How long did it take before you knew cpap worked?

[lorraineg57]

Last night was night 4 for me. Felt like I was in twilight sleep for awhile there. I woke up a few times with my sinus' feeling like they were on fire, no clue what that was about as I've not had that prior. Then I woke up full of air (and pain) even though I had my mouth taped shut. I supposedly have "positional sleep apnea" and agreed to give this an honest attempt even though the only time I have any events is when I'm on my back (which is never, I'm a side sleeper). Got the sleep study due to sleep maintenance insomnia. I'm waking so many times for various reasons (adjusting mask, full of air, etc.) that I have no clue whether this is helping me or not. I keep hoping tonight will be the night I'll sleep through but no love from cpap yet.

I thought I had the mask on most of the night last night but when I check the info on the machine it says I only had it on for a couple hours. I thought last night was going to be a good night because for the first time the mask felt pretty comfy.

How long before you knew cpap was working for you

[jen4700]

Hi - welcome to the club. This is a great forum to get all your questions answered.

It can take months to get adjusted to the cpap and to start feeling better. I started feeling a little better after about one month. If you pay attention, then you'll notice the very subtle differences in the beginning. Waking up w/o a headache. Waking up w/o your muscles screaming (from lack of o2).

If you post your equipment in your profile that will give us more specific info to comment on. RE: sinuses on fire. Do you use a humidifier? What is the temp setting?

I know it's a really hard adjustment but to give it a fair shot you have to give it a couple months.

[Gin]

The first month on CPAP, I wasn't 100 percent compliant (busy, vacation, forgetful and blah blah blah) But once I got serious and left the mask on all night, I noticed a difference immediately -- the first morning. I didn't have to get up and pee multiple times, my throat wasn't sore, no headache, and so on. It was maybe two months later that I felt the extra energy kick in. I didn't know that many of my symptoms were SA symptoms. I thought it was just "getting older" stuff. I found this sight when I noticed that some of the symptoms I'd had had gone away, and googled to see if they were SA related. This site's been a godsend. Seriously at this point I'd give up my computer before I'd give up my cpap and that's saying a lot!

[meagain]

How long? The first night of the first sleep test!

[ycartf]

How long? The first night of the first sleep test!

I was also one of those fortunate few that noticed results from the first night. When they woke me from my sleep study I asked, "How soon before I can have one of those?" They got me squared away with one that afternoon and I slept with it that night (and have ever since). Sleeping with CPAP therapy, I wake after six hours. I can go back to sleep if I choose to and I don't have to be anywhere, but I wake rested enough to meet the day in six hours. I could set my clock by it.

[Pugsy]

Two weeks before the nocturia and morning killer headaches eased up.
Two months before I could sleep more than 4 to 5 hours despite having zero problems with mask or attitude. Just wasn't normal to have an alien stuck on my face.
The "miracle" energy level? that is always a work in progress.

Those people who see marked improvement the very first night....you all are very lucky. Most people have to work at it much longer and we turn pea green with envy when we read about someone who woke up after first night feeling like a new person.

[BlackSpinner]

One night to be more awake, 3 months before I noticed I was functioning mentally like I was years before. All that info on encryption I was researching suddenly went from hard work and obscure to "well duh, of course".

It takes up to a month for your brain to accept it can trust this thing to sleep deeper and create new habits and break old ones according to my sleep doctor.

[ycartf]

Those people who see marked improvement the very first night....you all are very lucky. Most people have to work at it much longer and we turn pea green with envy when we read about someone who woke up after first night feeling like a new person.

I do count myself EXTREMELY lucky for that. Heck, after the first couple weeks of therapy I would sometimes barely wake a little and think, "Crap, my machine kicked off!" But a quick wave of my hand in front of my mask would detect the exhaust/vent flow and I would realize that I had just become that accustomed to the pressure (9 cm the first year and now at 11 cm for the last 3 years). I have that happen every time that I wake a little nowadays (prompted from a dream or the once-every-two-months need to urinate).

