DH Struggling with New BiPAP Machine

Find out if the medical center/office where he had the study also has a "mask clinic". Many of them do, and patients can come in for free to meet with someone on the neurologist's staff (nurse, PA, etc.) who can help with these issues and do some "tweaking" with the mask. It's possible it's not the right one for him, but he should take it with him and let them work with him before starting over with a new one.

Sometimes the respiratory company that supplies the equipment has well-trained staff. Did anyone help him with this, or did they just ship the equipment to him for him to fend for himself? That's not how it should be.

Either of the above should be able to help him with fitting the mask to his face, adjusting the straps, angling the piece that rests on his forehead, etc.

Usually there is a short hose that connects the mask to the longer hose that goes to the machine. That's for a quick disconnect without taking the mask off entirely, for exactly the purpose you describe - a trip to the bathroom.

Encourage him to seek out help with this - absolutely, REM sleep is critical. It does get better with repeated use, but it's important to get it fitted properly.

Also, be sure he got the proper instructions for washing it and for reassembling it. You don't want bacteria building up . Usually once a week is fine.

On the plus side, if the room gets too light early in the morning, people with BIPAP and CPAP machines can just throw the covers or a pillow over their heads, and still be able to breathe!

Good luck!

Is his particular sleep apnea able to be helped by surgery? One of my friends has an ex-husband who got the surgery and it fixed it. He decided to go that route rather than have to sleep with a machine.

Don't know if it helps that I asked, but just thought I'd throw that question out there for you...

My hubby just got fitted with a CPAP (similar) machine. He is going through a 30-day "trial" - we own the machine now, but if he doesn't get expected results, then he will have soft-tissue removal surgery along with a scheduled deviated septum surgery next month.

With the start of his therapy, he has 30 days to exchange masks as needed to find one that fits & works. He has done 4 exchanges so far - I think we finally got it right.

It takes a while to get used to the machine. Tell your husband the best thing is to stay relaxed, & remember - he got it fitted properly before, he will get it again. But in the middle of the night, it can be easy to get frustrated when you just want to go back to sleep.

There is an average of 3 weeks adjustment period before it gets easier, so my husband has been told by many who have "been there done that". He may find that once he can get into a deeper sleep, he won't wake up for urination as frequently, which would make things easier as well.

So, have him go through the process of fitting the accessories at a time when he is NOT getting ready for bed, paying attention to what & how he does it that works. Then, when he goes to bed, start 15 minutes early so he isn't getting frustrated at fitting everything for a good-night sleep.

Good luck! T. :)

My husband has sleep apnea but it is my belief that he must get there on his own. I get awful sleep because his snoring wakes me up but when he stops breathing it keeps me up. I have always pointed out it scares me that he stops breathing, what if he doesn't start again?

Just last week he made an appointment with his interest to get the ball rolling. I think this path will work, that he does it because he wants to will make it easier for him to adapt to the inconvenience of whatever machine they say he needs.

See my ex did the sleep study because his doctor said that may be why he doesn't feel rested. He does have sleep apnea. He got a cpap but he never used it because he just never got why it was important. All of those devices are uncomfortable. They all take giving up a bit to get used to them. In the end they only way I think they work is if the person understands why they are important.

You are sleeping when you stop breathing, how would you know what that really means. Knowing how it makes others feel, and those feelings are love and concern, it makes it easier to figure it out

My husband was tested and actually has the condition where you brain 'forgets' to tell you to breathe. So he could literally die in his sleep pretty easily. =0/ So he has the very expensive VPAP that automatically adjusts itself to his breathing needs. He has had it for a year or 2 and still can't wear it a full 8 hours. And it took him months and months to get to where he can wear it 4 hours straight. When he first got it he went back to the doctor to have it adjusted several times (it sends their office a computer read-out automatically) and he's also tried different nose pieces until he's found one that's most comfortable.

So have him go back to where he got it and see if they can make some adjustments to either the settings or head gear and it will probably help. Good luck!

My hubby has a CPAP and it all about the fit and the desire.

First of all - your husband has to want to do it. The sleep center told him to use it for a minimum 4 hours per night as he got used to it. So the first night, he was determined to keep that thing on and sleep with it for 4 hours. And he did. He said that when he had it on at first (and at times even now) he feels a bit like he can't breathe. So he uses relaxation methods to slow his brain and forget about the machine. One of the things he does is thinks up movies (or rock stars) who's name starts with A, B, C.... He now uses it all night. He starts with a ramp and that helps a lot. It takes getting used to - but he will get there!!

The other thing is that he needs to try a variety of masks and get the best one. Also, he should invest in mask liners (made of fabric) like a brand called Pad-a Cheek. They made a huge difference in terms of fit and leakage.

And be sure to ask a lot of questions to your durable goods provider. Demand a lot from them as they are providing you with a service. Also, the more money your insurance pays, the more masks you can try out.

The hubby is also on several chat boards where he asks a lot of questions (and now gives advice).

Good luck!!

I say this with the utmost respect: In my experience, patients who have sleep apnea are most likely overweight. It is very uncommon that they aren't. Losing weight is the tippy top of the list way to reduce sleep apnea. Whatever you do to help him learn to manage the BiPAP, please also consider talking with his doctor about weight loss.

Best to you.