A tale of two Patients

Dave2you · Post by **Dave2you** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:04 pm

I Just recently got my Cpap (3 weeks) since then my life has turned around.
I feel so much better, all my medical problems that I had been chasing for years Cleared up. as you can imagine I am pro cpap

So I was bragging to a friend of mine how much better I Felt. He said he had apnea as well, but the machine's don't work. when he uses his Nasal Pillows he wakes Up with a headache and feels worse than if he hadn't used them. Now the machine Just collects dust, and he endures the apnea.

this kind of Stunned me, how Could you feel worse?

jabberwock · Post by **jabberwock** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:52 pm

Well, I can think of at least a couple of ways that using CPAP would make a person feel worse.

The first is that the sleep clinic missed the mark on his pressure. He could be getting headaches with either a too low pressure or a too high pressure. Either way, he won't sleep well.

Since he is using nasal pillows, he could be mouth breathing and losing most of his therapy through his mouth (that big third hole, as Goofproof would say ). Or he could be wearing his mask way too tight in an effort to stop leaks (ouch!).

I think it's great that you feel so much better in such a short time, Dave, but unfortunately, it takes a lot longer for some people to see the benefits of cpap, so they give up in sheer frustration.

As a friend, you might want to try to get him to understand that he is shortening his life by not using cpap, and certainly not living life to its fullest potential. You might suggest this forum to him so that he can get a better understanding of why it is so important for him to persevere with his treatment.

Bonnie

Stefernie · Post by **Stefernie** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:14 pm

Hmmm...I'm having a lot of headaches....perhaps lower my pressure a notch?

Sleepy Dog Lover · Post by **Sleepy Dog Lover** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:12 pm

Or perhaps the DME didn't give him a humidifier? I get sinus headaches when I don't have my humidifier on. I think some people get headaches from too much humidification too.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:20 pm

I love nasal pillows masks now - and switch between two kinds, using mostly the Heardreast/Twilght NP/Aura, and sometimes the Breeze.

Howvever, my first experience with a nasal pillows mask was an absolute disaster. It was during my at home titration period, following some unsuccesful weeks with another machine, and a nasal mask. After one night (or was it a second night?) on the Swift, I got up with the worst headache in my life - so bad that I called the clinic and said and "I'm not going on with this till I speek to a doctor again".

I got a new RT- who said "that pressure was too high for you", a different nasal pillows mask - and have been on cpap for almost two and half years since.

Wrong pressure (for you), wrong setup (for you), wrong interface (for you) - and you can feel terrible.

Get your friend to the forum, tell him that the fight is worth it - even for those of us who don't experience overnight magical changes.

O.

CarrieS · Post by **CarrieS** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 4:42 pm

Same here with the humidifier - headaches are certain for me when I have mine turned down to low or if it has gotten shut off.

Mask

Mask

Additional Comments: Pressure: 8