also told I wouldn't really notice that at all.

Let us know how it goes and if it actually works at all.

I tried this type of device before where it repositions your jaw and moves your bottom teeth in front of the top ones to better open your airway. However, it was a cheap one bought from amazon so nothing custom and actually moulded to fit my teeth. As a result I never discovered whether it actually did anything for me because the two nights I did wear it I woke up with really painful teeth the next morning  

[snowbird]

OP I'll try to answer questions. I became interested after nights of mongering with a bestie and the next day I felt and looked like warmed over poop. After many repeats I asked him how the F does he NOT feel as hungover as me! He didn't tell me at first then said he has a cpap!

Well fuckme if that's the magic hangover device count me in! Of course it only helps if you have apnea!

I'll try to keep it short (or not there is a lot of info to cover):

You'll want to clean it weekly at least. They have rechargeable ozone fan generators that can hook to the hose. I hook it and put my mask under the blankets in the mornings sometimes to keep the ozone on the mask. I did backflush the machine and the recall said how if you do that it causes the foam to breakdown faster and voids warranty and repairs. I rarely backflush with ozone now. Usually I soak the mask without straps and hose in diluted white vinegar.

If you don't clean it the bacteria leads to sore throat and sinus infections. Up to you 🤷‍♂️

The water tank is too much pain in the ass for me so I keep a cup with cover like coffee cup so when you tip it it doesn't dump on you and only small sip hole of water in a "boat cup (beer) holder" to avoid spilling next to my bed with a straw to grab a few swallows through the night without having to undo more than one strap clip.

The included and most aftermarket hoses are too damn stiff so they make your mask keep coming loose. I had to try harder to find the old style larger diameter more flexible hose. Not easy now they think those tiny stiff hoses are best?

They only push autopaps now and I got used to it. I liked my higher pressure on my old cpap but the auto gets the job done. They run half price sales on the older (still modern) models but you must have a sleep clinic prescription. Keep a digital copy because many years later it's still accepted and if you reorder from the same place it's still on file.

I've tried half dozen masks. My fav is the mirage quatro. It's pricy but it covers nose and mouth and the silicon membrane seals better for me. The worst was the gel seal mask. Have to tighten the damn thing so much to keep it from leaking! You might like nose or mouth or both better. Could be my oversize nose and mouthbreathing made that not the best.

There is a filter on the machine for intake air. Check it every month or two or it clogs up with lint. Order online cheap replacements. They are cut to size so get the exact model. The straps are expensive and lose their elasticity and then you need to tighten them to being uncomfortable. Get a new strap every 6mo or whenvever. The silicon thin mask membrane seal same story.

The girls don't care. It did help push me towards my preference to get it done and say good bye besides the awkward getting rid of them in the morning.

edit: crap I thought of more. If you can't do without it there is a good flight approved battery that lasts over 8 hours pilot something it's called and expensive but worth it. Like a big battery bank with muliple plugs for various cpaps. A smaller cpap you buy for travel is worth it if you have the money. The cpag bag is a great place to carry your electronics as it's a free carry on and you won't forget it on the plane or pilfered from checked luggage.

Edited 9 hours ago by snowbird