Why so spacey?

DCTom · Post by **DCTom** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 8:25 pm

I've really struggled with CPAP so far. One thing that happens, which I think is very odd, is that I wake up very spacey in the mornings. So spacey, in fact, I cannot function. I feel dream-like with a sort of brain fog. It lasts for hours. And my sleep feels unusual overall. Like no deep sleep is occuring. When I sleep without my CPAP, none of these things occurs. Just apneas occur but no spaciness. Any ideas? My pressure is 6 and I have an autopap which tells me I'm having no apneas. My pressure does not change much from night to night. Is there a chance I'm breathing in too much CO2 somehow? Or maybe I'm not exhaling properly? I sometimes feel like I don't exhale like I used to. I can feel the pressure when in the very beginning I only felt the pressure at the beginning of a night. Later in the night I'd not feel it anymore cause I got used to it. But now I seem to always feel it. Thanks for your help!

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 9:04 pm

DCTom,

Odd,
hopefully RG will ofer the best assesment but for my money I would go for hyperventilation. But with a pressure of 7 it doesn't fully stack up (unless CPAP is in some way allowing you to breath faster & deeper.

Beyond the above very amateurish guess, I am as interested as you are in getting better input.

Cheers & good luck

DSM

_________________

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DCTom · Post by **DCTom** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 9:09 pm

You are the second person today to suggest hyperventilation. The pressure does seem low for that, but I think everyone is different and for some people a low pressure effects them like a high pressure may for someone else. So how does this hyperventilation occur and why? I don't "feel" hyperventilated (but honestly would not know how that feels anyway). But something is definitely wrong. My doc is an idiot and is not much help.

DCTom · Post by **DCTom** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 9:20 pm

I did some online research and I'd say yes, the way I feel does seem similiar to someone who hyperventilates. I also read this in an article on CPAP, "CPAP and bilevel ventilation might further increase hyperventilation by reducing the work of breathing..." If there are any sleep techs out there reading this, do you have any advice? I am going to find a new doctor on this. I definitely notice that my breathing feels different on CPAP. It feels a tad faster and lighter. Especially in the morning.

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Tue Aug 02, 2005 10:41 pm

Hi DCTom,
I have a lot of trouble with spaceyness in the mornings too. My brain feels really sluggish and it usually lasts well into the afternoon...sometimes all day. But, this isn't necessarily a new thing for me. I've been foggy brained for about a year now. I was hoping that CPAP would resolve this but so far it hasn't. My sleep doesn't seem to be much different with CPAP. I had VERY Bizarre dreams before CPAP and unfortunately, they are continuing with CPAP. I really hope that goes away too. I'll be seeing my Dr. on Friday and will discuss all of this with him. If he offers a plausible reason for this, I'll share it with you. As far as hyperventilating, I used to do that when I was a child so I know what it feels like and I don't have that feeling with the CPAP (my pressure is set at 9).
Amy

christinequilts · Post by **christinequilts** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 2:57 pm

CPAP could also be helping you get into deaper stages of sleep for longer that you haven't experienced much of in the past. I know if a traditional buzzer alarm wakes me up in just the right (or wrong in this case) point in a sleep cycle I am so groggy/foggy/miserable for half the day. Something I have done for years is to use a CD/radio alarm clock with two alarms- I set alarm one to turn on soft music 15 minutes or so prior to the traditional buzzer alarm so my body can slowly come out the deapest sleep stages. Some people use a light system turns a bedside lamp on very dimmly and slowly increases the brightness prior to a buzzer alarm.

Another thing is I had to adjust to when I started BiPAP ST was that I needed less sleep time (technically less laying down time since I wasn't sleeping that much before). I found if I got up at 7:30-8am I was better then if I slept in until 9am. YOu may need to adjust your sleep schedule some to figure out what works best for you with CPAP now.

Sleepyman · Post by **Sleepyman** » Wed Aug 03, 2005 5:29 pm

I had that problem for weeks til I found a comfortable mask<swift> . Look at your varible breathing if you have encore pro, mine varied from 10-80 until I got comfortable with my mask. Now it's consistently in the 30-35% range and I feel much better. MY RT said it sounds like I was going through REM rebound, which makes you spacey.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 9:20 am

This might sound odd, but I recommend ear plugs. Occasionally I would get air forced into my eustachian tubes and awaken spacey and disoriented.

WillSucceed · Post by **WillSucceed** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 9:58 am

DCTom:

What machine are you using and what are the settings? Also, if it is a RemStar, are you using C-FLEX? If so, what setting? Are you certain that you have it set for autoPAP and not CPAP?

What mask are you using? Have you checked to make sure that the exhalation port(s) are unblocked?

Do you find yourself waking with a racing heart and/or tachypnea?

Why so spacey?

Why so spacey?

Air

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