won't scroll past Sammy's video on page 3

Yep. Tried to reply. Sammy finally broke the internet.

Oh well, I posted a long list of things other than sleep apnea that I have. When my PA said I should go to a sleep clinic, I refused. I figure there are worse things than dying in my sleep..and at 75, I'm getting damned weary of all the time spent in medical facility waiting rooms.

I hear you. Between MrsWD and I we can plan on blowing day a week at a medical facility, including the to and from.

I dint do it on porpoise.

Sammy, I had the same full faced mask you are using for years. 2Two years ago, I switched to a nasal mask:
ResMed AirFit ™ N20 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear. There are pro/cons to both but I prefer the nasal mask - its less cumbersome - I still fiddle with it to get it set right.

I had to try a couple of sizes of airfit masks and a nasal thing and a special pillow before I found something that works. Finally settled on as Airfit F10 medium and a soft feather pillow.
Keep trying different things.

I suggest re-reading posts 38 and 39.

I encourage folks to seek the best professional help possible with conditions like sleep apnea. Doing your own "internet medical research" and implementing your own approaches may lead to devastating consequences.

Please remember that there is a difference between over the counter products and true medical devices.

Things like over-the-counter pulse ox machines cannot be trusted.

Moreover, there is now a rash of "products" that claim that they can help evaluate the quality of your sleep. Mattresses, cell phones, things like Fitbits and various watches.

None of these can be trusted.

These things are becoming more ubiquitous due to the rapidly lowering costs of sensor technology, and the natural extension of capitalism (companies want more products and more features). They have to be careful what they claim due to the U.S. CFR as regulated by the FDA.

Even certified sleep labs with fda approved or cleared equipment, following required quality and training procedures, et cetera, can vary in terms of diagnostic information regarding the quality of sleep.

CPAP machines are class 2 medical devices, and you need a prescription to buy one. Moreover, the proper fitment of masks and the proper training in the use of the equipment is important.

I encourage folks to get properly informed, and use only trusted, vetted resources.

Even things like instructions for proper device cleaning and changing out the disposables are important for the therapies to be most effective.

I respect your opinion, even if we disagree.

I dunno.... but I look at the physics of snoring (tongue pallet relaxed onto airway) and simply find a way to sleep on my side. A thick structural pillow or two makes this comfortable.

Maybe I'm missing something. (?)

Mike's argument pretty much the same as the one given to me by a cute young P.A. I still said no thanks to the sleep test. It's the old quality vs. quantity of life thing...and we're all entitled to make our own decisions about that.

At 75, I'm well into the deterioration years...It's still my choice as to how much control I allow the medical community to have over the time I have left.

^^
I hear you. There isn’t any magic about using a CPAP. My doc had the supplier set the initial pressure based on his best guess. The supplier asked me what size mask I thought I needed.
I may as well have made my own guess on both counts.
Used CPAPs are available, you could get one and experiment. Get a unit, start with a full face mask, do some research on settings, and use Sleepyhead to check how it’s working for you. It’s not like you’re injecting yourself with something and hoping you get the right amount of the right stuff. If it doesn’t work you are none the worse and you can sell it to the next guy.

I have a Respironics system one, so quiet i can't even tell when it turns on or off.

it's pretty fancy, it tells me all sorts of details and info:
Besides the obvious, it's pretty darned easy to set this up to get good results.
it would be really hard not to.
And no matter what I set it to, it would still be better than NOT using it.

But I understand the world is full of people who can't operate a can opener and they have no biddness breathing, much less using a CPAP machine. They definitely need someone to hold their hand.
I do not.

if I had any faith at all in the people who run this sleep apnea medical scam I might consider enlisting their input, but I do not.
Hell, I stopped seeing real doctors after one told me I was dying. He was wrong.

Color me a skeptic but I question how much real training a therapy home care provider gets.


LEGAL DISCLAIMER: YMMV, don't take advice from me, think for yourself.
And especially don't try to operate a can opener. Just stay in bed and keep the door closed.

Phillips Respironics System One is the standard. Easy to find parts for. It has a flaw that melts the power connection to the reservoir heater. You can pick them up cheap and it’s a 5 minute fix.