Asthma and sleep apnea

Hi all

Anyone suffer from asthma and sleep apnea I've suffered with both for many many years and I'm only small built which sleep apnea is normall associated with the slitley larger person Having to wear a full face mask all night when you asthma is bad or got a chest infection with constant coughing is very difficult and can be frightening to althou my cons say wearing the mask with the constant air blowing down your nose and mouth should help but i use a variable air flow machine so the air flow changes according to how you are breathing so if your coughing your heart up the air flow goes up so I have to constantly take it off because i cant cope with the air pressure

It would be interesting to hear from anyone who may have the same problems

[Arniemouse]

Hi Tas

I have sleep apnoea too use full face mask and yes it is a nuisance when coughing as I have to take it off. I have got used to it quite well but still would like to put it in bin!

Den

[Hidden]

hey tas,

I don't have sleep apnoea but I do use a NIPPV machine at night to help balance my oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and give my respiratory muscles a break. I can't tolerate it that well though when my breathing is bad (which kind of defies the object!) but I try to use it as much as possible. If I wake up coughing at night the first thing I do is rip it off, I can't help it, its just a habit now. I use a snorkel (nasal) mask which makes it a bit easier to use, I felt claustrophobic in the full face mask. I also have towelling around the rubber seal on the mask which also makes it more comfortable I don't know if you can use that on the full face masks but might be worth asking your NIV team? It stops the seal sticking to your face, which isn’t nice when its hot and stops it leaving those attractive marks on your face in the morning! I've also found lately that it dries me up a bit at night but using humidified oxygen through it seems to have helped.

tks xxxxxx

[Hidden]

'Asthma and sleep apnea'

Thanks to you both for your relys.

What machine do you use Den is a set machine or variable Take my breath Ive never used a nose snorkel, only ever a full face mask because I cant breath through my nose due to a birth defect and loads of surgery which is why Ive got the apnea in the first place I find the 2 very difficult to cope with somtimes I get very tired with the asthma let alone with the apnea as well and all the meds.

I dont now how alot of you can keep on going all the time I now its a case of having to especailly if you've got children as I do but I find it difficult Sorry about the rant but ive got a nasty chest infection and supposed to be going on holiday next week

[Arniemouse]

Hi Tas

Yes I use full mask as i mouth breathe. I have a resmed machine with a hunidifier and do find it awkward at times. Wish I did not have to do it but needs must. I am off to Papworth on 18th to have a floow up study just to check all ok. I have a set cpap at 10 which seems to be ok.

I am also off on hoilday at the weekend and its hard when you are not well but looking forward to sea air and painting!

Den

[Hidden]

'Asthma and sleep apnea'

Hi Den

Do you find the humidifier helps I dont have one at the moment but have one on order from the hospital when it will come is another matter asked a few weeks ago when i went for check up and they agreed i needed one but didnt have any in stock for my machine

[Hidden]

I have asthma and sleep aponea and have had a cpap machine for just over a year now. my pressure is set at 9. I tried a variable machine while at the rbh and found that I didn't sleep as well as having my set pressure machine. I find that when my asthma is bad I actually use my CPAP to help keep my airways open. I do 3 or 4 back to back nebs and then put the CPAP on and it gives me a helping hand in keeping the airways open.

Since having the CPAP machine my sleep quality has improved ten fold and I would kill anybody who tried to take it away from me.

Have u ever tried a set pressure cpap machine Tas?

Rusty

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'Asthma and sleep apnea'

Hi Rusty

Yeh I had a set machine at 10 for 12 years only had it changed last October because the bearings were on the way out and it kept wineing when i tried to get to sleep Like you apart from when I'm not well I couldnt be with out it I had a big operation on my nose and mouth last November and couldnt use it So I was kept on oxygen ever night so my sats wouldn't dip but I got so tired was the first time in 12 years that I hadnt used it But I was kept in hospital until I could get back to using it so a 3 or 4 day stay ended up being 2 long weeks although The op was tough to go throu so I enjoyed the rest.

But I was hopeing that the op would help cure the sleep apnea because Ive got it because I was born with a cleft palate so I've had lots of surgery to build the palate and nose over the years which has left me with the apnea But it didnt work much to my annoyance so I'll just keep using it until they decided to try somthing else

[Arniemouse]

Hi Tas

Yes humidty helps a lot as I find my mouth gets less dry overnight. I also have found that i sleep better and when unwell its quite a relief to put it on.

Den