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Swollen eyes and increased Carpal Tunnel symptoms from CPAP

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:46 am
by DBV
I have been using a CPAP for about 8 weeks. At first, it was wonderful. It was the first time I had gotten a good night's sleep in years. My energy level increased, my mind was clearer, and I felt great. My machine is a Fisher & Paykel SleepStyle 608 Thermosmart with Built in heated humidifier. The mask is a Resmed Mirage Swift II Nasal Pillow (M). The pressure is set at 8 cm. The mask is very comfortable, fits securely with no leakage problems. I don't think I'm allergic to the mask and there is no air blowing directly into my eyes. I don't have any nasal soreness or irritation issues. For the last two weeks, every morning I have awakened with terrible bags under my eyes. Both eyes are extremely swollen. I look like I have cried all night. My eyes are very watery to the point it's like tears flowing down my cheeks and they stay irritated well up into the day. This seems to be gradually getting worse. Along with this, my hands and wrists are also swelling during the night. I have had some carpal tunnel issues for quite some time but it is not severe enough to warrant surgery. The last couple of weeks, the symptoms have increased until the pain at night is almost unbearable. I have not been doing anything different or out of the ordinary that would have caused this sudden extreme irritation. I am wondering if these two problems could be coming from the use of the CPAP machine and if there is anything I can do about it.

Re: Swollen eyes and increased Carpal Tunnel symptoms from CPAP

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 7:04 am
by J Neutron
I don't know about your eyes, but your wrist issues could come from the position you keep your hands when you sleep.

At one point in time, I had wrist supports that I wore only when sleeping. They were softly padded and wrapped around my forearm and extended down to my palm. After a while, I figured out what I was doing wrong with my sleeping position and after breaking the bad habit, I haven't had to wear them again.

Jim

Re: Swollen eyes and increased Carpal Tunnel symptoms from CPAP

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 7:09 am
by nobody
Unfortunately with this CPAP therapy the air can blow up your naso-lacrimal ducts and blow onto your eyes. In other words, your nose and eyes are connected by a small tunnel inside your nose. This happens to me as well and it's very annoying. I've found that having the humidifier on does help, but my eyes still dry out. Another type of mask might help you a bit because the nasal pillows might be shooting the air straight up that duct where a regular nasal or full face mask might not do that as much.

Re: Swollen eyes and increased Carpal Tunnel symptoms from CPAP

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 7:45 am
by Bluebonnet_Gal
I've had an increase in Carpal Tunnel symptoms as well. I've had problems to a varying degree for years. The only time I had to wear the brace at night was when I was pregnant. I was wondering if it's related to CPAP use. I wonder if anyone else has had the same problem?

Re: Swollen eyes and increased Carpal Tunnel symptoms from CPAP

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:47 am
by ozij
I agree with nobody, (gosh, nobody, couldn't you have chosen another name? I'll have to start using quote marks if I don't want to sound like a jerk...)... anyway, I agree with "nobody", and also want to suggest you contact an eye doctor ASAP. Air drying your eyes is not good for them.

O.

Re: Swollen eyes and increased Carpal Tunnel symptoms from CPAP

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 9:52 am
by WearyOne
Those of you with carpal tunnel symptoms, have you actually, truly been diagnosed with that, or just have the symptoms? The reason I ask is that is what I and my PCP thought I had years ago. In his wisdom, he sent me to PT and to a chiro later when the PT didn't help. The first thing the chiro did was look at my wrists and say, "Good, they haven't cut into you yet." He said many people who believe they have carpal tunnel are actually getting the symptoms from their necks. And that was the case for me. After a month or so of treatment from him, my problems vanished. (I had had pain from my elbows through my hands, and tingling. I type for a living!) I still go to him once a month because of that issue, and another issue with my back lower back and shoulders that showed up a couple years ago. (All that typing!)

If it is a neck issue----I know that once I started cpap, I slept with my neck in odd positions at night (and still do sometimes), and my arm/hand/wrist symptoms returned when I started cpap I believe because of that. Increased my chiro visits, and the problem went away.

Just thought I'd throw out my experience.

Pam

Re: Swollen eyes and increased Carpal Tunnel symptoms from CPAP

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:25 pm
by Bluebonnet_Gal
WearyOne wrote:Those of you with carpal tunnel symptoms, have you actually, truly been diagnosed with that, or just have the symptoms? The reason I ask is that is what I and my PCP thought I had years ago. In his wisdom, he sent me to PT and to a chiro later when the PT didn't help. The first thing the chiro did was look at my wrists and say, "Good, they haven't cut into you yet." He said many people who believe they have carpal tunnel are actually getting the symptoms from their necks. And that was the case for me. After a month or so of treatment from him, my problems vanished. (I had had pain from my elbows through my hands, and tingling. I type for a living!) I still go to him once a month because of that issue, and another issue with my back lower back and shoulders that showed up a couple years ago. (All that typing!)

