CPAPtalk.com

bwexler wrote:I have two suggestions (already touched on)
2. If you are planing to sleep use your mask and machine.
The non mask time may be undoing the rest you achieved while using the mask.

+1

If you want member input about your detailed reports and don't know how to do it we talk about how to do it in this thread along with some examples.
Screen shot thread viewtopic.php?f=1&t=81072&p=737779#p737779

ChicagoGranny wrote:

ladyjanern wrote: 3 mg Melatonin. It helps me fall right asleep, but is it causing me to sleep too much?

So tired of being tired

That is 10 times too much melatonin. Either quit it altogether or go to a smaller dosage - http://www.puritan.com/puritans-pride-b ... ?scid=6829

The dosage you are taking could be making you lethargic the next day.

The pills in the link are 200 mcg or 0.2 mg. One pill is usually enough, two pills is maximum.

Here is an article about dosage - http://newsoffice.mit.edu/2005/melatonin

In earlier research, scientists led by Professor Richard Wurtman, principal investigator for the current study, showed that only a small dose of melatonin (about 0.3 milligrams) is necessary for a restful effect. Taken in that quantity, it not only helps people fall asleep, but also makes it easier for them to return to sleep after waking up during the night--a problem for many older adults.

Yes and don't ever sleep without the mask.

What makes you think that is necessarily 10x the dosage she needs? That's actually a very typical dosage. I've never even seen pills less than 1mg in the stores. 200mcg may be all that needed for some people, but is a very small dose and likely not enough for most of us. I moved up from 3mg to 5mg and it's about perfect for me. I have a friend that needs 10mg. Melatonin has been proven in clinical trials to be safe at pretty much any realistic dosage, so the only thing to worry about is being groggy.

It doesn't say how much valerian root is in the pill, so maybe that's also too much for you.

Why aren't you using the mask the last few hours? I'd blame that way before blaming a common dosage of melatonin. If that last few hours of sleep are bad you'll feel bad and not want to get up.

Pasta wrote: What makes you think that is necessarily 10x the dosage she needs?

I read the summary of the latest science studies meta-analysis in the link I provided. I also read a summary of the study. Did you read either?

I moved up from 3mg to 5mg and it's about perfect for me.

If you have taken 3 mg or 5 mg daily for more than three months, any effect you are getting is placebo. At or above 3 mg daily the body begins to "ignore" the supplement after a few months - it becomes ineffective.

But feel free to enjoy your placebo effect.

Ok Results of last nights sleep. First off I did not use ANY sleep aid. I did have some significant pain issues with back so I had to take a 1/2 pain pill after 2 hours of tossing and turning, which did put me to sleep. I wore the mask the whole night! yah! I did 10 hrs and 23 mins of mask time. I had an AHI of .48 with 4 obstructed apnea events and one unspecified event (whatever that means?) I had minimal leaks and snoring.

Today I feel much better than I have in a long time. Alert, awake with no hangover and energetic. I imagine the 2 hrs + that I was tossing and turning due to pain was included in that total 10 hrs 23 mins on mask. So really I slept 8 hrs which seems reasonable for a nights sleep.

I think there are a few take aways for me. One is no more sleep aids, two is wear the mask the whole night, three I need to go to bed earlier if I want to get up earlier and four is address pain issues as I can't sleep when I have pain.

I will learn how to post my data to the sight so someone who understands it can help tweek me further.

Thank you all so much for your help. Sometimes it helps to talk it out and work thru the issues that arn't always so evident to the sleep deprived person

LJ, that's a good update.

Sounds to me like you are on right track... Keep at it... It is worth your every effort!!

One is no more sleep aids, two is wear the mask the whole night, three I need to go to bed earlier if I want to get up earlier and four is address pain issues as I can't sleep when I have pain.

Wow! You hit a grand slam and made an unassisted triple play in the first inning.

I will learn how to post my data to the sight so someone who understands it can help tweek me further.

If you continue to feel and sleep like that and your data shows,

AHI of .48
minimal leaks

... just enjoy life and forget the tweaking.

(Do pay attention to diet, sleep hygiene (google it) and regular exercise and good luck with that back pain.)

I would look into the cause of the back pain rather than just trying to mask it with pain meds.
A "good" chiropractor or DO may be able to relieve the cause of the pain without resorting to a prescription pad.
I have been there several times with a torn rotator cuff and bursitis in my knee. Two different orthopedic surgeons told me I needed surgery. It has been years now and no surgery and no meds, and no shoulder pain.

