Need Some Advice.

[Amorin83]

Hi 1st time starting a new topic but have posted in an existing one about nasal passage sore cause by CPAP's the Lansinoh Cream really helped, So 1st a little of my history I've been using a CPAP off and on for 9 years. Along with my Sleep apnea I also have Diabetes, High Blood & Cholesterol, Diabetic Neuropathy in my legs and feet, and about a year and a half ago diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in my hands and arms. Why off and on with my CPAP use? because when I 1st got my machine I was mainly a stomach sleeper and I found it to uncomfortable to sleep in away to use the CPAP my machine then and now is S9 Elite™ CPAP System with EPR™ Technology with Humidifier: H5i Heated Humidifier with Climate Control my masks were the Opus 360 mask, I later switched to a Brevida F&P Nasal Pillow mask which I find very comfortable. When I started up again back in the middle of November by now I'm mainly a side sleeper with some times back but only because I have a pillow wall that allows me to be on my back but at a 45 degree angle, I right away noticed with restarting with my CPAP I was sleeping right thru the night uninterrupted which I don't do because of my Neuropathy which I have to take sleeping pills to sleep even with those I still was not sleeping thru the night, after the 1st 2 weeks I started to notice that the Diabetic Neuropathy pain in my legs was worse after sleeping which I figure is happening because once I fall asleep I'm not moving around like I usually would do, I've tried every sleep position I can think off minus sleeping on my stomach, last 4 days I've been on my back with my pillow being my bed wedge( which I can't sleep with out) and pillows under my arm and legs, did twice with out the pillows under arms and legs, with the back sleeping I get the increased Neuropathy pain from my side sleeping but I also now wake up with my arms and hands aching from the Fibromyalgia. So My question is should I power thru all this and hope like my nose sores that my body will get used to the increased pain or should I just stop using the CPAP? In my mind the only benefit I'm getting is the uninterrupted which at the start of trying again was 8 hours plus some time (which I've not had in years my average with sleep aids and pain pills is 6 max maybe 6 1/2) but the hours are in the decline and I'm at 6-7 hours but also dealing with the increased pain the rest of the day. I do plan on talking with my Doctor about this was just wondering if the Community has any thoughts.

[Julie]

Don't know if this would help or if it's appropriate to your mattress, but...

I sleep alone ('cept for my cat) and so can get away with this - I cut a 3" wide, 4" deep and 1' long 'trench' in my memory foam mattress starting at the head and going towards the foot, with an electric knife, and rounded top edges with scissors. I have a FF mask and when sleeping on my front with my head turned right, the mask dips into the trench diagonally or more vertically, avoiding a very sore neck in the a.m. I've also cut and fiddled with sheets to accommodate things, but have been sleeping like this for years, and so far so good. Important to mention is that my particular mask's vent holes are higher on the mask than most (which are usually at the elbow), so foam or sheet don't block holes but probably would for other masks.

[Goofproof]

What is your A1C? How high is your Sugar level Morning and before bed? Do you use insulin, if so when and how much.

I have found I can control my Diabetic Neuropathy pain in my legs & feet, by better Glucose control, the pain is a sign I've been a bad person.... The numbness I can exist with, the pain I have to control (Clean up my Act, a little!) Jim

[Janknitz]

What is your A1C? How high is your Sugar level Morning and before bed? Do you use insulin, if so when and how much.

I have found I can control my Diabetic Neuropathy pain in my legs & feet, by better Glucose control, the pain is a sign I've been a bad person.... The numbness I can exist with, the pain I have to control (Clean up my Act, a little!) Jim

THIS!!!!

[Amorin83]

So I figured out if I get rid of my bed wedge(which puts you at like a 25 degree incline which is a little higher then my old wedge was which was only like 20) it helps mitigate my Neuropathy some what I went from (with the wedge) waking up all the time in pain to maybe once or twice a week. And about my A1C levels I'm not sure what they are but I had my Diabetic Doctor vist just before the Holiday's and my levels were right where the Doc wanted them at, My Neuropathy stems from my 21+ years of being diabetic and only having it under control for the last year and a half mostly do to finances I couldn't always afford my diabetic meds so for the longest time I had to stretch 1month of meds to 4-6 months, I was diagnosed around 16 I think and my current Doc thinks I may have been diabetic for a few years. But yes like you Goofproof when my levels are high I can now feel it in my legs(which hurt all the time, the pain level goes from a constant 6 to 7-9).

[Miss Emerita]

There are strong associations between apnea and diabetes, though it isn't clear whether there's any *direct* causal link in either direction:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6123041/

The article states that there is some evidence that using CPAP for at least 3-5 months may be of some help in controlling diabetes.

So that's one reason to stick with CPAP; of course, another is that CPAP reduces the risk of long-term damage to your heart and brain. If you can manage the pain adequately, CPAP may also help you feel more rested and alert during the day, if it's letting you sleep for longer periods of uninterrupted time.

But it sounds as though your health problems are pretty complex, and it'd be good to talk with your doctor about how to manage them.