How long does it take for a cpap to start "kicking in" for fatigue?

Hello,
I am completely new to the cpap/sleep apnea world. I have been having extreme fatigue and would fall asleep in the middle of my "theraschool classes/groups" (a word I made up, I go to 5 days a week 3 hour a day group therapy where we learn coping mechanisms and how our brain works). So after having fatigue issues since 16 years old (I'm 24 now) falling asleep for about 6 months at the drop of a hat I "bit the bullet" (I have agoraphobia so 1 night and 1 day for a sleep study and mslt was a lot for me), and everything makes sense now. I also am on meds for multiple mental and physical health disorders and my Dr. said that'd cause some of this too so I was prescribed a stimulant (which I have been taking for about a month now) and a cpap (which I have been on for 2 days), the stimulant I noticed a difference right away, not a huge difference but I only fell asleep during the meditation classes. But it has been 2 days on the cpap and I still don't feel any different except I notice the quality of sleep is better, but I still feel groggy and sleepy during the day. I am accepting it fine (I fell asleep my first night within an hour and have been sleeping with the mask well) and I've been more than complaint (I used it for 14 hours day 1 and 12hrs day 2 and yes that is about how much sleep I get a night) I still need a ton of sleep to feel "rested" and even then I am still sleepy. The machine says I have no air leaks (although I know I over tighten it), and I followed the directions to a T. Also I guess I'll add this here but I don't have great sleep hygiene (I am one to stay on the computer until the very last minute because if I do something relaxing I fall asleep within a few minutes) I know I may be looking for too much too soon but I have seen several people on the internet say that they felt better from day 1. So I guess my question is about how long does it take for a cpap to start "kicking in" for fatigue? I have been living a bad quality of life for years now and I want to feel better so does it look like I am doing anything wrong/ is there something I can correct to feel better or is it just a waiting game at this point?

TL;DR I am probably not the most patient person and want to feel better, so how long does/did it take you to feel better?

Everyone's different, but it would help a lot if you'd download (free) Oscar from the top of the page, follow instructions re what to include - and what not to - and how to post tonight's results here so we could see just what's what and suggest tweaks if it looks like some are needed. People rarely just start off feeling perfect within a day or so (or week, etc) so the sooner we see graphs, etc. the sooner we can help. Please stay in this thread so your story will make sense going forward. I would suggest forgetting about the ramp feature for now as it rarely helps anything early on and can slow things down as it's doubtful you'd want it at this stage.

I did not notice anything until about 3 months in, I was walking the dog,
and he got away from me. I chased him down, running around 2 blocks.
I was surprised that I was not winded.
Previously, I could barely trot 100 feet before having to stop.
So, huge improvement, but it snuck up on me.

MeganSkye wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 12, 2020 3:34 pm

Hello,

<snip>

TL;DR I am probably not the most patient person and want to feel better, so how long does/did it take you to feel better?

welcome to the zoo! every one of us is different. but most who show up here don't see any difference for a bit. i mean, if somebody did, they wouldn't be here asking for help, right?

it's gradual. so much so, that it may sneak up on you. i've never been the kind of guy who leapt out of bed with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. five years of therapy hasn't changed that. i HATE getting up to an alarm clock and as a retired person, if i don't wanna then i don't gotta.

what gradually came to me was not having a morning headache. not yawning prodigiously in the afternoon. able to get my thinking more clear. and my vocabulary came back. at my worst, i never would've even thought to use the word prodigiously!

be patient. and as julie suggests, use software to track your sleeping. it's very possible that your settings aren't optimized for you. see my link to oscar in my sig below.

good luck!

I'm with the "sneaked up on me" crowd. The one thing I did notice right away was the difference in my sleep quality. I hadn't slept deep in years and suddenly I was getting periods of time where waking up felt like coming out of a coma, as opposed to years of feeling always on the verge of wakefulness even when asleep. That alone made the machine worth its weight in gold (machines were heavier back then lol).

I've seen untreated sleep apnea described as an assault on the body and brain. As with any trauma, healing happens over time. It is not unusual to feel the need for extra sleep while recovering. That's standard for any type of stress or injury to the body. The need for what seems excessive sleep should wane over time. Our body doesn't pay much attention to our impatience. It does what it does when it does. That said, there are steps you can take to support your personal best in recovery time. Make sure you are nutritionally sound and have healthy levels of things like B vitamins and vitamin D. Be active as you are able. Have your docs done a general health workup on you lately? Practice good sleep hygiene, as much as it works for you. This may not be sound advice, but when my sleep was at its worst, I allowed myself to sleep whenever I could. There would be plenty of time to fine tune things later. You'll figure out what works for you. Read up on using your machine data to be sure your therapy is optimized.

One thing to stay aware of is that medication doses that work for a sleep deprived body may not be the same dosing needed once you are rested and healed. Just keep an eye out for signs you might need to talk with your doctor.

And, keeping a journal can help you see subtle changes or trends. Good luck with things.

Thank you everyone for the advice, I don't necessarily feel comfortable taking out the SD card to use OSCAR but I still appreciate all the advice

MeganSkye wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 22, 2020 1:05 pm

Thank you everyone for the advice, I don't necessarily feel comfortable taking out the SD card to use OSCAR but I still appreciate all the advice

no harm will come from it.

in the very least, you'll forget to put the card back in the cpap.

and you may not wish to do that now. but, truly, to optimize your battle against sleep apnea, it's pretty much crucial for you (or others, here on the forum) to see the data. as we aren't all alike in how fast we see the benefits, so are not alike in how we set our machines to help treat apnea.

keep it in mind for the future, won't you?

good luck!

If you're worried the machine 'police' will know you've taken the card out, I assure a) they won't, b) they know most of us do it, c) they couldn't care less in any case as long as you pay for the equipment. No one's monitoring your business but you (and us ), tho' they may call it that to see 'compliance' that the insce. co. may want, but still have no interest in how you're actually doing or what.

Do you take any medications of any kind? Even OTC? If so, what?

There is a drug used for narcolepsy, not ADHD medication.

This sounds like side effects from psych meds. If you take any anti psychotic meds I would recommend taking them at night, it sounds like you may take them in them morning, and I know for me they cause extreme tiredness and fatigue. Doesn't sound like your extreme fatigue is from the sleep apnea, but from meds, especially cause of how young you are.

kids, megan hasn't been in for two weeks.

let's hope she's still hanging in there with cpap.