Past 2 nights waking with migraine headache - help. :(

[NJsharon]

I use a ResMed AirFit F10 full face mask. I've been using a cpap for 3 years approx. Always had good numbers around or way under 5.

Haven't been using my cpap for a while as I was getting dry mouth a lot, so kept waking to drink water. Also have IBS-D, so kept having to whip the mask off (sometimes even still leaving it running) to dash to the bathroom (sometimes up to 5 times a night). Add in I have acid reflux, so very occasionally I would get reflux come up into my throat & mouth (so again have to whip of the mask & run to the bathroom)! Yeah, so I just gave up with the CPAP for a while. Now my symptoms for IBS-D & acid reflux are mostly under control, so thought I should really try to get back to using the CPAP.

Monday evening I got it back going & slept with it. Darn thing kept popping. So had to take off the mask, deal with the husband complaining, and run air through it, to get the moisture out. Sigh. Happened 4 times Monday night!!!!!
Events were 4.6... little on the higher side for me, and mask seal was good. But ugh, the darn popping!!

So Tuesday I put on a new 'pad a cheek' mask liner (bought and used them many times before, no problem). Went to bed. Slept well, only woke up once for bathroom. Woke up yesterday with a migraine from hell!
Good mask seal again, 5.8 events per hour. So kind of high for me.
I have had migraines, but they have been under control. Haven't had one for about 6 months, and they were mild compared to this. Holy crap. And had a full day of dr appts, running girls around... so could not even rest inside.
Took prescription migraine pill & did nothing, not even touch it. So later took 2 excedrin migraine & nothing. Drank lots of water.

Last night the same thing. CPAP with mask liner. Woke up once for bathroom, but slept well.
Adjust mask seal, 2.3 events per hour.... weird.
Woke up with a crazy bad headache. Not a migraine, no sensitivity to light/sound & no nausea. But holy hell it feels like I have a screwdriver in the side of my temple!

It dawned on me the only thing different is the mask liner.
So I wondered if there were chemicals in the material or on it, & I was breathing them in & my body was reacting to them???
Contacted the lady that makes them (she has a business) & she swears no, no chemicals used.

What could it be?!
Do I call my sleep dr?
Do I call my neurologist I used to see for migraines?
I am so so miserable & have so much to do & feel like throwing the stupid cpap out the window right now.

Thank you.

[kteague]

Hopefully you can post your data so folks here can take a look and see if there are any obvious problems with your treatment. Even if your AHI is not extremely high (just too high for many of us), it would be good to see your machine data, particularly the duration of your events. It may be you need some settings tweaked, but we don't know yet. Also wondering about the straps on your mask. if it is tight around the lower back of your head/upper neck, it can be a problem. If that is at all suspect, maybe add some padding to see if relieving the pressure helps. As far as the popping, if it is coming from moisture, what is your humidifier set at? If there is room to turn it down, maybe try that to see if the popping stops. Good luck with figuring things out.

[Julie]

Have you checked your BP? Can you make an appt with the neuro. (and then cancel if symptoms go away)?

[MrsRinPDX]

Sorry you're in pain.

I've had migraines for 36 years, my entire adult life. My guess is your trigger isn't the mask liner. Lack of stress (or the period after stress) can be a trigger. If you're not waking to go to the bathroom, you are sleeping better, which is less stress on your body. That's my best guess for what it is worth.

I would see your neurologist and see what they come up with.

And please DO NOT give up on your CPAP! Migraines may be miserable, but they won't kill you. Heart disease and strokes will..why take that chance?

[Muse-Inc]

Just a thought. Magnesium is an alternative treatment for migraines. I used to get them, bad enough I got knockout shots and someone to drive me to the clinic and home. Had ongoing palpitations, looked up treatment...magnesium, ie, as in the almonds I had on hand -- do you know long it takes to chomp a cup of almonds (a woman's RDA for magnesium)? Stopped the durned palpitations. Called doc who said, yes, magnesium good, she suggested the citrate form and double the RDA. Side effect -- NO more migraines. Asked doc who yes, that's an alternative treatment. That was in 2000, only had the aura twice since then and a can of diet Coke aborted the migraine. Might try it and see if it works for you as it did for me.

[Janknitz]

It might be the liner. I have sensitivities to chemicals and maybe it's the detergent or off-gassing of the material which is synthetic and may be treated with something in the processing. That would give me instant, horrible headache, but not technically a migraine because I don't get an aura with those types of headaches (I do get visual migraines without the headache from other triggers).

Try a night without the liner or use the liner as a pattern to make your own out of a worn t-shirt and see if it's better.