Headaches Starting 4 months in, Cause for concern?

[newhosehead]

I will preface this by saying I think I may be showing signs of overconcern but this seems like the best place to come for some input. I know that mornng headaches are a common symptom of OSA, but they never were for me and I really believe I had it for years before diagnosis. For the last 10 days or so, I am waking up with a headache every morning and they are hard to kick. My good friend Advil is just not doing the job.

I am under no small amount of stress right now and I am not looking for sympathy, just thought I should throw that in bc maybe that's all it is. My AHI is 2 or slightly under on a nightly basis so numbers are good. Has anyone else experienced this? I know that if it continues I should proabably see a doc, but thought I would see if this is something that anyone else has experienced. One more thing: I seriously cannot remember the last time I had a headache, so this is definitely not a typical occurence for me. Thanks for any thoughts you might have.

Jeanette

[KatieW]

Can you describe precisely where the headache is, and the type of pain? Some possibilities:

--allergy season, sinus headache
--food allergy and eating too close to bedtime
--side affect from new medication
--neck tension from stress or computer overuse
--neck tension from sleeping position
--teeth grinding due to stress
--too hot or stuffy in bedroom
--accidentally covering the vents on your mask

Hope you get to the bottom of this soon.

[park_ridge_dave]

Jeanette,

While you are thinking about it, please, update/enter your equipment and settings. That helps us answer your questions more easily.

Do you have a humidifier?

What is the setting? (could be set too low/high)

Do you suffer from seasonal allergies (mine have been miserable in the last couple of weeks)?

Maybe a pollen filter would help?

Have you recently made a significant increase in pressure?

Do you have a sinus infection?

Not an exhaustive list but these are some of my "triggers". I am sure that the more experienced members will add to the list and will provide more insights.

Good luck,

Dave

[newhosehead]

Katie, The pain seems like it is in my entire head but I believe I feel it most acutely in the occipital area and around/behind my eyes. I am not on any new meds and have no history of allergies.

Dave, My equipment is listed in my signature line, the very bottom of the post. My pressure is set at 12 as it has been for the majority of my time on CPAP. No hx of allergies. My humidifer is set at 2 as it has been for all except the first few nights of treatment.

Sorry I cannot remember which of you asked about computer time, etc, but it is end of a semester time and I am spending much time reading/grading long essays. Perhaps I have just answered my own question...or you have. Maybe a wait and see attitude (finish grading) is the way to go. Thanks both of you for your responses.

Jeanette

[park_ridge_dave]

Sorry, your list wasn't showing up when I first saw your post. Mea Culpa I see it now

Dave

[Julie]

Hi, well you are either having sinus headaches, which would lead me to suggest you turn off your humidifier (or at least turn it down) as that can be a factor, or else your BP has begun to go up, in which case you are probably not getting the full effect of your Cpap, whether because of mask leaks or mouth breathing once you're asleep, for which I would try taping x 2 nights to see if it helps - and if so, then try a full face mask. Or the answer may be in some of the other answers you got, but I'd guess that my second one (and then first) could be the problem.

[newhosehead]

Dave, No problem! Actually I see I do not have my humidifier or setting for it listed, so I should do that.

Julie, I already use a FFM and because I have read so much about CPAP treatment bringing BP down, I monitor mine on a regular basis. It's good. I am curious about the sinus headache, but can those cause pain in the occipital region?

Jeanette

[BlackSpinner]

Dave, No problem! Actually I see I do not have my humidifier or setting for it listed, so I should do that.

Julie, I already use a FFM and because I have read so much about CPAP treatment bringing BP down, I monitor mine on a regular basis. It's good. I am curious about the sinus headache, but can those cause pain in the occipital region?

Jeanette

Sinuses go everywhere! How are your eyes? My quatro leaked into my eyes even though I couldn't feel it and my eye sight has shifted since I started cpap.
I now wear a hybrid which seems to have less effect on my eyes.

[newhosehead]

Blackspinner, I don't feel any leaking into my eyes, but then you said you didn't either. I have noticed a slight difference in my eyesight with the headaches. I will follow up on this. Thanks!

[echo]

My BF recently started getting more headaches, and it turned out that he needed glasses (both reading and for the computer - he's nearly 50). Could it be something that simple, eyestrain due to the grading papers, and age...? On the other hand, my mothers, who's nearing 60, has also started to get headaches, I wonder if it's related to menopause. neither are on CPAP btw.

[Colin Southern]

my eye sight has shifted since I started cpap.

Hi BlackSpinner - your mention of a change in vision caught my eye - just wondering if you'd be so kind as to comment on a thread I started a while back concerning this?

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