New mask, low AHI but apnea symptoms returning.

[DenG]

So, I've mentioned in other threads that I find my new Mirage FX to be very comfortable and easy to sleep with.

I've spent 4 nights with it, and I've been waking up pretty tired while not being aware of my sleep being disturbed any more than usual.
I figured I hadn't been sleeping as well as I thought and it was just a matter of getting accustomed to sleeping with the bulkier mask.

However, what I've noticed over the last couple of days that has me a bit concerned is the return of certain symptoms I associate with apnea.

Before starting on CPAP, I would wake up every morning with a sore, stiff lower back and many times a head ache and other aches and pains.
Immediately after starting CPAP, all those aches and pains went away, even after nights where problems with the mask resulted in very little sleep.

I learned to distinguish between what I assumed to be symptoms of oxygen deprivation and sleep deprivation.

So, as I said, the last 4 nights with the Mirage, as far as I can recall, I'm sleeping pretty well, relatively speaking.
And yet, I'm waking up feeling crappy in a way I associate with pre-therapy apnea as opposed to just poor sleep.

Hopefully someone can help.
I'd imagine a look at my data will be called for - I've never been able to figure out how to interpret it, but I do have Sleepyhead.

[Pugsy]

There may not be anything of great excitement showing on the software reports but we have to start somewhere...so please post a couple of the recent daily detailed graphs.

Also....
are you waking up at all during the night (even short term) ???
Or do you go to sleep and it's light out until morning with no wake ups in between?
Another also....how many hours of sleep are you getting?

[Sheriff Buford]

Also: notice that while treating apnea (via cpap machine), you may be getting restful sleep and sleeping in one position longer than you are used to. In my case, at the start of treating apnea, I slept much longer in one position, so I was waking up with sore and achy back, neck, and muscles. This went away after a few weeks. About a year later, I bought a Temper-pedic mattress and I went thru a week or so of achy muscles again... until I got used to it. To me, your symptoms are fairly normal and should be taken as a sign that you are DOING GREAT! Keep it up. I'm glad you found a comfortable mask!

Sheriff

[DenG]

I will post some graphs as soon as I get a chance.
Can you tell me specifically what information should be showing in the images?

I do wake frequently during the night - typically at least 4 times that I'm aware of - to varying levels of consciousness.
I always have, even before my apnea became severe.
With the Elan mask, I would wake up, fuss with the mask enough to become fully awake, and then take some time to fall back to sleep.
With the Mirage, I'm waking to a much lesser degree of consciousness, to the degree that I'm not even certain how often I'm waking.
What I'm aware of with this mask is merely waking, turning over and falling immediately back to sleep.
Pretty much the same as before CPAP or even severe apnea - several times during the night I would wake, roll over, fall back to sleep.

I spend 8 - 9 hours in bed each night. How many of those hours are spent sleeping is something I can't answer.
It can take me anywhere from 15 minutes to maybe 45 minutes, on a bad night, to fall asleep.

Sheriff - I'm familiar with this particular morning back ache as something that was chronic when my apnea was at its worst before starting CPAP and rapidly disappeared once I started CPAP.
Same with the headaches - it's something I don't experience when I have a night of poor sleep with CPAP but experienced even with a decent night of sleep without CPAP.

I've learned to recognize the difference between how I feel after a night of little sleep and a night of apnea plagued sleep.
It's the difference between feeling tired and feeling severely fatigued in addition to tired, if you know what I mean.

I appreciate your positive outlook, but I have done better at times over the last 3 months of therapy, and the way I've been feeling the last few days is anything but great.

I'll go fetch my SD card and work on getting some graphs posted.

[Pugsy]

I will post some graphs as soon as I get a chance.
Can you tell me specifically what information should be showing in the images?

I don't care about any of the graphs except these....with maybe the flow limitation graph for the S9 if it has much activity on it. Mine never do so I don't bother with them.

[DenG]

Ok - here are the past 3 out of 4 nights I spent with the Mirage - so I only left out the first night I used it.
For comparison and contrast I also included Friday night 1/10, the last night I used the Elan, because Saturday was the best I've felt in quite awhile.

[DenG]

Feel slightly better this morning, despite being aware of waking fully at 4:30 am.

This whole process can be very confounding.