Looking for help out there.

MeHoo · Post by **MeHoo** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:32 pm

Ok where to start. 25, male, enjoy long walks... nevermind =]

I have been on my therapy for a while now.. a while meaning i cant concentrate and am barely awake and can't remember exactly =[ 6+ months at least. have respironics m series with card reader [and humidifier i dont use anymore.]

At first i had mask troubles, rainout, etc, etc. couldnt get a whole nights sleep in there. rainout with humidifier on lowest and heated hose.. so i ditched it. the lovely ladies at cpap.com [same as billmyinsruance?] helped me out and kept me trying...

Now no mask problems, rarely wake up to roll over and re-adjust hose, and usually get a full nights sleep. I have been logging my sleep to the card and the beta software provided by someone [once again cant recall sorry] here for the remstar machine but i dont know what im looking at.

Ok, so i get sleep now.. and i still feel horrible. i go to bed feeling so good to be in bed, my mask fits nice, it doesnt hurt anymore, it doesnt tug.. i fall asleep easily and i wake up. when i wake up my left leg muscle [below knee behind bone.. calf?] is always "pulled" or feels like it has been all night. im sure everyone knows it as a leg cramp but in case its not the same, let me explain. the muscle feels like i laid on my stomach, toes pointing away from me, and i flex that muscle. since the muscle has no tension on it, it immediately cramps up if i hold it flexed. well this is how i feel when i wake up in that one leg. I did my sleep study and they said i did not have restless leg syndrome, although i was on my back and thats not how i sleep. although they did say i had an apnea at least once a minute with the longest lasting 60 seconds [yay]... anyways.. so i wake up with this leg problem, and my eyes are killing me. the eyesockets feel like i have been up for weeks straight [i know, i didnt used to sleep at all]. they arent dry, just sore like they got a good workout.

Also, i have noticed that if i stay up and dont go to bed, i feel the same as if i get a full 8 hours of sleep when i wake up anyways. now, i know the cpap [or medicine] is helping my blood pressure, but other than that its completely useless to me from every angle i can see. now, when i was recently sick and couldnt use my mask [stuffed up nose] i had to stay up at night because my brain seems to have re-learned how to breathe through my nose only and i just would not stay asleep for more than a few seconds. this is no fun.

sorry if im jumping all over, i'm so exhausted. basically im giving it an honest effort, and i really want it to work and its just not doing anything. i'm very overweight [350 @6'1"] and can barely wake up in the morning let alone exercise, so i had seriously high hopes on this therapy working out for me and giving me the 180 degree difference EVERYONE told me would happen so that i could begin exercising and start the upward movement towards feeling even better. needless to say i am extremely upset at this so far. i seem to be that unlucky 1 in a million that noone ever hears about because literally 100 people told me i would be a whole new person when i got a cpap and its done nothing.

i dont know if the leg thing is worth focusing on, or if theres another reason. is it possible something is going wrong? i got an auto cpap from cpap.com/billmyinsurance [the nice people sent it to me for free after i had concerns about my normal remstar] and my pressure is around 7-8ish i think. i get the data readouts and i dunno what to look for. i wish i could tell, "oh hey look this is wrong so do this to fix it" or something. kinda at the end of my rope so to speak. not doin well health wise, no energy, long work hours, and all i have to look forward to at the end of the day is sleep that won't do me any good. people at work don't understand how hard this condition is to deal with.

help =[

im 25 years old and i make a boatload of money every year for being a talented digital artist but im slipping. last week i didnt get much done at all and im here at 9:30pm writing this from work because of it. i love my job, i hate being upset and pissed all day, and i cant keep messing up or i'll lose my job. I'm also trying to become a team leader and this isnt helping.. im not a good role model when i show up at 10am. i also cant remember anything anymore. literally anything. i have to grab a pen real fast, and write it on my hand so i remember five minutes later. if you've seen memento, im about 85% of the way there and i am being totally honest. im babbling but i guess what im looking for are tips, help, support, anything. i neglected the apnea for years and years and now it seems i waited too long or something and its just not going away.

im not normally a poster, just a long time reader, but i really need help on this. i give up.

cflame1 · Post by **cflame1** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:35 pm

If you can post some of your reports... maybe somebody on here will have some suggestions??

MeHoo · Post by **MeHoo** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:40 pm

hi. im a tard but.. can i export a file for the entire time?

not at home so i cant check. i lost alot of data when if ormatted too but it should have a few months on there.

ill try to psot them when i get home if im still awake enough.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 8:20 pm

If you can you need to fill in your profile and state your pressures. In a few minutes I will send you a PM, click from right top of page. Jim

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 8:41 pm

MeHoo - If the data folks say your cpap treatment appears to be working for you and probably not causing your daytime symptoms, follow up on the leg problem. Even if you do not have Restless Leg Syndrome you could have Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. Ideally it would have shown up on your diagnostic and titration studies, but that's not always the case. Won't go into more detail now as it may not even be your issue. Just keep it in the back of your mind.

Kathy

MeHoo · Post by **MeHoo** » Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:38 pm

emailed u goofproof, thanks.

i will update my profile tomorrow at work.. im exhausted gonna go to sleep

thanks.

