Ready to Quit

[aragonsd]

I just started CPAP a week ago and have felt worse then Pre-CPAP. I call it CPAP hangover! I wake up feeling groogie, lightheaded, headache and no energy through out the day. I'm currently using a ResMed full face mask and a Remstar Pro M series with a heated humidifier with ramp and C-flex activated.(flow rate 12) Not sure if this stuff is good or not but that was what I got form my provider. As far as the mask, I hate it but I'm not sure what to try, I don't like the feeling of air rushing through my mouth when I use a nasal mask. I wake up nightly with leaks and have to tighten to the point of discomfort.

I made the choice to not use the system last night and felt much better this morning. So I'm looking for suggestions and help. Do these symptoms go away over time? What other types of masks should I try or use. I'm not ready to give up so quickly but don't want to feel the "hangover" daily.....

Please help....Ready to quit......

[SharkBait]

You need a change of heart really fast here. A few "go get em's" aren't going to cut it. You've all but given up...

I'd start off going back to the DME and telling them that the mask isn't cutting it. They should give you another one to try. I personally just love my nasal pillows, but I'm able to pretty much keep my mouth closed, sometimes with the help of a chin strap.

Bottom line, you need to make quitting not an option. Until you get that mind set going, no miracle equipment is going to help. Less than 3 weeks in, I feel I've got the best equipment (exhale relief, great nasal pillow system, reporting software to show me I'm doing all the good), but all in all if you consider it against the idea of no equipment at all, it pretty much sucks and it's not even close. But every single hour that I'm asleep, I don the mask. Not doing so is just is not an option for me.

I don't always feel like a million bucks when I wake up because my body is not used to the deep sleep. Fortunately I love coffee and within a 1/2 hour I feel great all day long.

Good luck, and suck it up.

[Babette]

Me too. Read my posts from April to May 2007 and you'll see me screaming my head off. But I got over that feeling, and with our help, you will too.

I ended up going through 8 masks in 6 weeks (or was it 6 masks in 8 weeks?) before I could find one I could sleep with all night long.

I begged my doctor for help, and she gave me Provigil. However, when I took it as prescribed, I looked, sounded, and acted like I was on Meth. I took half a dose for about 3 months, and I was MUCH BETTER. Helped me keep my job, got me over the "hump" of getting used to therapy. Quit cold turkey when I ran out, and have been fine ever since.

1) Try another mask. If you can't get one from your DME, PM me, and get on a free test drive for the Nasal Aire II. Or check my signature line for links to other mask test drives.

2) Ask your doctor about Provigil? I was told it's just an antihistimine, and very safe. Others may disagree.

3) Breathe, and have patience with yourself. It WILL get better. No one can say WHEN, however. There are just too many variables.

Glad you're here. Keep posting. Happy to help.

Huggers,
Babs

[jules]

Read my posts from April to May 2007 and you'll see me screaming my head off.

some of us heard Babs LIVE miles away

[lynx]

You know how you feel, you may have something wrong, I would follow up with your sleep doc, HOWEVER, the odds that you've been misdiagnosed are likely pretty low. You need to take charge of fixing your problems to make the therapy work for you, or whatever prompted you to seek treatment will continue. Also you will likely develop worse symptoms and issues later.

I have had my machine for 7 nights now and I too am having issues adjusting. I came up with a list of my major complaints and have greatly ameliorated 2 of them due to the advice on this board. You must keep trying, be stubborn, but you don't have to try exactly what hasn't been working, work with your doc and medical supplier to keep trying stuff until you find something that works, they do not get to give up on you and you don't get to give up on yourself.

[Babette]

Read my posts from April to May 2007 and you'll see me screaming my head off.

some of us heard Babs LIVE miles away

You said you LIKED IT when I screamed!

Now I know......
B.

[bdp522]

If you have to tighten the mask so much it hurts, you have the wrong mask. You should get ahold of your DME or RT and get them to help you pick another mask. There are many masks to choose from they should let you try a couple at least. You can also post here which mask you are using and we can give you tips on mask fit.
You also have to remember it can take 6-8 weeks just to become used to the mask, machine, hose etc. It is harder for some to adjust than for others. You have to allow yourself time!
As SharkBait said;
You need a change of heart really fast here. A few "go get em's" aren't going to cut it. You've all but given up...
and;
Bottom line, you need to make quitting not an option.

