Why am I so freaking tired?

[nawchem]

I've been unsure that my cpap was the cause of my debilitating fatigue. I had lung damage a year ago and developed asthma. I had low O2 and the medication energized me enough that people I barely knew commented that I was talking again. Then last year my thyroid was very low, that was fixed and elements of fatigue were cured. I was just left sleepy. I wake up drink 2 coffees and go back to sleep. Somedays I came home from school at 2 pm and slept til 8am the next day.

I lost weight back to my original sleep diagnosis, but I wondered why is my sleep this bad now? I changed my pressure last night from 10 to 13. I was very tired and slept thru the night. That's happened twice that I remember in my life. I woke up stiff from not moving so long and my skin is oily which only happens after a night of good sleep. I'm still tired and yearning to go back to sleep.

Is any of this an indication that its the cpap pressure that needed to be increased?

[Wulfman...]

I've been unsure that my cpap was the cause of my debilitating fatigue. I had lung damage a year ago and developed asthma. I had low O2 and the medication energized me enough that people I barely knew commented that I was talking again. Then last year my thyroid was very low, that was fixed and elements of fatigue were cured. I was just left sleepy. I wake up drink 2 coffees and go back to sleep. Somedays I came home from school at 2 pm and slept til 8am the next day.

I lost weight back to my original sleep diagnosis, but I wondered why is my sleep this bad now? I changed my pressure last night from 10 to 13. I was very tired and slept thru the night. That's happened twice that I remember in my life. I woke up stiff from not moving so long and my skin is oily which only happens after a night of good sleep. I'm still tired and yearning to go back to sleep.

Is any of this an indication that its the cpap pressure that needed to be increased?

Could be.
How long have you been on CPAP?
Many times, we crave "good" sleep and when we get it, we want more.
It's even more evident when our therapy is optimally tweaked
Your description is not unlike many I've read (or personally experienced) that indicate it can take some time to pay off our "sleep debt".
Enjoy the sleep. Your body is trying to catch up.


Den

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[nawchem]

den
I've been on cpap since 2004. It was kind of a similar configuration, low thyroid and extreme sleepiness. My problem is a small airway so I don't snore or gasp for air I just have awakenings that keep me in stage 1 and 2 sleep. I would assume my cpap is doing most of the job even if the pressure is wrong.

I keep worrying that I have cancer or anemia but my physical was great. I'm getting an MRI on my pelvis, I have pelvic distension and lot of pain when I try to go walking. Doesn't seem like that would affect sleep.

When I first got my cpap I slept 20 hours a day, like some newly addictive hobby I couldn't get enough. God I miss that.

[ajack]

You're an aussie aren't you? The public hospital will do sleep tests for free, as well as sore australia in some states. It sounds like you would have a health care card and would get a free machine as well.

[nawchem]

ajack negative to all of the above. What makes you I'm an Aussie?

[Julie]

Because you have the Aussie hose in your sig. line!

[Pugsy]

Ajack probably doesn't realize that back when you first started cpap therapy the only heated hose out there that was available was the Aussie heated hose and there were 2 or 3 US suppliers that sold it and a lot of the older US cpap users got the Aussie heated hose.
He probably doesn't realize that back then the Aussie hose was the only heated hose anywhere and it got sent round the world.
I got one back in the winter of 2010 myself but I bought it from a US supplier who brought it in from Australia.

[Wulfman...]

Because you have the Aussie hose in your sig. line!

Ajack probably doesn't realize that back when you first started cpap therapy the only heated hose out there that was available was the Aussie heated hose and there were 2 or 3 US suppliers that sold it and a lot of the older US cpap users got the Aussie heated hose.
He probably doesn't realize that back then the Aussie hose was the only heated hose anywhere and it got sent round the world.
I got one back in the winter of 2010 myself but I bought it from a US supplier who brought it in from Australia.

Yep!
Years ago, they were pretty popular around here (and about the only heated hose option available).

search.php?keywords=%22australian+heated+hose%22


Den

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[ajack]

OKAY, scratch plan 1
Plan 2. What will the US system do, or copay for what you can afford?
Would you like to put up the sleepyhead chart and get some opinions?

[Wulfman...]

OKAY, scratch plan 1
Plan 2. What will the US system do, or copay for what you can afford?
Would you like to put up the sleepyhead chart and get some opinions?

Her machine is a NON-DATA-CAPABLE "brick". Even if it was, it's too old to use SleepyHead.


Den

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[ajack]

My mistake, scratch that idea too. A complete brick, not even the AHI?
If it gave the OA, at least you would have something to work with.

[Pugsy]

A complete brick, not even the AHI?

Total brick, not even generic no category AHI.
With the Respironics machines...only the DreamStation CPAP model DSX200xxx is the half assed brick where generic AHI is available.
Anything older than that in the bare bones models with no efficacy data... were total bricks.

[Matt00926]

I would ask your doctor if you can get a new machine that is data capable. Optimal CPAP therapy may not be the answer to solving all of your issues, but it's a start and something that we can help you with. If you hit a snag in the road, you can always buy a used machine online.

[D.H.]

To the OP:

You seem to have other issues, such as thyroid and asthma. It's hard to know exactly which one(s) is(are) making you tired. I tried googling your machine, but I'm not sure I found the exact one. Thus, I don't know what your data capabilities are?

I suspect that you replaced the machine from 2004 at some point.

If your machine has data collecting capabilities, you can see whether you're having Apneas or Hyponeas (and how many and how long lasting).

If you've had your machine for over five years (and live in the U.S.), it is likely that your insurance will cover a new one.

[Pugsy]

Not one of the any of the various Remstar Plus models ever offered anything in terms of data beyond hours of use.
Doesn't matter if OP was using the old Legacy model or the M series model or the whatever model.

If it says "Plus" in the model name (not the same thing as when it says plus after CFlex)...it's a brick.