Headaches ... am I alone?

[byront]

Before I started on xPap I used to wake up at least every other day with a severe headache that would last at least a couple of hours, and often all day long unless I popped some ibuprofin. At times they would even hit every morning - this is one of the symptoms that really pushed me to get this therapy going as I figured the cause may be insufficient oxygen to the brain. My Grandmother died a few years back of a brain stroke, so that just added to my concern. Since on xPAP (15 days now) I have only had 1 headache, fairly mild comparatively, and that was on day 2. Since then almost 2 weeks headache free! If this continues, and I think it will, for me that alone was well worth the expense. What I am wondering is if I am alone on this one, or if anyone has experiences the headache thing? I don't recall reading any posts regarding it, but then it would take much more free time than I have to read all of the past posts on this incredibly helpful board - I can't even keep up with the new ones. So, my apologies in advance if this is a redundant post. --- BT

[cpapjack]

Hmm, intersting. I've actually had the opposite happen. Before I started my therapy, I really never had headaches throughout life. Since I've started, I do get headaches every now and then. Just minor ones, maybe a few a week.

[Snoozin' Bluezzz]

No, you are not alone. Search on headaches and you will see that it was, and is, a common pre-treatment complaint. It makes sense doesn't it? Not enough oxygen, too much CO2 and voila - headache.

Headaches and pitting edema were the factors that drove me to commit to a therapy I resented terribly and had rejected, to one degree or another, for almost 5 years.

I don't get headaches anymore unless there is some anomaly in my treatment or an identified stress, dietary cause, or poor hydration. The pitting edema has not gone away but I am obese and my fitness levels are poor so I suspect that is contributing to the tenacity of that problem.

David

[inacpapfog]

Like Snoozin points out, headaches are a common flag for OSA.
Prior to treatment, I would wake up with a dull headache (lasting about an hour) probably 50 % of the time. Since cpap, not one!

[linda b]

No, you are not alone by a long shot. I experienced the same as those have already described. Now the only headaches I get are related to other causes such as eye strain (sewing), sinus problems, etc.

[RedThunder94]

i have severe headaches from time to time, i had them before being diagnosed and now even after treatment, but my headaches suck worst than you can imagine, i had one last me a week, popping pills only made them subside enough to where i could function at about 50%,

they never really left they were always right there waiting to come back full force and make me just wanna curl up in a little ball and die, no joke, i'm glad those are rare though, i too was hoping that cpap would help but it still happens quite frequently, i'm glad your's did go away though, you are extremely lucky.

[snoregirl]

I have other headaches, but yes I did also get those morning nasty ones. I can remember stumbling into the bathroom to find the tylonol (and tylonol pulse...) and going back to bed.

I am sure a lot of the morning headaches were related to apnea. I have had very very few since starting CPAP.

[Snoozin' Bluezzz]

i have severe headaches from time to time, i had them before being diagnosed and now even after treatment, but my headaches suck worst than you can imagine,

OSA Induced headaches would only be after sleeping for some period of time and noticed by being awoken while asleep or upon waking or shortly after waking and rising. I used to get severe migraines that were stress and diet related. They have passed as I have aged and are very rare, like with you RT, they made me very ill, to the point I just had to go to bed.

I also get severe tension headaches compounded by inadequate hydration when under stress or through preoccupation with activities. These are far less frequent with xPAP therapy and I think OSA induced headaches triggered or made me more susceptible to the others.

Hang in there.

David

[ldaiga]

Absolutely! I got constant headaches while sleeping. I only note this because I got up ATLEAST 4 times in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and my head would ache something horrible. Often I would pop an Excedrin to help it go away and help me fall asleep. After waking in the morning and being in the upright position, the headaches would eventually go away too. I even would wake up occassionally in the middle of the night with a racing heart, which scared me to death.
I've been on the CPAP since June 12th and those two problems have basically disappeared. However, I use the Swift nose pillows and the lower strap that goes behind the head tends to hit a spot in the back of my head that can cause headache type of pain in that area. I really cannot loosen it too much because then I get more leaks on my 13 pt pressure through the tube. So I still need to fiddle with the strap placement and tightness. But that inconvenience sure beats the headaches I used to get!
Liga

[wabmorgan]

Had headaches a LOT before being dianosed with OSA and going on CPAP.

Hardly ever have them on CPAP:)

[Snoredog]

One theory is morning migraines can sometimes can be a sign of hypoxia or it can also be a sign your brain is simply adjusting blood flow to it.

The brain increases flow to the brain by dilating blood vessels and controlling heartbeat. If you take your right hand and grasp your left wrist, you get the idea of what the nerve endings are attached to blood vessels in the brain. Your right hand is representing the nerve endings. These nerve endings are not very flexible and very sensitive to changing shape, the blood vessel is flexible and expands and contracts to adjust to blood flow, when the vessel dilates the nerve remains rigid in size and becomes irritated, result is the pain you feel as a headache.

Next time you get one try drinking a cup of caffeinated coffee. The caffeine causes the blood vessels of the brain to constrict relieving nerve pressure (cause of the headache pain). Some pain relievers like ExcedrinMigraine have caffeine added for this very reason.

[byront]

Interesting post Snoredog, makes sense - thanks! Glad to see that others are also getting cpap relief from those terrible morning headaches. I've only had one, as I mentioned, on the second day - 16 days on cpap now and the headaches are still gone. COOL! --- BT

[Ms Piggy]

yes, me too with headaches everyday, upon wake up in the night and a.m.,
still get one at times but think that is if I have too many air leaks or some such problem.
since starting cpap, one year ago I have had dizzy spells instead. but not for the last 2 mths so hopefully they will not return.

[sleeplesssue]

I used to get migraine headaches (pain, nausea, etc...) and wake with a rapid pulse and tremors often prior to CPAP. Now I wake up with sinus headaches. My sinuses just can't seem to get used to this, and they remain pressurized for half the day it seems. I just gotta pick which headache I want to have I guess. I really don't like the nausea, and tremor thing. And I do sleep better, until the pain in my sinusus, my dry mouth, and my dog (wants to go out at sunrise) wake me up.

[Snoredog]

[quote="byront"]Interesting post Snoredog, makes sense - thanks! Glad to see that others are also getting cpap relief from those terrible morning headaches. I've only had one, as I mentioned, on the second day - 16 days on cpap now and the headaches are still gone. COOL! --- BT