The Aging Process

[pdeli]

I had my sleep test perhaps 4 months ago, but during that time I've had lots of issues that have seriously interfered with my ability use this C-Pap equipment.

I've had Shingles for nearly 4 months, along with severe sleeplessness, congestion, bloating, shortness of breath, and frequent yawning, coughing, or sneezing, while wearing the mask. I feel like I've aged 10-15 years in this brief period, and I'm absolutely exhausted most of the time.

Wearing the mask while wide awake for 2 to maybe 4 hours a night makes no sense to me, and only makes actually getting to sleep more difficult. Of course when I do eventually do fall asleep, I'm not wearing the C-Pap. Additionally, coughing or sneezing or yawning is definitely not helpful, nor is congestion.

To sum up, I'm guessing that I've only had only maybe two or three continuous 5 hour periods of C-Pap therapy in this whole 4 month period. Tomorrow I begin to do my taxes, and it's hard to tell the impact of that little adventure.

The Shingles will eventually go away (I hope), but I would expect many of the other issues to continue or to become more frequent as I grow older.

So now I'm asking myself how I can expect these other things to improve with age? Is surgery a better answer? Would that change my "severe" apnea to perhaps "less than moderate" so that a dental appliance might do the trick?

Phil

[britincanada]

I've had Shingles for nearly 4 months, along with severe sleeplessness, congestion, bloating, shortness of breath, and frequent yawning, coughing, or sneezing, while wearing the mask



There you Go Not A Great Way to Start Treatment for Sure

The Shingles Should go

but what you are doing is expecting quick fix with Cpap

Cpap takes time and everyone is different it takes time to adjust even when your body's is at 100%

Take Me Been on treatment for around 150 days felt great for a while then i got the gas then the leaks got that sorted then got a flu bug for 3 weeks my reading where all over the place normally takes me 2 to 3 weeks of treatment for me to feel a bit better on cpap

Hang in there things will get better But HERE THE kicker you need to hang-in there and give it time to work

Good luck with the treatment it does work

and on the Age front you will live longer with cpap its a proven fact

[Dawei]

Welcome to the forum, Phil. You are facing several challenges at the moment, that's for sure.
Nasal congestion can certainly be a problem for anyone from time to time. One needs to have a clear nasal airway. When this happens, I use a medicated OTC nasal spray just to clear my airways. Doing so when I first get in bed keeps me clear for the night most every time. Some use a saline spray and that works for them.
A large factor in adjusting to CPAP is psychological so that you feel comfortable wearing the air-blowing mask. It can be a real stumbling block for some people. That's why you will read the suggestion of wearing your mask during the day for awhile while you are reading or whatever to get used to the mask and to reduce the claustrophobic feeling. Many times, this is why a person rips off the mask during the night whether or not they are aware of doing so. This is different than removing the mask for a specific physical reason, such as I can't stand this ich on my face; I've got to scratch it. Or, removing it because it's leaking to try resealing it on your face.
Others who've had surgery can tell you more about it, but they suggest it be considered carefully and as a last resort because the results are not so great and usually do not eliminate the pt's need for CPAP afterword. What a surgeon may consider successful surgery often isn't as far as apnea control. That's why CPAP therapy is considered the gold standard for treating apnea.

[Shastzi]

I have been on "the hose" since October '12 and I am just now getting the hang of it and starting to improve my sleep numbers.

Some folks do get fast results some get quick results.
If you have a lot of other issues, I can see that once you get the rest of the stuff sorted out you will start to notice improvements.

Do keep in mind that the PAP therapy is *keeping you breathing at night*

I have had shingles before and that alone will keep me up so I sympathize.

Hang in there and stay in touch. There's a lot of good techniques here to help out.

[trish6hundred]

Hi pdeli,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I'm sorry you are having such a rough time right now. I know shingles can be very painful and if you are having them around where your mask goes, WOW, that is rough, for sure.
The only thing about the surgery is that it doesn't have a real good track record and from what I've read, people wind up having to use CPAP anyway, so I'm not too sure I would go under the knife for such a risky surgery.
Hang in there for more responses to your post and don't give up.
Best of luck to you.

[DocWils]

Okay, a couple of questions - firstly why do you have shingles for that long? Has no one put you on Zovirax? Are you in such a stressful work or personal situation that it is prolonged, or are you not using proper sanitary procedures when caring for the blisters and reinfecting yourself?