RichCMH · Post by **RichCMH** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 10:50 am

my thoughts/questions:

Are you mouth breathing and not getting the therapy from cpap?

Leg cramps? Calf muscle is between ankle and knee on the back side of the leg. Cramps have several causes:
Muscle fatigue
Heavy exercising
Dehydration
High weight (not necessarily obesity)
Electrolyte imbalances
Medications (statins, prednisone, others...)

I would say start drinking more water and avoid caffeine for the cramping.

Best of luck!

MeHoo · Post by **MeHoo** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:18 pm

if i was mouth breathing, i am not aware of it.

i got the email back from goofproof and it seems my numbers are good yet im not feeling the results.

i drink alot of caffeiene. its the only reason i function. i drink 2-3 amp energy drinks a day.. i know thats insane but i cant be a zombie all day and i hate coffee.

i guess im just effective at therapy but my energy problem is rooted elsewhere. =[

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:53 pm

Do you have GERD? Ever been tested for it?
There have been instances on the forum of people who have it (there's also a "silent" version).
It can raise Hell with one's therapy.
It usually shows up in the AHI numbers (that won't come down).
If you pressure is "7 - 8ish", that sounds a little low to me, but.......???
Are you getting ENOUGH sleep?
If you were leaking therapy air out your mouth, you may NOT be aware of it.

Best wishes,

Den

MeHoo · Post by **MeHoo** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:22 pm

if i get home at a decent hour tonight i will put my file up here for all to see, and also get the profile done, etc.

whats gerd?

oh i looked it up briefly.. i have medicine for acid reflux but have never been tested for it.. just told the doc my symptoms and he sent me on my way with pills [nexium i think].. yay. i do have a fully dis-functional gall bladder im neglecting removal of [never have any pains, etc]. normal ejection ratio is like 85% or something and mine is .005% so its toast. i often have air bubbles leaking out of my throat when im hungry.. a sound i can "hear" through my throat if THAT makes any sense. never thought these could be related though. noone i've talked to about the bubbly throat has ever heard of it before and i always thought it was normal. its like a burp with pop that just doesnt wanna come out and it trickles.. perhaps im making it harder to understand with that analogy lol.

thanks for the advice/info

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:27 pm

MeHoo wrote:whats gerd?

Gastro-Esophageal-Reflux-Disease, also known variously as acid indigestion, acid reflux, heartburn, etc.

Regards,
Bill

RichCMH · Post by **RichCMH** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 2:42 pm

MeHoo wrote:if i was mouth breathing, i am not aware of it.

i drink alot of caffeiene. its the only reason i function. i drink 2-3 amp energy drinks a day.. i know thats insane but i cant be a zombie all day and i hate coffee. =[

You would or should know if you mouth breathe - you would wake with a mouth drier than the Sahara Desert.

I don't see how you get any sleep - you're so jacked up on energy drinks! Layoff those and you'll get some needed rest and start feeling better. Don't tell me you can't funtion without that crap, you're in a visious cycle and you gotta get out of it!

Take a vacation (sounds like you can afford to take some time off) and cleanse thyself of the Amp crap!

MeHoo · Post by **MeHoo** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 3:34 pm

heh u sound liek my mother =]

i sleep. had i sat up all night long and never slept at all i would understand that complaint.

i went 2 months straight without any caffeiene [dec&jan] and felt HORRIBLE every day.. caffeiene gets me through the day then i stop when i get home.

but yea, i tried that too.

was gonna upload my PDF for any other opinions, but cant seem to find any attach features here. ah well.

if my mouth would be really dry, then i doubt i mouth breathe. like i said when i was sick and i began mouth breathing it woke me up immediately. just cant do it anymore.

hades161 · Post by **hades161** » Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:40 pm

I can relate to the gall bladder thing I had a stone get caught in the duct to the liver and I was in huge pain and had to have the stone and the gall bladder removed. I fought the acid reflux for ages but I feel looking back that my OSA might have been at fault. In your case I think removal of the gall bladder should be explored mainly due to the side effects I had when mine was bad. I felt so tired all the time and ill, finally the reflux herniated the flap that closes off my stomach. I feel the OSA, GERD, and that bad gall bladder really stuck it to me. Once I had it out I did feel better and had more energy as I was not so ill all the time.

The extra factors of gall bladder disease, your caffeine intake, and possible leg disorder might be interfering with your OSA treatment. There also is the possibility of your pressure not being set right and your getting little to no REM sleep. Seeing you have the cash to explore the issues you have, I would head to the Doc and lay it all out to them. Maybe get a new sleep study to confirm your pressure needs. Until you nail down all the factors in your life and your health, you might very well be treating your OSA perfectly but have other factors negating the treatment.

By all means though check with the people here on your numbers and I am sure you'll get enough info on what they mean.

cflame1 · Post by **cflame1** » Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:51 am

what some folks do here to post stuff... convert it to jpg's and load it to photobucket... from there you can either do links or post actual images

Looking for help out there.

Looking for help out there.

Still not feeling better