Would like to hear about everyones experience....

[DeeDeeD]

I started on CPAP on Feb 9th, 2010 and if I really think about it I basically noticed an improvement right from the beginning (not without a few hiccups along the way like most). I guess its only been 3 months and while I've had so many improvements to my quality of life since starting I feel like I could be feeling even better. Does anyone else feel like this? I know everyones experiences are going to be different but I'm just feeling nervous that "this is it". Am I just being greedy? LOL I read stories about people having all this energy and while I do have way more energy than before I still don't feel like the way other describe they feel. I just feel like I've hit a plateau. My numbers are awesome...AHI averages at 1.6 and has been like that for the past 2 months. Am I possibly still just repaying the sleep debt? I do get these bursts of great energy some days but then I might not have it again for awhile. Like one day a week and a half ago I decided I was going to rearrange my entire apartment and do a huge clean up. I managed to do quite a bit but obviously this was more than one days work....I told myself I would finish it the next day but I haven't had the energy to do it. Lately I feel like all I wanna do is sleep....where as last month I had no probs getting up at 5 or 6am every day. Anyways...just curious to see if anyone else is feeling like this.

[elena88]

Hi there...
Funny, I felt like putting up a thread called.. "good nights bad nights, is it always going to be this way?"

I have had a few good nights, my numbers are good, last night ahi was five.. but have had them about 3.5

Every morning is difficult, but once I get going, its either a good day or a bad day.. maybe some mouth breathing going on..

My hybrid mask didnt work out, so back to nose pillows.. Im still on the learning curve. Im hoping when I get the right mask,

everything will fall into place.. mouth taping sometimes works, other times its a disaster when I have to cough a lot.. (allergies)

Its only been two and half months for me, so Im a babe in the hose head forest..

[newhosehead]

I started on CPAP on Feb 9th, 2010 and if I really think about it I basically noticed an improvement right from the beginning (not without a few hiccups along the way like most). I guess its only been 3 months and while I've had so many improvements to my quality of life since starting I feel like I could be feeling even better. Does anyone else feel like this? I know everyones experiences are going to be different but I'm just feeling nervous that "this is it". Am I just being greedy? LOL I read stories about people having all this energy and while I do have way more energy than before I still don't feel like the way other describe they feel. I just feel like I've hit a plateau. My numbers are awesome...AHI averages at 1.6 and has been like that for the past 2 months. Am I possibly still just repaying the sleep debt? I do get these bursts of great energy some days but then I might not have it again for awhile. Like one day a week and a half ago I decided I was going to rearrange my entire apartment and do a huge clean up. I managed to do quite a bit but obviously this was more than one days work....I told myself I would finish it the next day but I haven't had the energy to do it. Lately I feel like all I wanna do is sleep....where as last month I had no probs getting up at 5 or 6am every day. Anyways...just curious to see if anyone else is feeling like this.

DeeDee,
Just wanted you to know that I can relate to what you are feeling. I began CPAP right before Christmas and I feel exactly as you described. I know I feel better than I did, but I definitely have the "is this as good as it gets?" feeling. I have tried being proactive, exercising, etc and there are days when I just cant do it. Complete exercise intolerance, etc. Also days when my energy level is pretty decent. My numbers are also good, so I am afraid I often do think this is just the way it is going to be. Honestly...if I did not know all the dangers associated with untreated apnea, I would throw the whole contraption out the window.
Hope it gets better for both of us.

Jeanette

[kteague]

Seems from reading on here that highs and lows are common. Hard to tell how much is normal and how much is OSA related. But when I think that in an 8 hour night with an AHI of 2, that's still a total of 16 events, with a few of them likely causing arousals. Add to those any mask or headgear issues and leaks, then factor in general pain, and external stimuli - plenty of opportunities to have a non restful night. I know everyone is different, but for me it seems even during good energy times, I don't sustain the energy as I'd like, and I need recovery time between expending energy. But then again, I still have sleep issues. Hopefully those who are sleeping well with effective therapy those "bad" times become fewer and farther between.

