Severe sleep apnea recovery

[Timrtomr]

Has anyone had a marked improvement the first month of sleep therapy...after first month on machine I went from 54.8 to 5.1.
Was expecting more relief from fatigue.feel a little better but hoping time I'll improve. Anyone else have slow or no recovery?

[D.H.]

Note that 5.1 is a big improvement over 54.8. However, the guideline is that it should not be higher than 5. Really, it should be lower than that. Note that 5 means that you're having an event on an average of every twelve minutes!

[mesenteria]

A quick glance down the listed thread headings for the last six or seven pages, or a search here, will reveal that brain fog, grogginess, or sluggishness, seems to affect people even more than before they started (apparently) successful PAP therapy. Nobody seems to have a good handle on it, but the conventional wisdom is that is it widespread, common, pervasive, and rather tenacious for the most part. In my case, I do have bouts of sleepiness if I sit in front of the TV afternoon or early evening. I'm always alert if I am doing something, including at present on the computer...never any tiredness except near bedtime. I do feel somewhat sluggish or maybe a bit groggier upon waking than last summer before I was diagnosed, but it doesn't seem to show up in impairment of any kind, memory, speech, decision-making, or more irritability. I function well, or no worse than before, now three full months into otherwise excellent AHI results.

Bottom line, chances are good that a person well into successful treatment will experience morning grogginess, maybe even considerably worse than previously. It's just that it's hard to argue with all the other masses of data indicating that you are much better off. I take the grogginess as a new fact of life. It's gone, for me, within ten minutes or less.

[klm49]

Has anyone had a marked improvement the first month of sleep therapy...after first month on machine I went from 54.8 to 5.1.
Was expecting more relief from fatigue.feel a little better but hoping time I'll improve. Anyone else have slow or no recovery?

I can only speak from my personal experience and it takes time. In my case the changes were slow. I'm not sure the fatigue will go away, mine hasn't. I do feel better and the constant brain fog I had has disappeared. If possible you should post some charts from SleepyHead and see about improving your numbers even more.

[ChicagoGranny]

Has anyone had a marked improvement the first month of sleep therapy...after first month on machine I went from 54.8 to 5.1.
Was expecting more relief from fatigue.feel a little better but hoping time I'll improve. Anyone else have slow or no recovery?

There's more to it than AHI.

If possible you should post some charts from SleepyHead and see about improving your numbers even more.

+1

I don't feel well unless my AHI is under 2.0 and my leak level is low. It might help you to post a Sleepyhead chart ( viewtopic/t88983/Pugsys-PointersSleepyH ... Hints.html ) from a typical night or two.

Stick to this thread so members can easily see the history of this discussion.

[MrsRinPDX]

I too have severe sleep apnea; my AHI was 71. I was diagnosed and have been using a machine for four months now. I feel better, but I am not at the peak of my game, nor do I expect to be. Severe sleep apnea really beats up your body at any age and it takes time to recover. Take it one day at a time. And by all means, post the sleepyhead info and see if there is something that can be improved.

[TedVPAP]

It took me about 2 months before I solved my mouth leaking problem as leaking was disturbing my sleep - that was 8 years ago. Prior to treatment AHI was 60, now it is 0.5.
Use data to understand your sleep and optimize. See three links below.

[TedVPAP]

I too have severe sleep apnea; my AHI was 71. I was diagnosed and have been using a machine for four months now. I feel better, but I am not at the peak of my game, nor do I expect to be. Severe sleep apnea really beats up your body at any age and it takes time to recover. Take it one day at a time. And by all means, post the sleepyhead info and see if there is something that can be improved.

Perhaps the peak of your game is too much to ask for but we do want you feeling as best as possible. Please start a thread (if you haven't already) so we can try to improve your treatment.
Patience is a virtue but not a strategy.

[kteague]

Just saying ditto to those suggesting your treatment has room for improvement. It is reasonable to expect optimizing your treatment to result in feeling better. How much sleep are you getting each night? During recovery it could be helpful to get a bit of extra sleep if your body feels a need. Are you using your machine for all your sleep time? Also important. Wouldn't hurt to evaluate your general health and nutrition during this time to give yourself the best support for healing. It sounds like you are off to a good start.

[Slartybartfast]

I had severe OSA 73/minute. About 7 years ago I got on the hose and immediately felt better. The number is now very near zero, and I had no trouble at all adapting to life on the hose.

But it's not a panacea, not a cure-all, not FM (friggin' magic). You likely have other health issues that need to be looked into. And while obstructive sleep apnea has been shown to be associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular events, stroke, dementia, athlete's foot and bad breath, it's just an association, not the cause of those maladies. Sleep apnea doesn't cause most of our problems, it just rides along with them.

If you're not feeling well, change what you're doing. I found that reducing the carb content of my meals helped me a lot. And eating dinner earlier in the evening, and avoiding certain foods, like tomato products (pasta sauce especially). And walking for about 20 minutes each day really helps me to sleep well.

[nicholasjh1]

I too have severe sleep apnea; my AHI was 71. I was diagnosed and have been using a machine for four months now. I feel better, but I am not at the peak of my game, nor do I expect to be. Severe sleep apnea really beats up your body at any age and it takes time to recover. Take it one day at a time. And by all means, post the sleepyhead info and see if there is something that can be improved.

Perhaps the peak of your game is too much to ask for but we do want you feeling as best as possible. Please start a thread (if you haven't already) so we can try to improve your treatment.
Patience is a virtue but not a strategy.

Lol tell me how!? I still have some mouth leak problems and I even tape, and put a strap over my mouth!

[TedVPAP]

I too have severe sleep apnea; my AHI was 71. I was diagnosed and have been using a machine for four months now. I feel better, but I am not at the peak of my game, nor do I expect to be. Severe sleep apnea really beats up your body at any age and it takes time to recover. Take it one day at a time. And by all means, post the sleepyhead info and see if there is something that can be improved.

Perhaps the peak of your game is too much to ask for but we do want you feeling as best as possible. Please start a thread (if you haven't already) so we can try to improve your treatment.
Patience is a virtue but not a strategy.

Lol tell me how!? I still have some mouth leak problems and I even tape, and put a strap over my mouth!

Hello nick. I don't understand your question. The three links below explain how to view and post your data so please start a thread if you are looking for help and maybe we can help you.

[nicholasjh1]

I too have severe sleep apnea; my AHI was 71. I was diagnosed and have been using a machine for four months now. I feel better, but I am not at the peak of my game, nor do I expect to be. Severe sleep apnea really beats up your body at any age and it takes time to recover. Take it one day at a time. And by all means, post the sleepyhead info and see if there is something that can be improved.

Perhaps the peak of your game is too much to ask for but we do want you feeling as best as possible. Please start a thread (if you haven't already) so we can try to improve your treatment.
Patience is a virtue but not a strategy.

Lol tell me how!? I still have some mouth leak problems and I even tape, and put a strap over my mouth!

Hello nick. I don't understand your question. The three links below explain how to view and post your data so please start a thread if you are looking for help and maybe we can help you.

I must have seriously misread what you originally said.