Side effects of CPAP

[stef27]

I just finished part two of my sleep study and obviously didn't enjoy it. I have a couple of questions for you veterans out there. The first relates to the fact that within two minutes of putting the mask on I had a headache and still do 3 hours after completing the test. Is that normal? Will it go away?

Part two relates to the feeling that I can't get a good breath hours after the test. I do feel the heaviness that others mentioned but I keep feeling a need to take a deep breath rather often. Others mentioned that it occurs sometimes just after the test but how many hours after? It is very uncomfortable.

Last question if you don't mind - the tech said my titration level went up to an 8. Is that considered mild, medium or severe sleep apnea?

Thanks for your help; I'm in the I hate this stage but trying to work through it.

By the way, I think I'm opting for the CPAP mask that is just a little tube for your nostils as it seems the least annoying. Does anyone have any feedback about that?

[bdp522]

If the tech put the mask on too tight, it will leave you with a headache. I think most techs put the mask on too tight to ensure no leaking during the test. I took a few tylenol and the headache went away later that day.
I felt like I was breathing funny for the whole day after my titration. It's different for every one, but still normal.
The pressure you are titrated at has nothing to do with how severe your sleep apnea is. The pressure is set to the level needed to hold the airway open. I have mild sleep apnea and am at a pressure of 10.5, someone else may have severe apnea and be at a level of 8. 8 is not a high pressure and you should find it fairly easy to get used to.
The mask is the hardest part to get right. I feel that everyone needs at least 1 full face mask that will work for them, in case of nasal congestion. With a nasal only mask you need to be sure you aren't mouth breathing or mouth leaking. I do both, but tape my mouth shut every night.

Brenda

[BC Resident]

Risks with CPAP Therapy:

Problems that may occur with CPAP include:

* Nightmares and excessive dreaming during early use.
* Dry nose, nosebleeds, and sore throat.
* Nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing.
* Irritation of the eyes and the skin on the face.
* Abdominal bloating.
* Headaches.
* Leaks around the mask because it does not fit properly.

http://www.bchealthguide.org/kbase/topi ... detail.htm

[pianomagoo]

Risks with CPAP Therapy:

Problems that may occur with CPAP include:

* Nightmares and excessive dreaming during early use.
* Dry nose, nosebleeds, and sore throat.
* Nasal congestion, runny nose, and sneezing.
* Irritation of the eyes and the skin on the face.
* Abdominal bloating.
* Headaches.
* Leaks around the mask because it does not fit properly.

http://www.bchealthguide.org/kbase/topi ... detail.htm

I only wish I had excessive dreaming. I haven't dreamt in years. I did have one short nightmare a couple weeks ago and that was of some man who stepped out of the bush as I was walking and tried to choke me.

All the other symptoms I still have except for the nosebleeds and sneezing.

How come they don't mention the morning headaches and sleepiness ? How many months for them to go away?

[BC Resident]

They do mention the headaches. They didn't specify when though. This is a major achievement since many sleep physicians dispute that CPAP can cause headaches at all. The sleepiness is another problem that the medical community hasn't acknowledged (yet). Who knows what else they haven't acknowledged that CPAP does to our bodies but haven't acknowledged?

[Bearded_One]

Who knows what else they haven't acknowledged that CPAP does to our bodies but haven't acknowledged?

Most of the effects that were listed are temporary and are relatively mild. Some of the listed problems are caused by an ill fitting or improperly adjusted mask. If the headaches are more than transient and they are not caused by an improperly adjusted mask, they would be a worrisome issue. I doubt very much that CPAP does anything that is anywhere as bad as untreated sleep apnea.

[mellabella]

I just finished part two of my sleep study and obviously didn't enjoy it. I have a couple of questions for you veterans out there. The first relates to the fact that within two minutes of putting the mask on I had a headache and still do 3 hours after completing the test. Is that normal? Will it go away?

Part two relates to the feeling that I can't get a good breath hours after the test. I do feel the heaviness that others mentioned but I keep feeling a need to take a deep breath rather often. Others mentioned that it occurs sometimes just after the test but how many hours after? It is very uncomfortable.

Last question if you don't mind - the tech said my titration level went up to an 8. Is that considered mild, medium or severe sleep apnea?

Thanks for your help; I'm in the I hate this stage but trying to work through it.

By the way, I think I'm opting for the CPAP mask that is just a little tube for your nostils as it seems the least annoying. Does anyone have any feedback about that?

If the headache was caused by placing the mask on, it was probably too tight and/or hitting a pressure points. There are so many different configurations possible with different masks, headgears, modifications, etc. that surely there is one out there that won't give you a headache! I also had the experience of my sleep tech tightening the mask at my titration (a Mirage FF Quattro) very, very tight (probably so she wouldn't have to come back in once I was asleep). I have since found that, if I wear the Quattro loosely, I not only feel more comfortable and don't end up with such deep grooves in my face, but the mask also leaks less! How is your headache now?

You can't judge the severity of your apnea by your titration value....only by your AHI.

Also, the mask style you're talking about seems to be the nasal prong....you can search this board and cpap.com for examples. Babette here is also the queen of info on the Nasal Aire II mask....I find it very, very comfortable, but have trouble with it leaking. Others don't have that problem with it.

The side effects of CPAP are annoying, but I eventually got to a place where the benefits I was getting from xPAP therapy made it an easy choice to strap on the mask at night....I wouldn't skip it any more than a diabetic would skip the daily insulin shot.

