Not feeling better after CPAP

[tonedeaf1]

So I've been using CPAP for about 2 months.. one month successfully. And I don't feel any better. I still have to drag myself out of bed in the morning, and I'm sleepy during the day. Is it safe to assume something is wrong? Should I go back to the doctor? Or is this still to be expected in this stage?

[JeffH]

Probably mouth leaking. That causes more trouble than about anything I know of. I use polident strips, some tape and some use chin straps.

[tonedeaf1]

I use a chin strap. I used to wake up to mouth leaking but after this strap I have not. How will I know if this is still an issue?

[JeffH]

I use a chin strap. I used to wake up to mouth leaking but after this strap I have not. How will I know if this is still an issue?

Does your mouth feel dry in the morning? Chin straps tend to not work. I didn't say they don't work, I said they tend to not work.

Do you live alone? Your partner would be able to tell if you are mouth breathing. If you live alone I don't know what to tell you.

Good luck

JeffH

[DreamStalker]

If you have the Remstar Plus machine ... you won't know. You have to have a data capable machine to monitor your treatment progress or failure.

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night or in the morning with dry mouth? Even if you don't leak from your mouth, you could still be leaking from a poor mask seal and again no proper treatment.

[tonedeaf1]

I do tend to get a drink first thing when I wake up in the morning. My partner has not noticed anything. He did before the strap.

What are the chances of my setting being wrong? I had my septum straightened after my initial sleep test but my ENT didn't seem to think it would make a difference.

I would definitely like to toy with the idea of a machine that has better readings.. and maybe even an auto adjust.. there's no way to even tell if anything is leaking. Is it usually an expensive upgrade? Do insurance companies not like to pay for more expensive machines? I have Aetna HMO.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): auto

[Julie]

Hi, chin straps are not known to be very effective by most people, except maybe as a back-up to either taping or a full face mask. You really should try a mask, either a Quattro, UltraMirage II, or maybe Hybrid. It seems to come up an awful lot (unrecognized mouth breathing) but once you get fitted properly, the problem can improve dramatically.

[tonedeaf1]

what is the best taping product/procedure? And is it annoying

[tonedeaf1]

I'm beginning to wonder if maybe I need an APAP machine. Regardless I'm betting my settings are wrong.. they made me sleep on my back or side the whole night and I usually sleep on my stomach, or toss back and forth. It sounds like less pressure may be needed.
I made an appointment with my ENT for next Monday to discuss things. I guess I'll go on his recommendation. In the meantime, would it be bad to adjust the settings and try a little trial and error in the meantime? I know how to get into the hidden settings.. but what is the best way of testing this? I tested for 10.. I thought about trying 9, then 8, till I found the pressure that makes me feel best. Might be helpful when talking to my doctor to have this experiment to talk about as well.

[Ren]

I too have been on CPAP 2 months, with virtually no noticeable improvement. Leaks don't seem a problem. I using Mirage Swift II, and have a leak rate around 28-30 on a pressure of 7-10. As far as I can tell, that seems to be the expected baseline. Sleep doc is talking about a 3rd PSG followed by a MSLT. Sounds like a yucky way to waste 20 hours or so...

[AdvansCPAP.com]

Hello,

A good Dr. will have you retitrated a full night in the lab if you still complain of poor sleep despite correcting your mouth leaks. They need to see how you are using your mask. If it's leaking during the night, if your pressure is too high or too low that causes spontaneous arousals or more severe apnea. Or if you have another sleep disorder like PLMD in conjunction with your apnea.

BTW the reason they ask you to sleep on your back is because in that position, when you are dreaming ..your apnea will be its worst. Then your machine will be set at that pressure to correct your worst apnea. 20% of the time you need that pressure. The other time, pressure requirements are usually much lower. Forget autos, they're not accurate as a good sleep tech.


http://www.AdvansCPAP.com

[DreamStalker]

Hello,

A good Dr. will have you retitrated a full night in the lab if you still complain of poor sleep despite correcting your mouth leaks. They need to see how you are using your mask. If it's leaking during the night, if your pressure is too high or too low that causes spontaneous arousals or more severe apnea. Or if you have another sleep disorder like PLMD in conjunction with your apnea.

BTW the reason they ask you to sleep on your back is because in that position, when you are dreaming ..your apnea will be its worst. Then your machine will be set at that pressure to correct your worst apnea. 20% of the time you need that pressure. The other time, pressure requirements are usually much lower. Forget autos, they're not accurate as a good sleep tech.


http://www.AdvansCPAP.com

His doc has already left him to flounder for 2 months with a dumb-ass plus machine. Had he had an auto from the start, he would already have a more "accurate" idea of what his pressure should be. He would already have known if he had mask or mouth leaks. The initial sleep study should have discovered other sleep disorders ... obviously he did not have a good doc if he is indeed suffering from other issues.

An APAP from the start is the only way to go but the DMEs are more concerned about making a few extra buck handing out bottom of the line machines that only provide compliance that they can use to bill the insurance.

[SuperGeeky]

Man ole man, I feel your pain. It's been two months on a BiPap Auto for me.
I started out with a CPap for a month.

Complained to Sleep Doc that the CPap couldn't compare to how I felt waking up from second titration. He apologized, said that Insurance requires him to start with Cpap.

Reading the forums are a life saver. I would not have adjusted to the mask and now use sinus irrigation. The doctor states my data is excellent.

He prescribed Provigil, which works great for me. Now, I use it when I need it.

I complained of joint pain, like walking up the stairs. You know, some days feeling awful, others like a well oiled machine.

Sleep Doc said it was from Sleep Apnea, not arthritis or just getting old.

So, the bottom line for me, how much oxygen am I getting while sleeping. Forget AHI, the machine, mask! I want to know about my oxygen.

Entertaining the thought of getting an Oximeter, card reader and software. I mean, it is my health, brain cells, heart, my productivity and longivity.

Nah, I should be cheap, save the money.

[kteague]

It took me much longer to begin to feel an improvement, but I wasn't getting enough hours sleep each night and I also have PLMD. Addressing the mouth breathing has made a difference in how I feel.

You could request a 2 week trial on an autopap to check your pressure needs. That's all I could get out of my doc at that time, but it was enough to let me know I needed to up my pressure 2 points.

How many hours are you sleeping, and how many times do you wake up?

If efforts to troubleshoot don't give results, you may need that followup sleep study. Sometimes there are other sleep disorders (like PLMD) that may not be apparent until the OSA is therapeutically treated.

Let us know how things progress.

[tonedeaf1]

Well I seem to be sleeping through the night better.. I only notice myself wake up within the last hour of sleep. And I usually struggle with my mask at that point and either fall back asleep or take it off. I'm sleeping about the same amount as I was before the mask.. 7-8 hours.