New cpap, still groggy

[alpha752]

Im new to cpap. Had sleep apnea surgery, only to find it wasnt successful and Im actually worse then before. I just got my cpap 2-3 days ago. Is it normal to still feel groggy and sluggish in the morning? After years of not sleeping due to apnea, I was kind of expecting some sort of miricle with the cpap, and to wake up rested and feeling like a new person, but its still hard to get up and I wake up very groggy.

Am I doing something wrong?

[cpierc01]

I started bipap last june and I am still learning a lot from this forum. Yes from what I have seen here it is very normal. My sleep doctor told me to give it at least 3 months and he said sometimes it takes longer. I still have good days and bad ones. Stay with it and it will get better. Good Luck.

[kteague]

We hear the rare story of one who immediately feels wonderful, but those lucky users aren't as likely to find their way here. I can't quote you stats or anything, but my guess is we who don't have immediate results are the norm. It is only after one is consistently getting adequate quality sleep is it reasonable to start looking for much improvement. Some will find their therapy needs tweaked a bit for optimum results, or that they have mask problems. If you data confirms you treatment is working for you and is not compromised by leaks, you will be off to a good start. I know I was even sleepier once I could get decent sleep because my body needed it desperately and wanted more and more until it had its fill. I remember one day waking up and seeing the sunshine and feeling like I desired to go out and rejoin the world. After that my need for sleep began to normalize. If you are having any specific problems with the treatment, let us know. Not too many things someone here hasn't encountered.

[Bill44133]

Im new to cpap. Had sleep apnea surgery, only to find it wasnt successful and Im actually worse then before. I just got my cpap 2-3 days ago. Is it normal to still feel groggy and sluggish in the morning? After years of not sleeping due to apnea, I was kind of expecting some sort of miricle with the cpap, and to wake up rested and feeling like a new person, but its still hard to get up and I wake up very groggy.

Am I doing something wrong?

After many years of not sleeping you most likely have accumulated a sleep debt http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_debt
Like any debt you will need to repay this. You can't file bankruptcy against it, and start clean.

If you want to say I was lucky.. I had immediate results but I was very severe. So any sleeping and breathing I was able to do was improvement. To get the total recovery took me
a good 6 months. You are in a good place here.

My advise for some one new is to watch your leak numbers so you don't compromise your therapy. Make sure you wash your face good before bed time, and use the cpap wipes to clean your mask in the morning.

I wish you well!

[ubnoxus]

It took me about 3 months to notice a difference, almost 18 months before I felt like I was back to a point of more energy, alert, acid reflux gone.

[digitalepiphany]

It's been 7 months for me. I've seen a huge improvement in my AHI (from 49.3 to about 1.5), but no improvement in my actual symptoms. I'm still tired all the time. Granted, my EDS could be due to something else entirely, but I thought I'd throw in my $0.02 anyway.

[Sclark08]

I am going on 1 year. Started on Cpap Dr changed me to Bipap due to COPD. I was good for few weeks now right back almost where I wad. aHI # good under 5 most nights. I don't think that Number means much though. I feel like #%^+ again. Any thoughts

[I've Been Tired]

Download the sleepy head software and analyze your sleep. You might be having a lot of leaks.

[Wulfman...]

Im new to cpap. Had sleep apnea surgery, only to find it wasnt successful and Im actually worse then before. I just got my cpap 2-3 days ago. Is it normal to still feel groggy and sluggish in the morning? After years of not sleeping due to apnea, I was kind of expecting some sort of miricle with the cpap, and to wake up rested and feeling like a new person, but its still hard to get up and I wake up very groggy.

Am I doing something wrong?

Your profile shows that you have a non-data-capable machine. We call them "bricks".

PR System One REMStar 60 Series SE CPAP Machine

My recommendation would be to take it back to the DME shop that gave it to you and demand a fully data-capable machine.
Something like a 460 (Pro) or 560 (Auto) model.

With the one you have, you won't be able to tell how your therapy is working. (other than "how you feel")

What "surgery" did you have?

Other than all that, it's unrealistic to think that your sleep apnea is going to miraculously going to be reversed immediately.
I get the impression that's why you had some sort of surgery.......you wanted immediate results.
It isn't going to happen with this therapy, either. It takes time to try to undo the damage of many years of oxygen-deprived sleep. But, to find out if your therapy is being optimized, you NEED a fully data-capable machine and the software to see and interpret the data.


Den

.

[sleeplessinaz]

I am trying to think back seven years ago. It was awhile before I started feeling any better. I am sure it was more than six months but less than a year. It's awful to be sleep deprived, you gotta pay your body back all that was missed!

So sorry you had that surgery - I never saw one post on here from anyone that said their surgery was a success. Sad really. Nothing wrong with hooking up to a machine at night. It relaxes me just looking at my mask, I enjoy so much better sleep with it - ITS A LIFE SAVING MACHINE.

[newpapper]

If there are people with successful surgeries - they don't have the need to use this forum.

[alpha752]

If there are people with successful surgeries - they don't have the need to use this forum.

Good point. I was diagnosed moderate OSA in 2009, put on cpap and HATED it. I could not tolerate the mask at all. I gave up on it. In 2010 I had my tonsils and adnoids removed, along with the UPPP procedure (they remove tissue from the soft pallet to open the upper airway. I never did the follow up sleep study after surgery, I just figured it was as good as it could get. Fast forward to 2014 where I was strong armed into having another sleep study by my psychologist, where they found severe OSA this time... im actually worse then I was before surgery. Its all weight related. So I am giving cpap another shot, and so far (in the first week anyway), having better luck with it, compliance wise at least. I guess only time will tell if I will start to feel better. I have noticed slightly more energy during the day, but getting out of bed is still the same struggle it has always been. Im definitly looking forward to this getting better.

Thanks everyone!

[purple]

If you have leaks, you are not getting the therapy you need. Like the other poster said, you need to get the program and check for leaks. If you want, you can post a link to your data, and some here can look at it and tell you what they think.