Healing Times/Experience

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Neutron Star
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Healing Times/Experience

Post by Neutron Star » Sun Apr 23, 2017 6:35 pm

Hi everyone,

I have noticed I'm sleeping through the night without waking up, don't need to pee and my random chest pain is gone. However I'm still an airhead at times during the day. Mostly clear and focused and then randomly an airhead with some real dough head moments. It's like my focus and memory is getting better but isn't back to normal. Lots of old fond memories are starting to pop up.

One thing I noticed since starting xPAP is less stamina when walking up hills. Before the machine I didn't feel as though I needed to breathe as hard walking. Almost like asthma but not asthma. It's like I have to work my lung muscles more because the machine is making it too easy breathe at night.

I'm wondering how long it will take to heal the body and mind and yes I understand everyone is different so I'd really like to hear your personal journey if you are willing to share it.

Thanks for all your help.

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Goofproof
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Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by Goofproof » Sun Apr 23, 2017 8:10 pm

Are you Blond? XPAP won't cure that! Jim
Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment!

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Voltaire

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LSAT
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Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by LSAT » Sun Apr 23, 2017 8:29 pm

Neutron Star wrote:Hi everyone,

I have noticed I'm sleeping through the night without waking up, don't need to pee and my random chest pain is gone. However I'm still an airhead at times during the day. Mostly clear and focused and then randomly an airhead with some real dough head moments. It's like my focus and memory is getting better but isn't back to normal. Lots of old fond memories are starting to pop up.

One thing I noticed since starting xPAP is less stamina when walking up hills. Before the machine I didn't feel as though I needed to breathe as hard walking. Almost like asthma but not asthma. It's like I have to work my lung muscles more because the machine is making it too easy breathe at night.

I'm wondering how long it will take to heal the body and mind and yes I understand everyone is different so I'd really like to hear your personal journey if you are willing to share it.

Thanks for all your help.
You are not supposed to carry the machine with you...

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CarpeNoctum
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Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by CarpeNoctum » Sun Apr 23, 2017 8:58 pm

Neutron Star,
It's accepted that OSA sufferers develop a sleep debt...that can take months to "pay off". If you haven't been doing cpap for too long...it might just mean you need more time.

Cpapers are justly sensitive to things being blamed on cpap. Read the forums: nausea, headache, pain, infection all due to cpap. Of course not all of it is true, but there are the occasional issues that can be blamed on cpap.

I've read others complaining about increased shortness of breath after starting treatment. It seems to make sense that with the respiratory "assist" from cpap...there could be respiratory muscles weakening. But I doubt that it would be significant...if it exists at all.

To combat that...increase your activity to exercise your repiratory muscles. Simple as that.

I'm going to tell you what many others on this forum would say. Learn to monitor your cpap success via machine data. And use that to fine tune your cpap therapy. Most modern machines collect data on leaks, apnea types and frequency, as well as compliance. You can download software and display those results on your computer.
CN

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by chunkyfrog » Sun Apr 23, 2017 9:20 pm

Neutron Star wrote: . . . One thing I noticed since starting xPAP is less stamina . . .
I agree that you might still be sleep-deprived. THAT would explain reduced stamina.
At 3 or 4 months, I was delighted that I could run two blocks when previously could barely jog 200 feet.
Keep a log. Once you are used to cpap, you will enjoy even more improvements.

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Goofproof
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Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by Goofproof » Sun Apr 23, 2017 9:45 pm

You could turn down or off EPR or CFLEX, making you use more effort to exhale, I did trying to build up lung health, and to burn more fuel in the process. I think it helped a little.

Also remember as our body is recovering by using XPAP, it is also breaking down due to aging. XPAP makes us healthier, but it can't overcome Mother Nature. Most of us have been doing damage to our bodies for years, we don't all correct our bad habits. Jim
Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment!

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Voltaire

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kteague
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Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by kteague » Mon Apr 24, 2017 3:44 am

Do keep an open eye on breathing changes as other things can just happen to coincide with CPAP use. For me it was lung disease that went on a long time mis/un diagmosed. For a friend, it was a fatal cardiac issue. I can't speak to cpap's effect on breathing when awake. Just saying don't make assumptions that could lead to missing something important.

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49er
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Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by 49er » Mon Apr 24, 2017 3:58 am

kteague wrote:Do keep an open eye on breathing changes as other things can just happen to coincide with CPAP use. For me it was lung disease that went on a long time mis/un diagmosed. For a friend, it was a fatal cardiac issue. I can't speak to cpap's effect on breathing when awake. Just saying don't make assumptions that could lead to missing something important.
I completely agree with kteague. To be on the safe side, I would start with your PCP for an evaluation. It might help to keep a log of your symptoms for a week to give your doctor a better sense of what tests need to be ordered or whether he/she needs to refer you to specialists.

