How long did it take for you to feel better on CPAP?

[Pebble]

Hi Everyone,

I’m new to CPAP and new to the forum, but it seems I’m not new to OSA and sleep deprivation - so I don’t know what to expect in terms of how and when I will feel better.

Could you give me an indication of how your first few weeks/months of CPAP went, when you started to feel better, and what it took to feel better/OK/normal (all very subjective, I know!)

For context:
I am a 57 year old woman, diagnosed with OSA (no CA) just 3 weeks ago.
Issued with a ResMes Airsense 10 Autoset 8 days ago.
Already on my second mask (2nd one is a ResMes F20) because the first (a Simplus) hooted like a badly fitting window in a gale.
May have had OSA for decades (I’m hypermobile) and I’ve been sleep deprived for so long that I can’t remember anything else.
AHI averaged 91.7/hr during my test.

So far, CPAP has changed my sleep wonderfully - deeper and longer (5 to 7 hours of quality sleep according to my apple watch, 100% mask compliance, with O2 levels of 93-95% through the night, and just 2-4 AHIs/hour, no leaks and no mask removals in my sleep.  Too scared of not breathing if I take it off)
But i seem to be getting MORE tired, more zombified and more forgetful.
Is this an ‘adjusting to CPAP’ thing?
Or is it my body grabbing the opportunity to actually rest and recover?
Any idea how long til this zombie stage passes?  I need to get back to work asap, but at the moment i have the attention span of a gnat, and the stamina of a newborn kitten.

Oh, and I’m sorry, havent worked out the OSCAR download and use.  Will it even work on a tablet, or does it need a laptop or PC?

Thanks in advance!

Pebble

[Deborah K.]

Your body and brain are going through the sometimes tough adjustment of having a foreign object strapped to your face and air blowing up your nose.  This will pass in time, and will eventually become the new normal.  My husband had an AHI in the 90s too, and could not believe the difference once he was using his machine.  Things like leg shaking went away, and over time, lots of other annoying things disappeared too, things he would never have thought were related to poor sleep.  It is SOOOOO worth it!

[Rcgop]

It sounds like you have rhe mask and settings good. Just remember, you went years trying to sleep holding your breath. Now you need to learn to sleep AND breathe. Some take longer than others but like Deborah k said, it is so worth it. 

My progress was slow but steady. Now I look forward to bedtime. Hang in there. ?

[Pebble]

Thank you both

I must admit, as soon as i realised i would be sleeping in a full face mask (the hypermobility means my jaw just relaxes open as soon as i drift off, so FF was unavoidable), i thought i would have trouble adjusting to it. I fully expected to rip the mask off in my sleep, like I always ripped off mouth tape, and spat out mandibular advancement devices.

However, turns out that my body is just so delighted to be able to breathe, and keep oxygen levels up, that it happily accepts the mask (O2 was dropping to the 50s and 60s % in my test). The humidifier is also wonderful. First time in my adult life that I have not woken with Sahara Mouth.

Knowing that my life expectancy is increasing every night i can sleep AND breathe is also very motivating.

I guess I just wish I knew how long it was likely to take to recover from all the sleep deprivation.

[Expat31]

Oscar works on a laptop, not on  a tablet. 

To move ahead in helping you, number one priority now is to Download Oscar and post these charts:-

1. Events
   
2. Flow rate
   
3. Pressure
   
4. Leak rate
   
5. Flow limitations
   

Please eliminate the calendar and pie charts for better visibility. 

For further detailed graph organising, please see here.

Thanks.

[Deborah K.]

I see that your starting pressure is only 4.  That setting is normally only used for small children and is too low for almost all adults.  I suggest that you raise it to 7.  Since there is no chart I can't see if your flow limits are high, but since most people have high flow limits I suggest that your turn on EPR full-time, set at 3.  I think you will feel better with these changes.

[AndyB]

Pebble -- I see lots of encouraging and helpful comments, but no time estimates for when you are likely to feel better with CPAP therapy. And that's understandable -- there simply isn't a "standard" time to start feeling better. Some of us feel better quickly, others take longer, and some unfortunate few never feel better. We are all different in so many ways and the variables are  numerous.

However, for what it's worth, I will tell you it took me 3-4 months to get comfortable with my therapy and start to see meaningful improvement. Now I can't imagine not using my CPAP machine every night.

You are on the right path, but it's your path. There is an enormous amount of information and support available on this forum, and I encourage you to stick with your therapy. I wish you well.

AndyB