Sleep Study last night

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Mike in Maine

Distinguished member
Joined
Oct 18, 2013
Messages
244
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
10/2013
Country
US
State
PA, No longer live in ME
City
Pocono's
Hi All
Had a sleep study last night, complete torture. Getting a BiPap for use at night. Do any of you use one? Do you get use to it?

Thanks
Mike

P.S.
Mark they said no more breads so the new goat is out. mess's with the seal. New ugliest dude on block can't cover it up anymore
 
I got used to mine fairly quickly. I had a cpap for most of a year before i got a bipap. I've been using a nasal mask to this point. It gets rid of the morning headaches, and general fatigue. I was at the clinic yesterday and was told I'm not using it enough at night. I guess I still wake up at night and go Holy crap there's something on my nose. Just keep working with it.
Vincent
 
Mike,
Your RT is misinformed. My husband had a beard throughout his many years on PAP. Most guys can adapt to the right nasal mask (we used a cloth one) so the beard is even less an issue, but he also used full face masks before ALS. The BiPAP will be much less torturous than the sleep study. If you need it, it'll come to be a friend.

Best,
Laurie
 
I have a full beard and use my BiPap nightly and for naps.

At night I use the nasal mask, for naps I use the nasal pillow. The one that covers mouth and nose still freaks me out a bit.

It took a while to get used to it (weeks, months?) but now I look forward to it.
 
Me to.......I use one every night. Once you get used to it you will see the positive effects.
 
Steve is claustrophobic yet he prefers the full face mask. He used it during the day to try and get used to it. Within 24 hrs he was a pro and using it at night.
 
For Darcey, she took to the masks like a champ. She prefers a nasal pillow mask during the day when she's sitting up. It allows her to talk easier than without it. At night, she prefers a full face mask. This took a bit more experimenting to find the mask that fit well... but was worth the effort. Before her breathing machine, she'd sleep off and on throughout the day. She'd even fall asleep in the middle of a conversation. Since getting the BiPAP, she rarely takes naps, quit losing weight, rarely gets headaches and feels much, much better. With CO2 buildup being such a problem for PALS, I'm surprised you didn't have one prescribed at diagnosis. I hope you adapt to it quickly. But even if you have to work to get used to it, it will make you feel better in the long run.

Jim
 
Thanks all for the reply's

Mike
 
Hey Mike, I just starting using the Trilogy a couple of weeks ago and am getting comfortable with a full mask while sleeping. It was tough at first but I'm starting to come around. I have a goatee as well and if I keep it trimmed short, it doesn't pose a problem, which is a good thing since my wife has threatened me with divorce if I ever shaved it off.

Wes
 
What's the difference between a bipap and a trilogy? Cannot get in touch with any knowledgeable doctor. Folks on forum recommend bipap, but just got call from respiratory therapist and they want to set up trilogy. Which one is better for me. My breathing is ok but not perfect.
 
Harlo,
A Trilogy is a portable BiPAP (has an internal battery) so you can take it out in its own bag hanging on the back of the wheelchair (sorry, can't remember if you have a chair). Should you ever decide on a trache, it can be used with that, also.

The Trilogy is made by Respironics, the market leader in BiPAP. There is a competing product made by ResMed called Astral.

Anyway, if you are at the stage where you need BiPAP outside the home, either the Trilogy or Astral is the best option. Clinics frequently specify the Trilogy even before that point so they don't need to swap machines later.
 
Thank you for your helpful information. I'm still walking, but might as well get trilogy. Will I be able to use face mask, even though a have huge amount of drooling, or am I better off with nose mask?
 
You're better off with whichever mask works best for _you_.
 
With a lot of drooling, I'd start with nasal masks. There are many to choose from. People here have favorably mentioned the Wisp, Pico, DreamWear and Sleepweaver Advance, among others. You can see a lot of reviews/pics/videos at cpap dot com, which also offers [often free] return insurance on some masks so you can try before you buy. Most DMEs just offer a few variants, though some will special order if you ask.
 
Got the Bipap has made a world of difference in my sleep, feel much better in the AM and have more energy during the day. Have a full mask and have found that the system is not that hard to get use too. Now if I can get rid of the leg spasms at night I may make though the night without waking up, saw my ALS Doc today we have a plan so maybe things are looking better on the sleep front.

Mike
 
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