Will I really get better?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Enid

Will I really get better?

Post by Enid » Thu Apr 17, 2014 7:19 pm

I guess I am looking for support. I probably feel worse than ever. I was diagnosed last week and have used CPAP with the ResMed Mirage FX for her mask for five nights. I have been able to sleep with the mask. Of course I have been deadly fatigued. I barely straighten up the house once a week and ten years ago I did ballroom competitions. Probably the worst symptom is nausea. I also have day time shortness of breath, muscle / body pain, numb hands and feet and acid reflux. (Probably the cause of the nausea). I had a chronic cough but that seems a bit better with aloe vera juice. Oh of course bad anxiety after waking with gasping for air. It was frightening going from dr to another for each symptom and being told I needed to be on anxiety medication. I am told that it takes a several weeks or months for the body
to reset but that other people had my symptoms and gradually got better. Has that been anyone's experience?

Enid
Santa Barbara CA

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Julie
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Re: Will I really get better?

Post by Julie » Thu Apr 17, 2014 7:44 pm

Hi, so sorry to hear how bad you feel, but hopefully it will get better fast. A couple of things however - nausea is not a symptom of apnea, and it isn't part of GERD. Have you had a good general check-up with lab work including thyroid etc. recently? Thyroid problems can often mimic apnea in many ways.

I didn't know aloe vera was good for coughs - learn something new every day . Did the doctor suggest taking it?

What meds are you actually on and do you take them before bed?

Apnea should get better with Cpap, but I'm just a bit concerned about those other things and how well they've been looked at.

What machine are you using and at what pressure(s)?

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BlackSpinner
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Re: Will I really get better?

Post by BlackSpinner » Thu Apr 17, 2014 7:48 pm

Yes it will get better. The best way to know is to keep a journal of how you feel. Start it by outlining in detail how you felt before.
The reason to keep a journal is that some of the early results can be subtle and ones mind has a way of minimizing previous pain and discomfort (otherwise there would never be a second child).
Sometimes the only early signs are that your family is saying you are not as grouchy, or that you realize you are seeing the closing credits of a show that you normally sleep through. Sometimes it is just a mood that seems lighter.

Please sign up and log in and share your equipment so we can help fine tune your therapy.

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Newbie Woman
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Re: Will I really get better?

Post by Newbie Woman » Thu Apr 17, 2014 7:55 pm

Yes, you will. Every person's journey is different, but you will feel better when you sleep through the night.

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Bill44133
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Re: Will I really get better?

Post by Bill44133 » Thu Apr 17, 2014 8:40 pm

Sleeping and Breathing at the same time does wonders for your health. Give your therapy some time, and be sure to
monitor your progress. Make sure you have the software to monitor your therapy. You have to watch for leaks that will
compromise your therapy.

I wish you well and good luck!

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library lady
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Re: Will I really get better?

Post by library lady » Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:05 pm

Yes, it will get better, but it takes a few weeks or even months. Everybody is different. I started cpapping on Feb. 3, and I don't feel fully rested yet, I've a huge sleep debt to make up. But I know I'm sleeping better now, and I'm not getting as many apneas and hypopneas. I rarely take naps now. I had a rotten first week, and the second week was better, it keeps on getting better and then one day you finally know you succeeded with this thing called cpap.. Keep reading these boards, ask questions, let us know what is bothering you, and you will find wonderful people who are anxious to help you solve your issues as they come up. I still have questions from time to time; as conquer one problem, I start to work on another. This week it's controlling the mask leaks. I don't yet know what the next one will be or if there will be another one.

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OboeVet
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Re: Will I really get better?

Post by OboeVet » Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:46 pm

YES! It will get better as long as you keep asking for help from your care team [see other threads / topics] and keep adjusting the machine and searching for the right face or nose mask. As you will see in other postings here: only YOU can truly take charge of your treatment program. All the other players. & payouts have their own agendas.

Don 't give up! All the best.

Don

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Shore Snorer
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Re: Will I really get better?

Post by Shore Snorer » Sat Apr 19, 2014 8:23 am

Enid, it will get better. It usually takes more than five nights. You may only need a few weeks on xPAP; you may need more.

