Constipation and CPAP?

Hi Everyone!

I'm a new member here, as well as a new CPAP user.

Any advice more experienced users can give will be very greatly appreciated!

I was diagnosed with severe OSA about a month ago. (AHI of around 30 per hour, and AHI of 55 during REM sleep.) Two weeks ago I started using a CPAP machine at night with H20 pressure at 8.0. I've had all kinds of positive results! (I can give a summary in another post. It really has made a major improvement in my life!) However, there have been a few negative results.

The main one of these is terrible constipation!

Can anyone explain this to me? This is absolutely, very clearly a result of using the CPAP device. I was a very regular, DAILY, bathroom user. Now, I am going once every 5 days. It's bad.

I eat a ton of fruits and vegetables, and, as I mentioned, before two weeks ago I was fine in the bathroom department.

The only two things I can think of are these:

(1) I use a nasal mask. I have noticed that, when I have occasionally woken during the night, my mouth is bone dry. The air pushes into my nose and then out my mouth. The first thing I can think of is that this constant air flow and drying of my mucous membranes causes my body to lose a lot of moisture during the night, and this dries me out.
(2) My body needs time to shift and readjust to my new biochemistry.

I'm going to try to up my water intake significantly, especially before bed.

Does anyone else have thoughts on this? Has anyone experienced this with the CPAP device?

Thanks in advance!

-Azariah

Are you taking any medications?


Den

.

I am 60 days into treatment.

There is definitely some effect on my GIT. The need to evacuate was usually quite urgent first thing in the morning. Now it has moved to lunch time or later.
I think my body processes have slowed down overnight, due to 'proper' sleeping. I guess this includes the motility of the gut.

I think I am less dehydrated now too. I used to get up to urinate 3 or 4 times a night. Now I don't get up at all for 8 or 9 hours.

I used to have to drink 3 or 4 glasses of water in the morning to re-hydrate. Now I just drink 'normally'.

The body is strange. Same cause, different effects.

Oh, and lets not get started on CPAP and farting!!!

Hi everybody!

Thanks for the quick replies!

No, I am not on any medication. The CPAP has been the only change.

Doing some further research, I found that using CPAP actually messes with your kidney function, It causes reduced renal blood flow and whole body fluid retention. Legit research. Here's the link to the MEDLINE paper. (Mind you, this is in HEALTHY people with no history of renal disease and no apnea.) This might also explain why I've gained almost 10 pounds in just two weeks.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC29011/

This is something my doctor never told me about. I wonder if long term CPAP use could have negative effects on the kidneys long term? That's concerning.

This might also explain my constipation. If more fluid is being retained in the body, then there is less available for a soft stool. Hence, the dryness and constipation.

Azariah777 wrote:
(1) I use a nasal mask. I have noticed that, when I have occasionally woken during the night, my mouth is bone dry. The air pushes into my nose and then out my mouth. The first thing I can think of is that this constant air flow and drying of my mucous membranes causes my body to lose a lot of moisture during the night, and this dries me out.
Thanks in advance!

-Azariah

You need to learn to close your mouth or switch to a full face mask. Not only is it drying your out,, but you are losing your therapy when your mouth is open.

I have no problem keeping my mouth closed when I'm falling asleep. But how do you "learn" to close your mouth when you're unconscious?

Your suggestion to use the full face mask may be the solution.

I'm new to all of this. Aren't there chin straps to keep your jaw closed as well?

zoocrewphoto wrote:You need to learn to close your mouth or switch to a full face mask. Not only is it drying your out,, but you are losing your therapy when your mouth is open.

+1

Azariah777 wrote:Aren't there chin straps to keep your jaw closed as well?

I own two chin straps that received the best reviews and highest ratings. For me and many others, a firm foam cervical collar works much better than a chin strap. Compared to a chin strap, the collar does not pull your lower jaw backwards, does not interfere with the mask headgear, does not require nightly adjustment and also holds your neck in the best position for airway patency.

ChicagoGranny wrote:I like the DMI Universal Firm Foam Cervical Collars -
http://www.walmart.com/search/?query=DM ... %20Collars

The firm works better and lasts longer than the soft. There seems to be no loss in comfort with the firm over the soft.

The cells in the foam break down over time. One lasts me about four months.

Typically the 3-inch width fits a smaller person, and the 3.5-inch or 4.0-inch fits a larger person. Some may need to change the size up or down on the second order. The larger size you can wear, the more support to keep the jaw from dropping.

Walmart ships free to your closest store for customer pickup.

You may still need to use a FFM. The collar, if properly sized, will keep your jaw from dropping, but it might not keep your lips from leaking air.

Constipation prevention ---> http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-cond ... n-20032773

What about Sleepyhead?

There is definitely some effect on my GIT. The need to evacuate was usually quite urgent first thing in the morning. Now it has moved to lunch time or later.
I think my body processes have slowed down overnight, due to 'proper' sleeping. I guess this includes the motility of the gut.

The body is strange. Same cause, different effects.

Same here. I've been on cpap for 4 months. Before cpap, I'd had off and on diarrhea for no particular reason. Seemed to go right along with worsening insomnia, restless sleep, and that awful wired and tired feeling. I've read that untreated sleep apnea can affect about anything in your system, including the GIT. I don't take hardly any meds, only a very low dose of clonazepam.

One thing stands out for me:
You have only been on cpap for two weeks.
Untreated apnea causes significant hormonal changes; (cortisol during apneas)
and I don't think two weeks is enough time for your endocrine system to settle down,
and the excess cortisol to excrete out. {{{This is just a guess}}}
I also might suspect less tossing and turning at night to have an effect.

Azariah777 wrote:Hi Everyone!

I'm a new member here, as well as a new CPAP user.

The main one of these is terrible constipation!

Thanks in advance!

-Azariah

Ha' Shem yaazor le' kha.

New CPAP users need time to adjust to the AEROPHAGIA in their stomachs.

How about laxatives?

REX Cancer Center bowel protocol for constipation:

Azariah - Avi has tsuris with some things and it's advised not to take much of his advice at times.... like now.

Julie wrote:Azariah - Avi has tsuris with some things and it's advised not to take much of his advice at times.... like now.

actually, it's advised to foe list avi, for one's own sanity.

I made two changes which has solved this completely. A cup of hot water with lemon first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. A cup of tumeric tea last thing at night. Amazon sells the tumeric tea, it's called Three Roots ( tumeric, ginger and licorice). No more problems.

My youngest brother died of colon cancer at 52.
His only symptom was severe, unexplained constipation.
Ignore everything you read on the internet and
GO TO THE DOCTOR.
This is how you can die of embarrassment. DON'T!

[quote="cands"]I am 60 days into treatment.

There is definitely some effect on my GIT. The need to evacuate was usually quite urgent first thing in the morning. Now it has moved to lunch time or later.
I think my body processes have slowed down overnight, due to 'proper' sleeping. I guess this includes the motility of the gut.

I think I am less dehydrated now too. I used to get up to urinate 3 or 4 times a night. Now I don't get up at all for 8 or 9 hours.


HI. I hope I'm doing this right (I'm a newbie)...

Very interested in your experience with the above (bowels, nocturia). I'm not treating my apnea yet. I've been going nuts trying to figure out why I have to get up to pee 3-4 times/night and have loose urgent stools at 4 or 5 am........ Can you share any more about this? Thanks! -michael