Fast results common?

[KrisasMan]

I am new to the whole CPAP world, only on day 12, and I am curious to know how often people have fast results?

I really haven't thought about apnea for myself too much so it never got onto my list of things to get checked out. This spring I had surgery for a pleomorphic adenoma in my parotid gland (it is the big saliva gland in front of each ear) and maxed out my insurance so as the year drew towards a close I got to thinking I should check into a few things while visits are free. I went to an asthma specialist to see about a daily med instead of relying just on albuterol. In the middle of the visit he said 'I think you need to have a sleep study'. Since it was free I figured sure.

I talked to my wife before the sleep clinic visit and she said sometimes she wakes up and I am not making any sound so she rubs my back until I start breathing. The initial visit went well and they decided to proceed with the sleep study. After the visit I remembered that after my surgery, while on morphine and percocet I kept getting woken up by the Pulse/Ox monitor beeping feeling like I need to breathe more. Started to figure... 'maybe I have apnea'.

When I had my sleep study they found I had apnea so they put me on the CPAP at about 4 hrs in and left it on until I was done at 8 hrs. I don't know which mask it was but it was a bit bulky but it was comfortable enough to breath in. The CPAP worked so well with me that I could feel my body oxygenate, tingling in my hands and other places. After 8 hrs of completely interrupted sleep I felt better than I had in quite a while. I was excited to get my own so I could have a good night sleep again.

I got my CPAP (a F&P Icon Auto with the Auto turned off) on a Friday and I slept well the first night. Since then my morning 'high' has faded but I still feel more awake all day long. I had to change the mask they gave me for comfort but otherwise the nasal mask has worked for me. I have had some congestion but I think it is a cold I started before the sleep study. I live in the cold north of MN so I have had to crank the humidity all the way up and could maybe stand some more but what can you do in this cold dry weather. I think the congestion might be leading to me taking off the mask in the night. I wake up later and put it back on and still get in 4-6 hrs of use with the breaks. There are still a few things to work out like keeping this new mask from leaking too much and geting my sinuses and airway used to me breathing thru my nose instead of my mouth but I am sure this forum will help me find what I need.

As far as adjusting to the 'gear' I have 2 advantages, I have always been a pretty sound sleeper and this isn't the first time I have been on a CPAP. I was born with HMD/IRDS and was a test baby for the nasal CPAP, I was probably only on it for 3-5 days though. Now CPAP is standard treatment for IRDS.

For reference my CPAP is on 9 and my AHI in the study was 24 (only moderate from what I read).

I guess it just surprises me to hear about 60% non-compliance and wonder if I am some 'magical' case? Is it uncommon to feel the oxygenation? Is it uncommon to feel better in the morning? I guess part of me fears there may be a 'crash' in the future that makes it as miserable as some people sound.

[MaxDarkside]

I'm west of you, out by Lake Minnetonka. I've been on my Resmed machine for 1 month now. I felt some initial jump in feeling better and some of my dangerous symptoms (arrhythmias) disappeared the first few days but I was (and am) still groggy during the day, though not as bad. Each day now, still, is a step better. I look forward to going to bed now, knowing I will feel better yet the next day. For how much longer I will feel these steps up I don't know. At some point I'll plateau I'm sure, but that plateau will be in a wonderful place compared to where I was. Reminding myself of where I was will help keep me on the machine after the improvements stop.

[Julie]

Hi - just a suggestion, but many people have found that turning down the humidifier gets rid of a lot of the congestion (which is actually causes), so you might want to give it a try. Also, if you find you don't feel as good now, ask your wife if you normally sleep with your mouth open, in which case you're losing the therapy air that way and might need to try either taping (a forum search for that will explain it) or a full face mask.

[ameriken]

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[KrisasMan]

Interesting that reducing the humidity works for some. I turned it up because the back of my throat and soft palate were feeling quite dry in the morning. My family is pretty much all mouth breathers who sleep on their side and I figured my airway is not used to the drying effect of all that air coming thru my nose.

I am pretty sure the cold has left within the last 24-48 hrs so I am mainly dealing the the CPAP adjustment now. The new pattern has been feeling pretty good in the morning (given my airway is still not adjusted I can't say it is normal) but then during the day at the office (probably really dry air) I start to feel sinus pressure above my eyes. This evening it was pretty bad so I did a sinus rinse earlier than my normal bedtime routine and it has cleared up the pressure feeling. I will probably flush again before bed to be safe.

Does this sound like the congestion people get from too much humidity??

[Pugsy]

Does this sound like the congestion people get from too much humidity??

Not to me. I would think if the congestion is from too much humidity one would wake up with it and perhaps get progressively better as things dried out. Sounds to me like other way around is happening.
You get more congested as day goes on. Your nasal mucosa may like the moisture and not the drier air.

Only way to know for sure is to try a small reduction in humidifier setting to see what happens.

