Did you feel better right away???

[pammieb]

I have been living the CPAP experience for a little over four months now. It has gotten easier with a new mask that seems to be working for me and I am really good about using the machine every night for most of the night. My husband says that I appear to be sleeping soundly and (even better for him) - he is not being woken up by the sound of my gasping for air. I am feeling better some of the time and not so "bone-tired". I am curious about the experiences of others because I expected to feel great all of a sudden because I was able to get some REM sleep (like a proverbial light switch being flicked in the "on" position).

Accounting for the fact that everyone is different - I would still love to get a sense of what others experienced as they were adjusting to their new way of life (and sleeping). Many thanks!!

[mdbarthe]

I felt pretty good right from the start. In fact, the sensation was so different than what I was used to, for a while I was waking up feeling "wierd" and strange; thinking I was kind of light-headed. I learned as time went on, I was refreshed and energized when I was waking up after starting the therapy. That wierd feeling was what people who get good rest and don't need XPAP therapy wake up with every morning.

After about 6 months, though, I began to feel tired and worn out again even though I was 100% compliant. I ended up with another sleep study and found that because I had gained more weight, I needed my pressure higher. Once I adjusted to that, I was back to feeling good again in the morning.

Now I have an APAP machine and the pressure is automatic. I look at my results by using the software every morning and I can pretty much tell by how I feel whether I slept well or not. The software just adds credibility to my perceptions. If you don't have a software capable machine or the software on the computer to read your results, I would recommend getting them. It can tell you a lot about whether your therapy is working for you or not.

[mindy]

Hi Pammieb,

We are all truly different in how long and how we respond to xPAP! The morning after my titration in the sleep lab my brain felt much less foggy but then it was another month before I noticed other improvements, like more energy. It wasn't until about 6 months that I felt really *good*. Now after about 1 1/2 years my insomnia is improving and most of the time I don't need sleeping pills anymore.

Another factor for some of us are the "comorbid" conditions - e.g. some of us have other medical conditions that impact how we feel so in those cases xPAP may not be as effective as we would like. For me, at least, it has made a very big difference - so much so that I'll do just about anything to make my therapy work

Mindy

[dsm]

Hi Pammieb

Self was on cloud 9 after 1st going on therapy. Partly there was this realization that I was no longer slipping into a hazy oblivion & obscurity as I had feared. I have been on therapy for over 4 years & yes there have been periods where I felt I was reverting back to pre-therapy. But, after experimenting with types of machines (like cpap, auto, & bilevel), I believe I found the right combination & feel very confident I am in control.

The wording 'I am in control' is what I see as the ultimate success factor - by this I mean, if I am in control of my therapy then I can keep it tuned as good as I want to make it and that leads to a significant confidence boost. Along with that confidence boost comes the realization you can take control of many other aspects of your life (for me these are health, weight, moods etc: )

You are on a great journey that is very important to your long term welfare.

Cheers

DSM

[Babette]

NO.

It took me 8 weeks and 6 masks (or was it 6 weeks and 8 masks? Who remembers...) to find one I could even sleep with all night every night. Those first few weeks were HELL for me.

It took another 3 months before I felt well enough to stop taking Provigil every day.

It's only in the past few months that I've felt noticeable improvement. And I started April 2007.

IT DOES GET BETTER. But for some of us, it's slower than others. And more subtle. One day you really notice you're different from a year ago. But it's not always that you spring out of bed a completely different perkier person in the morning. I'm still not a morning person.

But at least my coworkers no longer fear for their lives before 9 am.

BEST OF LUCK!!!!!!!
Barbara

[OutaSync]

I'm 19 months in and still waiting for that good night's sleep, even though I have been 100% compliant from day one. I am in otherwise good health and not overweight. It's not the same for everybody.

But don't give up. I haven't.

Bev

[BleepingBeauty]

Hi, pammieb.

I've been on CPAP therapy since late 2007, and I'm not quite there yet. But yes, I did notice improvement almost immediately. As babette said in her post, it wasn't a matter of jumping out of bed in the morning, feeling like a million bucks and ready for anything the day might bring. I just felt more rested, more alert, and less likely to nod off in the middle of the day.

