Positive effects of CPAP are wearing off

[Mr19]

I've been on CPAP since May, and the results have been quite good. I've got more energy and stamina and generally feel more normal since starting on the machine. However over the past couple of months, I've started to see a return to the old days, where my energy tank is small and my body aches. These symptoms have been quite acute the last few weeks. I thought I has simply been fighting a cold, until the other night when I had to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. That hadn't happened since I started on CPAP, and after thinking about it, I'm convinced it is a return of my sleep apnea symptoms.

I have been checking my machine data, and interestingly nothing has really changed. My AHI numbers remain the same--around 3.3--and my AI is either 0 or .1. I have some excessive leakage from time to time, but nothing terrible. And there is nothing in recent data that is different from when I first started on CPAP.

Last night, I bumped my pressure up from 8.0 to 9.6 and made some minor mask adjustments, and today my energy level stayed pretty consistent throughout a pretty active day.

So I'm wondering what's going on. Any ideas?

[oak]

are you sure you don't have some other unrelated medical problem rearing it's ugly head? maybe time for a checkup with your doc?

are you sleeping through the night without wakeups? (except for that night with the bathroom break)

have your sleeping habits changed at all--are you going to bed at the same time, etc?

have you started any new medications?

any of these things could affect your energy level. hope you get things sorted out.

regards, Oak.

[Mr19]

Actually it never occurred to me that it might be apnea related, but then I started thinking about it and the piece fit. I started taking naps again, the old familiar fatigue, etc. etc.

I am waking up a little more. When I first started on CPAP, I would wake up around 2 am, and then again right toward morning as my hounds would get restless. I would say I'm waking up a little more than that now.

Upping my pressure and tightening my mask seemed to help. I played 2-1/2 hours of tennis today, and while my legs are tired I'm not sleepy right now--even after finishing dinner.

[oak]

I played 2-1/2 hours of tennis today, and while my legs are tired I'm not sleepy right now--even after finishing dinner.

Well, that is great! Maybe you solved your problem!

Are you able to look at Sleepyhead data with the S7 Elite? I am relatively new to CPAP, so don't know machine capabilities, etc.

Maybe if you post some screen shots of graphs, someone with experience could give you more tips.

[kaiasgram]

Is your machine really an S7? That's two generations before the current one. When I saw your equipment I wondered if it's old and tired and not functioning optimally anymore, and that's why you're starting to have the old apnea symptoms again. But then I read that you've only been on cpap since May, so how did you get an S7?

[Mr19]

I was diagnosed in 2001, got a machine and used it for a while. Then stopped using it until this spring when I decided apnea was really effecting my life in a negative way. I'd like to get something smaller, but I need an Rx and I've been putting off seeing a doc, which is really what I need to do.

[kaiasgram]

I was diagnosed in 2001, got a machine and used it for a while. Then stopped using it until this spring when I decided apnea was really effecting my life in a negative way. I'd like to get something smaller, but I need an Rx and I've been putting off seeing a doc, which is really what I need to do.

Ah, OK. So two things may be going on -- your equipment may be old and tired, AND your pressure requirements may have changed over time anyway. Yep, time to see a doc and get all updated with everything.

[biker]

I was diagnosed in 2001, got a machine and used it for a while. Then stopped using it until this spring when I decided apnea was really effecting my life in a negative way. I'd like to get something smaller, but I need an Rx and I've been putting off seeing a doc, which is really what I need to do.

I thought these Rx's never expired.

[Mr19]

I was diagnosed in 2001, got a machine and used it for a while. Then stopped using it until this spring when I decided apnea was really effecting my life in a negative way. I'd like to get something smaller, but I need an Rx and I've been putting off seeing a doc, which is really what I need to do.

I thought these Rx's never expired.

I couldn't tell you where that Rx might be. Heck I thought I was doing great just coming up with the graph from my 12 year old sleep study

[biker]

Bummer

[BlackSpinner]

So buy something from a forum member like STL-Mark He has great stuff, cheap and no rx required.

[oak]

I need an Rx and I've been putting off seeing a doc, which is really what I need to do.


Yup.

You probably could use a complete physical exam (oh come on, its not that bad ) and either a new sleep study in a lab or a home sleep study. But if you are totally opposed to a sleep study, maybe the doc would write you a script for a new CPAP/APAP machine that can help you look at data and manage your therapy now and in the future.

[billbolton]

I thought these Rx's never expired.

They way it seems to work in practice is this:

If you are buying a xPAP machine with your own $$$, any valid prescription will generally be accepted by the supplier.

If an insurer is paying, they may require a more recent sleep-study/prescription before they will hand over the $$$ to the supplier.

Cheers,

Bill

[kteague]

Was there anything in your sleep study reports or in your sleep habits that would indicate an issue with limb movements? Sometimes people with this problem feel an initial boost from resolving the apneas but as they sleep better, see an increase in limb movements and resultant fragmented sleep. May have nothing to do with you, but throwing it out there just in case.

[Mr19]

No problem with limb movements.

I just had a complete physical last spring, which is what convinced me to get back on the machine.

I pull data off my machine using ResScan and that recent data when I've been feeling not so good doesn't look any different than the data when I was feeling good. I have been over and over it looking for a difference.

I feel pretty good today again, so maybe the bump in pressure and the mask adjustment are doing the trick.