Secondly, as my handle might tip you off, I am a med type person. I have little faith in the operation you are referring to - it has a very spotty record and unless your problem IS the overlong uvula, and that is confirmed to be the actual problem, it won't fix your apnoea at all. A lot of people who have had it report considerable negative effects, including difficulty getting whatever you are swallowing down the right hole, and a quite a few other unpleasantnesses, so, again, have it only if they have pin-pointed your problem to that exact thing, and a sleep study alone won't do it - they have to stick a camera down your throat to examine the whole thing as it functions to be sure.

One other thing - are you one a full mask because you are a mouth breather or you need a very high pressure (over 20cm)? if not, you might consider giving a nasal pillow a try, or a nasal mask. They are very comfortable, especially the pillows, and might help in this case. As for a Swift LX or a Breeze.

Give the CPAP some time - it takes getting used to and you are currently being besieged by lots of other things that would kill your sleep with or without apnoea, so let all the other nastiness pass before you decide to dump the CPAP.

[pdeli]

I had forgotten about the itchy nose thing.

I'm not thinking my issues are psychological since I did a C-Pap thing about 15+ years ago and was never able to get a mask that didn't leak. Current mask is actually quite comfortable and doesn't bother me much at all and doesn't seem to leak. When however I am restless and unable to fall asleep for hours at a time, the mask is just enough to be one more distraction to prolong sleeplessness. Also, it makes no sense to me to use it while awake.

I'm also wondering how valid the diagnoses was when I was tested with the mask off more than on.

Once the taxes are out of the way, I'll focus on using the software to see for myself what's going on. During the one week test period, I only accumulated just under 20 hours, and I'm sure some of that was while awake. I only had one night of 5 hours of sleep.

Frankly, once things settle down and I can get some regular sleep pattern again, I'd like to begin all over again. That's probably not doable, but I would feel like the evaluation might be more valid or I should say more accurate. In the end it probably makes no difference, and maybe yesterday's info is just yesterday's info. I have no doubt that I have sleep apnea.

I was just struck when thinking how more complicated things could become in the years ahead.

Phil

Welcome to the forum, Phil. You are facing several challenges at the moment, that's for sure.
Nasal congestion can certainly be a problem for anyone from time to time. One needs to have a clear nasal airway. When this happens, I use a medicated OTC nasal spray just to clear my airways. Doing so when I first get in bed keeps me clear for the night most every time. Some use a saline spray and that works for them.
A large factor in adjusting to CPAP is psychological so that you feel comfortable wearing the air-blowing mask. It can be a real stumbling block for some people. That's why you will read the suggestion of wearing your mask during the day for awhile while you are reading or whatever to get used to the mask and to reduce the claustrophobic feeling. Many times, this is why a person rips off the mask during the night whether or not they are aware of doing so. This is different than removing the mask for a specific physical reason, such as I can't stand this ich on my face; I've got to scratch it. Or, removing it because it's leaking to try resealing it on your face.
Others who've had surgery can tell you more about it, but they suggest it be considered carefully and as a last resort because the results are not so great and usually do not eliminate the pt's need for CPAP afterword. What a surgeon may consider successful surgery often isn't as far as apnea control. That's why CPAP therapy is considered the gold standard for treating apnea.

[pdeli]

The Shingles was pretty much down to "slightly sensitive", and it was mainly the sleeplessness and exhaustion that was the main problem up until the now. Some nights I would only get 3-4 hours of sleep for several days in a row. And I don't mean that I think that I'm awake but actually periodically sleeping. I mean wide-ass awake!

I never did have many blistered "sores", and never scratched those that I did have. Even now, the apparent resurgence of the shingles has gone only from a mild discomfort to a kind of "raw skin". Only a few slight welts have reappeared, but much to the delight of the neighbor women, I now seldom wear a shirt.

I was taking Norco and Gabapentin, but no Zovirax.

I'm retired (73 years old) and the stress I think is mostly the exhaustion and sleeplessness that I mentioned. Add ADHD to the mix here and I'm really unclear of how to sort it all out.

I have all three facial apparatuses, but the full face seems usually the most effective because the strap just under my lip seems to keep my mouth closed. The chin strap doesn't work because even with my mouth (teeth) closed, air escapes through my teeth.

I'm pretty committed to making this work, and I no longer watch TV in bed, or go to the bedroom until I'm actually tired. But then I may sleep for an hour or so, only to be awake for the next 5-6 hours.

So as I wondered in my original question, is this a pattern that will only worsen as I get older? It sounds like it doesn't matter. It is what it is.

After I get my taxes done, I will sit and wait for this to all pass.

Phil

Okay, a couple of questions - firstly why do you have shingles for that long? Has no one put you on Zovirax? Are you in such a stressful work or personal situation that it is prolonged, or are you not using proper sanitary procedures when caring for the blisters and reinfecting yourself?

