Did anyone else deal with high anxiety in the beginning?

musiccomposer1968 · Post by **musiccomposer1968** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 12:08 pm

I still keep waking up every couple of hours with high anxiety and need some encouragement. I feel not tired this morning (at least not at the moment) but generally very nervous and anxious. I think I got about 5 to 6 hours of sleep (had dreams) last night, but with many wakeups in between. I'm on the treatment for about 2 weeks now with about 70% compliance (I actually seem to sleep longer and better without it now), so why am I not getting better?

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 12:33 pm

Some people respond to treatment right away, some take longer. Are you having trouble with any of your equipment? If you are post the problem and someone will help. If you are not having any problems...give it more time. Some people take months to start feeling better. HANG IN THERE!!!!

Brenda

IORHHI · Post by **IORHHI** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 12:47 pm

Hey, I've been in treatment a whole month, that qualifies me to give advice, right?
But that said, there are a couple things that can happen right off, and one of them is REM rebound, where your body tries to make up for all the REM sleep you weren't getting before. This can lead to some wild nights, as I learned. Not all these dreams are the nice polite kind. A lot of mine are anxiety dreams.
There is also a "sleep debt" from all the sleep you weren't getting, and this can make you feel worse once you start to pay it back.
Hang in there.
I don't know if it happens for you but what I notice, in all this chaos of nightmares and exhausted days, is that the quality of my sleep is changing and now feels much more nourishing, just plain better.
And instead of falling asleep in the middle of things, click, I am now getting really tired at the end of the day.
Barbara

krousseau · Post by **krousseau** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 12:48 pm

Sleep debt which you continue to accumulate with 6 hr sleep a night and 70% compliance. Plus it is sleep quality as well as quantity. Sleep quality improves as you get used to the machine and mask. I don't know what % the mask is in successful adaptation to xPAP-but it is high-so make sure your mask fits.
Have a goal and stick to it. When you say I will try to wear the mask 70% of the night you give yourself an out-you get to say, "I tried to keep the xPAP on but....." Up it to 80%, then 90% then 100%-don't give yourself any outs. Make it a goal to use the xPAP for 80 % of every night-rather than 8 out of 10 nights. I made a rule for myself-if I wasn't using the xPAP I wasn't sleeping-I did not take it off and go back to sleep. When I forgot it on a trip-I stayed up and let someone else drive. Don't let youself drift off to sleep reading without xPAP on, or forget to take it on a trip--any of the things we do to sabotage our treatment. The more you sleep with it the better you'll sleep with it. All the time you are working at this check in here to get help solving problems. It can take a long time to recover depending on the severity of your SDB, how long you have had it, any coexisting conditions, and your lifestyle/health habits.
Click on that yellow lightbulb up at the top left of the page and check out MileHighSleepers website.
I don't know how high your anxiety level is so don't want to make light of it. Some anxiety is normal-SDB is serious. Use the anxiety to motivate yourself. Sometimes education about SDB and treatment helps anxiety-so read. If the anxiety is too great and interferes with consistent treatment-get some help with it.

musiccomposer1968 · Post by **musiccomposer1968** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 1:29 pm

Thanks to all... I guess I have to try harder...

My Family doc prescribed some Xanax to deal with the immediate anxiety symptoms, but somehow my regular pharmacy didn't get the prescription yesterday, so I try to get in touch with them again today... should I try some St Johns Wort in the meantime?

musiccomposer1968 · Post by **musiccomposer1968** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 1:34 pm

IORHHI wrote:Hey, I've been in treatment a whole month, that qualifies me to give advice, right?
But that said, there are a couple things that can happen right off, and one of them is REM rebound, where your body tries to make up for all the REM sleep you weren't getting before. This can lead to some wild nights, as I learned. Not all these dreams are the nice polite kind. A lot of mine are anxiety dreams.
There is also a "sleep debt" from all the sleep you weren't getting, and this can make you feel worse once you start to pay it back.
Hang in there.
I don't know if it happens for you but what I notice, in all this chaos of nightmares and exhausted days, is that the quality of my sleep is changing and now feels much more nourishing, just plain better.
And instead of falling asleep in the middle of things, click, I am now getting really tired at the end of the day.
Barbara

There might be something to that... I had plenty of dreams last night in between the wakeups... I don't think they were nightmares though. I get more scared the moment after the wakeup because I start worrying that something is wrong with the machine / settings or that I may have stopped breathing again. Also of course, I might have been breathing too much (hyperventilating) in my sleep and that brings on the anxiety, but that could also just be one of my worries.