[newhosehead]

Seems from reading on here that highs and lows are common. Hard to tell how much is normal and how much is OSA related. But when I think that in an 8 hour night with an AHI of 2, that's still a total of 16 events, with a few of them likely causing arousals. Add to those any mask or headgear issues and leaks, then factor in general pain, and external stimuli - plenty of opportunities to have a non restful night. I know everyone is different, but for me it seems even during good energy times, I don't sustain the energy as I'd like, and I need recovery time between expending energy. But then again, I still have sleep issues. Hopefully those who are sleeping well with effective therapy those "bad" times become fewer and farther between.

To the OP: I am really glad this thread was started. kteague, when you said you don't sustain the energy as you would like and you need recovery time between expending energy..again, that is my experience also and I sleep like a rock (however a rock sleeps, basically I mean I seldom wake up and when I wake in the am I am in the same position I went to sleep in). It makes me wonder if this is the norm. I guess I need to start watching threads carefully for folks who report a complete turn-around!
Jeanette

[DeeDeeD]

So I just got off the phone with the sleep clinic. They were calling me to tell me the results of my oximetry test which was excellent. I told her how I"ve been feeling and told her that I feel like I'm still not at 100%. She said she will talk to the doctor and see if there are any adjustments we can make. She said that they might increase my pressure.

I can totally relate to the "sleeping like a rock" thing. I often wake up in the morning in the exact same position I went to sleep in.

I do housekeeping at a hotel and some days I just seem to zoom around there doing all sorts of extra work because I have tons of energy and the next day I can barely even do the bare minimum to get my job done.

[KatieW]

I've been on cpap for 6 months now. In the beginning I had a "bad night" every week or so. I would wake up tired, and my AHI was higher. Those bad nights have gotten further apart, and almost disappeared.

Yes, it does get better and better.

[newhosehead]

I've been on cpap for 6 months now. In the beginning I had a "bad night" every week or so. I would wake up tired, and my AHI was higher. Those bad nights have gotten further apart, and almost disappeared.

Yes, it does get better and better.

Katie, that is good to hear! I suppose it is becoming obvious I cannot let this thread drop With my start right before Christmas, I am very close to 5 months in and I really don't have bad "nights", I just have bad DAYS...NO energy days. Yes, I know those are probably related to the nights but when all looks good (numbers, leaks, etc) I have to ask myself if it is time to go the whole doctor route again in search of something else.
I dont mean to sound completely negative..I do not nap at the drop of a hat anymore. I can actually concentrate. I have been 100% compliant. (Well, okay, there WAS one night) but I just cannot get my energy back. I read Carbonman's "quote" in his signature line about doing something for yourself and started exercising. I started to write again. To make a long story short, I cannot sustain any of it. If I have a good day, it seems I will pay for it with anywhere from 3-7 bad ones. Again, not napping, just zero energy.
I can only hope I get where you are, Katie!

Jeanette

[echo]

Agreed, it does get better and better. It can easily take some people more than a few months just to get physically and psychologically comfortable with the whole setup, depending on how much trouble you have with mask comfort, humidifer issues, etc. I still have good and bad days, and my bad days seem 100% correlated with GERD/reflux or congestion the night before (yet the numbers still look "perfect"). A lot of people with OSA also have GERD so this is worth considering.
I also finally got treated for hypothyroidism, which helps increase the number of good days!
Hopefully you will have more and more good days! If not, start digging!

BTW if you don't have the software, you might still have leaks and not know it, since you will only see the average leak number. For example you might still have frequent and large enough leaks to shift you out of sleep stages during the night, so it won't show up in your data but you will definitely feel it the next day. Or your pressure might need to be a tad higher, for example if you're still snoring.

[DeeDeeD]

Jeanette...you said that perfectly....no bad nights just bad days...no energy days. Thats exactly how I am too. Numbers are perfect! My doctor told me today to put my pressure up by 1 more (13 up to 14) tonight and try it there for awhile to see if it makes a difference. Here's hoping!!

