The Headaches

[emperorsimon]

What did you do about the headaches when you started? I'm still getting a migraine when I try to use my machine. Every time. The pain is so intense I can't keep food down. And I've not been using the machine every night because of it. The dizziness I can get used to, but the pain is overwhelming.

[LSAT]

I don't think severe headaches and dizziness are the norm for CPAP beginners. I would go to your doctor to get checked out...sounds like possible Sinus problems

[Slartybartfast]

I don't think severe headaches and dizziness are the norm for CPAP beginners.

To put it mildly. Headaches, pain, etc. are not normal with xPAP. Something else is going on. Get to your doc asap.

[ems]

I think perhaps you are anxious when you use the machine, which then causes the headache. Is that possible?

I have experienced intense morning headaches for many years... in the two months I've been using CPAP, I'm getting less and less headaches.

Getting this checked out is a good idea.

[jabman]

I Like those above don't think that it is normal to get migranes from XPAP. I had headaches befoer starting XPAP but I think that was from High BG numbers.

[ameriken]

Sinuses?

[emperorsimon]

I definitely have sinus problems. I've had them for years. I wasn't asked about sinus problems when I went to the sleep dr. I was just told I would have apnea and it would probably take two night of studies to prove it. I'm starting to really wonder about my doctor, my results and everything.

[emperorsimon]

I think perhaps you are anxious when you use the machine, which then causes the headache. Is that possible?

I have experienced intense morning headaches for many years... in the two months I've been using CPAP, I'm getting less and less headaches.

Getting this checked out is a good idea.

I usually only have a morning headache if I don't drink enough water the day before. I also get hormonal ones occassionally. I am trying to not be anxious. I am falling asleep- then waking a few hours later with blinding head pain.

I've never been as disappointed in anything as I am my CPAP. I knew there might be an adjustment period. But I wasn't expecting to feel so much worse with it than I did before. I think I want to go to a different doctor than the one who smirked at me.

[ameriken]

New doc may be a good idea. Some docs are horrible at listening and empathizing and just blow off many things you try to tell them. Personally, I think it could be sinus pressure which could also have blinding pain. The pressure blowing into your head and cavities could definitely impact the sinuses, then when you wake up and become vertical, the pressure is relieved and the pain goes away.

I don't have the answer, but I am sure you'll get more here, and I do encourage you to never give up and to do whatever you can to stay on CPAP. Hang in there and perhaps find a doc that will listen...Ken

[BlackSpinner]

Check your head gear. Is it pressing on sensitive neck spots? Use some safety pins to adjust it so that it doesn't touch your neck.
Try using some nose spray to see if it makes a difference. Even nasty Afrin (over the counter stuff)just for a night to check what is going on.

For most of us the headaches disappeared as soon as we started xpap.

[jabman]

I think I want to go to a different doctor than the one who smirked at me.

If you don't like the doctor and you think he/she is giving you a bum rap then you should try a different doctor. It will only help you in the end.

[Slartybartfast]

I've never been as disappointed in anything as I am my CPAP. I knew there might be an adjustment period. But I wasn't expecting to feel so much worse with it than I did before. I think I want to go to a different doctor . . .

You really need to see a sinusologist.

Ok I made that up. An Ear-Nose-Throat doctor. Strapping on a CPAP mask without first attending to an existing sinus problem is asking for trouble. Your CPAP machine can only do one thing, and that is to keep you from choking on your own throat in your sleep. If you have chronic sinus issues that you didn't disclose to your doctor, don't blame your CPAP machine. Go find a mirror and point to the image you see in it. You can smirk a little, too, if you think that might help. Then pick up a phone and make an appointment to get the sinus problem looked at, and make sure you tell the doc' that you're on CPAP. They'll know what that means.

[Mary Z]

Blinding pain from a headache is never normal. If your doc "smirked" perhaps it is time for a new doc. There are many neurologists who are also sleep physicians. I would call this urgent when trying to get an appointment.
If you ever have these headaches during the day, what helps? Perhaps a dose of a nighttime pain reliever with benadryl (one of the long acting ones) may help.
Good luck, keep us posted.