Secondly, as my handle might tip you off, I am a med type person. I have little faith in the operation you are referring to - it has a very spotty record and unless your problem IS the overlong uvula, and that is confirmed to be the actual problem, it won't fix your apnoea at all. A lot of people who have had it report considerable negative effects, including difficulty getting whatever you are swallowing down the right hole, and a quite a few other unpleasantnesses, so, again, have it only if they have pin-pointed your problem to that exact thing, and a sleep study alone won't do it - they have to stick a camera down your throat to examine the whole thing as it functions to be sure.

One other thing - are you one a full mask because you are a mouth breather or you need a very high pressure (over 20cm)? if not, you might consider giving a nasal pillow a try, or a nasal mask. They are very comfortable, especially the pillows, and might help in this case. As for a Swift LX or a Breeze.

Give the CPAP some time - it takes getting used to and you are currently being besieged by lots of other things that would kill your sleep with or without apnoea, so let all the other nastiness pass before you decide to dump the CPAP.

[DocWils]

Well, at that age, the answer is a sort of yes, in the sense that two things happen as you approach senior status - you require less overall sleep and your sleeping patterns shift, meaning you nap more but sleep less. Throw into the mix the various drugs that one end up taking as one ages, many of them which disrupt the sleep cycle, and the physical stress of Zoster, and toss in a sprig of emotional depression to the whole thing, whip it up, and you have a recipe for light sleeping and considerable pattern disruption.

However, there is hope - first is of course to establish good sleep hygiene - if you look elsewhere on this forum you will find lots of discussions on that.
Second is to regulate how and when you take your meds so that they do not impact on your nightly sleep. You need to do that with your doc or with your pharmacist, if he or she is old school.

Once you are over the Zoster, you will also feel better and sleep better, since there is considerable physical and emotional discomfort that goes with it - the nerves are raw both physically and emotionally. I might, if I were you, find out if there is a better way to hurry along the healing process with this, because you should have it for at best a few weeks, not months. Chronic forms are not a great sign, it indicates, amongst other things, that your immune system is low. And one of the side effects of almost all forms of Herpes is the caffeinated feeling that it can give - wide awake at the darkest hours of the night, etc. The problem is that the sleeping pattern becomes trained in after so long, and so it takes a while after the infection is over for you to re-establish the correct pattern, and moreover, you DO have to force it - you have to set a time to go to bed and lie there, lights out, awake or not. Get an eye mask, too, to cut extraneous light, and start to develop bed time rituals. And no blue light (computers or TVs) they are sleep killers.

Whoops! Here's me saying go read about sleep hygiene elsewhere on the forum, and then I'm telling you about it anyway. Go read through the forum - tons of good advice.....

[pdeli]

I got a pretty good night's sleep last night, so even though the shingles is slowly getting worse, that's a step in the right direction

I certainly appreciate all of the help here - this group has been very valuable for me and I thank you all for your feedback and support.

Phil

Well, at that age, the answer is a sort of yes, in the sense that two things happen as you approach senior status - you require less overall sleep and your sleeping patterns shift, meaning you nap more but sleep less. Throw into the mix the various drugs that one end up taking as one ages, many of them which disrupt the sleep cycle, and the physical stress of Zoster, and toss in a sprig of emotional depression to the whole thing, whip it up, and you have a recipe for light sleeping and considerable pattern disruption.

However, there is hope - first is of course to establish good sleep hygiene - if you look elsewhere on this forum you will find lots of discussions on that.
Second is to regulate how and when you take your meds so that they do not impact on your nightly sleep. You need to do that with your doc or with your pharmacist, if he or she is old school.

Once you are over the Zoster, you will also feel better and sleep better, since there is considerable physical and emotional discomfort that goes with it - the nerves are raw both physically and emotionally. I might, if I were you, find out if there is a better way to hurry along the healing process with this, because you should have it for at best a few weeks, not months. Chronic forms are not a great sign, it indicates, amongst other things, that your immune system is low. And one of the side effects of almost all forms of Herpes is the caffeinated feeling that it can give - wide awake at the darkest hours of the night, etc. The problem is that the sleeping pattern becomes trained in after so long, and so it takes a while after the infection is over for you to re-establish the correct pattern, and moreover, you DO have to force it - you have to set a time to go to bed and lie there, lights out, awake or not. Get an eye mask, too, to cut extraneous light, and start to develop bed time rituals. And no blue light (computers or TVs) they are sleep killers.

Whoops! Here's me saying go read about sleep hygiene elsewhere on the forum, and then I'm telling you about it anyway. Go read through the forum - tons of good advice.....