How do you know if you feel as good as you can?

SnoozyQ · Post by **SnoozyQ** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:38 am

Forgive me if this rambles, I'm particularly sleepy today. I don't know why...

After using CPAP for a period of time, how do you know if the improvements you encounter are as good as it gets? or not?

In my case, I don't feel the desire to sleep on the bathroom floor at work. I don't spend my weekends taking 4 hour naps. However, I don't feel as good as I wanted/hoped to. Is that bc I'm not "there" yet or that this is just my personal result? Sometimes, I have super days. I feel awesome, I feel awake and alive. I want that to be the majority, but is that possible?

As a side note, I'm meeting with the new DME today to be fitted for my new Quattro FX. Yay!

secret agent girl · Post by **secret agent girl** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:52 am

BlackSpinner · Post by **BlackSpinner** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:20 am

Some damage takes quite a while to repair. Kind of like going on a diet, it takes some time before you lose the weight and you have to workout to rebuild the muscles and aerobic ability. Same with CPAP - it takes time and oxygen to rebuild your body.

NightMonkey · Post by **NightMonkey** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:41 am

SnoozyQ wrote:Forgive me if this rambles, I'm particularly sleepy today. I don't know why...

After using CPAP for a period of time, how do you know if the improvements you encounter are as good as it gets? or not?

In my case, I don't feel the desire to sleep on the bathroom floor at work. I don't spend my weekends taking 4 hour naps. However, I don't feel as good as I wanted/hoped to. Is that bc I'm not "there" yet or that this is just my personal result? Sometimes, I have super days. I feel awesome, I feel awake and alive. I want that to be the majority, but is that possible?

As a side note, I'm meeting with the new DME today to be fitted for my new Quattro FX. Yay!

What are the statistics from your machine showing? AHI? Mask leak?

I love Carolina!

SnoozyQ · Post by **SnoozyQ** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 7:51 am

NightMonkey...if I recall, this morning read 1.8 AHI and 68/L. I have a Quattro mask that is past it's prime and have an appt to be fitted for the new FX today.

While the mask was still in good shape, I would say my AHI ranged from 0.3-1.0 and leaks were under 10, except for a few nights that showed insane leak rates.

Little_Peep · Post by **Little_Peep** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:04 am

I haven't reached it yet but the ones on this board that feel energized every day tell me that that is the goal you and I seek. Not being enormously sleepy during the day, not gasping for breath at night, lower blood pressure, no atrial fibrillation......those are the benefits i now have and are what keep me on xpap. The rare day when i am fully awake and energized is wonderful and I can't wait for the day when that is a normal day for me!

NightMonkey · Post by **NightMonkey** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 8:57 am

SnoozyQ wrote:NightMonkey...if I recall, this morning read 1.8 AHI and 68/L. I have a Quattro mask that is past it's prime and have an appt to be fitted for the new FX today.

While the mask was still in good shape, I would say my AHI ranged from 0.3-1.0 and leaks were under 10, except for a few nights that showed insane leak rates.

Sounds like leaks may be a part of your problem. Maybe some ResMed users can comment on your leaks.

DocWeezy · Post by **DocWeezy** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:56 am

Hi Snoozy.....I'm with you. The improvements I see are small, tiny, baby steps. Frustrating, but at least I'm trending in the right direction. I figure I've had severe OSA for about 20 years now, so i guess it is only fair that it take many months or even more than a year for my body to really "heal" now that I'm sleeping. Heck, I've only had about 3 to 4 weeks of GOOD sleep in the past two decades, so I guess I can't complain too much that my progress seems slow.

I'm comparing this to knee replacement surgery: one can fairly quickly reach a healing point where daily life without much pain is possible....however, two years down the road and looking back, one can see how many more improvements occurred slowly over time and are only noticeable in hindsight. The daily changes were too small to be noticeable at the time, but they accumulate until you look back and go "wow...I didn't realize I'd improved that much."

I can't wait to be two years down the road with my xpap!! I'm hoping it will be the same thing with sleeping....before my knee replacements, I was unable to walk more than a few steps without screaming, and now I do 30+ mile bike rides without even a hint of pain. With sleeping, I'm betting I can do those bike rides without being exhausted!

Weezy

wolewyck · Post by **wolewyck** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 9:18 pm

I have been asking myself the very same question of late. Some days, feeling great-- others, not so much. My AHI is usually "normal" although barely, and I do think I tend to feel better when it drops below 3 (less common) versus when it's closer to 5, or even higher. After last weekend when I had a couple days of an AHI of 5/6, and I felt pretty lousy-- Oscar the Grouch, oh yeah-- I decided to try to go back to see the doctor-- but this time, a different doctor, since I haven't been that impressed with the first sleep specialist I met. So I feel better, but like you, I have this feeling that I can and should be doing even better than I actually am. We shall see if getting a second opinion makes a difference.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:07 am

SnoozyQ wrote:After using CPAP for a period of time, how do you know if the improvements you encounter are as good as it gets? or not?

I'm not sure if it would ever be possible to truly know if whatever improvements you have are "as good as it gets." I suppose enjoying whatever improvements happen and striving for more improvement until satisfied with the level of improvement is "good enough." Even then there will be some nights (days) not as good as others. That's true even for people who don't have any sleep disordered breathing issues at all and don't need CPAP. Every day isn't perfect for them either, energy-wise.

Even if "CPAP" is doing its part of the job like a champ -- keeping the airway well and truly open for breathing while sleeping -- there can always be other health or environment issues that might prevent a person from feeling as grrrrrreat as they had hoped.

Effective CPAP treatment for OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) can definitely help improve one's overall health, but it's not a magic bullet that can take care of every single factor in one's life or in one's body that might be keeping a person from feeling on top of the world. CPAP can sure help the body heal itself, but might not be able to undo everything that might have been damaged from years of untreated SDB (sleep disordered breathing.)

A few other things (in no particular order) that could prevent a person from feeling totally energized even when CPAP is totally effective:

Other sleep disorders (e.g. insomnia or PLMD - periodic limb movement disorder)
Other health issues (e.g. low thyroid, acid reflux, or any number of health problems)
Spontaneous arousals wrecking sleep architecture (e.g. pain disrupting a stage of sleep)
Need for better diet and/or exercise
Need for vitamin/mineral supplements
Side effects from meds
Sleep hygiene issues
Already existing damage that can't be repaired
Plain old "aging" -- years going by

The list could go on and on...

How do you know if you feel as good as you can?

How do you know if you feel as good as you can?

.

Re: How do you know if you feel as good as you can?

Re: How do you know if you feel as good as you can?

Re: How do you know if you feel as good as you can?

Re: How do you know if you feel as good as you can?

Re: How do you know if you feel as good as you can?

Re: How do you know if you feel as good as you can?

Re: How do you know if you feel as good as you can?

Re: How do you know if you feel as good as you can?