Oxygen Deprivation - Who knew?

[NoHeadache]

I'm knew to the forum. Found this when I searched to see if I could use scented oils with my new CPAP. Great info... thanks!

I would have never thought I had sleep apnea. I did not have a single symptom that is considered common in the general public, but I've had a headache every morning for as long as I can remember. I am 100% compliant with my machine since I've not had a single morning headache or a.m. 'fog brain' since sleeping with a CPAP.

What a miracle this is turning out to be. There is a great deal to read here. If anyone has suggestions for "must reads" please let me know.

Thanks again for a great site.

Karla

[Lizistired]

Welcome! The WIKI light bulb at the top of the page is a good place to start.

[Gaga58]

Hi Kara and welcome to the forum...those headache free mornings are wonderful aren't they?! Had the same thing til I started my cpap therapy...I've not had one morning headache since I've began!!

[cpaptex]

When I did my Sleep Study, I was so amazed how better that I felt just with 3 hours of CPAP. No headache, a burst of energy and a general feeling of wellness that I hadn't felt in years. The Euphoria doesn't last forever, I had to wait two weeks for a machine.

Even with a machine the days of .35 AHI started to be noticably different from those of 6.56 AHI. My last bad day of 9.6 on Friday night made me feel just awful. I wish that I understood why good days can be followed by bad days, but I think that Allergies and more play a big part with the effectiveness of a xPAP machine. Too many variables to deal with.

It's not just Oxygen Deprivation that plays havoc with your well being. And a good day isn't always a good day. If you have clusters, as I do. The numbers can look good, but the symptoms can still be bad even on a "good day".

Perhaps I spend too much time thinking about how to get back to feeling great all the time.

[JohnBFisher]

Welcome to the forum!

Though you are correct that most doctors would not associate morning headaches with sleep apnea, it is a common symptom. Doctors who stay current on research know to send such patients to a sleep study.

Though you might not have had any of the "normal symptoms", those morning headaches were a clear warning sign. Had you continued to ignore it you would be fighting with high blood pressure, possible type 2 diabetes and other unpleasant consequences.

And we're glad you are here. Hopefully you will - as we all do - continue to learn how to live with CPAP therapy. It can get frustrating at times. Still, the rewards definitely are worth the effort.

[Kairosgrammy]

I'm knew to the forum. Found this when I searched to see if I could use scented oils with my new CPAP. Great info... thanks!
Yay! Love that instant satisfaction. Glad to know things are going so well. stick around, there is so much to learn here.

I would have never thought I had sleep apnea. I did not have a single symptom that is considered common in the general public, but I've had a headache every morning for as long as I can remember. I am 100% compliant with my machine since I've not had a single morning headache or a.m. 'fog brain' since sleeping with a CPAP.

What a miracle this is turning out to be. There is a great deal to read here. If anyone has suggestions for "must reads" please let me know.

Thanks again for a great site.

Karla

[Soreheed]

I'm a new visitor here. I am a 66 year old man, 160 pound and 5' 10" and never suspected sleep apnea.
I have no other health issues and take no medication. Don't drink or smoke, what a bore. (Love red wine, but even a small amount seems to make headaches worse, what a drag.)
I had none of the familiar symptoms like sleepiness and was not overweight, however I have been complaining to doctors for 15 years or more about morning headaches and my wife complained of some snoring and the odd 'restless leg' coming her way. I was waking up at 4 or 5am with a headache and was not able to sleep. Blood pressure at this time was high, around 150/75. Doctors never saw these numbers as my BP went back to normal as the day progressed.
They never figured I had sleep apnea until a year ago. I started CPAP 6 months ago and things have definitely improved though not miraculously. I now sleep til 6 or 7am and wake some days with a lesser headache which goes after lingering over the steaming tea-kettle for a minute or so. Blood pressure is still a bit high early on. My machine records AHIs in the 1.7 to 2.7 region and an interim oxygen check showed my O2 levels had improved (according to the technicians and the totally incomprehensible print-out from the oximetry)
I am compliant with the regimen of the CPAP and have no trouble getting to sleep but wish I could shake these headaches completely as they suggest my oxygen levels are still a bit suspect.
I often wonder if AHI can be low but oxygen levels can still be a problem, thus the headaches?
Its a long story I know but perhaps this might serve to alert others to the fact that sleep apnea can be un-diagnosed by doctors for decades. I have learned that you are pretty much on your own when it comes to staying healthy.
Glad to hear some of you are headache free.

