any correlation?

White Beard can probably give you the best info on this. I hope it helps at least somewhat.

slow and steady. got to get nasal mask spot on. am slowly learning. machine is auto. ramps on it's own. sorry rambling. have put it out there for a sleep disorders forum. e-mailed peter, it is being considered.

Hey Turtle,
You asked:
question, better oxygen input = a possible reduction in pain / inflammation?

Lets think about this a minute. Obviously I am not a Dr but...I say yes and here is why. If you tune up a car to peak performance then it uses the ideal amount of oil and air in the piston chamber and you get better gas mileage and performance.
Why should the human body be different? You are fine tuning to get the right levels and I wholeheartedly believe that as you get closer to the right mix you are going to have improved performance also. With this your body will be better at fighting the inflammation and thereby reduce your pain.
As for the bad dreams, well if I were sleeping with an alien face hugger I would probably have bad dreams too. Once you make friends with the unit your dreams should get better.
Good luck man, keep us updated.

I joined the "alien face huggers" 4 months ago. White Beard is certainly the best source of info here, along with the older threads.

I was in the healing process when I started using mine, but definitely feel that it helped. I felt more rested, daily naps or just falling asleep while watching TV ended in just a few days after fully using the C-PAP. Getting the right equipment is crucial to being comfortable and thus using it as designed. I tried a couple of different masks and sizes before finding something I feel better about, even though I was using it all night long. And I still don't like it a bit, but I do like the results. I started with a nasal mask, then switched to a different style of that, then to nasal pillows. Finding the best fit allows more comfort to move around with it on, rather than be stuck in one position. For me it's been a learning process to know how to quickly adjust the straps in the middle of the night to get right back to sleep.

I've not had the bad dreams, hope that stops as you adjust. I know anyone else sleeping in my house gets more rest since I sleep quietly now. I agree it's got to be better for all areas of health to not stop breathing during sleep. Knowing that my oxygen level dropped scared me into using it faithfully.

Good luck with it Turtle. Yes, it does take a while to get used to the "monstrosity" strapped upon yer face and head. At first I doubted it would help and thought I would never get accustomed to wearing it. In the beginning an hour or two was all I could stand. No weird dreams for me (are you taking Flexiril?} but I had a few issues with waking up thinking I was suffocating but that ended after 3-4 times. It took me a couple months to adjust to wearing it (and it took a LOT of adjusting the straps, etc.) but now it's no big deal. I can certainly tell the difference when I don't use it. Stick with it and it will help.

Just thinking about you and your alien face hugger monstrosity. I remember being told to wear it a bit during the day even when I don't expect to sleep-just to help get used to it faster. Best wishes!

wow! I just have to say that while I do not need a cpap machine, you just gave me an epiphany! See, I always feel better in warmer months and assumed it was just the sunlight. I love to garden and many of my friends that come to visit say they feel better in my garden. I tell them it's all the oxygen from the plants! So, now that you have made the link between more oxygen and less pain...duh me! Time to go buy more houseplants! Thank you!