New dreamstation apap user feeling fatigue

[Sleeprider]

Rich, I think we have found your basic problem is a very slow exhale due to COPD as confirmed by your doctor's FEV1 test. Somewhere near you is a sleep specialist with a specialty in pulmonology, and that is the guy you need. Look up pulmonologists in your area that also do sleep therapy, or that will manage your sleep specialist. Your problem is not uncommon and there are "text book" solutions as I posted above to deal with it.

People that can't expire the air in their lungs easily, need low EPAP pressures, and pressure support to improve the rate of inspiration. It's really simple, and the way you can get there is to emphasize with your doctors that you are tired, dragged out and fatigued in spite of using CPAP. You are going to have to lead them to the conclusion that it is your respiratory resistance (get the FEV1 test or your doctor to cooperate) that is to blame. Even though you have low AHI you do not tolerate CPAP because of the way you know you feel. Pretty much the only doctors out there that will begin to comprehend this is your primary who treats the rest of you, and a pulmonary specialist who should be familiar with this.

At least for now,your results are very good, and even the respiratory statistics are good. The fatigue may pass, but I think long-term you may be better served by bilevel. Hopefully your physical well-being will also begin to reflect your data results.

[CB91710]

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.

And this can be difficult, because our bodies have become so attuned to getting by on 2-6 hours of sleep due to the frequent awakening, that it is not uncommon to wake up feeling "normal" after only a few hours of sleep when on CPAP.

[richac]

TY for the replies I will definitely mention it to my Doctors.   I see my pulmonary and primary in a couple weeks.  I will emphasize I'm still feeling extremely fatigued and dizzy and say its probably from my weak exhales.  I will tell them online experts suggest maybe I need a bipap machine.

I forgot to mention I also sleep on my sides cause when I sleep on my back I get chipmunk, blowfish cheeks like Dizzy Gillespie.

It happen when my tongue drops.  Is there anything I can do to put on my cheeks. Just a very slight pressure from my fingers will stop them from blowing out.

Also when the pressure starts getting to over 11,  I start getting leaks and keep trying to adjust the mask,  I wonder if this is causing me problems.

Ty again for the advice.