Or your PCP may find that there is nothing to be concerned about. But again, better safe than sorry.

49er

Neutron Star
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2017 1:45 pm

Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by Neutron Star » Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:29 am

49er wrote:
kteague wrote:Do keep an open eye on breathing changes as other things can just happen to coincide with CPAP use. For me it was lung disease that went on a long time mis/un diagmosed. For a friend, it was a fatal cardiac issue. I can't speak to cpap's effect on breathing when awake. Just saying don't make assumptions that could lead to missing something important.
I completely agree with kteague. To be on the safe side, I would start with your PCP for an evaluation. It might help to keep a log of your symptoms for a week to give your doctor a better sense of what tests need to be ordered or whether he/she needs to refer you to specialists.

Or your PCP may find that there is nothing to be concerned about. But again, better safe than sorry.

49er
I had a battery of tests and was cleared of any cardiac issues. I'll keep a log and see how things go. Thank you for the reply.

Neutron Star
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Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2017 1:45 pm

Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by Neutron Star » Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:31 am

Goofproof wrote:Are you Blond? XPAP won't cure that! Jim
Transformed from blond to salt and pepper but apparently it was only a cosmetic change hehe

Neutron Star
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2017 1:45 pm

Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by Neutron Star » Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:32 am

LSAT wrote:
Neutron Star wrote:Hi everyone,

I have noticed I'm sleeping through the night without waking up, don't need to pee and my random chest pain is gone. However I'm still an airhead at times during the day. Mostly clear and focused and then randomly an airhead with some real dough head moments. It's like my focus and memory is getting better but isn't back to normal. Lots of old fond memories are starting to pop up.

One thing I noticed since starting xPAP is less stamina when walking up hills. Before the machine I didn't feel as though I needed to breathe as hard walking. Almost like asthma but not asthma. It's like I have to work my lung muscles more because the machine is making it too easy breathe at night.

I'm wondering how long it will take to heal the body and mind and yes I understand everyone is different so I'd really like to hear your personal journey if you are willing to share it.

Thanks for all your help.
You are not supposed to carry the machine with you...

But I've become quite attached to my machine! Too attached?

Neutron Star
Posts: 32
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2017 1:45 pm

Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by Neutron Star » Mon Apr 24, 2017 7:36 am

CarpeNoctum wrote:Neutron Star,
It's accepted that OSA sufferers develop a sleep debt...that can take months to "pay off". If you haven't been doing cpap for too long...it might just mean you need more time.

Cpapers are justly sensitive to things being blamed on cpap. Read the forums: nausea, headache, pain, infection all due to cpap. Of course not all of it is true, but there are the occasional issues that can be blamed on cpap.

I've read others complaining about increased shortness of breath after starting treatment. It seems to make sense that with the respiratory "assist" from cpap...there could be respiratory muscles weakening. But I doubt that it would be significant...if it exists at all.

To combat that...increase your activity to exercise your repiratory muscles. Simple as that.

I'm going to tell you what many others on this forum would say. Learn to monitor your cpap success via machine data. And use that to fine tune your cpap therapy. Most modern machines collect data on leaks, apnea types and frequency, as well as compliance. You can download software and display those results on your computer.
CN
I'm still very new, it's already correcting some issues so it should be interesting to revisit this topic in 6 months and then 1 year

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DreamStalker
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Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by DreamStalker » Mon Apr 24, 2017 9:03 am

Sometimes, fixing the sleep apnea problems unmask other underlying problems that you were unaware of because the sleep apnea was dominating your conditions. It is not uncommon for those who have gone undiagnosed with OSA to also have developed cardiac issues. At least that was the case for me. Over time untreated OSA creates a cascade of long-term co-morbidity conditions like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and hormonal dysregulations. The road to optimal health often continues even after you begin CPAP treatment.
President-pretender, J. Biden, said "the DNC has built the largest voter fraud organization in US history". Too bad they didn’t build the smartest voter fraud organization and got caught.

Neutron Star
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Re: Healing Times/Experience

Post by Neutron Star » Mon Apr 24, 2017 9:28 am

DreamStalker wrote:Sometimes, fixing the sleep apnea problems unmask other underlying problems that you were unaware of because the sleep apnea was dominating your conditions. It is not uncommon for those who have gone undiagnosed with OSA to also have developed cardiac issues. At least that was the case for me. Over time untreated OSA creates a cascade of long-term co-morbidity conditions like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and hormonal dysregulations. The road to optimal health often continues even after you begin CPAP treatment.
I get that but I was hiking 5 km with steep inclines without issue before starting APAP. We'll see what happens over the next few weeks as I engage in more walking and hiking. Hopefully just an adjustment period.