I mean my mind is pretty clear right now, but the anxiety did not totally waer of even after a couple of hours awake now...

curtcurt46 · Post by **curtcurt46** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 2:02 pm

Keep at it.
It takes time and it is well worth the effort for the long run. Medical research says that CPAP therapy is certain to eliminate any of the health complications that OSA will eventually bring on. 100 % compliance is the only road to success. I also believe that the anxiety will improve as you adjust to CPAP therapy.
Good luck and you can do it.
curtcurt46

whatrdreamsmadeof · Post by **whatrdreamsmadeof** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 2:26 pm

I have been on cpap for seven months now and it has been one trial after another,,,,,,,anxiety along with facial swelling, lousy numbers wakeful nites almost got me to stop, but I stayed with it and I am now feeling a slow upswing in the treatment,,,,,,,,,I know how anxious you can get as when I was dreaming I was dreaming about not sleeping and not really knowing whether I was sleeping or not. I stay 100 percent compliant and make a real effort to go on my cpap for a nap when I would much rather stay on the couch, or in the yard on the hammock. Finally I can say I am feeling better than I have in many, many years. I still experience anxiety about not feeling as great as others here on the forum.....but it's just going to take me and some others a lot longer to feel great.. Please stay with this, stay on the forum and try to let go of your fears about this not working,,,,,,I know it will work for you because it is beginning to work for me.......Take Care and good luck:roll:

Vader · Post by **Vader** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:06 pm

musiccomposer1968 wrote:
My Family doc prescribed some Xanax to deal with the immediate anxiety symptoms, but somehow my regular pharmacy didn't get the prescription yesterday, so I try to get in touch with them again today... should I try some St Johns Wort in the meantime?

The Xanax should prove to be very helpful.

The St.Johns wort may or may not help, but try to cut down or eliminate all caffeine until you get this under control.

KimberlyinMN · Post by **KimberlyinMN** » Sat Oct 28, 2006 8:32 pm

When I wear the full face mask (ComfortFull 2), I find that I get very anxious (clawing at the mask) when I can't get a "fresh" breath of air or if my nose itches. What I like the most about using the ComfortCurve interface is that when I do wake up needing to breath fresh air, I can open my mouth and inhale. (And itch my nose when needed.)

Kimberly

SelfSeeker · Post by **SelfSeeker** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 9:12 am

Music Composer,

I am sorry to hear about the difficulties you are having adjusting to your BiPAP. Keep at it. Know that we are here. Some others have similar problems and will understand you. You are not alone, when you come here.

I want to show you a link, which I found intresting. You may not have the same problem, but at least to make you think of what can be causing the panic, it may not even be xPAP related.

I know I am clatrophobic, and totally did not go the full face mask. Sometimes taping my lips sends me into a panic, and I take off the tape other nights it is fine. I am working on my problem by figuring myself out. Hopefully you can do the same for yourself.

viewtopic/t14624/Dont-assume-you-know-whats-wrong.html

chdurie2 · Post by **chdurie2** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 12:01 pm

it's no wonder that you're not getting great sleep if you're constantly anxious with the machine. and you're obviously less anxious when you don't feel you have to use the machine; hence, better sleep.

get your pharmacy to get moving with the xanax. since, as i recall, you have 24/7 access to a sleep doc, call and get the doctor on call to phone it in if they still don't have the prescription. it shouldn't take long for a pharmacy to deal with a xanax prescription-it's a stock item.

st. john's wort probably will not help because it is an mao inhibitor, which takes a while to work. better would be the otc sleeping pills that have the acting ingredient in benedryl in them. your pharmacy can show you. the ingredient name starts with a d, but i can't think of it.

if your anxiety is indeed the source of your problem, you ought to sleep better with the xanax. then you can deal with mask issues, etc. as necessary.

cwsanfor · Post by **cwsanfor** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 7:23 pm

I had what I would not really call anxiety, but a heightened energy level that would at times be uncomfortable. I figured it was just my body's reaction to being adequately oxygenated for the first time in years. It passed, although I found myself more prone to using sedating substances, such as Benadryl, Ambien, and beverage alcohol, during that time.

Indeed, I had to intentionally reduce my intake of parasympathetic substances compared to my first three months or so, on general health grounds. It's been an issue.

littlebaddow · Post by **littlebaddow** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:23 am

I'm sure only a very lucky minority would not feel anxious or unconfortable if they were asked to strap a strange mask to their face before going to sleep.

Add to that the stress and worry associated with not feeling well and discovering you have a condition you've never heard of, and only a Vulcan wouldn't feel anxiety

I hated the sensation at first, felt like I couldn't breathe and really struggled to come to terms with it.

Nearly 2 years later, it's become a part of everyday (or should that be everynight ) life and I'm sure i'd feel strange if I didn't put the mask on.

Whether it takes weeks or months to adapt to it, it will be worth it so please persevere.

musiccomposer1968 · Post by **musiccomposer1968** » Mon Oct 30, 2006 10:56 am

Thanks alot guys... I've been 100 % compliant the last 3 nights and I definitely see improvement. Today is the first day that I don't feel overly anxious and I did a sleep journal and I can say that my total sleep time increased from about 5 hours to almost 7 and my mind seems to be very clear now. I can only guess that I reach deeper sleep phases now and even though I keep waking up about every 2 hours, I probably already get a more restful sleep - at least for my mind, my body is still a bit exhausted, but that may improve as well...

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