Umm...yeah. Sleep with your mask on. :/

bwexler wrote:I would look into the cause of the back pain rather than just trying to mask it with pain meds.
A "good" chiropractor or DO may be able to relieve the cause of the pain without resorting to a prescription pad.
I have been there several times with a torn rotator cuff and bursitis in my knee. Two different orthopedic surgeons told me I needed surgery. It has been years now and no surgery and no meds, and no shoulder pain.

The back pain I speak of is due to an injury that occured in 2006 with a spinal fusion surgery of L5/S 1 in 2009. I am not a fan of pharmaceuticals and have done homepathic creams, massage, accupuncture, yoga, meditation, heat and ice therapy and PT (pool and land). I have been to a "good" chiropractor but with the hardware in my lower back it didn't seem to help me. So it's not like I haven't tried everything. I take tylenol and sometimes that is all I need but there are times I just need a good ole pain pill. I'm a nurse (medically retired) and know the pro's nad con's. I believe quality of life has to be considered and if I'm not sleeping then I am not a happy camper and everything else in life suffers.

I agree with you tho.. always seek second opinions.. especially PT and chiropractor etc .. Your body has such an innate ability to heal and repair itself if you just learn how.

Best of Luck!

..

Really? Taking 0.3 mg is effective? They usually sell in bottles of 3mg, 5mg and 10mg!

That's because "they don't know". The dosage was never based on science. The studies had never been done. Now that the studies are available, it's time to change the dosage.

Remember, you are buying this product from the supplement industry. You do have some idea about what kind of useless and inappropriate crap people buy from the supplement industry. Eh?

ChicagoGranny wrote:

Really? Taking 0.3 mg is effective? They usually sell in bottles of 3mg, 5mg and 10mg!

That's because "they don't know". The dosage was never based on science. The studies had never been done. Now that the studies are available, it's time to change the dosage.

Remember, you are buying this product from the supplement industry. You do have some idea about what kind of useless and inappropriate crap people buy from the supplement industry. Eh?

My wife did me a big favor some months back when she DVRed Dr. Breus talking about melatonin dosage and the most recent scientific studies.

I have a very longstanding problem of premature awakening that my sleep doc has never been able to resolve. I awaken at 3:00 a.m. and then sleep very little, if at all, for the rest of the night. I had experimented with 3 mg melatonin many times and the results were never good.

After viewing the recording, I bought a bottle of 200 mcg melatonin off the internet because I could not find it in B&M stores. After a little experimenting, I now settled on a nightly routine of taking one tablet when I awaken at 3:00 a.m. This puts me back to sleep within 30 minutes and helps me sleep for three to four hours.

Occasionally, not often, I have trouble falling asleep when I go to bed. If I am not asleep within 30 minutes, I take one tablet and then I fall asleep within the second thirty minutes. On these nights, I still need a second tablet about 3:00 a.m.

I am so glad my wife recorded Dr. Breus and the info on the latest studies. Going with the lower dose has made my nights and days so much better.

Sheffey wrote:

ChicagoGranny wrote:

Really? Taking 0.3 mg is effective? They usually sell in bottles of 3mg, 5mg and 10mg!

That's because "they don't know". The dosage was never based on science. The studies had never been done. Now that the studies are available, it's time to change the dosage.

Remember, you are buying this product from the supplement industry. You do have some idea about what kind of useless and inappropriate crap people buy from the supplement industry. Eh?

My wife did me a big favor some months back when she DVRed Dr. Breus talking about melatonin dosage and the most recent scientific studies.

I have a very longstanding problem of premature awakening that my sleep doc has never been able to resolve. I awaken at 3:00 a.m. and then sleep very little, if at all, for the rest of the night. I had experimented with 3 mg melatonin many times and the results were never good.

After viewing the recording, I bought a bottle of 200 mcg melatonin off the internet because I could not find it in B&M stores. After a little experimenting, I now settled on a nightly routine of taking one tablet when I awaken at 3:00 a.m. This puts me back to sleep within 30 minutes and helps me sleep for three to four hours.

Occasionally, not often, I have trouble falling asleep when I go to bed. If I am not asleep within 30 minutes, I take one tablet and then I fall asleep within the second thirty minutes. On these nights, I still need a second tablet about 3:00 a.m.

I am so glad my wife recorded Dr. Breus and the info on the latest studies. Going with the lower dose has made my nights and days so much better.

Sheffey,

Thanks for sharing your experience and I am glad you found success with the lower dose.

Out of curiosity, I did a google search and found this product that has a 200mcg dose.

http://www.puritan.com/night-products-0 ... mcg-007905

And the company is offering a great deal which ends today. If you buy one bottle, you get two free for the cost of $6.29. And shipping is free.

49er