DH refusing to use CPAP

NylaBlue

For six years my husband has worn a CPAP full face mask to bed each night. Even though he gets up 6-8 times a night due to anxiety and overactive bladder, he put the mask back on when he returned to bed. But, in the last week he will put it on then remove it within minutes or refuse to wear it at all.

Has anyone experienced this with a LO who uses CPAP and do you have any suggestions? I wash the mask and tubing regularly and replace worn parts as needed. The headgear fits well, no leaks.

60 falcon

NylaBlue, we have CPAP issues too and I don't really have suggestions for you.  My wife has a full mask also.  For a few years now, I've had to put it on her.  Invariably it'll be off by sometime in the night.  I hate that thing, try as I might, it often ends up squealing like a balloon.  Sometimes I go sleep on the couch.  But she's more resistant to wearing it too.  If it sounds like she's breathing ok, I don't wake her to put it back on.  It's one of those things that isn't worth me getting upset about.

jmlarue

DH used his CPAP faithfully for about 6 years, too. About 4 months ago, I would wake up because he was snoring and find that he had turned it off, but failed to remove the mask. To my mind, breathing uncirculated air was more dangerous than the apnea he was suffering. The sleep clinic couldn't offer any reasonable resolution to the problem that didn't require me losing sleep. I finally packed the darn thing up and stored it away. I've got way too many other struggles with his dementia than to do middle of the night battles on that hill.

Lynne D

I am with Jmlarue.

My HWD never tolerated the CPAP; many people, dementia or not, cannot tolerate it. My HWD has mixed dementia: vascular and Alzheimer’s, and the CPAP could be a huge improvement for cognition, but alas, it is not to be. I have to accept that.

caberr

My DH just got a cpap machine 3 months ago.  I wasn't too happy about it because it is one more thing for me to do.  It was a battle.  He can't put it on.  Every night I say let's try this.  Some nights he's ok with it but others he refuses.  I find he sleeps better, doesn't get up as much and is a little more alert in the am.   If he refuses he refuses.  Not worth arguing over it.

NylaBlue

Thank you so much for your comments and suggestions. 

I will ask his pulmonologist for ideas, but I suspect the concept of the CPAP is just something else gone down the memory hole as DH moves through stage 6. Unfortunately, when not using the CPAP he snores loudly. I can wear ear plugs and did, pre-CPAP, but I’m afraid I won’t wake when he gets up at night. I know this in turn is solved with a bed alarm, but then we risk waking our condo neighbors with an ear-splitting alarm half a dozen times a night.

I know this is the dementia equivalent of a first world problem. I still have it much, much easier than others on this board!

jmlarue

Yeah, the return of loud snoring was unavoidable. Thank heaven for a comfy couch to escape to where the sound is muted. Cat likes that arrangement and purrs me back to sleep.

Pat6177

I pushed my DH to get a sleep study done last summer because his periods of apnea made me nervous. He does have mild sleep apnea. They suggested a CPAP and he said no way. He also wasn’t inclined to get a dental device to wear at night. We were shopping for a new mattress to replace our 20 yr old mattress at the time. We bought an adjustable bed along with the mattress and that has really helped the sleep apnea. We raise the head of the bed about 25 to 30 degrees. I often have insomnia and can’t get to sleep when I go to bed so I know that at least in the first half of the night he isn’t having any apnea episodes.

Joydean

My DH doesn’t have sleep apnea but goodness he snores like a freight train, I sleep in a different room. But I have a camera in his room that has motion, if he gets up in the night my phone starts beeping and I can go check on him.

OrganizerBecky

A couple of years ago, I mentioned to DH's PCP that he sleeps a lot. PCP said he should get a sleep study. Of course, it came back saying he needed a CPAP. 

We go and get him fitted. He fussed about using it and I had to put it on him and take it off, just as if he were a toddler. I'm still working FT (he's retired), so the CPAP that was supposed to help his sleep was wrecking mine. We lasted less than a week and I said to heck with this and took it back. 

The PCP asked about it at the next appointment and I explained why he wasn't using it anymore and that I had to choose my battles. He just nodded. End of discussion.