2 Weeks In, AHI < 3, Still Exhausted!

I think the subject says it all.

I still seem to be waking up multiple times per night, but now I'm doing it to eliminate small leaks rather than from apneas.

Life-threatening part of OSA gone, but exhaustion is not.

Waiting for a different mask (Swift FX) but wondering at what point I start thinking about one of the happy/peppy pills....

My sleep doctor told me that it takes at least a month for your mind to trust the thing on your face. For years it has been standing on guard to get you breathing again and it is not going to trust this thing on your face to do it for you. Think about a habit like biting your nails. Does the decision to stop mean that you actually stop? Two weeks is not enough to change a deeply ingrained habit.

Try this: when you turn the light off repeat to yourself "With my cpap machine I sleep deeply and safely" at least 20 times - don't count, just hold each finger of each hand and take a slow breath and say the phrase. Do it twice and don't worry if you fall asleep. If it feels awkward then rewrite it in your own words in the POSITIVE Present tense.

Hi,

From experience, I can tell you that you will be able to adjust your mask while sleeping within 30 to 45 days. I know that I do it now, and I don't remember doing it. It is just like turning over in my sleep--I know I do it, but I don't remember doing it. It is amazing at how adaptable your body is to this kind of thing.

-john-

Everyone is different in how they adjust to the therapy, It took almost 6 months to sleep through the night with the mask and the machine blowing air up my nose.
Be patient and you,ll find that the obstacles will get smaller and smaller and eventually disappear.

fredmertz wrote:I think the subject says it all. ... Life-threatening part of OSA gone, but exhaustion is not... wondering at what point I start thinking about one of the happy/peppy pills....

Give it time. I started on Nov 14th, 2011, today is my 6 month anniversary. I think it took me about 4 months to get my sleep sorted out so I'm not so exhausted during the day. I can say that May so far has been the best month. I talked to my sleep doctor some months back and he pointed out I was taking too much Excedrin for body aches which gave me analgesic rebound (even more pain) particularly at night, since I can't take any Excedrin while sleeping, so my sleep was disturbed. Also, since I was groggy I was drinking too much coffee too late in the day. I cut the Excedrin (or equivalent) and felt and slept better, then I cut the coffee by 2-4 PM and wa-la, I slept better yet. I have a hacked Zeo so I can see my detailed brainwaves and can visually see my sleep cycles in detail and the effects of changes I make.

On the really groggy days, I take 1/4th tablet of 12-hr pseudo-ephedrine at about 9 AM which wears off at 9 PM so it does not mess with my sleep. Easier, cheaper and less "mind altering" than narcolepsy drugs. I try to avoid the pseudo-ephedrine and don't need it too often.

What works for me is not necessarily proper for you, I offer it as a frame of reference. Look for sleep disturbers and try to eliminate their effect and mostly... give it time as you make improvements.

Thanks all for the encouraging words. I have already gotten over any problems getting to sleep, which is more than I could say for the first time I tried CPAP about 7 years ago. So it is good to know that I am making some progress.

Congratulations on the sense of progress. I too was ready to chuck it all at the 2-5 week stage. Like you, my AHI was fine, but I was feeling much worse than before CPAP -- trouble thinking, exhaused, and INCREDIBLY irritable. The doctor was no help and just said, "Maybe you can't tolerate this." But luckily I found this forum and decided that if others could do it, I should stick with it at little while longer. Earlier, CPAP felt like something awful happening to my body and brain that I couldn't understand or control. Now at almost 8 weeks, I see it as something I still don't understand, but am focused instead on the practicalities of getting the proper mask sorted out and getting used to the mask and air so I don't wake up so much during the night. Still a long way to go. Not sure I feel better than before CPAP, but I feel better than when I first started it.

Please read this as encouragement from someone who is also struggling, but determined, and has seen a little progress.

G

Provigil and Nuvigil for most of us are not "happy/peppy pills". I know some people have strong reactions, but all they ever did was help me stay awake. They did not give energy, or make me feel good. Two weeks in with a good AHI- you are on the right track. It takes some of us longer than others to feel better, but until you're getting quality, restful sleep, without frequent arousals I don't think you'll feel better. Good luck.