New dreamstation apap user feeling fatigue

[richac]

Hello all,

So I finally got my apap machine.  A dreamstation set with aflex at 5-20 cm.

I was diagnosed with osa years ago but never took it seriously till the past year I have been feeling dizzy with hbp and snoring so bad on my back my uvular gland gets swollen and hangs down my throat in the mornings.

So after a week of using my new machine,   I'm actually feeling even more fatigued then before.  Is this normal?    I'm still getting up alot,  about every 2 hours.  I downloaded sleepyhead software and it seems Friday I slept the longest almost 5 hours and had my lowest ahi of 2.44.  Usually i'm about 4.8 ahi.  

i've tried messing with my min pressure to up it 1 or 2 cm.   And messing around with the flex options.    I thought the cpap would help but is it possible its making me worse?

Is there anything I can try?  Thanks in advance for the advice.

Rich.

[Sleeprider]

It's fairly common to feel more fatigued in the early stages of CPAP until you adapt and make up for some sleep deficit. I think we should take a look at your data and see why you continue to have a pretty high AHI, and sleep disruptions. Using CPAP for 5 hours per night is not much of a sleep, especially if it is disrupted by arousals and getting up.

Your machine was set to nearly default pressures, and I'm pretty sure the minimum i too low to be effective. Let's have a look. The methods for organizing and posting charts are in my signature.

[Ockrocket]

It may take several months for the fatigue to start to abate, and the 7 > 8 hours of sleep per night still stands... APAP-CPAP does not mean you can get by on less hours of sleep.

I'm no expert ( Sleeprider, and others here, fit closer to that category   ).. but your settings seem rather broad.

Once you get the numbers narrowed down and working better for you, you may actually find that setting your machine to CPAP mode may be even better for you ( but that is not always the case )

For mine.. I went from APAP of 5-19 over to CPAP fixed at 7 ( under direction of my respiratory specialist ).
Then when I was feeling short of air some nights when going to bed immediately after physical exertion, such as dragging the rubbish bins out to the street, I reset my pressure to 8 myself. 

Since then I have also stopped using the Ramp feature, turned off the heated hose, and stopped using the humidifier.. I may turn the heated hose back on over winter to take the chill off the air coming through the mask, but I'm definitely less clogged in the nasal passages with no humidity or heat.

You are just starting on a journey that will require fine tuning over the coming months to get it working to optimum levels for you personally.. we are all different, there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to sleep apnoea.

Remain positive, and when you have a run of rough nights remember they won't always be like that. 

[SarcasticDave94]

I'd ditto the others.

First, get the data posted on here so the guru chart and suggestion guys N gals here can make setting adjustment suggestions. Post data via SleepyHead and posting report screenshots.

Second, you'll need to use the device nightly to pay back your sleep debt. Eventually, you'll need to reach a goal of 8 hours per night sleep, or whatever your body deems the optimal length of sleep per night, so that that debt reverses to equaling well rested.

[richac]

Thank you for your replies.   Here is some data.   Here is my best night  march 9th and may latest night march 11th.  [attachment=4867]

[attachment=4868]


I got the machine on march 5th . I've upped the pressure from 4 to 5.  and then I upped it to 6.5 is when i start not to feel suffocated I feel.

Been trying the diff flex settings between aflex and cflex.   Not really sure which I like the best but I definitely need to use some pressure relief cause I do have problems breathing out.  Which was also shown in a pft test I recently did.  I feel like cflex was best for me,  alfex felt like i had trouble breathing in but i'm wondering if I was using the aflex on march 9th.  I can't remember.

Thank you for the help.

Rich.

[Walla Walla]

I'd move the minimum pressure to 9cm so the machine doesn't have so far to react to events. Otherwise looks good.

[richac]

ty for reply I will up the starting pressure.   Am I supposed to be snoring that much on cpap?

[Walla Walla]

Snoring will go away with an increase in minimum pressure.

[Sleep2Snore]

Snoring will go away with an increase in minimum pressure.

Yes it should, just increase it slightly until it stops, that is a good start.

[richac]

Hello all,  Just remembered that my snoring is when breathing out.  Also found out from a pft test that I have problems breathing out due to lung disease.   Maybe this is part of my problem?   Can the machine still help with that or is it just something I have to live with.   What I do is lie on my side to lessen the snoring.

Thanks,

Rich.