(If you have a chronic cough, consult a doctor, not a user forum. If a pulmonologist diagnosed you with sleep apnea and prescribed your xPAP, that's probably who you should talk with. Symptom relief is good, but don't just mask an underlying problem.)

If you suffer from sleep apnea, you need to treat that. Sleep apnea, independently of how much it screws up your sleep, can cause all sorts of bad crap, including heart failure and stroke. If your AHI was high and now it's low, you're already in much better shape. (If you have no access to your data, take advantage of your machine's trial period and swap it for a data-capable unit.)

Next step: Your body needs to re-learn to sleep through the night. For some lucky people that happens literally overnight; for most, it takes a few weeks or a few months. Do this without drugs if you can. (In my opinion, no weapons should be banned in the war against insomnia.)

Research "sleep hygiene" both on this forum and on the web. Don't wait a couple of months to do this. Example: maybe when you were 18 you could drink a pot of coffee right before bedtime and still sleep like a log, but you're probably not 18 anymore.

If you still have problems after a few months, repost; there's more advanced advice available.

If we never see you again because you soon feel 100%: be well!

Janknitz
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Re: Will I really get better?

Post by Janknitz » Sat Apr 19, 2014 2:34 pm

Yes, it WILL get better.

A lot of the symptoms you had are consistent with GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). There's a sort of chicken and egg thing going on. GERD can cause OSA, OSA can cause GERD. So you may need to address the GERD in addition to the OSA to really feel all the way better.

Start by asking for a blood test for H-Pylori. It's a bacterial infection that can cause GERD. Some 40% of Americans are infected with it. It's treated with anti-biotics, but then you need to build your gut flora back up (fermented foods are the best way, or probiotic capsules).

Doctors will want to treat GERD with acid reducing medications but BEFORE you start down that road I highly recommend a book by Norman Robillard Called Fast Track Digestion: GERD. Give his diet suggestions a try, they work! Doctors will tell you that GERD is too much stomach acid, but it's more likely to be too little--undigested food causes overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine--they produce gas which puts pressure on the sphincters, leading to reflux. So the acid suppressing medications your doctor will want you to try will give short term relief but not necessarily fix the underlying issue.

I found my anxiety levels went down significantly when my apnea was properly treated. When you have apnea, your body is bathed in stress hormones all night long as you struggle to breathe. When your body doesn't have to be hypervigilant for breathing anymore, the stress hormones recede, and anxiety diminishes. So give this time to work before you agree to anti anxiety medications.

The fact that you're doing a good job using the machine is a great sign that you'll be successful. I'd recommend watching your data so you can optimize your treatment. Hang in there, it WILL get better.
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Todzo
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Re: Will I really get better?

Post by Todzo » Sat Apr 19, 2014 3:16 pm

Enid wrote:I guess I am looking for support. I probably feel worse than ever. I was diagnosed last week and have used CPAP with the ResMed Mirage FX for her mask for five nights. I have been able to sleep with the mask. Of course I have been deadly fatigued. I barely straighten up the house once a week and ten years ago I did ballroom competitions. Probably the worst symptom is nausea. I also have day time shortness of breath, muscle / body pain, numb hands and feet and acid reflux. (Probably the cause of the nausea). I had a chronic cough but that seems a bit better with aloe vera juice. Oh of course bad anxiety after waking with gasping for air. It was frightening going from dr to another for each symptom and being told I needed to be on anxiety medication. I am told that it takes a several weeks or months for the body
to reset but that other people had my symptoms and gradually got better. Has that been anyone's experience?

Enid
Santa Barbara CA
Enid I wonder if your symptoms go beyond what I would expect OSA to do to you.

I am glad you are treating your OSA and happy to hear that you can keep the mask on. That is good.

I am also reminded of an article I recently read:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/peop ... e/7878171/

More about Lyme:

http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/i ... t_2013.pdf

Lyme is only one of many diseases and conditions which can take away a persons health but are often missed by the medical community.

Look for the cause to find the cure.
May any shills trolls sockpuppets or astroturfers at cpaptalk.com be like chaff before the wind!