You can do this and their are plenty of us here to help!

Brenda

[DyannaK]

I have been using my machine for about 1 1/2 months now... I THINK I am getting the hang of it, but am still having mask problems. Giving up is NOT an option for me though. Sore nose and all, I still feel "safer" using the machine. Everything I have read about the health issues of people who don't follow their therapy has been enough to "scare me into compliance" Hang in there and give it more time... You will be glad you did

[GumbyCT]

You said you LIKED IT when I screamed!

TMI

[OCNorsk]

I hate to whine (well, maybe I like it), I am still having major issues with the system. And I've been on way longer than most people who are still adjusting. I've had a cold for a week and I could not use it. I've had to stand on my head (yoga) to even get air into my lungs. I hate to say it, but I was happy to not be able to use it. But as soon as I can breathe through my nose again, I'm slapping the thing back on. I know the consequences of not having CPAP. My blood pressure is down and I no longer wake up gasping with my heart pounding in my chest. And I have MILD apnea.

[lynx]

I hate to whine (well, maybe I like it), I am still having major issues with the system. And I've been on way longer than most people who are still adjusting. I've had a cold for a week and I could not use it. I've had to stand on my head (yoga) to even get air into my lungs. I hate to say it, but I was happy to not be able to use it. But as soon as I can breathe through my nose again, I'm slapping the thing back on. I know the consequences of not having CPAP. My blood pressure is down and I no longer wake up gasping with my heart pounding in my chest. And I have MILD apnea.

I was under the impression that the air pressure will slowly push the blockage out of your sinuses.

At any rate, if you end up in this situation you can get a Netti Pot at Target, you don't need a Rx and you just fill it with luke warm, filtered water, use it while you shower or over the sink (don't let mold grow in it, clean it!). It comes with saline packets in it, you just dump one in. If you're completely clogged, sniff as much saline water up there as you can, repeat in 2-5 minutes, and change positions, the snot will eventually give way and you can finish flushing.

Careful not to blow your nose with anything in front of it, you may force crud up your Eustachian tubes and give your self ear problems.

[whatrdreamsmadeof]

It's taken me the better part of 2 years to finally be getting a 6 hour nightly sleep. I to felt better taking the machine off on days when I felt like I couldn't take it another minute, masks didn't fit, water pouring into my face, straight cpap, auto cpap, hose covers, mask lines, pig nose, whislting eyes ( yes you read this right) and lots more. Bottom line, falling and breaking bones, not an option for me. Take all the advice you can get from the great folks on this forum and plug on (no pun intended).
Good luck

[ww]

I just started CPAP a week ago and have felt worse then Pre-CPAP. I call it CPAP hangover! I wake up feeling groogie, lightheaded, headache and no energy through out the day. I'm currently using a ResMed full face mask and a Remstar Pro M series with a heated humidifier with ramp and C-flex activated.(flow rate 12) Not sure if this stuff is good or not but that was what I got form my provider. As far as the mask, I hate it but I'm not sure what to try, I don't like the feeling of air rushing through my mouth when I use a nasal mask. I wake up nightly with leaks and have to tighten to the point of discomfort.

I made the choice to not use the system last night and felt much better this morning. So I'm looking for suggestions and help. Do these symptoms go away over time? What other types of masks should I try or use. I'm not ready to give up so quickly but don't want to feel the "hangover" daily.....

Please help....Ready to quit......

Most of us started off very similar, however, in your case the DME gave you a mask that you should keep if it is the correct size.

The machine they gave you is a data capable machine that will tell you how well your therapy is doing and you can find out very quickly if the therapy is really working. Order the card reader and software from cpap.com (they will price match if you find it cheaper).

You can buy cheaper masks either new or used if you want to try other masks, but the one you have can give excellent therapy once you learn how to use it properly. Spend a little time researching how to use and adjust the mask properly. With the software you can see how well you are doing with controlling the leaks, which is essential to get good therapy. You can also see if the pressure prescribed is working for your treatment. Some DME's will loan you another mask or two to try out, but try to hand on to that full face mask. I have bought out of pocket a Hybrid, Nasal Air, Optilife, ResMed Swift II, and a Comfort Gel mask. None have done as well overall month after month than the ResMed Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask (in a small size) although the DME originally fitted me with a Medium that leaked air very badly, particularly in my eyes.