[newhosehead]

DeeDee,
I hope the rise in pressure makes a difference for you; please let us know. It seems you and I have a lot in common, I just noticed we have the same machine and mask!

@Echo, I haven't really had trouble getting acclimated to the setup, some nose bridge soreness which was solved with the comfort gel pad, no humidifier problems, etc. Sleeping with the beast has actually been relatively easy for me (or as easy as it can be, I guess!)
My thyroid function has always been within normal limits, but last time I saw my PC Doctor, she said it might be worthwhile to give the meds a try as "normal limits" are not necessarily normal for everyone. I am thinking that may be a wise move. Did the thyroid treatment make a big difference for you? I am sorry if you already said that in your post but I didn't hit quote and my memory is deserting me

Jeanette

[echo]

My thyroid function has always been within normal limits, but last time I saw my PC Doctor, she said it might be worthwhile to give the meds a try as "normal limits" are not necessarily normal for everyone. I am thinking that may be a wise move. Did the thyroid treatment make a big difference for you? I am sorry if you already said that in your post but I didn't hit quote and my memory is deserting me

Big difference? YES YES and YES!! Here's an ongoing discussion, which started out discussing GERD but then moved to hypothyroidism:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=37024&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&start=60
and quite a bit of discussion on hypothryoidism starting here (long) (hypothyroid/compSA/fibro connection): viewtopic.php?f=1&t=51063&p=475278#p475278

Mine were also within the "normal limits" though TSH was just on the edge of the (new) normal range 0-4. The doctor started me out a 25 micrograms, and increased by 12.5 microgram slowly. I'm at 50 ug now and feeling a lot better. The numbers are a LOT better now. I printed out the list of hypothyroid symptoms and checked the ones that applied, and went to the doctor with that. It sounds great that your doctor is willing to treat you for it!

I started the meds in December, immediately noticed: improved digestion, less overall swelling/bloating, took the edge off of being tired/fatigued. When I increased to 37.5 ug I noticed that I was even less tired. At 50 ug my horrible dry skin has magically improved! At some point I also noticed reduced anxiety, and reduced depression. My energy levels aren't 100% yet, but I now have enough energy to exercise! She started me out on the lowest dose to avoid symptoms like heart palpitations, headaches. I stayed at the lowest dose for a month or so, then increased by 12.5 ug every 2-4 weeks. Blood letting just before each increase to check effect on thyroid.

Definintely go for it!

[SleepyT]

I started on CPAP on Feb 9th, 2010 and if I really think about it I basically noticed an improvement right from the beginning (not without a few hiccups along the way like most). I guess its only been 3 months and while I've had so many improvements to my quality of life since starting I feel like I could be feeling even better. Does anyone else feel like this? I know everyones experiences are going to be different but I'm just feeling nervous that "this is it". Am I just being greedy? LOL I read stories about people having all this energy and while I do have way more energy than before I still don't feel like the way other describe they feel. I just feel like I've hit a plateau. My numbers are awesome...AHI averages at 1.6 and has been like that for the past 2 months. Am I possibly still just repaying the sleep debt? I do get these bursts of great energy some days but then I might not have it again for awhile. Like one day a week and a half ago I decided I was going to rearrange my entire apartment and do a huge clean up. I managed to do quite a bit but obviously this was more than one days work....I told myself I would finish it the next day but I haven't had the energy to do it. Lately I feel like all I wanna do is sleep....where as last month I had no probs getting up at 5 or 6am every day. Anyways...just curious to see if anyone else is feeling like this.

Well...my thoughts are...you're still early into this thing...and it will take longer to get where you want to go. But I would also add that other things impact our sleep quality. Life's little stresses, for example. Things like a road trip that tires you out...or working extra hard in the yard over the weekend...etc.....all these things can mess up our sleep. So given the whole picture...and the fact that we're all getting older...I think recovery from sleep issues can take a while. My two cents!

[DeeDeeD]

Thanks SleepyT....I wondered that too, if its still just too early. I have seen so many improvements so far and some happened really quickly so I guess I'm just anxious for other things to improve now too! LOL