Can bad CPAP treatment cause mental disorders or dementia?

[Jimmycrackhorn]

Hi again, I know I ask these ridiculous questions, but this is how my mind works especially when I'm having such a really really hard time up until now of getting proper therapy. Perhaps I'm an outlier, and for some reason even when the numbers say my treatment is great, I still have been feeling bad every day. For instance, I was using Auto trial on my remstar Pro with particular settings, and the auto trials all ran out. So I got a new machine, a dream station to be precise, and put it on the exact same settings, and woke up the very first night in the morning feeling like death. Now after only one night, I'm afraid to actually try using the dreamstation again. All of this, as you can imagine, has been causing me a ton of anxiety.

I've been actually starting to fear that I'm getting brain damage, and that perhaps the way my anxiety is, is caused from damage to my brain because the treatment seems to have been that bad. Can someone please explain to me, if I am overreacting, or if perhaps CPAP therapy that has gone wrong can be causing me damage to my brain?

I feel like I'm in a damned if I do and damned if I don't situation. In other words, if I try to sleep without the CPAP machine, it seems like I wake up every hour, and my sleep is very poor and I feel very very tired the next day. However when I sleep with a CPAP machine it seems like I'm playing the lottery, and that I never up until now have seemed to get the settings quite right on my machine. I almost never wake up feeling amazing, most days require lots of meditation even after the best night's sleep. So as you can imagine, I'm wondering if this CPAP therapy is taking a huge toll on me. If perhaps I knew that I was overreacting a bit, and that if the readings are good despite how I feel horrible, that I don't have any danger of something serious going wrong, then perhaps I can set my anxiety at ease just a bit which may actually help with my overall treatment.

I'm actually trying to find out if there's such a thing as a CPAP coach or rather someone who is an expert at CPAP therapy including outlier type scenarios who might be able to help me through this, because I feel like this has been the toughest challenge of my entire life, and a lot of times I fear that I'm not going to make it through this.

I was actually looking for Skype sleep doctors, and best rated sleep doctors in America today. I'm really struggling here, and I just want to know that I'm going to make it through this okay. I'm actually at a point where I feel like I'm the only person on Earth who has gone through what I'm going through.

[Goofproof]

Yes you do, the bad thing about life, none of us are going to survive it. Obsessing will take the fun out of it, and make it shorter. Getting your treatment the best it can be will allow you to suffer life longer, that's everyone's goal. Jim

[Julie]

Good Cpap treatment can clear what might have been thought to be mental disorders (or even early dementia). It absolutely will not cause those.

[chunkyfrog]

Excessive cleaning is a symptom of mental disorders and dementia---FACT.

[Julie]

You're so mean - is it cuz you're green?

[Jimmycrackhorn]

Good Cpap treatment can clear what might have been thought to be mental disorders (or even early dementia). It absolutely will not cause those.

So despite the fact that I feel this weird tiredness on most days, that seems unnatural and I'm pretty sure is caused from the machine since I never get it in any other situation, that is relatively harmless and not going to cause any problems? I've read people say that CPAP can cause the blood pressure to go too low or that it can cause people to hyperventilate in their mask and I'm having some sort of problem that no one seems to be able to figure out. I'm just a bit worried that's all.

Literally my head feels weird on the inside on bad days.

[Julie]

Can't remember if you use Sleepyhead (or your machine isn't compatible) or what, but have you tried it and has anyone commented on the reports?

[Goofproof]

You're so mean - is it cuz you're green?

It's not Easy Being Green Jim

[Jimmycrackhorn]

These are all great questions and I will make sure I answer them in detail tomorrow. Thanks everyone. And also I appreciate the light hearted sarcasm. I'll go over all these things tomorrow.

This hasn't been a simple journey for me.

[Julie]

Jimmy - I suggest you not waste your energy on Xyz's questions as he has problems with reality and is fixated on incorrect ideas about OSA... a serious troll.

[49er]

Jimmy - I suggest you not waste your energy on Xyz's questions as he has problems with reality and is fixated on incorrect ideas about OSA... a serious troll.

+1

[Jimmycrackhorn]

Jimmy - I suggest you not waste your energy on Xyz's questions as he has problems with reality and is fixated on incorrect ideas about OSA... a serious troll.

+1

All I know is I've been feeling bad, tired, my mask even whistles and as of now it's the only one out of like 8 masks that seems to fit my face right.

