CPAP causing vertigo symptoms??

[avi123]

I still think that Positional Vertigo, Tinnitus, Dizziness, etc., have nothing to do with CPAPing but are related to our Vestibular System malfunctioning.

[BlackSpinner]

Considering how easy it is to adjust ones pressure and how easy it is to look at your data with software (assuming you didn't receive a brick), you do lack credibility.
If you are a retired medical professional, why aren't you taking control of your therapy?

Nice move Blackspinner, first you question drrch222's authenticity, ie. a rare in a blue-moon self-professed doctor who visits this site. Next you accuse him of possibly misrepresenting his position in the medical profession, simply because he doesn't want to self-adjust his machine? As a final insult, you suggest he has no place trusting the sleep professionals (doctors and techs) who are advising him. What would you suggest? That he take your vast reservoir of knowledge as law? Really, your attitude is quite beyond belief. No wonder so few doctors and medical professionals dare raise their heads on this site. Shame.

Yeah truth and straight speaking hurts. We actually do have doctors and other medical people on this site who have managed to figure it out.

[Julie]

Blk.S - the doctor may be someone (among the great majority I imagine) who has no knowledge of sleep issues and presuming he does or has had time to look into it seriously is unfair and arrogant. Besides, doctors usually make the worst patients... their focus is on other people, not themselves (and too often not their families) when it comes to illness.

[archangle]

I have occasionally had symptoms of lightheadedness that I think are related to CPAP. My symptoms were fairly mild, not enough to significantly affect my ability to walk or maintain balance. I assume it had something to do with O2, CO2, bloodflow, etc. In my case, I think it was actually a symptom of improvement of my apnea. Sort of like withdrawal symptoms from apnea.

I feel pretty sure my problems weren't related to my ears. Yours does sound a lot more like ear problems.

It wouldn't hurt to look up "inner ear maneuver." It may not work, but it's cheap and probably harmless.

[Julie]

Just occurred to me - Cpap does lower your BP (if you're lucky), but if it's not high to begin with, you might have trouble with low BP and feel dizzy when standing at first... talk to your MD about it.

[sbeery]

I have been using CPAP for 2 years now and I just recently got vertigo as well. I've only had that once in my life about 25 years ago, so I don't have a history of this. My cpap pressure can range from 5-15. The night that I got the vertigo it spiked up to 15 (I am usually around 10-11 for 90%). I had a bad OSA event during that timeframe, so the CPAP adjusted fast to open up my throat. This may have caused my vertigo by putting too much pressure.

My doctor told to take some Meclizine to take care of the dizzyness. The two nights I took that, my AHI which averages around 5, went up to 10 with lots of clear airway apneas. I felt really bad the next two mornings.

[DavidCarolina]

ABSOLUTELY. Despite what well-known sleep docs "say", much of their knowledge is based upon theoreticianism. I dont say that judgementally, its just that ive seen two of the souths top ENT sleep docs, and neither believed me when I told them the exact problems i was having. The majority of apnea patients fall into the "moderate" category for several reasons including their problem is intermittent, non life threatening, and basically causes fatigue of various stripes.

The people on this forum, however, are in a life and death battle with apnea. For some it was getting diagnosed late. For others, a narrow airway or hereditary issues or mouth structure problems. For yet others the complicated world of centrals.

If youre having SYMPTOMS then youre having problems. Your body is designed to breathe. We're made up of something like 70 percent oxygen elementally. Oxygen is our constant food. Interruption of that causes every health problem known. Especially with late diagnosis.

I can tell you im a veteran of cpap and if I flip over on my back or have the wrong titration, I can be completely wiped out the next day and im not talking just about feeling tired or shaky. Im talking heart palpitations, extreme agitation, headaches, pulsing in my extremities, and breathing problems. I would glady trade for those who simply feel like theyre tired. My problems can be much more debiliated, and im convinced i did minor brain damage by getting diagnosed late.

My final point is that the veins in your head are highly susceptible to balance issues, headaches, dizziness, weakness, etc, if you have oximetry problems, or especially exhalation exertion. This is why APAP is so effective. In the old days all that sucking in and pushing out was causing migraine like effects on the arteries in your head. Dont doubt for a minute that that cant cause vertigo or syncope during the day. Its not different than an extreme migraine sufferer. They have the same issues.

Make double and triple sure your titration is optimal and that youre getting exhalation relief. Make sure your sleeping position is not prone. You should also consider sleeping in a cool room, im coninced all this hot air humidifying is causing people multiple problems. Your body operates better breathing cool air while your comfortable under warm blankets, even if you do need humidification. You might consider the blow by method of humidification.