I have come to realize that I actually take my therapy for granted after getting so used to it. But on the rare occasion that I fall asleep sitting in my recliner late at night, or that I sleep sitting in my recliner on purpose (with the rare headache that precludes strapping on something and lying flat), I wake feeling so much less-than-normal and remember, "Oh yeah, this was what it was like ALL the time before!"

[Gin]

The first morning that I had the cpap on all night (I had an at home sleep test) I noticed a difference. It wasn't HUGE, I really thought it was an aberration the first morning. No running to the bathroom 3-4 times, generally feeling better in minor ways. It took me several nights -- gonna guess maybe 10? before I left the mask on until morning.

I do know I'm in the minority, and it would be hard to keep on with the CPAP if I hadn't felt an improvement pretty fast. Reading here helped head off sinus problems (I'd decided in my infinite wisdom that the humidifier was a waste of time, until I read about the drying out of sinuses and stuff--I was already having early symptoms)

All I know is that it's helped me immensely. My fiance calls it a miracle. For sure, HE'S sleeping better!

[Denial Dave]

oh man, after my sleep study was over, I went home and slept for 4 hours!! I was exhausted

I've been in denial for 10 years or more.... 30 minute naps after work were the norm.. I sleep fine, I'm not a fish tank... I do not need an air pump hooked to me.

Now after using the machine for a week;

my wife says the snoring is gone and she no longer needs earplugs to sleep
middle of the night pee breaks are gone
the need for late afternoon naps are gone


Dave

[johnthomasmacdonald]

I'm two months into it and i sleep worse and feel worse than i did before diagnosis

[chunkyfrog]

My very first night, I slept through with no nightmares, no hammering heartbeat,
just minor mask adjustments and back to the land of Nod.
My very first morning, I woke up with NO HEADACHE--after years of always having one on arising.
Within a week, I was not zonking out at my desk at work, not noshing all afternoon to stay conscious.
What I really, really needed was to sleep, real, refreshing sleep, and at last I could.
Other improvements took longer, some by months, but that was all right.

[The Sheikh]

The first few days were hell on wheels cuz I was having centrals and tried to treat it with a CPAP machine. My AHI was doubled compared to the sleep study. (worse)

I stopped treatment, realized what was happening and traded in the CPAP for an ASV machine designed for central apneas. The first night on ASV I slept like a log. I couldn't frickin believe it. AHI=0 the first night and has been heaven since.

My poor health symptoms are all gone now, the bags under my eyes have disappeared and I feel like an athlete again. No BS. This treatment was exactly what I needed.
Except for excessive REM dreaming on some nights, I have no complaints.


For years I could not understand how I could eat right, exercise, sleep lots of hours and be generally heathly - but wake up like I was run over by a truck each morning.

Bottom line is stick with the general treatment and don't be afraid to keep reading, learning and trying new things. Being pro-active is the key and you may eventually come across the perfect combination of treatment for your own body - as I did.

Tom

[Kitatonic]

On the first night was feet were warm, after decades of frozen toes despite 2-3 sock layers. I had even trained our kitty to lay on top of my feet. Nocturia and headaches stopped. Then, over the months, I just felt refreshed and so much more interested in various projects.

[lorraineg57]

Wow...very inspiring!

I don't remember EVER waking feeling refreshed, I always chalked it up to not being a "morning person". The actual interrupted sleep (up every couple hours) started at menopause and in almost four years, I've probably slept through the night 10 times. On top of trying to adapt to this, the doc I worked for up and left the practice taking the entire staff with him except me (I opted to stay with the new docs that came in). So my usual 3 day a week schedule, which I loved, has turned into 40+ hours a week since they brought in temp office staff but I'm the only one there who can run the floor (draw blood, room pts, shots, etc.). At this point, I'm beyond tired.

I wish they'd left me a couple different masks to try instead of just one. The waking with pain from apparently swallowing air is really disheartening, I feel like I had less sleep interruptions with nothing and at least they weren't painful interruptions. I also had very rapid heartbeat last night, wondering if raising my beginning pressure might help with that.
...
I guess I'm feeling like the whole thing is a shot in the dark with the .8 events in non-supine and all. It was almost like a "you don't have SA if you're on your side but we're going to make you sleep on your back (even though you don't do that at home) and tell you that you need cpap" ... huh?