[ems]

Could it simply be that the mask is too tight?? That would definitely give me a headache!

[robysue]

What did you do about the headaches when you started? I'm still getting a migraine when I try to use my machine. Every time. The pain is so intense I can't keep food down. And I've not been using the machine every night because of it. The dizziness I can get used to, but the pain is overwhelming.

I'm a migraineur myself. And sensory overload/stimuli is a trigger for my migraines. And yes, when I was a newbie, all the unwelcome sensory stimuli from having the mask on my face and the machine blowing air down my throat would trigger migraines. Not every night, but often enough where I'd lose my temper and start screaming at hubby sometimes, which of course, did nothing but make the migraine worse.

But my migraines are mild to moderate on the migraine scale. And yours are not if you can't even eat.

So some questions to tease some stuff apart:

• Have you had migraines before starting CPAP? And if so, do these headaches feel like your other migraines? Or are they more like sinus headaches? Or tension headaches? The differences are subtle, but important.
• Have you had severe migraines---as in can't keep food down----before? If so, how do you cope with daytime severe migraines? OTC stuff or prescription meds? Are you on a prophylactic med or do you only take something when the migraine strikes?
• Can you describe exactly WHERE the pain is? One side of your head? (Which side?) Or both sides? Top of the head? Cheeks? Back of the neck? All the above? And can you describe HOW the pain hurts? Sharp and stabbing? Dull, but intense and throbbing? Any sensitivity to light or noise when the headache starts up at night? How long after you put the cpap on does it start?'
• Assuming that you have indeed been formally diagnosed with migraines: Do you know what your migraine triggers are? Any of them related to anything that a cpap blowing air down your throat might aggravate or be similar to?
• Your mask is an Original Mirage Swift nasal pillows with the hose coming out the side of the barrel. Are the straps sufficiently loose? Does that hose coming out the side bother you? Does the size of the barrel bother you? You might do better with a Swift FX or a Swift LT mask. The FX can be worn super, super loose and still maintain a good seal for many of us. (And yes, I know there are plenty out there who can't get it to seal at all.)
• What's the humidifier set to?

If the problem really is migraines (and I believe it *could* be), then you might want to get yourself checked out by a neurologist---one who specializes in headaches is even better. Because the sleep doc is likely to know little or nothing about migraines and is likely to just write the headache pain off to mask problems or anxiety issues.

I definitely have sinus problems. I've had them for years. I wasn't asked about sinus problems when I went to the sleep dr. I was just told I would have apnea and it would probably take two night of studies to prove it. I'm starting to really wonder about my doctor, my results and everything.

First, it doesn't surprise me at all that you weren't ask about sinus pain when you went to the sleep doc. I think a lot of docs (of ALL specialties) don't think about any thing but their own little area of specialty. Any other problems outside that area "belong" to a different kind of doc and they don't seem to realize (and often don't seem to care) that whatever they prescribe to fix the problem in their area of interest can and sometimes does relate to other problems. And so the sleep doc may well thing "sinus problems" belong to your PCP or an ENT if they're severe enough, but not to him. Mind you, I'm not defending this kind of behavior, just explaining why it happens.

But back to your sinus issues. Some questions to consider:

• How bad are your sinus problems? Are they seasonal or with you all year round? Allergy based?
• Is it more of a problem with congestion in your sinuses, congestion in your nose, or lots of post nasal drip that causes you problems?
• What, if anything, do you do to help the sinuses? Any meds? Decongestants? Antihistamines? Use a nasal rinse or neti pot? Nasal sprays of any sort? Afrin or other OTC decongestant sprays? A prescription steroid spray? Something else?
• What, if anything, do you do to help with the pain when your sinuses are acting up?

Getting on top of the sinus problems and congestion problems will be critical both for getting comfortable with the mask and for making the therapy feel less invasive and less pain inducing. I've found that if I want to be comfortable with the mask on my nose, I have to have a pretty serious attitude towards eliminating as much congestion as I can. To see my nasal hygiene routine go to my blog: Dealing with Nasal Congestion