Back in the Saddle Anxiety/Temperature

[Ryan D]

Hi All,

It's been several months since I have used my machine and I decided to give this thing another fair shot. I have used my machine for at least 6 hours the last 3 nights. A couple of questions/observations:

1. While not using the CPAP I noticed my generalized anxiety, obsessive thinking, ruminating thoughts were overwhelming. Since starting therapy again I notice I am much more calm. I do get some general negative throughts that creep up but I am able to notice them and direct my attention elsewhere. Could the CPAP therapy be providing me with a much more stable mental feeling? Has anyone else noticed CPAP therapy helped them with these symptons?

2. I find I am waking up feeling really hot in the morning. I wonder if I should try turning off my humidiy/heated hose. Any thoughts? I am concerned if I only turn down my temperature I will get condensation in my line which has occured in the past.

Thanks.

[robysue]

1. While not using the CPAP I noticed my generalized anxiety, obsessive thinking, ruminating thoughts were overwhelming. Since starting therapy again I notice I am much more calm. I do get some general negative throughts that creep up but I am able to notice them and direct my attention elsewhere. Could the CPAP therapy be providing me with a much more stable mental feeling? Has anyone else noticed CPAP therapy helped them with these symptons?

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence here that CPAP can help with things like generalized anxiety, obsessive thinking, depression, mood swings, etc. After all, not sleeping well tends to aggravate all these kinds of problems, and nights of apnea-filled sleep do mean you're not sleeping well.

2. I find I am waking up feeling really hot in the morning. I wonder if I should try turning off my humidiy/heated hose. Any thoughts? I am concerned if I only turn down my temperature I will get condensation in my line which has occured in the past.

Personally I'd turn the hose temperature down, at least as an experiment. You could also turn the humidifier down and see if your nose can tolerate less humidity.

If you find that you need enough extra humidity to trigger some rainout, there are things that you can try before increasing the hose temperature up to where you're waking up uncomfortably hot. Among them:

• Use a hose cozy
• Make sure the blower unit is at least a few inches below the level of your head
• Hang the hose over head. Any condensation on the blower side of the peak will run back into the hose. But any condensation on your side of the peak will run down onto your nose. So you want to put as little length on your side of the peak.
• Run the hose under the cover next to your body
• Make sure there is not a low spot in the hose between the blower unit and the bed. Condensation can accumulate in a low spot and make all kinds of weird popping and hissing noises.

[BlackSpinner]

Yes cpap therapy helps with all those feelings.

Think about it. During the night you stop breathing and your body reacts as if you are being attacked, choked. It generates all the same stress hormones as if you were mugged in an alley. It takes hours for those stress hormones to wash out.

[chillAtGVC]

My long term anxiety and depression were almost eliminated when I started CPAP. I was not expecting this, I just realized one day when I would usually be having anxiety attacks that I was calm and happy.

[lilly747]

Yes cpap therapy helps with all those feelings.

Think about it. During the night you stop breathing and your body reacts as if you are being attacked, choked. It generates all the same stress hormones as if you were mugged in an alley. It takes hours for those stress hormones to wash out.

.....+1

[Guest]

When I don't use mine, I do all kind of thinks in REM sleep. Poor wife has been kicked, punched, yelled at because of it. If the TV is on and I'm not using my PAP, I'll dream about whatever is on the TV. Makes for some interesting, emotional, and tiring dreams!