Continuing Fatigue

[trbmbb]

I have been a CPAP user for my sleep apnea for well over a year and took a very long time to adjust to it. Over time my hours of use have increased such that I now am reasonably using it for 6-8 hours every night. Plus, my number of apneas have been mostly eliminated. But, I still struggle with drowsiness and fatigue during the day. I don't know how to further address the fatigue given that I am using the cpap most all of the night. Any ideas on what may be the cause of continuing fatigue? I am well adjusted to CPAP use but not getting quality sleep.

[bombayone]

Sorry about your difficulties. Please discuss your concerns with your physician. I hope you fell better soon.

[zonker]

I have been a CPAP user for my sleep apnea for well over a year and took a very long time to adjust to it. Over time my hours of use have increased such that I now am reasonably using it for 6-8 hours every night. Plus, my number of apneas have been mostly eliminated. But, I still struggle with drowsiness and fatigue during the day. I don't know how to further address the fatigue given that I am using the cpap most all of the night. Any ideas on what may be the cause of continuing fatigue? I am well adjusted to CPAP use but not getting quality sleep.

welcome to the zoo! your fatigue may or may not be related to sleep apnea. sometimes, one can get long hours of sleep and be well treated, but still have trouble unrelated to sleep apnea.

one way to find out which it is for you would be to download the free monitoring software, oscar. before we get into that, though, we need to know which machine you have. not all cpap machines are data capable.

so if you could let us know what the equipment is and what your settings are, we can get to work determining if you have your machine set so that it is optimizing your therapy.

also, what is you ahi?

good luck!

[Miss Emerita]

It's good to hear you've adjusted to CPAP and are successfully treating your sleep apnea. As you're realizing, sleep-disordered breathing may co-exist with some other circumstance that prevents restful sleep. It is a good idea to consult with your doctor, who may want to do some tests to explore possible causes for chronic fatigue and sleepiness.

But could you also take a look at the list of guidelines below and let us know which ones you do and don't follow for the most part?

• Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations.
• Set a bedtime that is early enough for you to get at least 7 hours of sleep.
• Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
• If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed.
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
• Use your bed only for sleep and sex.
• Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature.
• Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings.
• Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
• Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. If you are hungry at night, eat a light, healthy snack.
• Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet.
• Avoid consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening.
• Avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime.
• Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime.

[kteague]

Hopefully you can work with those here who are good at assessing data for clues to any problems. If it is determined your treatment is optimized and your sleep seems sufficient and sustained, then it's a ruling out process of other potential contributors.

Does the sleep you get seem restful or fitful with lots of waking? One common sleep stage disrupter is medication side effect. Have you already ruled that out? Some find that they have other sleep disorders as well as OSA, like limb movements or narcolepsy. Unless there are clear indicators, it's easier to rule out other things first.

What have you already had checked in regards to fatigue? Vitamin D level? Levels of B Vitamins? Thyroid function? Sugar levels? Recently I found myself lacking the energy to do even the basics. Could barely move out of my chair for necessary things. I knew this felt familiar and remembered it was when my Vitamin D was low. Started supplements and by the 3rd day it felt like a light came on. I wouldn't suggest taking stuff all willy nilly as it's like shooting in the dark. Some routine blood tests could help you target your efforts. Best wishes figuring out how to get to feeling better.

[Danielsmom]

have you considered thyroid function testing? that can contribute to fatigue.