I'm seriously worried about permanent damage and I can't tell if I'm awake more hours or if I'm getting tireder and tireder every day.

I tried a straight pressure of 12.5

It made me feel horrible. I get that sick feeling in my head.

The best I can do is 10 to 14.5 auto. That seems to be the most tolerable to me and I still get a slight weird feeling, very slight, but I'm getting fatigue too alot during the day.

And now when the mask whistles effect for a split second my body will instantly fill with nervousness.

But I'm still getting to sleep without the drugs. I can't stand taking any Ativan because it makes me hung over the next day.

I swear, if I could just find an actual GOOD sleep doc to help work with me....

[Julie]

"And now when the mask whistles effect for a split second my body will instantly fill with nervousness."

Jimmy you apparently have anxiety that we can't help with... your doctor can refer you for help with that.

[kteague]

I guess I'm I'm sympathetic to the idea that one can be an outlier, as I have been one and remember too well the frustration building to desperation. I can't speak to the role your anxiety issues play in all this, but here's my take on things. If you have already done these things, I apologize.

1. Start a journal that notes briefly the activities of your days and any daytime symptoms. Note time and what is eaten, incidents of times you feel bad, time you take any meds, etc. It may be valuable later to see patterns. If it turns out CPAP is not the cause of your symptoms, you'll have a head start on ruling out other things.
2. Choose the machine settings that give you the best results based on data and leave them there. There needs to be a constant to view other factors alongside.
3. Check your blood pressure at the times you feel the sensations in your head that you've described. Write those results in your journal. Do you have a home BP monitor? If not, maybe someone you know has one you can borrow for a while just to spot check.
4. Have you had your blood sugar checked in any detail? For some reason blood sugar has crossed my mind (either low or high) as blood sugar can certainly cause us to feel a bit foggy and disjointed. Wouldn't hurt to rule it out.
5. Are you working with a sleep doctor and/or any other doctors? While experience has taught me that doesn't always lead to a solution, I can't help but think you could benefit from some testing and professional oversight to see if anything besides OSA is going on.

Ineffective CPAP treatment can allow sleep apnea to continue to assault the body and rob us of restorative sleep. Prolonged sleep deprivation can certainly cause mental changes. Which is different from CPAP treatment actually causing the problems. I don't know the answer to that part of your question. Your desire to have a CPAP coach would be a great idea. To a degree, the DME is supposed to fill that role, but what you're suggesting is beyond what I've known any to do. I've seen this desire discussed here before. I for one would be interested in seeing what your journals might reveal over time. Good luck with everything.

[49er]

I guess I'm I'm sympathetic to the idea that one can be an outlier, as I have been one and remember too well the frustration building to desperation. I can't speak to the role your anxiety issues play in all this, but here's my take on things. If you have already done these things, I apologize.

1. Start a journal that notes briefly the activities of your days and any daytime symptoms. Note time and what is eaten, incidents of times you feel bad, time you take any meds, etc. It may be valuable later to see patterns. If it turns out CPAP is not the cause of your symptoms, you'll have a head start on ruling out other things.
2. Choose the machine settings that give you the best results based on data and leave them there. There needs to be a constant to view other factors alongside.
3. Check your blood pressure at the times you feel the sensations in your head that you've described. Write those results in your journal. Do you have a home BP monitor? If not, maybe someone you know has one you can borrow for a while just to spot check.
4. Have you had your blood sugar checked in any detail? For some reason blood sugar has crossed my mind (either low or high) as blood sugar can certainly cause us to feel a bit foggy and disjointed. Wouldn't hurt to rule it out.
5. Are you working with a sleep doctor and/or any other doctors? While experience has taught me that doesn't always lead to a solution, I can't help but think you could benefit from some testing and professional oversight to see if anything besides OSA is going on.

Ineffective CPAP treatment can allow sleep apnea to continue to assault the body and rob us of restorative sleep. Prolonged sleep deprivation can certainly cause mental changes. Which is different from CPAP treatment actually causing the problems. I don't know the answer to that part of your question. Your desire to have a CPAP coach would be a great idea. To a degree, the DME is supposed to fill that role, but what you're suggesting is beyond what I've known any to do. I've seen this desire discussed here before. I for one would be interested in seeing what your journals might reveal over time. Good luck with everything.

As another outlier, I completely endorse kteague's advice.