Yes I definitely think I'll stay clear of the anti depressants. I've used them in the past twice with great success for clinical depression I developed with some reasons. Then again more recently when I began to feel so down for no particular reason (in hindsight I think that was when my SA was beginning to show symptoms). That time I had a fairly poor reaction to the drugs and not much change in the depressed state.
I will give the CPAP a few months before I do anything more at all.
It seems there is no real time frame for improvement, from what you all say it can take anything from a few nights to months to feel better. So I'll do what Greatful suggests (great advice for anything - and one day at a time it).

PS on the lighter side...
I sifted around on the net and found Mack's Silicone Putty Ear Plugs for kids,  in a fetching fluro orange (not much else in NZ at the Moment) - that will add the finishing touches to and accessorise my sci-fi sleep ensemble perfectly :) Bring on the next wearable art competition!


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It came to pass - not to stay!

Hi Shrew,

I'm glad you're doing better with the FFmask.  I'm a newby too.  On May 31, I got my final report after three tests.  I'm confused with the impression:  1.  Obstructive and Central Sleep Apnea
                   2.  Complex sleep apnea  
Don't know if these two are the same with different wording or not.  My AHI was 101/hr.  This included 245 obstructive hypopneas and 7 obstructive apneas.  After CPAP therapy, Obstructive hyponeas persisted at every level along with central apneas.  In the end, they decided I needed BiLevel pressure set at 24/20 plus supplemental oxygen at 3 lpm with a backup rate of 12 breaths per minute.  The first DME did not get me a machine in six weeks!  I decided to check in with a Pulmonary Dr and he started me out with 23/18 and no backup rate.  Who do you believe???  Because of the pressure I needed a full face mask to begin with although I'm a nose breather.  (I don't even snore unless I'm flat on my back.)  

I got my machine the day I went to the Dr.  The first night I struggled with the mask and air leaks.  I finally gave up after 3 hrs and didn't think I had gotten any sleep.  The next night I made it to 5 hours before the leaks got to me again.  The leaks come when my mouth falls open.  Then my mouth got so dry I  couldn't even move my tongue!  I felt as if I had not gotten any sleep.  Last night I had the mask on for 8 hours but was awake several times.  I don't know if it was in my mind, but I felt like the machine had dropped back to the ramp speed of 4.  It did not feel like the force of air I got in the beginning.  They do have me on an auto machine but I was told the auto part was turned off and they would be replacing this machine with another one without the auto.  Is this what it's suppose to feel like when everything is working right?

I guess the word is "hang in there".  If any one knows about this "back up rate", please let me know.
 

OSA and Central is the same as Complex apnea...aka mixed apnea.

Seajay...your question may get more answers if you start a new thread.


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CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO~ http://tinyurl.com/69q52a

BiPAP Auto M 13/8 Mirage Nasal Swift. 20 years+ undx'd. RLS/PLMD, Hypersomnia & more.

Hi seajay515,
I' sorry i haven't replied to you but I've been flat out on another forum :) that I haven't looked here for a wee while.
How are you going?
I was wondering if you did what Mrs. R Van W suggested and started a new post at the beginning of this forum.
It will be open to everyone else who is not following this thread and you will certainly get more answers.
Just go to the Sleep Apnea Help link at the top of the page and click on the new topic button then off you go.
(I hope that isn't patronising but I put posts in the wrong place when I got here very recently.)
I am still having a variety of different levels of success with my machine (although I'm still testing the equipment.) I had 2 good nights which encouraged me a lot then since then it's going down hill again until last night I took the mask off in frustration at about midnight.
My mask has begun to leak - this seems odd to me as one night - no problem - next night a few leaks then last night leaking all over the place and I have done nothing different. I wondered if my face had sneakily changed shape just to make life difficult ?
I then started fiddling with everything to no avail. I finally gave up and took it off mainly because it's winter here (New Zealand) and the leaking air gets very cold in my eyes and everywhere. I will certainly get a humidifier when I get my own CPAP.
The words Hang in there keep running through my head.
I hope your experiences have kept improving.


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It came to pass - not to stay!

Thank you for your reply.  I will start a new thread.  I had no idea I was talking to someone from New Zealand!!  Forgive me if I spelled it wrong!  This is very exciting for me.  I'm in Colorado.

I have had two nights that the mask stayed on all night.  I did get air leaks but moved my head slightly one way or the other and it seems to shut them off.   I found if I fooled around too much, I got many leaks.  That's when I take the mask off!  My biggest problem is I don't sleep more than three or four hours at a time.  I do think I've tightened my straps too much as I woke up with dents in my forehead!

Thanks again and hang in there.
Carol

I am going through exactly the same thing at the moment with leaks - last night was better but certainly not great - I have taken the advice someone here offered and ordered some Mack's Pillow Soft Moldable Silicone Earplugs, which apparently can be easily shaped to stop those small annoying leaks which hopefully will reduce the brain damage and facial canyons induced by the mask straps being done up so tight :) Oh I hope so. I am desperate to start feeling better about all this.
Let me know how you go.
cheers
Roz


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It came to pass - not to stay!

Roz,
I love your comment about brain damage and facial canyons.  That gave me my laugh for the day.  You are so right.  I get my hair done every week but that's going out the window!  I guess I have to switch to wash and wear hair.  I started a new link and now I can't find it!  I guess eventually I will get on to all of this.  

Carol  
Respironics BiPap M Series, 23/18  3Loxygen,  Resmed Ultra Mirage FF mask

Seajay...yeah...I did the same back in the early days of my posting...though I found a thread that had been dead for a year or so and tagged onto it..and I went off on a TOTALLY different subject...I had never been on a board/forum before!

About the hair...try to find a way to do it so you are not changing your life due to SA.  I did have to change mine...my head gear broke it all off...well not all but it was a mess.  I posted on here what I did...I chopped it off and sent 20" to the Locks Of Love Foundation!

Oh...to find your posts...just go into your profile and there should be a place there that says..all posts by seajay515...click on that.


_________________

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO~ http://tinyurl.com/69q52a

BiPAP Auto M 13/8 Mirage Nasal Swift. 20 years+ undx'd. RLS/PLMD, Hypersomnia & more.

Thanks Mrs. Rip Van Winkle!  All your suggestions are great.  This is the first forum I have ever kept writing on.  I know i'll catch on, sometime!


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AHI=101 Lowest oxygen 73% Started CPAP 7/22/08
Respironics BiPap M 23/18 with 3L oxygen
Resmed Ultra Mirage FF mask
Humidifier set at 3