CPAP not helping

[NoSleep2023!]

I’ve had my CPAP for almost a year, and I haven’t seen a change. I’m so frustrated. My sleeping became affected when I started perimenopause almost four years ago. I could (and still can) fall asleep and stay asleep. I just wake up too early. It took about four months for my sleep to become the pattern it still is today, and coincided with the beginning of Covid -yay!

I’m on bioidentical hormone replacement, that hasn’t helped. I’ve tried progesterone orally, rectally, as a topical cream, and as an injection, and no help. I’ve tried melatonin,ashwagandha, L-theanine, passionflower, lavender, various forms of magnesium, with no help. I’ve tried a warm bath, sleepy time tea, sex, with no help. I have good sleep hygiene.

I’ve tried Trazadone, but it didn’t do anything for me. I’ve tried Remeron, which made me restless with very vivid dreams, also gave me hives. I’m afraid of Ambien, Sonata, and Lunesta, for the sleepwalking side effect. My insurance won’t cover Doxepin unless I try and fail two of the sleepwalking meds, and out of pocket is $300 a month for the generic.

My first pulmonologist put me on Adderall, which I don’t like but at least I can function. I was originally prescribed Nuvigil, but the copay for that was $120 a month (retails for almost $600 a month for 30 generic pills). The first pulm referred me to the sleep center at the big teaching hospital. It was there that I got prescribed Remeron. I was told the if-needed next step would be cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety. I’m not an anxious person, and I’ve never been one.

With the second pulm, I got the script for Remeron, but also switched from a full face mask to a nasal mask. I’ve had the new mask for two months now. I used to take the mask off about once a week (?), but it seems like a little less with the nasal mask. I’m not claustrophobic and don’t find either mask uncomfortable.

The only thing that helps, sometimes, is weed gummies with CBN. 10 mg THC, 2 mg CBN per gummie. If it works, I feel clear when I wake up. I can get stuff done. I can concentrate. I even feel like exercising. But they affect me much more than just a 10 mg THC gummie. I have CBN pills from the health food store, 5 mg CBN per pill, but they don’t help. Something about THC + CBN does work, but not every time, and I can’t seem to predict when it does work. I’m also in a medical only state which is expected to allow rec in the near future, though a neighboring state is rec friendly.

Anyone have any insight? I love to sleep. I’ve always loved sleeping. And I miss it so much.

And thanks for listening.

[ChicagoGranny]

I’ve had my CPAP for almost a year, and I haven’t seen a change.

What is the exact machine model you are using and which mask? Add them to your equipment profile - ucp.php?i=ucp_profile&mode=equipment_info

Do you know how to get into your machine's menu to check the AHI and leak level? If not, you can find your machine model on youtube with instructions.

Say more about your sleep habits. Do you have trouble falling asleep? Or is falling asleep OK, but then you wake up too early?

[zonker]

Anyone have any insight? I love to sleep. I’ve always loved sleeping. And I miss it so much.

And thanks for listening.

the forum will need more data to go on before we can suggest anything meaningful. we don't all have the same journey on the road of sleep apnea. tell you what-read the following and give us the info that we need.

viewtopic/t172378/Sticky--Newbies-PLEAS ... STING.html

let us know if you need any help with what you read at the link.

good luck!

[Miss Emerita]

Welcome! I see that you say, " I could (and still can) fall asleep and stay asleep. I just wake up too early. It took about four months for my sleep to become the pattern it still is today."

Do you go to bed at the same time every night? Has anyone suggested CBTi, which is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia? And do you drink alcohol in the evening? And how much sleep do you get before you have those early wake-ups?

[ChicagoGranny]

And how much sleep do you get before you have those early wake-ups?

You said it better. That is part of what I was after. How many hours does she sleep? We had a guy come here with a complaint about waking up too early. He was 74 years old and late in the thread he revealed was getting 6 hours of sleep before he "woke up too early". Then the consensus became that 6 straight hours of sleep was good for a 74-year-old CPAPer.

[NoSleep2023!]

Is this what I’m looking for from my cpap?

Used hours 5.3
Pressure average 10.3
Leak 20L/min
AHI 1.2
Total AI 0.8

Until November-December of 2019, I slept great. I work night shift, and I would get 7-8 hours of solid sleep. I would fall asleep right away and sleep straight through. I felt good when I woke up. I could exercise. I had no problem staying awake all night. For my nights off, I would wake up a little early and sleep with no problem at night.

Then perimenopause started. I could still fall asleep and stay asleep ok, but slowly I was waking up earlier and earlier. After about four month’s time, I was sleeping about four hours at a time. I was achy and tired and mildly confused. My primary started me on progesterone, which helped with the pain but not the sleep. Estradiol was added, but my primary wanted to reduce that, even though I wasn’t feeling any better. Now I get my hormones via a telehealth service.

I love my job, and most nights it’s low stress. I’ve worked the overnight shift in the past, and sleeping during the day has never been a problem for me. I wouldn’t even need an eye mask or blackout curtains. Even now I can fall asleep ok, and usually stay asleep ok. My sleep has never been interrupted for the bathroom. I started with a full face mask, and would sometimes wake up gasping, maybe once every two weeks? Two months ago I switched to a nasal mask and have only woken up gasping once.

[NoSleep2023!]

Oh, and my new pulmonologist (my 2nd one) mentioned CBT as a possibility to treat my anxiety. Except I’m not having anxiety, and I’m not an anxious person in general. I rarely drink, and when I do it’s one drink only.

[loggerhead12]

Did you check out numbers 3 and 4 in the newbie thread?

viewtopic/t172378/Sticky--Newbies-PLEAS ... STING.html

[Miss Emerita]

Oh, and my new pulmonologist (my 2nd one) mentioned CBT as a possibility to treat my anxiety. Except I’m not having anxiety, and I’m not an anxious person in general. I rarely drink, and when I do it’s one drink only.

CBTi isn't for anxiety; it's for insomnia. It's a specialized kind of therapy. More here:

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/insomni ... y-insomnia

You're dealing with a lot: perimenopause, which can really mess with sleep, and day-time sleeping, which may have worked well for you in the past but may now be contributing to your difficulties.