Ready to Quit

aragonsd wrote:I just started CPAP a week ago and have felt worse then Pre-CPAP. I call it CPAP hangover! I wake up feeling groogie, lightheaded, headache and no energy through out the day. I'm currently using a ResMed full face mask and a Remstar Pro M series with a heated humidifier with ramp and C-flex activated.(flow rate 12) Not sure if this stuff is good or not but that was what I got form my provider. As far as the mask, I hate it but I'm not sure what to try, I don't like the feeling of air rushing through my mouth when I use a nasal mask. I wake up nightly with leaks and have to tighten to the point of discomfort.

I made the choice to not use the system last night and felt much better this morning. So I'm looking for suggestions and help. Do these symptoms go away over time? What other types of masks should I try or use. I'm not ready to give up so quickly but don't want to feel the "hangover" daily.....

Please help....Ready to quit......

I agree with ww: stick with the mask you have for now. It is a great mask if you have the right size.

You need to learn how to adjust it properly. Adjusting it tightly can cause leaks. A common mistake of newbies is to adjust tighter to stop leaks. Often loosening the headgear helps with leaks.

Study the brochure that came with the mask while you are wearing the mask. Get in front of a mirror with the mask on and make adjustments according to the brochure. It sometimes helps to put the mask on and turn the machine on in front of a mirror while you adjust it and check for leaks. (Don't let the machine fall off the counter!)

I don't like the ramp feature. I want full pressure from the beginning so I can check for leaks at the pressure the machine will be running. The ramp to me is a feature that sounds like, "We know you can't stand the therapeutic pressure, so we're going to try to slip it in after you fall asleep." 12 cm is not too high of a pressure; you should be able to tolerate it without the ramp.

aragonsd wrote:........ As far as the mask, I hate it but I'm not sure what to try, I don't like the feeling of air rushing through my mouth when I use a nasal mask. .....

You are right - you should not use a nasal mask. Besides the objection you noted, when air is rushing through your mouth the therapeutic pressure needed to hold the airway open is not being maintained. You will have apneas. Stick with full face masks.

aragonsd wrote: .........
Please help.............

I believe the machine you have is "fully data capable". IMO, an absolute necessity for having a good therapy is a card reader and software to monitor apneas, hypopneas, and leaks. Most people need to do some "tweaking" of mask and machine and it is often impossible to know what to tweak without monitoring software. Find your machine on cpap.com and look for the optional card reader and software. Call their toll free number for great help and ask them about the software for your machine.

Fill out your equipment profile so every time you post we see it.

You are back in school. Set aside some hours the first few weeks to read this forum. Click on the yellow bulb at the top of the page. You need a good education on cpap and apnea to properly treat yourself.

Ask a lot of questions here. Yes, there are stupid questions but it is appropriate to ask them here.

Perseverance is often the key to a successful CPAP treatment. Failure is not a good lifestyle option.

I'm always mystified by threads like these. The original poster (OP) has not responded since starting the thread.....going into two pages of responses and we don't know if he's still reading and/or trying to make his therapy work.

ARE YOU STILL WITH US???


Den

The fact is than no one likes to use CPAP, except the ones who need a psychiatrist. But to quit it when its a proven therapy isnt wise unless you're going to a dental device or the surgeons knife. And then to announce you're going to quit, brings up another question--What else have you quit it because it's hard or a bit uncomfortable???

First of all, I agree with some of the previous posts - your mask may be the problem - wrong type or even wrong size. If you can, try a different mask.

Secondly, this may take some time before you feel better. Just like any medication or treatment, it takes time to work. Your body has been conditioned to accept sleep in a predictable manner - you've just changed the way you sleep so now you have to give your body time to adjust. I've been on cpap for almost two years now. The first week was great - finally I was experiencing what the rest of the world knew - restful sleep! Then I had problems with leaks (the noise would wake me up),some mornings I would feel bloated, I hated wearing something that covered my nose EVERY night and then suddenly one morning I woke up feeling like crap all over again. I couldn't figure out what happened but with the help and support of the people in this forum, I kept at it and finally, it got better. I learned how to fit the mask on every night to reduce the leaks and bloating and wearing the mask became mind over matter ( a mental struggle not to rip the mask off that I finally won!).

I know it seems somewhat cliche, but it will get better with time.

If you are going to quit could I have your car, one you shouldn't be driving in my world, without treatment you won't need it as long anyway. Jim

While what you're saying is true, the guy shouldn't give up, cut him some slack, it's hard, really hard to get used to this. If you're not "with" someone having any kind of tryst or new relationship gets a heck of a lot more complicated, you can actually feel worse some mornings if rainout or something else has been keeping you up all night. It's hard.

But, like I said before, to the OP: don't give up, find a way to make it work.

Masks are the holy grail of xPAP!!! Welcome to the chase.
If you have to crank it down so tight it hurts it's probably not the right size. You have a good quality mask that works for many people -- but that doesn't necessarily mean it will work for you.
Most FF or Nasal masks need to be fairly loose so that the membrane that creates the seal has room to inflate. If you crank it down tight it doesn't have the room and will leak - guaranteed!!! It will also cause pain and a nice red groove in the bridge of your nose.....that's my signal. If I get the groove in my nose, it's too tight!!!

But -- I'm also with Den......You still with us??????? Jim wants your car. I'd like your machine.....I need a spare and can't afford one!!!!

Most important - don't give up!!!!!!!!!!!
Take care
cheers
goose

lynx wrote: I was under the impression that the air pressure will slowly push the blockage out of your sinuses.

No. No it will not. It will just make them hurt more. Netti pot and neilmed squeeze bottles do nothing except trap water in there, making it worse. YMMV

Curious that we haven't heard anything from aragon since his first and only post. But about his week long struggle...

I think the doctors must not be clear with new OSA patients that going without treatment is not an option. There is no quitting, only modification of sleep style and or equipment until you can tolerate it. I think of the metal of those in our history that endured horrible stuff and say they survived it because they believed they could do it. But I guess if the ship sprang a leak there will be some who jump before even understanding the whole situation.

In this case, I'm curious if aragon made up the story to stir our pot. I can imagine some doing that and taking bets on how many posts they will generate. Oh well, if nothing else it proves our willingness to help.

OldLincoln wrote: I think the doctors must not be clear with new OSA patients that going without treatment is not an option.

Funny you should mention that I was just thinking about it today. Not so much my doctor, but others in all this definitely did not put it that way, in fact quite the opposite. Everyone pretty much assumed that I would not want the machine and even after I did want it they assumed I would stop using it.

Right, all 3 of our Drs (Internist,Cardiologist,Sleep Dr) reminded us that nationwide there was only 40% compliance. They could have left out those statistics and given us more help and encouragement. We had to find it here.

Ready to Quit - seems that your Dr and DME didn't tell you finding the right "setup" isn't as simple as them writing / filling the prescription. I'm 2 months in and on my 4th mask. DME wasn't helpful - they were more than interesting in billing for a new mask, but not loaning me one. RT at the Dr's office was much more helpful and loaned me a couple of masks to try, which helped me find my the right mask for me (or at least mostly right). First 4 on CPAP, I also got less sleep and less restful sleep than I did before - but once I found a masks that mostly worked, I finally started getting some sleep again.

If you can get your DME to let you try other masks, do that. If not, try you Dr's office. If that fails, try this forum - there's a bunch of "try it out" masks in here.

But 1st thing is accept that it can take a while to find the right mask. It can be done, and that tons of others have done it.