Hey Guys - I am new to this forum . have Severe sleep apnea ( Stopping breathing on average 37 times an hour on my side right up to 60 times an hour on my back, even stopping breathing for 1min 45secs etc. ) So pretty bad, I have been using my RES med S9 Autoset with Humidifier now for a year . The results are pretty good so far. I am using it on average 6hrs plus each night without the need to take it off so, no problems there with wearing it . The pressure setting seems to be around 19 breathing in with 15 breathing out on average . This has caused some side effects in my opinion.
1. Bloated in the morning after swallowing some air- this has gotten a lot better over time but it still seems to happen every now and again which leaves me belching and farting for the morning to alleviate the pressure
2.Sore neck and back of head from the straps - this is an ongoing issue which I am trying to resolve with loosening the straps and making sure I have them in the right position. Any Ideas or anyone else suffering from this ?
3. Mask leakage - I have resolved this with new rubber seal and new straps and I purchased a CPAP pillow which I highly recommend.
4. The latest issue is pain in my ears which is causing a little bit of dizziness or a fuzzy head . Went to the doctor and she said everything looks fine and also stated it could be the inner ear issue and to keep an eye on it. I am wondering is the pressure on my CPAP too high ? Anyone else have this issue and have they resolved it ?
Overall CPAP has had a positive effect on my everyday life with lots of energy during the day , if I could just resolve these last couple of issues it would be great!!
Al
CPAP Side effects
3 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Re: CPAP Side effects
Questions...
1...aerophagia...common complaint...wiki/index.php/Aerophagia
Perhaps a small reduction in pressure could maybe make it less of an issue without compromising therapy too much.
2...maybe a different mask??? One that doesn't have that type of headgear??
Or maybe some strap pads for the back of the head?? Padacheek makes some nice ones
http://www.padacheek.com/
3...cushions do get tired and while some people get months or even years out of their mask cushions...some people just need to replace sooner than others. Probably has to do with a combination of normal facial oils and whatever cleaning routine is being used.
4...ear discomfort...might be related to Eustachian tube dysfunction...while not common...not particularly rare either. The Eustachian tube in the nasal airway that goes to the inner ear may not close off properly and allow the air pressure to enter the inner ear and upset things. A little lower pressure might help..or might not. Worth maybe trying since you also are having aerophagia issues as well.
Do keep an eye on it though...it might not be related to cpap pressures at all and could very well be related to other inner ear issues.
1...aerophagia...common complaint...wiki/index.php/Aerophagia
Perhaps a small reduction in pressure could maybe make it less of an issue without compromising therapy too much.
2...maybe a different mask??? One that doesn't have that type of headgear??
Or maybe some strap pads for the back of the head?? Padacheek makes some nice ones
http://www.padacheek.com/
3...cushions do get tired and while some people get months or even years out of their mask cushions...some people just need to replace sooner than others. Probably has to do with a combination of normal facial oils and whatever cleaning routine is being used.
4...ear discomfort...might be related to Eustachian tube dysfunction...while not common...not particularly rare either. The Eustachian tube in the nasal airway that goes to the inner ear may not close off properly and allow the air pressure to enter the inner ear and upset things. A little lower pressure might help..or might not. Worth maybe trying since you also are having aerophagia issues as well.
Do keep an eye on it though...it might not be related to cpap pressures at all and could very well be related to other inner ear issues.
_________________
| Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier |
| Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/ |
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.
Re: CPAP Side effects
I'm not sure I'd call it Eustachian tube "disfunction."
Equalizing the pressure between the inner ear and the nasal cavity is sort of what the Eustachian tube is supposed to do. Inconvenient for us CPAPers, but I don't think it indicates that something is "wrong" with the Eustachian tube, or that there's some sort of fix. When the air pressure from CPAP gets into your middle ear, you'll get that ear pressure feeling you get in an airplane or the elevator in a tall building. Unfortunately, the pressure stays there until you take off the CPAP.
When the term "Eustachian tube dysfunction" is used in the medical literature, they're usually referring to blockage of the tube. For us CPAPers, the problem is usually when the tube is open. "Disfunction" could be a problem if we get air into the middle ear during the night and it doesn't relieve itself after we get up. That would be the classical Eustachian tube "disfunction."
TL:DR - Air in the ears is part of the CPAP process for many of us. Usually it goes away in the morning when you take the CPAP off, but it might cause some problems during the daytime for some people. Do seek medical advice if necessary.
BTW, if my calculations are correct. 20 cmH2O of CPAP is roughly equivalent to coming down from a 50 story, 500 foot tall building down to ground level, in terms of ears popping.
Equalizing the pressure between the inner ear and the nasal cavity is sort of what the Eustachian tube is supposed to do. Inconvenient for us CPAPers, but I don't think it indicates that something is "wrong" with the Eustachian tube, or that there's some sort of fix. When the air pressure from CPAP gets into your middle ear, you'll get that ear pressure feeling you get in an airplane or the elevator in a tall building. Unfortunately, the pressure stays there until you take off the CPAP.
When the term "Eustachian tube dysfunction" is used in the medical literature, they're usually referring to blockage of the tube. For us CPAPers, the problem is usually when the tube is open. "Disfunction" could be a problem if we get air into the middle ear during the night and it doesn't relieve itself after we get up. That would be the classical Eustachian tube "disfunction."
TL:DR - Air in the ears is part of the CPAP process for many of us. Usually it goes away in the morning when you take the CPAP off, but it might cause some problems during the daytime for some people. Do seek medical advice if necessary.
BTW, if my calculations are correct. 20 cmH2O of CPAP is roughly equivalent to coming down from a 50 story, 500 foot tall building down to ground level, in terms of ears popping.
_________________
| Mask: Swift™ FX Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear |
| Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control |
| Additional Comments: Also SleepyHead, PRS1 Auto, Respironics Auto M series, Legacy Auto, and Legacy Plus |
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Click here for information on the most common alternative to CPAP.
If it's midnight and a DME tells you it's dark outside, go and check for yourself.
Useful Links.
3 posts
• Page 1 of 1