Could CPAP be causing my sleep problems?

[ChelseaChestnut]

I was regulary using my cpap for 2 months. Did not see any difference in how I felt during that time, in fact I felt more tired and stressed than before. A couple of weeks ago I woke up with severe indigestion and ended up having an anxiety attack. Since that night, I have not been able to use my cpap. I have had some of the most vivid dreams in the past couple of weeks, and with my cpap, I don't dream at all. I am now wondering if my cpap was causing me to have more anxiety and sleep problems than I had without it. What do all of you think? Can a person with know anxiety issues have more sleep problems with the cpap than without?

[msradar65]

I was really tired for the first month on CPAP. I guess the info about paying you sleep debt is true. At first I did not have any dreams. Then this past few weeks I have had very vivid dreams...some are actually night terrors. I guess I have paid my sleep debt and I am getting good sleep now.

My doctor did prescribe Elavil at bedtime for sleep. I have been taking it as needed. But after my night terror last week, I started taking it every night and no more issues. I sleep the entire night. If I am waking up I no longer remember anymore.

[islandboy5150]

Yea, I found it took a long time to get to the point that I could sleep through the night and feel really rested when my alarm goes off. Took a year really now that I think about it. After a while of mostly frustration and anxiety I started to feel some improvement, slow, but got better over time. Now when my alarm goes off at 4:30 I have a quick clear thinking brain. I don't wake up in a foggy stupor with a bad attitude anymore. And, now my mask is my binky, or sort of security blanket for me and I look forward to my nightly mask cleaning and fitting routine. I see my machine on the nightstand, and love it, can't wait to plug into it and turn it on. I count my blessings and consider myself very lucky.

[robysue]

I was regulary using my cpap for 2 months. Did not see any difference in how I felt during that time, in fact I felt more tired and stressed than before. A couple of weeks ago I woke up with severe indigestion and ended up having an anxiety attack. Since that night, I have not been able to use my cpap. I have had some of the most vivid dreams in the past couple of weeks, and with my cpap, I don't dream at all. I am now wondering if my cpap was causing me to have more anxiety and sleep problems than I had without it. What do all of you think? Can a person with know anxiety issues have more sleep problems with the cpap than without?

I'm 3 1/2 months into therapy. The first 3 months of CPAP for me were really, really bad. I've posted numerous threads. Some of the lowest of the low points are:

• Dreading bedtime on night 4 of CPAP
  Two steps backwards *sigh*-UPDATE
  BiPAP? Met with the sleep doc's PA and didn't expect this
  Does CPAP tickle the back of ANYBODY else's throat?
  The insomnia monster raises its head again and again ....

Now things haven't been uniformly bad. I've found some humor at times in my situation. But not as much as I would like. I've found some small steps of progress. But not as much as I would like at this point. But I keep going. Because I really don't see much choice. The consequences of untreated apnea just seem too great over a 10 to 20 year time frame. And I do have a great PA that's working with me. Even when I do complain about her.

And I think that's the key: Finding a quality doctor or PA or nurse in the doctor's office who will take the time to listen to all your symptoms and not just dismiss them.

Since you are now having more anxiety problems with CPAP and those anxiety problems are leading to sleep problems, then it's time to report those symptoms to your doctor's office and make him and his staff take notice and start treating you as a whole patient and not just as an upper airway that collapses during the 1/3 of your life spent in sleep. Have you called either your PCP or your sleep doctor's office to set up an appointment to talk about the anxiety symptoms and the indigestion symptoms and how these things are literally preventing you from being able to use the therapy that's been prescribed?

Think of it this way: If you had been prescribed medication for high blood pressure that was causing side effects that were severe enough for you to not be able to take it as prescribed, wouldn't you let the prescribing doctor know about the problem? Well, it's the same with CPAP. Call the doctor's office and report your symptoms and DEMAND to talk to the doctor, his nurse, or a PA about them. They can and should be able to be resolved.