[Go3Team]

Quick results? I would say mine were rather quick. I had my first sleep study done almost 16 years ago. CPAPs and masks were rather basic and expensive in those days. My first full "night" using the CPAP, I woke up about 2 hours after I had fell asleep, feeling the most rested I had ever felt in years. This was my 2nd or 3rd night using the CPAP. I have used it every night ever since.

[Mr Bill]

I got that first quick result of feeling like a million bucks after the first night. But I think it takes much longer for your body's expectations of sleep, blood oxygen, and blood CO2 to reconfigure to a new normal. You are off to a good start. I'll just add that another thing that can make you feel congested, besides too much humidity (which is my problem, I hate dry throat but humidity makes me totally stuff up), is if your mask is too tight. When it presses on your face, that blocks your sinuses. Try setting up your mask as loose as you can possible make it while still not leaking. Then move around a little and readjust. That should be pretty loose and that alone can make you feel like you are less congested. Now just pull the whole mask off without touching the straps and its all set for the next night.

[jabman]

Hi KrisasMan
I am just to the south of you in Hastings. I am glad to here it is going good for you. I had quick results but I cant say that I felt great only better. But my day time sleepness has gone away, I am able to concentrate on things better.

[chunkyfrog]

The morning after titration; my chest hurt from deeper breathing than I was used to;
and I had air in my tummy. But MY HEADACHE WAS GONE!
Not a bad trade, at all.

[Drowsy Dancer]

The body is not a clock; it's a garden.

[MaxDarkside]

In my sleep study, I had a non-REM AHI of about 25 and a REM AHI of 48 and a sleep efficiency of 51%. Now that I have my equipment, and by using SleepyHead, I can see in the beginning of my therapy I had a Max AHI of about 15 and an average AHI of 6 starting out. Now, after about a month and a half of most excellent compliance (OK, reasonably good compliance ), I'm at a Max AHI of 2 and an average AHI of 0.87. Woot ! ... and it's still trending down.

Moral of the Story: It can take a while as the positive effect accumulates.

[osmium sleeper]

KrisasMan,

I have had a similar response. The day after my titration, I felt more awake and in a better mood than I have been in for at least 6 years, maybe even a decade. For years I had resisted getting a sleep study, since apnea would lead to the "curse of the the CPAP". However, after completely losing the positive effects of my magical prescription "Benzo for sleep and Amphetamine for waking awareness" combination (and zoloft for the depression caused by this combo) had finally stopped working, I figured that I was out of options.

Aside from some technical problems such as being sized incorrectly for masks and or disliking my nasal pillows, I have had such an amazing turnaround in my mood and a COMPLETE alleviation from depression and a near elimination of my fatigue. Now if only I could get my insurance to cover an additional machine for travel!

[LSAT]

KrisasMan,

I have had a similar response. The day after my titration, I felt more awake and in a better mood than I have been in for at least 6 years, maybe even a decade. For years I had resisted getting a sleep study, since apnea would lead to the "curse of the the CPAP". However, after completely losing the positive effects of my magical prescription "Benzo for sleep and Amphetamine for waking awareness" combination (and zoloft for the depression caused by this combo) had finally stopped working, I figured that I was out of options.

Aside from some technical problems such as being sized incorrectly for masks and or disliking my nasal pillows, I have had such an amazing turnaround in my mood and a COMPLETE alleviation from depression and a near elimination of my fatigue. Now if only I could get my insurance to cover an additional machine for travel!

There are always machines available on craigslist...usually cheap.

[SleepingBearDoNtWake]

I think it really depends on each person, and wether or not sleep apnea is the only problem that they have. For me, I thought my cpap was going to be the answer to my prayers, but it hasn't been, i'm still so tired and can barely function. I have sever depression, anxiety and insomnia. The doctor thought that sleep apnea may be what was contributing to my problems, and i believe that is probably true, but because I have had it for many many years, maybe I have some problems from not being treated.
So I have been going to the doc for blood tests and trying to find out other problems that may make me tired. Things like low vitamin B, folic acid, Iron, thyroid. For my all of these things have always come back normal, except one time I was told that I was slightly anemic, but other tests since then have said I was fine.
So I had my vitamin D tested as this can lead to depression, tiredness, etc. And because I am depressed, I don't leave the house much, and don't get enough sun light. It turn out that I was very low, so I have started on supplements for that. Too soon to tell if it is going to have an effect or not.
The other thing I had was low testosterone, which also can cause depression, weakness, muscle loss, weight gain, no energy. I was really low! I was around 100 and I needed to be around 300 - 900, so I started on a patch. I got retested and it didn't budge. So now I have to see a specalist for possible injections. I pray that this is part of my answer that I have been waiting 15 years for.
So I guess what I am trying to say is, that Cpap works, but we may have other medical problems that keep you from feeling better, so you have to be a detective, and really take charge of your health, and get the doctor to listen to your problems, and get some tests, if you feel there might be something more going on.
Give the Cpap a few months. If no improvement, stay on it, and start trying to see what else might be going on.