CPAP apnea machines on the road

While I am quite familiar with CPAP machines, I don't use one. However, it shouldn't be a problem to use one while on the road. You just need to find out how much power it takes to run the machine and get a power inverter large enough to accommodate it. A lot of companies, especially training companies, only allow for a 400 watt inverter. I'm not sure, but I would think that would be enough power to run a CPAP.

 

Last week in the news a story about the only doctor that does laser surgery on the uvula(sp) with high results and about 25% of the cost of the machine. It's a new procedure, relatively unknown. Might be worth checking out.

 

I have sleep apnea and use a cpap machine on the road. I bought a 350 watt inverter that plugs into the cigarette lighter and this provides enough current to run the machine.

I also have a 1500 watt inverter as a back up hard wired to the batteries. I have several appliances I like to run and my little 350 will not power them (microwave, toaster oven, sandwich maker). This allows me and the wife to eat on the road without spending alot of money every day at the truckstops.

Be sure you check with your company before you install a hard wired inverter. many companies do not allow this. The ones that plug into the cigarette lighter should not be a problem though. Be sure to get a 350 to 400 watter though. I believe this is the biggest available for a cigarette lighter. Anything larger will have to go to the batteries.

 

iuse a c-pap machine, mine is run off or 12 volt unless I want to use the humidifier then I have to use an inverter, I don't have any issues not using the humidifier except when it is very cold out then it is too dry and I have to use it or end up with a nose bleed

 

I have a question. How can you determine yourself if you have this? I don't have a problem staying awake while I'm driving but it is hard for me to stay awake while when I'm just ridin'. I'm sure many other have experianced this problem.

 

if you snore that is a indacation that you have a problem but to find out for sure you have to have a sleep study done, it is a one or two night study

 

Well doesn't everybody snore lmao! Ahh, if nothing else I'll just get me some of them there nasil strip's and continue on.

 

Typical symptoms of sleep apnea are fatigue during the day, and difficulty breathing at night such as if you lay on your back your throat closes up restricting the airflow to your lungs. Mouth breathing is also a tell tale problem. Other symptoms include irritability, loud snoring, frequent heartburn, restless sleep patterns (such as tossing and turning all night), no recollection of dreams, the desire to lay down for a nap after a couple of hours driving, and even reduced sex drive.

What happens when a driver that has sleep apnea tries to sleep is he is unable to descend into rem sleep (the restorative rejuvenating stage of sleep). Laying on his back causes the soft pallate to fall back into the throat thus cutting off the air supply. The body has a protection and survival mechanism that wakes you each time your body doesnt receive enough oxygen. This usually results in a loud gasp after several seconds of silence and in many cases the patient sits up in bed without realizing it.

The only way to verify the diagnosis is to go through a sleep study. At this sleep study they will place the patient in a private room and attach electrodes and sensors to the head, torso, arms, legs, and fingers. There will be cameras mounted in the ceiling and a tech that will monitor your vital signs during the over night test. Respiration, oxygen levels in the blood, heart rate, body movement, and brain waves are all monitored.

In my case I only made it half way through the night before they put me on a cpap machine. I found out later that I was having over 60 episodes per hour where my body gasped for breath, thrashed around, sat up, rolled over, etc. I had gone like this for years and was a loud snorer, to the point it kept my wife awake many nights. I had gotten so used to the snoring and loss of air when laying on my back that I simply trained myself to lay on my side and keep a glass of water on the nightstand. I would sip water after a waking episode and moisten the tissue in the back of my throat to enable myslef to go back to sleep. Of course this caused several trips to the bathroom at night as well.

On a few occasions I actually had my throat so swollen that the uvula (the flap of skin that hangs down in the back of your throat) actually blocked my airway completely (kinda like swallowing your tongue). The only thing that saved me was a coughing fit that expelled the blockage.

Sleep apnea is no joke as I found out personally. It took me off the road for several months while I got used to wearing a face mask and relearned how to sleep. Now I am able to sleep on my back, dream again, I feel rested and do not feel the need to lay down for a nap all the time, I am more focused and alert, the heartburn has gone away, and my sex drive has returned. I offer these insights in the hopes of educating others and encouraging them to be tested before it is too late.