Feeling worse on cpap.

[the baker]

Hi all I'm a week on my machine checked in with my RT he said my numbers are good , how was I feeling.

Well I still only get 5-6 hours of sleep but I'm feeling worse then before starting cpap.
Told him I wake with a headache which lasts all day ( dull and achey) dizzy and nauseous, and my lungs are sore.
I have even less energy and spend all day out of it on the couch.. Worse the before.....

People are telling me that it get worse before it gets better.
Just keep pounding away and it should work. (

The RT said absolutely not, it may take time to feel better but you should not be feeling worse.
Call your DR and tell him ( I did waiting to hear back)

What are your opinions.

Thanks

[realshelby]

I knew I felt better after the first night. Even with dealing with the mask and all that goes with it.

But, my first setup was 4-20 in pressure. Yours being at a flat 11 seems a bit unusual? There is a lot of difference in how pressure effects you. You may need more. You may need less. But one thing that is uncommon is a single pressure, without a reason given for it.

[roadcycler]

I too have a set pressure. When I started I was having difficulty but they turned on the ramp feature which will start you off at a lower pressure and build up to your set pressure. That worked really well for me

[the baker]

My ramp starts at 4

[Julie]

Bump it to 7 and see how you feel after a few nights - and come bk to this thread so we can follow along.

[the baker]

Bump it to 7 and see how you feel after a few nights - and come bk to this thread so we can follow along.

have my ramp start at 7 instead of 4.??

[zonker]

Bump it to 7 and see how you feel after a few nights - and come bk to this thread so we can follow along.

have my ramp start at 7 instead of 4.??

yup. start at 7. a minimum of 4 can make it hard to breath for most of us. if jumping up to 7 sounds like too much, you can always just go to 5 and get used to that for a time, then up to 6 and so on.

good luck!

[the baker]

Bump it to 7 and see how you feel after a few nights - and come bk to this thread so we can follow along.

have my ramp start at 7 instead of 4.??

yup. start at 7. a minimum of 4 can make it hard to breath for most of us. if jumping up to 7 sounds like too much, you can always just go to 5 and get used to that for a time, then up to 6 and so on.

good luck!

Thanks I'll give it a shot
And see what the DR says when they get back to me.

[Garylee]

When I first got put on CPAP, I was on it for a month before I went back to the doctor. When I went back to the doctor, the doctor told me that I was feeling better. I said "No, I wasn't" and the doctor wanted to argue with me. Finally, I got tested a second time and they said I needed oxygen with my CPAP. My first night with oxygen, I slept ten hours and woke up feeling great, for the first time in years. Good Luck

[the baker]

When I first got put on CPAP, I was on it for a month before I went back to the doctor. When I went back to the doctor, the doctor told me that I was feeling better. I said "No, I wasn't" and the doctor wanted to argue with me. Finally, I got tested a second time and they said I needed oxygen with my CPAP. My first night with oxygen, I slept ten hours and woke up feeling great, for the first time in years. Good Luck

I had talked about that to my Dr. In the beginning but he said on my sleep test my oxygen level only got as low as 91, it would need to much lower to consider oxygen

[the baker]

Still wondering if it does get worse on cpap before it gets better,

Raised my ramp pressure still feel terrible in the mornings
Last night 5 hours sleep feel like I was hit by a truck, 2.9 AHI
Have not heard back from the DR

Got advice from a non cpap friend, told me since I'm a shallow breather being forced by the machine to take deep breaths which my body and lungs are not used to May be what's making me feel worse.. ( if that makes sense) almost like I am doing a cardio workout in my sleep....
And once my body adjusts then the healing can begin. That's his opinion...

What do you think????
Thanks

[roadcycler]

Just check and make sure that the pressure relief is on. This will reduce the pressure during exhalation. That will negate trying to overcome the pressure when trying to exhale

[kteague]

Without seeing your machine data, keep in mind opinions are in general. Your machine data may have clues that could help folks give you more targeted input. If you multiply your AHI (hourly average of events) x hours of sleep you'll see that's still a lot of potential for sleep disruption. Factor in all the new sensations that may keep your mind on alert until you get used to them, and it's understandable to not feel rested. But it is a good start for a newbie.

Whether it is the ramp pressure or your treatment pressure, starting too low is a common problem. You don't want your machine to be so low as to allow events. Getting one's pressure dialed in can make a big difference in feeling rested as it results in less arousals. Again, your mahine data could spot if settings are optimized for your best treatment. Beware of hitting the ramp too many times during the night. A whole lot of start-overs, especially at a low starting pressure, can be disruptive in themselves and just add an extra step in getting to your treatment pressure.

Soreness in the ribcage is common the first couple weeks of treatment. I don't think it's actually the lungs, unless there's some sort of lung diease that is problematic. The discomfort should resolve, as with any new activity that causes soreness.

You are not yet getting enough sleep to feel rested. If making sure your treatment is optimized plus a bit more adjustment time doesn't help you get things turned around, you will need to start looking for other possible contributors, like medication side effect, limb movements, medical conditions, etc. But realistically, don't expect too much until your nights are better. If you have any specific issues with your treatment, let us know.

[the baker]

Just check and make sure that the pressure relief is on. This will reduce the pressure during exhalation. That will negate trying to overcome the pressure when trying to exhale

Is this something I can do? Or the DR office does

[the baker]

Without seeing your machine data, keep in mind opinions are in general. Your machine data may have clues that could help folks give you more targeted input. If you multiply your AHI (hourly average of events) x hours of sleep you'll see that's still a lot of potential for sleep disruption. Factor in all the new sensations that may keep your mind on alert until you get used to them, and it's understandable to not feel rested. But it is a good start for a newbie.

Whether it is the ramp pressure or your treatment pressure, starting too low is a common problem. You don't want your machine to be so low as to allow events. Getting one's pressure dialed in can make a big difference in feeling rested as it results in less arousals. Again, your mahine data could spot if settings are optimized for your best treatment. Beware of hitting the ramp too many times during the night. A whole lot of start-overs, especially at a low starting pressure, can be disruptive in themselves and just add an extra step in getting to your treatment pressure.

Soreness in the ribcage is common the first couple weeks of treatment. I don't think it's actually the lungs, unless there's some sort of lung diease that is problematic. The discomfort should resolve, as with any new activity that causes soreness.

You are not yet getting enough sleep to feel rested. If making sure your treatment is optimized plus a bit more adjustment time doesn't help you get things turned around, you will need to start looking for other possible contributors, like medication side effect, limb movements, medical conditions, etc. But realistically, don't expect too much until your nights are better. If you have any specific issues with your treatment, let us know.

Thanks for the information, still waiting for the DR to return my call the sleep disorder liaison did contact me telling me I shouldn't be feeling worse they are going to go over my data from the machine ( the RT report says I'm doing good) and she is going to order me a heated hose.