still tired

I have used a cpap machine for one month and I am still tired. Is this common?

To use the forum features fully, you need to register and log in. Once you do that, your username will be in blue and be clickable. Until you do that, you are very limited in what communication can transpire between you and other members.

Once you are registered, please take a minute to go up to the User Control Panel (under search, top left) and then to your Profile and then Edit Equipment. Choose your gear from the pull down menus and the choose to show those in TEXT, not pictures. This will put your equipment at the bottom of every post your write automatically, like mine below. Those with the same equipment can help you better than having to constantly ask you what you use!

Anyone using cpap has a sleep debt to remedy... some folks feel great right away, but they are truly in the minority. Most of us take weeks or months to feel better, and I am a year into it and while I feel much better, I still don't have the level of energy I had hoped to attain. None of us got into this condition overnight so it isn't going to be better overnight, either.

We hope you will register and become an active member of the forum. BTW: I am a retired schoolteacher!

school teacher: your question is a loaded question. Yes, it is common for some folks to respond at different intervals (got to get my spellin' right). It can also depend on how long you have suffered sleep apnea and the damage to your body. Please list your equipment in your profile. I would hope that you have a data-capable machine so you can monitor your progress. If something is wrong with your therapy, you will not maximize your treatment without the machine telling you. For example, if you have excessive leaks, then you are not receiving proper treatment.

I had a hallelluah day around day 4 of starting my treatment. I had another one a few months back when I switched from autoset therapy to straight cpap therapy. Between these two times (and now) the treatment and improvement has been subtle and slow. I have had sleep apnea for many years and as a result, the repairs to my body take time. You really have to pay attention to your body and be sensitive to the changes cpap therapy offers. Keep it up and let us know how you are feeling and how to maximize your treatment. The folks that have been here a long time are here to help others we were offered when we first started out. Now don't red-mark that last... run-on sentence!!

Sheriff

Welcome to the forum.

Yes it is common for people to take quite some time before they "feel the difference". Some people get lucky and see a marked improved right from the onset of therapy and others take months, years or never see any huge improvement.
At all depends on a variety of factors.

Sleep apnea is not the sole cause of fatigue. There can be any number of factors affecting how well rested we feel.
Anywhere from simple hours of sleep..fragmented sleep..ineffective therapy..leaks..bed comfort..other health issues..external forces..meds..you get the idea.

What I usually suggest is that someone who feels that they aren't improving as much as they hoped is that they first look at their data and confirm that their therapy is, at least on paper, effective. Have to start somewhere.

So hopefully the machine you are using will have full data available to show if anything needs improvement along the therapy lines. There is software available for some of the full data machines. Once we know which machine you are using we can point you in that direction. If your machine doesn't offer full data...well then you are flying blind and have no way of knowing if your therapy is optimal.

Registering is optional but it enables you to permanently place your equipment in your profile so we don't have to ask every time and you don't have to type it every time. Without more specific information we can't offer more specific suggestions or ideas.

'Feeling better', for me was very, very gradual.
First, I noticed I was not 'crashing' after lunch at work (dozing off at my desk)
A bit later, I was less reluctant to go for short (and then longer) walks outside.
At some point, I felt like total pile of doggy doo
because my body needed to get over not having tons of adrenaline in my blood. (withdrawal)
Eventually, my walks got longer, and my energy levels slowly increased.
It doesn't happen overnight. A month later, many 'hosers' still don't feel noticeably good.
What you may not be able to easily see are the gradual changes, since they are so doggone slow.
Chin up. Have hope. We want to help.

Yes, it is very common. Doctors won't tell you that. They just keep bringing your back sucking the money out of you. Are you getting hypopneas?

I have been using a CPAP machine for 6 months now and im still tired. Have just switched masks in the hope this will help. My problem is I keep taking my mask off in my sleep, most nights Ive had less than 3 hrs on the CPAP. I know i have a massive sleep debt, so its going to take me quite some time to fully catch up. However I have improved immensely from how I was prior to being diagnosed.

I live in a remote area and my sleep specialist is 6hrs drive away, so this has probably complicated things for me. I basically have to work stuff out on my own, and I haven't had any follow-up appointments since being diagnosed.

All I can say is hang in there, you will feel better eventually.

You have gotten good advice. One thing that I would mention is the importance of using the mask all night, every night, and naps. If you are not doing this you may never see any improvement. Good luck.