Two nights of therapy, headache and more exhausted than ever

[Nyx]

I received my BiPAP on Monday, and started using it that night. I slept for approximately seven hours, but woke up with a terrible headache (almost like a migraine pain, but without the light sensitivity and nausea) and still felt exhausted. About seven hours later, I went back to bed for what turned out to be a four-hour+ nap.

When I napped, I made sure my mask was adjusted with the least amount of tension necessary, in case that was the cause of the headache. The mask seemed comfortable, left no marks, but again, I woke up with a headache.

Just a few hours after I woke from my nap, I went back to bed for a full night's sleep -- eight hours this time. I still have a headache today (though it's not as bad as yesterday), and the exhaustion is just as bad. I just woke from a three and a half-hour nap.

I've used the machine without exception since getting it.

Exhaustion and the need for naps aren't unusual for me. In addition to severe OSA, I'm anemic and hypothyroid (treated but still out of range for now). But before I started on the BiPAP, I might have had to nap for an hour or two a day, and I didn't have a daily headache. I was still tired all of the time, but I could function. Now, I can barely stay awake.

Even though I'm very early in the therapy, shouldn't I either feel a slight bit more energy or at least no less than usual now that I'm using the BiPAP? Are headaches normal in the beginning?

I'd appreciate any thoughts/advice on this.

Oh, and I should mention that I have seen some positives. I haven't had to get up to go to the bathroom several times a night, as I normally would have, and I'm not waking up with GERD distress. I do wake up a few times, but it's very brief when I do -- just long enough to look at the clock.

Additional info, if it helps: My machine is a Philips Respironics System One BiPAP Pro w/humidifier. It's set to 14/8. My mask is the ResMed Mirage FX for Her.

I don't really have any details about my condition. My primary doc sent me to the sleep lab. The study showed that I have severe OSA (I haven't seen the reports). I went back for titration study, and then received my machine a week later. After reading the forums, I now plan to get in touch with the sleep lab for reports. In one month, I'm scheduled to see a sleep doc for the first time.

[Pugsy]

Do you have the software that you can use to evaluate your therapy?
Look on the bottom of your machine for a 3 digit number that is the model #....is it 650 or 660?
Model number determines which software I would recommend.

While we expect that it can take some time to feel better on the machine...we don't normally see people who feel markedly worse.
Let's see what the software shows is happening.

Headache...how does your neck feel? Sometimes sleeping in a weird position due to the mask can stress the cervical spine.
Did you wake often during the night for any reason?

[rjezuit]

Sometimes sleeping more soundly makes you move around less and causes a muscle tension headache.

[Nyx]

Pugsy,
I don't have any software. The model number is 660. I'd love to know what software to get.

As for my neck, I do have problems in general. I have disc issues throughout my back. In fact I'm due to get MRIs (cervical, thoracic and lumbar) soon to see exactly how bad things are now. Having said that, the mask feels ... well ... as comfortable as I could imagine it feeling at this point. Still, I guess that could tie in to the headaches.

When I wake during the night (since starting BiPAP), I don't really know why I'm waking. I don't feel the need to run to the restroom (and I used to go several times a night). I'm not particularly uncomfortable, though sometimes I do feel the need to readjust the mask a bit (just sort of pull it forward and then back). I just wake up, look at the clock and go back to sleep.

Rjezuit,
It's true that I'm not tossing and turning like I normally would, so that could be a factor.

Thanks for the responses!

[Pugsy]

I have a bad neck (metal plate in it and some other stuff) when I sleep weird on the pillow (and I did last night) I wake up with a headache. Sometimes the addition of the mask to the face makes a little change in position of the neck. It's an ideas...of course there are always other causes for headaches too.

I will send you a private message in just a minute about the software.

[Wulfman...]

I see you're using a nasal mask.......
Are you leaking your therapy air out of your mouth while you're sleeping?
That could minimize or nullify your therapy benefits.

Den

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[Nyx]

Wulfman,

Good thinking, but I don't seem to be leaking from the mouth. My husband says I'm not really snoring with the machine (I'm sure a nice change of pace for him), and I'm keeping my mouth closed.

Pugsy,

Thanks for the PM! Here's a screen grab with the most recent details from my nap today:


I don't see anything too alarming, but I'll admit, I don't really know what I'm looking at.

[Wulfman...]

Well, that report looks pretty decent. Maybe it's just the "adjustment period" we all go through to become used to this new way of sleeping and breathing.

Hang in there!

Den

.

[Pugsy]

I agree with Den...nothing alarming there.

Leak line looks really good. The Clear Airway events we just sort of ignore. Not enough of them to worry about.
We don't treat those with pressure anyway.

Of course we don't know why the headache all of the sudden. If that doesn't ease up probably should alert the doctor.

[Nyx]

Thanks for all the help! My energy seems much better today. Woke up with some stomach bloating/pain today, so I might be swallowing a bit of air -- nothing major. The discomfort passed after an hour or so. The headache is still sticking around, but it's not as bad. If it doesn't clear up in a couple of days, I'll see the doc. Otherwise, I think I'm doing OK.

I'm trying to focus on the good stuff for now. The GERD/reflux symptoms haven't popped up at all since starting the machine, and that's really great. Normally I'd be up taking medicine for it in the middle of the night.