Possible CO2 issue

Hello ~ Been using my CPAP with humidifier for the past 4 months. During this time, I have been waking up with slamming headaches and nausea and feeling very unrested. Called my CPAP provider and it was her suggestion to contact my sleep doc as she said it might be I am not clearing CO2. Now that scares me. So, last three nights, slept without CPAP machine and woke up with no headache and no nausea and felt very refreshed and energized. I am coming to believe there is something wrong with the CPAP machine.

Now, here is how my night goes. I wake up exactly 5 hours after I go to sleep every single time. I wake up with a slamming headache with nausea. Now the headache and nausea gradually go away as the morning progresses. I usually sleep 8 to 10 hours but can't get to that with the CPAP machine, it's always 5 hours.

Any suggestions?

Thank you.

Jo

That doesn't sound good! What mask are you using? What machine and pressure settings? The mask should have a vent that blows a significant amount of air while the machine is running and you are wearing it. It's important not to block the vent while you sleep.
Jim

I have the ResMed CPAP machine, using nasal pillows. My pressure setting is 9 and my humidity is set at 4. I do not use any ramp as I have Asthma and the ramp takes to long and I feel like an asthma attack approaching, so I took off the ramp.

I am a side sleeper, and sleep with a cervical pillow that causes my head to go down deep into the pillow. My sleep doc said for me not to sleep supine.

Does any of this information help?

Jo

You need a soft cervical collar that will keep your head up, your 'pillows' and CO2 vent free of bedding etc, and your airway more open, not to mention jaws (if not lips) more closed. Google it (the 'soft' is important - many use those here).

Hi Julie ~ Recommend where to get one of these soft cervical collars?

Jo

Jo1950 wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 16, 2018 5:37 pm

I have the ResMed CPAP machine, using nasal pillows.

Which exact machine, and which exact pillow mask?

I believe a lot of pharmacies that also sell medical devices, etc. (and possibly just regular ones) should have them, but my being in Canada you might get better replies from people down there than me here

Jo1950 wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 16, 2018 5:49 pm

Hi Julie ~ Recommend where to get one of these soft cervical collars?

Jo

https://www.walgreens.com/search/result ... cal+Collar

It's unlikely that a cervical collar will make any difference, unless you've got rubber sheets and rubber pillowcases.

C'mon, is that helpful?

Thanks everyone for your responses

I have had my 5th day of complete restored rest without the CPAP, woke with no morning headache nor nausea and I feel like life is worth living. There also is a big difference in how my muscles feel too. So, there is something going on while I use my CPAP that is making me ill.

The tech suggested I use a full face mask as it might help with the issue of eliminating the CO2 properly. I have tried those in the past. I use Linecare and they are very limited in what they have to offer. I am a side sleeper and when I have used the full facial mask in the past, when I turn over on my side the mask slides open on the side of my face and makes this fluttering noise which wakes me up. These masks are plastic and I am not a good fit for the full facial masks, hence why I went with the nasal pillow mask.

But I have to say,I feel soo much better this morning and instead of climbing back into my recliner to recover from my sleep, which takes half a day, I want to get moving and have fun today

Still waiting to hear from my sleep doc.

Well, thanks for listening.

Jo1950 wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 17, 2018 6:28 am

I have had my 5th day of complete restored rest without the CPAP

If you do that well without CPAP, what in the world caused you to start using CPAP to begin with? Did you have symptoms that caused you to seek a sleep study? What were the results of the sleep study?

I have had mild chronic obstructive sleep apnea, as shown in numerous sleep studies over the years, with enough apneas that warrant a CPAP machine. I have had this since my teens. I usually end up being non-compliant and now beginning to understand why. My snoring wakes me up.

I need to explore with my sleep doc the issues I am now having and why I feel so ill after using the CPAP machine and why I am having the daily headache with nausea in the morning that takes half a day to recover from and also the relationship to migraine. My sleep doc is also a leading migraine and headache doc. My neurologist just referred me to him today. I was considering having the Botox injections to help with the chronic migraine, now rethinking that.

Jo1950 wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 17, 2018 7:57 am

I usually end up being non-compliant and now beginning to understand why. My snoring wakes me up.

Are you snoring when using CPAP? If so, your machine settings are not correct. A properly operating CPAP system prevents snoring. The strength of this forum is in helping people to get their machine settings optimized and their CPAP system working properly. Doctors do not have enough time to spend helping patients with this.

I can't snore with my nasal pillow on. When I snore I usually wake myself up. I tried to snore on the nasal pillow and I can't get the pressure to work for a snore, so my guess is that I am not snoring while I use my nasal pillow.

Thank you for sticking with me on this issue and trying to help me !! I appreciate this