The mask sealing surface needs to be cleaned (wiped) with a wash cloth just before bedtime. Your face needs to be shaved just before bedtime and THEN scrubbed hard with a wash cloth where the mask touches your face. The straps can be kinda loose on the top, but the bottom straps need to be tightened where they don't allow leaks on your back or side. If the mask makes red marks on your nose, a piece of moleskin on your nose will stop that. The forehead adjustment is critical to getting a good seal with that mask and take the time to learn how to adjust it properly.

Keep after it day by day and you will soon see improvements. The wonderful thing is not being seen in that your body finally starts to heal the serious degradation that sleep apnea has taken on it. You quit snoring, your blood pressure comes down, you no longer get up several times in the night to go to the bathroom, and you quit waking up literally hundreds of time each night.

There are many wonderful people here who will try to answer your questions as you feel your way through this very important part of your life and in a few months it will feel no different to your schedule than a minor inconvenience and you will feel much better!

[ozij]

I just started CPAP a week ago and have felt worse then Pre-CPAP. I call it CPAP hangover! I wake up feeling groogie, lightheaded, headache and no energy through out the day.

I felt like that too during my first 4 weeks. The were trying to titrate me with different auto machines, and different pressure (titration night I didn't sleep too much) and then based on the reading, the tech/RT set up the machine on fixed pressure that was too high.
I woke up with the worst headache ever, called the clinic at told them I won't go on till I speak to a doctor.

I also searched the Internet. I found the Internet forums - read some of the advice from helpful people, routed the hose above my head, learned various other tricks to make my therapy easier. The result of my meeting with the doctor was that I was switched to another technician, switched from fixed pressure to auto, given a fourth (or fifth?) mask to try - and things started settling down. I told them I wanted a machine the adjusted itself to my breathing, just like my multifocals were adjusted to the position of my eyes.

Breathing out against the pressure was frightening - despite my pressure being very low.

4 year later, I know some people need more time to adjust to therapy: A healthy lung system is not used to breathing out against pressure - we need to adjust to the need to use muscles when breathing out. We need to "learn this new way of sleeping".

So basically, my reply is:

• The beginning may difficult
  You have to do all you can to make sure you're comfortable at night
  Sometimes you don't come out of the titration with the right pressure
  There is no mask out there that is good for everyone - masks are like shoes - some fit some faces, some fit others - don't assume they are all the same.
  In addition to full face masks (FFMs) there are hybrid style masks, that use nasal pillows for your nose, and cover you mouth - the Hybrid is one, the Liberty is another.

It's not easy to start, for some of us - but it's worth the struggle.

Welcome to the forum, and good luck!
O.

[jda1000]

I've been on it for nearly two months, and I still have bad nights and good - and I still think CPAP is somehow medieval.

Still, it is the best thing going for treating OSA, and is a far, far better thing that we do than just sliding exhausted and yawning into diabetes, heart disease, and an early stroke. Seriously, the results of untreated OSA really shook me up when I read about them; quitting is NOT an option.

Here's another thing - I picked up an oximeter and have taken to wearing it every night. I traveled out of town unexpectedly on Thursday, and to save myself a three-hour drive beginning at 4.30 Thursday morning, I traveled Wednesday evening - left on a lark, packed light, and being well-rested lately, I left the CPAP at home - but took the oximeter. It's smaller - and I was curious what the results would be.

It recorded 33 desaturation events (minimum 4% drop in my SpO2 for at least 10 seconds) in five hours of sleep - about one every 9 minutes. Assuming I "woke" each time, that's an AHI of around a mere 6.6 - which I am guessing is only a moderate case. My average pulse rate was 10 bpm higher than on nights using CPAP. My brain was toast the next day.

Speaking of which, here's a great post: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38249&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... ried+brain.

Pretty sure I didn't link the link the best way, but "fried" and "brain" in the search box will get you there....