Whats the treatment if CPAP machine does nothing?

[tripman]

I've had a 30 day trial of the apap machine for my supposed sleep apnea (i don't agree with the diagnosis) and it didn't help me at all with my fatigue. What is the next step? Already had my heart tested and it's perfect

[egzbuen]

The community will need more info/data to help you buddy.

But for starters, how about another confirmatory sleep study if cost is not a problem?

Perhaps you can also post data from your 30 day cpap use, assuming the machine you used was data capable

Sent from heaven

[Pugsy]

Keep looking for other causes of the fatigue beside sleep apnea and the heart.
There's a ton of potential culprits out there.

As to your disagreeing with the diagnosis...it would be highly unusual to have a false positive diagnosis for obstructive sleep apnea. No way to misinterpret or fake an airway collapse.
Now sometimes a false negative can happen if someone doesn't sleep well but there's really no way to have a false positive despite your wanting to believe the diagnosis was incorrect.

Have you evaluated your therapy to make sure it is even optimal? If it's not optimal for some reason there's not much chance of ever getting relief if your symptoms are caused by OSA.
AHI nice and low? Getting 7 to 8 hours of good solid sleep? Leaks well controlled? Take any meds that might have unwanted side effects?

So first a person has to confirm that the therapy is optimal and if it is..then start looking elsewhere.

Why do you doubt the diagnosis? Did you have a sleep study?

[GuestStar]

What did they say your AHI score (apneas per hour) at the study? What kind of apneas?

[tripman]

The community will need more info/data to help you buddy.

But for starters, how about another confirmatory sleep study if cost is not a problem?

Perhaps you can also post data from your 30 day cpap use, assuming the machine you used was data capable

Sent from heaven

I'm in Canada, not really possible unfortunately.

Little more info for others:

I've had excessive morning fatigue for 3 years now. Last month I decided that I can't live like this anymore and visited the doctor. When my fatigue issues started I was collapsing whenever I would stand up or get up from bed but I haven't had it in 3 years, only in the beginning of these fatigue issues.
I had the sleep study last month and it went really bad, it didn't show my actual sleep because I only had 2 hours continuous sleep while at home I sleep 7-8 hours everyday without waking up (has been like this for 30 years). The clinic mattress and setting was very uncomfortable. I requested them to order a redo but they ignore the diagnosis and gave me sleep apnea as something I have. They said that supposedly my bone structure in my mouth is the sleep apnea from obstruction. But for 27 years I didn't have any problems with the same bone structure.
The machine was data capable but again this is Canada where you can't get a copy of anything related to your health unless you are friends with the doctor, which I'm not.

I've also had the holter test for 48 hours and got results today that everything is perfect, will have the treadmill test next week but I'm not worried as I workout regularly.
They also ordered a brain MRI which I will have next week too.

In conclusion my biggest fear is getting labelled and not diagnosed properly, I have experience with this in the past where something gets misdiagnosed and I have to live with pain until I travel to Europe and get it fixed.

[Julie]

Whoa... I'm up here too, and what you're saying is nonsense! Your results are yours by law, so get them from your MD's office and tell us what's what. Second, have you been tested for thyroid problems? Vit D and/or hormone levels? Anything else? Are you (and please don't take offense) overweight?

You may not need a second formal test, but there are ways to do it otherwise (and at home) if you're interested. But get your results first, regardless of anything else, and let us know what they say.

The 'falling down' business - was that about sleep, or possibly low blood pressure? Elaborate a bit please.

[tripman]

Whoa... I'm up here too, and what you're saying is nonsense! Your results are yours by law, so get them from your MD's office and tell us what's what. Second, have you been tested for thyroid problems? Vit D and/or hormone levels? Anything else? Are you (and please don't take offense) overweight?

You may not need a second formal test, but there are ways to do it otherwise (and at home) if you're interested. But get your results first, regardless of anything else, and let us know what they say.

Maybe my doctor is an a hole because he outright denied me photocopies of the reports numerous times. He's been my doctor for 17 years. But misdiagnosing is not incorrect. I had a hip tear for 10 years that I got in the Canadian Military and had to leave for Europe to get it fixed because some idiot wrote rare on a report 10 years earlier.

As for falling down I have no clue what it was. I was still in Europe at the time and already post hip surgery so I really don't know. But I know it was the start of my fatigue issues. Not only that I used to be into bodybuilding and took legal supplements like pre workouts etc that later were banned due to unclaimed substances like original craze and jack3d. I took them excessively around that time so maybe it ruined something in my body. I had thyroid checked but apparently the numbers are correct? I don't know. I have no trust in these doctors but don't have a choice. No I'm not overweight, I workout 5-7 times a week and have had a similar frequency for 15 years now.
But if you're saying it's illegal to deny me copies then I will definitely force them to give me my lab reports or scare them with my lawyer. Can you direct me to the law so I can read about it.

[Julie]

Call your nearest office of College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada... they should be in the phone book, or ask Info. But please take my word for it - I worked in hospitals here all my life.

And "I had thyroid checked but apparently the numbers are correct?" - What?

I understand you've had a hard time, and your doctor sounds like a ditz, but we'll try to help.

[zoocrewphoto]

Do you have the cpap machine currently? You can check the data yourself, for free. You don't need the doctor to see the data. Odds are, they sent you home with a machine that was set wide open, and not useful for anybody. We can help you hone in in better settings is that is what is needed.

Let us know what machine you have, and we can help you get the free software and figure out what is really going on.

[yaconsult]

As everyone above said, you have to get a copy of your sleep report. It is you medical information and you are entitled to it. It is unlikely that they would give you a cpap machine unless the sleep study indicated that you needed it.

The good thing about having the sleep study is that it provides specific, measured data on what is happening while you sleep. Brain waves, breathing, movement, heartbeat - it's all there. This detailed information is invaluable.

Many people take a while to get the therapy dialed in or before they notice much change from the therapy, so you really can't use it for a month and say, "it doesn't work". However, the machine does record valuable data onto the memory card while you are sleeping that can let you see what is going on with your breathing.

[chunkyfrog]

Not everyone has immediate results--with ANY therapy.
Success with cpap depends on the patient adapting to the equipment,
getting the correct settings, and the body recovering from maybe years of poor or inadequage sleep.
This may take several months, but the time can vary.

[Goofproof]

Not everyone has immediate results--with ANY therapy.
Success with cpap depends on the patient adapting to the equipment,
getting the correct settings, and the body recovering from maybe years of poor or inadequage sleep.
This may take several months, but the time can vary.

Even if you use XPAP, you can't expect it to help until you get your treatment correct, that will require some work by you. Their is no automatic treatment. That's why a full data machine is a must. The software to read it is a must too, your car has a steering wheel, the software is your steering wheel. Jim

Your body has been deprived of sleep and O2 for years, it won't recover in a couple of weeks, even so we keep aging, our health goes down as we age.

The people that promote Golden Years are naive..

[crappyman]

I feel like better like after a month when it had totally no effects in the first month.

But I am not sure if the effect is consistent. I need to wait and see.

But mark me that it is the 1st day when I do feel refreshed after starting cpap.

[RogerSC]

I feel like better like after a month when it had totally no effects in the first month.

But I am not sure if the effect is consistent. I need to wait and see.

But mark me that it is the 1st day when I do feel refreshed after starting cpap.

This is really good to hear, glad that you're making progress! Encouraging to those who are also struggling.