If it is a neck issue----I know that once I started cpap, I slept with my neck in odd positions at night (and still do sometimes), and my arm/hand/wrist symptoms returned when I started cpap I believe because of that. Increased my chiro visits, and the problem went away.

Just thought I'd throw out my experience.

Pam
Thanks for the comments. No, I have not formally been diagnosed with Carpel Tunnel. I've had problems in the past with tingling and numbness, mostly while I was pregnant. For years I have trouble holding a phone to my ear with my right hand for any length of time without experiencing pain, tingling and numbness. Since starting CPAP, I've noticed I often wake up with my right hand "asleep" - completely numb.

When you said:
WearyOne wrote:The first thing the chiro did was look at my wrists and say, "Good, they haven't cut into you yet."
- I'm so glad you didn't follow with a diagnosis of Lupus! A co-worker came in this morning saying her husband had just been diagnosed with Lupus. She was talking about all his symptoms and testing they have been doing. Carpel Tunnel like symptoms led to him actually having the carpel tunnel surgery. Now they say it was likely a symptom of Lupus, not Carpel Tunnel at all!

Re: Swollen eyes and increased Carpal Tunnel symptoms from CPAP

Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:08 pm
by junie
I've been on my cpap for awhile now and the only problems i've had was pulling my mask off I still do it, Right now my eyes are very swollen and very red and I can't hardly see, I'm buying a oplilife from Laura tomorrow hoping this will help my problem of removing my mask right now I have a FFmask that is leaking all the time, I made my appt. with my eye Dr. I thought I had Carpal tunnel They did all the test I have it but not bad My problem is a nerve in my neck so they put me on Lyrica, Hope you made appt. with your eye Dr. and get checked for carpal tunnel.

Re: Swollen eyes and increased Carpal Tunnel symptoms from CPAP

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:04 am
by stacia123
I've been on CPAP nearly 4 months and have both problems as well. My carpal tunnel about killed me during month 2 and it's been bad ever since. It's diagnosed as in my doctor said "Yeah, sounds like carpal tunnel" a few months ago and then we didn't discuss it further. I can only assume that sleeping more soundly is putting me in different positions and aggravating the carpal tunnel. My hands never went numb at night before, but now they do.

My eyes are much more watery and the bags under my eyes are insane. I just bought a whole boatload of new makeup to try to cover it. I look 10 years older than I did before I started CPAP therapy. But the watery eyes are improving thanks to using some serious eye gel (Genteal brand) before I go to bed at night. It's a pain to use but helps the watery eyes quite a bit.

Overall I think it's that my whole body is changing because of the therapy, and while that's 100% understandable, it's really frustrating at the same time.

Re: Swollen eyes and increased Carpal Tunnel symptoms from CPAP

Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:03 pm
by buckeyejohn
I have same problem with eye swelling and I am being pro-active and trying some things to see what works, but as far as arm swelling this is most likely positional. I have AV fistula in left arm so I am very careful about getting into good position for sleeping. 2 things I would try. I am assuming you sleep on your side so one option would be to put a pillow right against our body and then wrap your arms around it as if you were hugging it and this will keep you from putting pressure on your brachial arter under your armpit. The other option which is what I do every nite is to lie facing my wife ( on my left side) and then my left arm is positioned almost as if you were gonna raise your hand in school to answer a question except I bent it 90 degrees at the elbow and rest my left hand on my wife's pillow so it is essentially elevated and when I do this there is no swelling. Piclure a capital L on its side .. My right arm rest on her or a small pillow between us. Your carpel tunnel is most likely from some other issue and the pain involved with it

Re: Swollen eyes and increased Carpal Tunnel symptoms from CPAP

Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:12 pm
by elg5cats
DBV wrote: my hands and wrists are also swelling during the night. I have had some carpal tunnel issues for quite some time but it is not severe enough to warrant surgery. The last couple of weeks, the symptoms have increased until the pain at night is almost unbearable. .
I had carpal tunnel and had surgery on both hands in 2003. Due to severity I continue to wear custom made splints during the night. Many people with carpal tunnel curl their hands near their face/chin, or place hands in other positions that causes the median nerve to be compressed. Maybe having the new items in bed with you have altered your hands position adding stress. If you don't have splints for your carpal tunnel, you might want to consider getting some.

For the question of being diagnosed, my carpal tunnel was diagnosed with Electromyogram and Nerve conduction study. I wore splints before having surgery.

elg5cats