Help? Is my bipap giving me tension headaches??

[Maxman190]

The last 3 days, I've been having these crampy, dull, aching tension headaches that is going on for 24/7, even right now. First day, it was really bad, I wasn't in the mood to go anywhere or do anything. Second day was better, but I still had to leave my college early because the headache was bothering me like crazy. Yesterday was better, I was able to go through the day in college. Today, I still have it, but not as bad. It's like a pressure or squeezing ache in the back of my head, like on the top half of my neck all the way up to the middle of the back of my head stopping right behind both my ears. When I do anything that requires heavy lifting, it made the pain really really worse. Also, the pain is also throbbing, it kinda feels like when you have a stiff neck/neck pain when you sleep the wrong way, except the pain is radiating from higher up than the neck.

I forgot which information in SleepyHead is most relevant.







The pain sometimes is so bad that it keeps making me think that I have a tumor or a pinched nerve or something serious and then that just triggers my anxiety attack.

P.S. - My machine is PR System One REMstar BiPAP Pro with Bi-Flex, I don't know why it's not showing up in my signature.

[kteague]

Not sure if it applies to you or not, but I used a mask once that cause the same sensations you describe. I already have neck issues and adding a tight strap around the muscles that connect the skull to the shoulders caused excruciating pain. Sometimes moving the strap just an inch or two can help, or adding padding under the strap.

[Julie]

Agree that it sounds more like a cervical issue than 'headaches'.

[Maxman190]

Honestly, the straps aren't tight enough... I position the top strap of my mask right behind the top of my head and the bottom strap would be all the way down to my lower neck, the straps are nowhere near the area that is hurting right now. Also, I've been using this same mask for like months. What I mean when I said that the straps aren't tight enough, due to wear and tear, the elastic is stretching and stretching and I can't position the velcro because it's already at its tightest setting. Mask leaks occasionally when I use a mask liner (without mask liner is not an option because even using it once without mask liner, the area where the mask touches breaks out in acne).

Can anyone tell me what 95% Total Leaks mean? Keeps getting higher and higher every month. Would lack of oxygen from non-optimal apnea therapy give me these headaches? Or are these pain just on the surface? Because the pain feels like it's inside rather than feel like it's a bruising.

Additional note of my headache: When I tilt my head all the way back, it hurts a bit. When I yawn and open my mouth as wide as possible, it hurt a bit more than tilting my head. When I tilt my head forward, it gave relief. When I'm laying down on my pillow right now, it feels like someone's squeezing the back of my head. When I get up from bed and walk around, the back of my head throbs like crazy (probably due to blood rushing back to my head? I'm not good with human physiology). Due to my anxiety disorder and depression, I keep thinking of the worse case scenario, thinking I have a pinched nerve or something.

[kteague]

I have bulging disks in my neck. They are not herniated but even so the pain can be excruciating. My doctor showed me with one of those spine models what moving in different directions was doing inside my neck, and with the help of physical therapy I learned how to avoid pain causing activity. I did find position is everything in mitigating the pain. Could barely turn my head to either side, which made driving difficult. Tilting my head backward to look up is the worst, so I avoid it. Before I knew that position mattered, I would almost pass out feeling a pulsating in the back of my head, voices would get distant, hearing my pulse in my ears with a high pitch ringing like a tuning fork. Over time and with being very protective of my neck positioning, the severity of my symptoms and my limitations improved. If you do have a pinched nerve, it's not what anyone would want, but it isn't necessarily catastrophic. If you feel the need, get it checked so you can understand what medical help you might need and/or how you can best help yourself. The unknown can build in our imagination. Best wishes figuring it all out.

[Maxman190]

I have bulging disks in my neck. They are not herniated but even so the pain can be excruciating. My doctor showed me with one of those spine models what moving in different directions was doing inside my neck, and with the help of physical therapy I learned how to avoid pain causing activity. I did find position is everything in mitigating the pain. Could barely turn my head to either side, which made driving difficult. Tilting my head backward to look up is the worst, so I avoid it. Before I knew that position mattered, I would almost pass out feeling a pulsating in the back of my head, voices would get distant, hearing my pulse in my ears with a high pitch ringing like a tuning fork. Over time and with being very protective of my neck positioning, the severity of my symptoms and my limitations improved. If you do have a pinched nerve, it's not what anyone would want, but it isn't necessarily catastrophic. If you feel the need, get it checked so you can understand what medical help you might need and/or how you can best help yourself. The unknown can build in our imagination. Best wishes figuring it all out.

Would I be able to feel a bulging disks in my neck with my fingers if I do have them?

[Julie]

It is very common for pain to be 'referred' from one area to another and the original area may be pain free. Don't second guess yourself, but ask a doctor (neurolosurgeon would be the best for this one) about it. And no, you won't be able to feel discs with your fingers. Doesn't work that way.

[Pugsy]

Would I be able to feel a bulging disks in my neck with my fingers if I do have them?

No. Not at all.

Can anyone tell me what 95% Total Leaks mean? Keeps getting higher and higher every month. Would lack of oxygen from non-optimal apnea therapy give me these headaches? Or are these pain just on the surface? Because the pain feels like it's inside rather than feel like it's a bruising.

Also, I've been using this same mask for like months. What I mean when I said that the straps aren't tight enough, due to wear and tear, the elastic is stretching and stretching and I can't position the velcro because it's already at its tightest setting.

Get new head gear for your mask. It's tired and needs to be replaced if it cannot be adjusted as it should be.
Are you using the same cushion also?

95% leaks .. for 95% of the night you were at OR Below that number..People tend to forget the "or Below" part.
Total leak...the mask's intentional/vent leak rate PLUS any excess leak.
Large leak territory varies a bit with machines and pressure used....with your machine and your pressure it is going to be up around 90 L/min.
Check out the SleepyHead tutorial at the top of the announcements here on the forum...I go into more detail about leaks in it.
From what you are showing on the statistics page...you have some significant leak issues....get a new mask/headgear.
If you look at your individual nightly leak graphs...if you are seeing the leaks over 100 L/min...we can't trust the machine to be able to record the events you may be having...so we don't know if that nice low AHI is for real or not.

Lack of oxygen due to apnea events can cause some bad headaches but they usually go away within an hour or so of getting up.

Headaches that last all day..and what you say about your neck with certain movement...get your neck checked out.
Get a new mask.
Understand your leaks....your don't want total leak above 90 L/min for very long....and I suspect that your leak graphs show a lot of time above 90 L/min base on your long term 95% numbers.

[Pugsy]

Oh....your machine is not showing in your profile because the link is broken to the 650 model and I suspect that is what you have.
Just add it to your comments section in your profile like I have my spare machine.
If it is the 650 it is the PR S1 Bipap Pro
If it is the 660 then you have the PR S1 60 Series Pro CPAP and that link is a working link