[Hawthorne]

About the nasal prongs interface - someone mentioned the Nasal aire 11 but there is another nasal prong interface called  the Snapp -  used to be Snapp X but is now Snapp 2.0.  I think there is also at least one other nasal prongs interface ( can't remember the name).I'm not knocking Babette's campaign for the Nasal Aire 11, just letting you know there is another nasal prongs interface available.  I tried the Nasal Aire 11 a few years ago, and the tubing around the face seemed to press on a nerve ( for me).  It made my arm numb and tingly so gave it up.  This spring I found the the Snapp and got one.   I really like it and there is no tubing around the head to cause me any problems.  Nasal prongs now work well for me.  I have worn the Snapp  almost exclusively since I found it!

[Snoredog]

if you have half a brain (old stroke joke) you compare the side effects of CPAP to the side effects of no treatment.

CPAP:
You look like a dork wearing the gear, but who sees you sleep? the cat? the dog?
it is uncomfortable
it is confining
it may uncover other disorders you may not have known you had like GERD
strain on your wallet with consumables

No Treatment:
Uncontrolled Hypertension
Heat Attack
Stroke
Early Death
High medical costs
No libido

[Poppy]

Hawthorne, I just looked up the nasal prongs and I'm wondering if that would work for a side sleeper. The picture shows some kind of plastic (tubing?) going up either side of the head. I am currently using nasal pillows that are pretty comfortable, but I'm getting leaks.
poppy

[Nodzy]

No Treatment:
Uncontrolled Hypertension
Heat Attack
Stroke
Early Death
High medical costs
No libido

I have to chime in. Refusing or shunning proper and good OSA therapy is a sure way to ensure that you'll really suffer while on the breezy side of the dirt... and then get to the dark side of the dirt sooner.

Low oxygen levels repeatedly, night after night on-end, is kind of like running your cherished vehicle a quart low on oil endlessly day after day, and never changing the oil. That’s abstract, but somewhat similar. And most of us know what that does to a vehicle. Or, try permanently restricting the airflow into your vehicle engine and see what that does to your mileage, acceleration and the longevity of the engine.

Restricted airflow into your body is detrimental to an ever greater degree, and surely could shorten the number of years you'll be driving. But that could save wear and tear on your car, ehhh....

In my thousands of pages of reading I have discovered many small studies, and independent findings, relating OSA and other forms of sleep disordered breathing to over eighty (80) specific ailments and maladies, in-part.

Such as:
Premature aging/graying – iffy, but possible
Diabetes onset and/or worsening
Artery clogging
Artery hardening
Cholesterol imbalance and resistance to treatment
Edema onset and/or worsening
Venous Stasis
Congestive Heart Failure
Heart arrythmias and angina pectoris
Abnormal weight gain and/or retention
Premature damage/wear to the various internal organs, if not all internal organs
Inability of the body to properly and fully utilize nutrients from foods and supplements
Metabolic insufficiencies and imbalances
Subtle and slow injury to the brain – cells dying at an advanced rate
Attention span impairment
Memory impairment
Impairment of routine motor and personal skills
Alzheimer’s
Dementia
Headaches, persistent or spontaneous at any time
Neuropathy onset and/or worsening, of various types, very painful to many folks
Fibromyalgia onset and/or worsening, very painful to many folks
Denervation-Reinnervation onset and/or worsening, a very painful condition
Skin disorders of various types
Arthritis onset and or/worsening of various types and locations in the body
Itching disorders of various types and degrees
Vision deterioration, and possibly contributes to or worsens cataracts
Hearing deterioration
Bowel malfunctions and abnormalities - the bowels also gather and draw nutrients into you
Urinary tract malfunctions and abnormalities - leaking etc
Low or loss of sex drive and inability to enjoy or function normally during sex
Osteoporosis
Spinal Stenosis

Of course, not every OSA sufferer will have any two or more of those, but many will have two or more. And some will have a third of more of that short list to suffer with.

Much depends on your overall health, length of time suffering with OSA, work history and hours, diet, and many other factors. But even those with the best habits and planned lives suffer immensely from the peripheral effects of OSA.

Not to mention that OSA, the persistent depravation of beneficial sleep and low oxygen levels during all sleep, has been definitively linked to workplace productivity losses, absenteeism, accidents, injuries and deaths, and various other costly errors for employers to cope with.

As well, sleep disordered breathing causing loss of beneficial and storative sleep is a known contributor to traffic accidents, injuries and fatalities. Those costs alone are in the tens-of-billions of dollars.

The medical community is now reasonably certain that a substantial number of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) cases have some form of sleep disordered breathing as a major contributor, if not the primary cause.

I’m a dedicated hoser and largely successful, thanks to the fine folks here who imparted their caring, wealth of experienced knowledge and repeated urging to get me out of OSA-CPAP misery. Through this forum and my desire to live,I quickly evolved into the mindset of working toward and welcoming a beneficial blow on every night.

‘nuf said by Nodzy…

[Poppy]

Wow Nodzy, that was inspiring. Yesterday where I live the news was full of reports of a "new" medical study that proves that sleep deprivation is harmful to one's health. They cited specifically inflammatory diseases, heart disease, and immune deficiency syndromes. Hard to understand now that was news but it did help to put into perspective for others in my life that severe osa is a serious issue and not simply bad snoring.
poppy

[Nodzy]

They cited specifically inflammatory diseases, heart disease, and immune deficiency syndromes.
poppy

Poppy
Thanks for adding that. Yep, the list of what SDB (Sleep Disordered Breathing) causes or contributes to will grow. Oxygen, at high levels, is key to all body processes and functions. Having it at the best levels during all sleep won't preclude illnesses and diseases. But not having it at optimum levels is documented to affect the entire body in a grossly negative and degenerative manner.

Nodzy