The thing to remember is that most of us are diagnosed after years of having a sleep disorder and not knowing it. As a result, we're seriously sleep-deprived and have a lot of sleep debt to repay. And that takes time.

You're getting therapy, and that's the important thing. I know it's difficult to be patient sometimes (I've been experiencing that myself, lately), but we have to be. Not complacent, just patient.

Best of luck, and keep on keepin' on.

[Juliebove]

I've had my machine for about a month now. I feel worse than ever. Not sleeping at all well and wake up exhausted. Just can't wait to get back to bed.

[cpapsue]

I'm just starting my 4th month and finally have lost the heavy head feeling that I've had for years. I am feeling more awake and less likely to nod off at my computer in the afternoon. Not perfect - but way better than I've felt in a looooonng time!

About 3 weeks ago I had a period of about a week when I felt as though my short term memory was a problem. What ever that was is gone now, thank goodness. I had noticed that my AHI had crept up over 5.0 frequently during that period, maybe it was that, maybe it was stress at work - whatever, it is gone.

The only remaining issue seems to be my eyes - I'm a little oversensitive to sunlight. Everything seems too bright. I've just had my annual eye exam, so I'm attributing this to cpap therapy or recovery from sleep deprivation until I come up with another idea.

Waiting to feel better is difficult, I just knew everyday was a step closer, one night at a time. . .

Susan

[sagesteve]

Took me exactly one year to feel GREAT! I went fro AHI 17 to 0.1

[pammieb]

Thank you to those who responded to my question (Did you feel better right away"). It helps to hear your personal experience. I know that no two people will experience this in the same way but it does help to learn that not everybody wakes up in the morning feeling great and full of energy. I will learn to appreciate more the subtle differences (sometimes very subtle) CPAP therapy seems to be making in my life. Thanks again!

[DreamStalker]

Prior to diagnosis, I went to bed tired, woke up tired with severe migraines and flu-like body aches no matter how long I slept (1 hour or 12 hours made no difference), went through the my days zoned out and dazed and just felt as though I was on the fast lane in life to getting old and a cheap graveyard.

Unlike some who feel great after their titration, I had to wait until my first night with the machine before feeling any real difference. The morning after that first night though, I felt about 15 years younger … I awoke not “bone tired” but with a “boner” like I had not had since I was in my early 20’s. I had dreams like I had not had since I was in my late 20’s. I slept right through the night without having to get up to use the restroom at all (usually 4 or 5 times per night) and I felt great after only about 4 or 5 hours of sleep (over time, my sleep duration has normalized back to 7 to 8 hours). After a month or two, I had to lower my hypertension medications significantly (I now use a quarter of the dosage prior to treatment) and my cholesterol began to normalize too (reduced by more than 50% prior to treatment). My day-time fatigue and morning migraines and body aches disappeared. My nocturia and ED also disappeared and no more was I waking up with drool all over the pillow. I began losing weight without any change in diet or exercise. Treating my OSA has been like a fountain of youth for me … and I must admit that I’m now addicted to it.

[BleepingBeauty]

The morning after that first night though, I felt about 15 years younger … I awoke not “bone tired” but with a “boner” like I had not had since I was in my early 20’s.

Now, that's a fringe benefit any man (and the partner who loves him) can live with.

[Victoria]

I've been on cpap for about two months now, and I have noticed a difference: I no longer fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon. It's like I have several more hours of useful time available now, so that's good. I also don't fall asleep in front of the tv in the evenings. In fact, I don't even feel like sitting down in the evenings, so there's another plus.

That said, I am in no way loving cpap therapy. *Sigh* I don't know at what point that happens, but every night I wish I could just fall asleep, sleep well, and get up, no mask required. But I guess I'll take the cpap, because I can actually sit with my kids and read them a book without falling asleep in the middle of it. (Seriously. I would fall asleep reading a book to my kids. Pathetic, eh?)