Disappointing 1-month follow-up

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
SewTired
Posts: 1737
Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2015 8:33 am
Location: Minneapolis area

Re: Disappointing 1-month follow-up

Post by SewTired » Thu May 28, 2015 7:58 pm

I'm a newbie so have no cpap advice, but you might try some white noise in your room (as simple as a fan) to mask out the 'traffic' at the neighbors. I've taken to using my Itouch to have frog sounds or wave sounds. I tried bird sounds, but it tended to cause the kitties to become rambunctious.

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Diabetes 2, RLS & bradycardia
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musculus
Posts: 221
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:35 am

Re: Disappointing 1-month follow-up

Post by musculus » Fri May 29, 2015 1:42 pm

Geografreak wrote:Went back to sleep doc for first time since I got my machine and expressed to him that I didn't feel like it was doing anything for me. His response was that the data said otherwise, that I've gone from "not breathing" 50 times a night down to 2. He said that the pressure is correct, I'm using it above and beyond what's necessary to feel "as good as I'm going to feel" at this point. That comment right there made me want to cry. Ok, so I did cry, but I at least managed to make it to my car first.

When I asked him what the next step was he said to try a different mask (suggested a nasal pillow over a full face mask), turn the ramp off (which I don't think I'm even using - at least I never push the button for it), and that I get more sleep and lose weight.

Ok, so I can definitely aim for more sleep, losing weight is sensible advice, but doesn't feel very doable in my current state of not even having enough energy to hardly do more than heat up a frozen dinner. But then what? How long do I wait before I go back to my PCP and tell her this isn't working? How long do I wait before I talk to another sleep doc and see if he agrees with the conclusions that have been drawn?

I'm at the point where my health insurance pays 100%, so I wouldn't rule anything out.
I know people say that you need a long term to feel the difference but my personal experience tells me I can feel a good night of sleep instantly. Last night I has a terrible night of sleep (with CPAP) and I feel very foggy, tired, and cannot focus at all at work. Having no choice, I went to the garage and took a nap on the backseat of my car. Just 25 min later I feel a totally different person (otherwise I don't even have the energy to type a single word here -- it is that bad).

So to Geografreak, your AHI and probably oxygen saturation might be OK with PAP treatment, but your sleep quality is still low. You need a very good specialist (ent or pulmonologist or both) to help you find out the reason.

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kteague
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Joined: Tue May 16, 2006 8:30 pm
Location: West and Midwest

Re: Disappointing 1-month follow-up

Post by kteague » Sat May 30, 2015 2:55 pm

Geografreak wrote:... if it's just a matter of *time* maybe I'd be jumping the gun running to my PCP and saying, "This isn't working. I still feel crappy, what's the next test?" I don't know what that balance is...
Just a bit of clarification - your CPAP may be working to address your OSA, just not your other issues. Clarity when talking with the doctors helps. Your dilemma is a common one. I persisted in utter misery for a long time thinking the problem was me, when actually my treatment was not therapeutic and there were other medical contributors. It is hard to know when to push for more answers or when to exercise patience. All I know to say is follow your gut. With your health at stake, I wouldn't let the rising costs of health care be an influence in the decision. Your health care costs will be more problematic if you develop some medical issues due to sleep deprivation. Good luck with all this.

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Mask: TAP PAP Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Improved Stability Mouthpiece
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Additional Comments: Bleep/DreamPort for full nights, Tap Pap for shorter sessions