Sorry for the long winded response, but ive been where youre at, and i wish id gotten some solid advice. If youre experiencing symptoms then dont doubt for a second that cpap misadjustment is the culprit. Not to say you couldnt have an underlying health issue such as diabetes or adrenals, but solve one problem at a time, and dont listen to your DME unless he's a neurologist or highly experienced. These people often know very little about sleep apnea my friend.

[jwilford]

I have been on a cpap for approx 8 mos. Everything was going fine, sleeping good. All the sudden I wake up Can't stand up in shower.
Very lightheaded , dizzy. Dr is treating me for vertigo, hasn't said anything about cpap, but process of elimination I know that is what is causing it.

[zoocrewphoto]

I have been on a cpap for approx 8 mos. Everything was going fine, sleeping good. All the sudden I wake up Can't stand up in shower.
Very lightheaded , dizzy. Dr is treating me for vertigo, hasn't said anything about cpap, but process of elimination I know that is what is causing it.

It could simply be an ear infection. I had this happen in 2011. Out of the blue, I woke up with the room spinning. I couldn't walk, and I couldn't even keep a sip of water down. I had to go to the emergency room, it was so bad. A couple days later, it came on again. Another trip to the emergency room. After that, I went to an ENT, and it was determined to probably be a viurs in the ear.

That was September of 2011. BEFORE cpap which started in April of 2012. I have had no recurrences either. I am 40 years old. So, in 40 years, I had two occurrences of vertigo in one week. Sometimes, things like this just come out of the blue. There may be no obvious reason, and it may not happen again. Unless you have a recurring problem, I would see no reason to connect it to cpap. Mine certainly wasn't.

[Elle]

My vertigo is worse with higher pressures.

[rg55]

Hi, I experience some dizziness off and on, but I have another more annoying problem related to this. I have used my Resmed S9 for about 5 years. I almost never missed a night, except for sever allergies, or a cold. I went to the ENT for wet ears. My ears are wet every morning.. I have been told I am crazy for thinking the CPAP is doing it... My wife passed 18 months ago, and I have sense remarried. Initially I didn't wear the Frankenstein device...it is not romantic...My pillow will reek by the end of the week, smells like ear wax. Amazing, while I wasn't wearing the device , no smelly pillow, no wet ears, no dizziness. I have the dizzy days when my ears are dry. But I am crazy for believing the CPAP causes my ears to be wet, and me to be dizzy. I am 58, and I have come to live with this. I know we are all unique, and no 2 ears are identical. You would think someone would entertain the idea that it "COULD" happen. Also has anyone had the units long enough to essentially shut the device off subconsciously ? I will wake up, and I have my nose cut off like I am swimming or something and the cpap is trying to blow, but I am defeating the efforts...Maybe there could be an alarm for a unit unable to function because the hose is pinched or something... Just a thought...I am looking forward for some input from the community...I have been fighting this for years, and have been told by at least 7 professionals with the alphabet soup after their names, that it can't happen...

[Julie]

You didn't list your pressure settings, so it's hard to comment, but it's possible that they are on the high side (esp. if you've lost weight), or else you naturally have low BP and that can make you feel lightheaded in the a.m., plus possibly your humidifier is set too high, not only for breathing but in relation to your bed - it should always be, if not level, below your head, to let the water drip back down to it.

[DEXSUZ]

Marc:

When I began CPAP over a year ago I had several symptoms I'd never been told would occur. One of them was a feeling of lightheadedness that it seems you're experiencing. I chalked it up to the air and freshly-oxygenated blood coursing through my body which I'd not experienced for decades. Either the feeling went away after several months or I got accustomed to all the positive changes in my sleep I am lucky to have.

Another 'by-product' of FF CPAP (like you I have a Quattro FX) was huge stores of gas I'd accumulate over the night hours. I'd wake up feeling like I'm 400 pounds (I'm less than half that) but would flatulate the feeling out while in the shower or in the next hour or so.

Life is good after 13 months of CPAP. Slept from 10:30 last night to 7:45 this morning.

Best wishes and godspeed.

[zoocrewphoto]

Amazing, while I wasn't wearing the device , no smelly pillow, no wet ears, no dizziness.

I have the dizzy days when my ears are dry.

But I am crazy for believing the CPAP causes my ears to be wet, and me to be dizzy.

I'm a bit confused by your statements above.


If you are NOT dizzy when your ears are dry, and your ears are only dry when you DON'T use the cpap - how can cpap cause the dizziness?

I can understand that the wet ears may be related to the cpap, but from your statements above, you are dizzy without the cpap.

[avi123]

IMO, the CPAP could have initiated the POSITIONAL VERTIGO in your Vestibular system to which you were prone from before.
The experts to take care of it are here (thruout the U.S.):

http://www.vestibular.org

I would not trust any ENT who is not thru this website.