[ems]

Those of you who wake up headache free are very fortunate! That was a big complaint of mine before I started CPAP, and it hasn't gotten any better. My doctor switched me from CPAP to BPAP as an experiment to see if that would help... it hasn't. Not sure what the next step is.

[Kody]

Those of you who wake up headache free are very fortunate! That was a big complaint of mine before I started CPAP, and it hasn't gotten any better. My doctor switched me from CPAP to BPAP as an experiment to see if that would help... it hasn't. Not sure what the next step is.

Sorry to hear your still having headaches. It took about 3 months of xpap for mine to go away, and I'm so glad they finally did. Every once in a while I'll wake up with one, check my numbers and their usually not too good for that night. Maybe for some of us it takes awhile for them to go away completely, hang in there.

[Kaylis]

YMMV (Your mileage may vary), but I get horrible headaches in the morning if my humidity has been bumped and is too low, or I've run out of water. I hope this helps someone.

[ems]

YMMV (Your mileage may vary), but I get horrible headaches in the morning if my humidity has been bumped and is too low, or I've run out of water. I hope this helps someone.

I've never run out of water and the humidity seems comfortable to me. How would I know if the humidity is too low?

[Pugsy]

I've never run out of water and the humidity seems comfortable to me. How would I know if the humidity is too low?

I forgot to fill the tank twice...both times woke up with HORRIBLE allergy like symptoms. Nose completely swollen shut on the inside. Sneezying all the time, runny nose, pressure in all the sinuses that was so bad my teeth hurt.

I got the same symptoms when I experimented with humidifier setting of 1. Took a couple days for things to settle down to normal.

[ems]

I've never run out of water and the humidity seems comfortable to me. How would I know if the humidity is too low?

I forgot to fill the tank twice...both times woke up with HORRIBLE allergy like symptoms. Nose completely swollen shut on the inside. Sneezying all the time, runny nose, pressure in all the sinuses that was so bad my teeth hurt.

I got the same symptoms when I experimented with humidifier setting of 1. Took a couple days for things to settle down to normal.

Hmmm... at 3 I experienced rain out so DME tech suggested I try 2.5. So far no rain out. Rain out wasn't a fun experience and I'm afraid to experiment... altho I guess I'd try just about anything not to wake up with headaches and neck pain.

[Pugsy]

Hmmm... at 3 I experienced rain out so DME tech suggested I try 2.5. So far no rain out. Rain out wasn't a fun experience and I'm afraid to experiment... altho I guess I'd try just about anything not to wake up with headaches and neck pain.

I had a choice..work on fixing the rain out issues and keep my desired moisture or reduce the humidifier setting and feel like total misery for 2 or 3 days.

I opted to work on the rain out fixing with other methods. The best method so far...heated hose with padacheek barrel cozy for the nasal pillow. No more heavy hose cozy to drag the mask around and I can use as much moisture as I want.

Besides...if the rain out is in the mask from our own exhaled breath..even not using a humidifier at all won't prevent that.

[Kairosgrammy]

Is your nose stuffy? If so, your humidity may need to go up. I run mine 4 out of 5 cuz of sinus problems.

YMMV (Your mileage may vary), but I get horrible headaches in the morning if my humidity has been bumped and is too low, or I've run out of water. I hope this helps someone.

I've never run out of water and the humidity seems comfortable to me. How would I know if the humidity is too low?