sleepingbetterinFl - Therapy Thread

[sleepingbetterinFl]

I use Flonase at bedtime which seems to help.  I have not tried anything else except Zyrtec and Allegra at night for itchy eyes but they also tend to dry nasal passages.

[sleepingbetterinFl]

I have been using CPAP therapy for over a year.  I have noticed about a month ago I get tingling and hand goes asleep when sleeping using CPAP.   Mostly in the morning, and it started with jut one hand now it is both or either hand.  Anyone have a similar experience and is there a connection between sleep apnea and hand numbness while using CPAP?  Any recommendations for what I can do?

[HalfAsleep]

This used to happen to me often when sleeping (not using CPAP currently). It didn’t have the feel of normal pins and needles. Turns out, I have damage from hitting the ipad with every letter I type. I occasionally wear a brace to sleep with, and it fixes the problem for the next while.

HOWEVER, I recently had a titration sleep study, and I noticed it then when I wasn’t expecting it. It came from the settings being too low. The numbness gradually crept up my arms. It was quite freaky. It was fixed when the pressure was increased.

I would post your Oscar charts to see if they can maybe be fine-tuned.

[40plus]

I often have pins and needles after sleep. It is directly related to my sleep.

The wierd thing is if i have lower pressure i have lower heart rate, higher oxygen levels, better quality sleep but higher AHI and way more events. 
Higher pressure means much lower AHI and sometimes 0.0, but higher heart rate and lower oxygen levels and worse quality sleep. I also get pins and needles and sometimes numbness on higher pressure.

I do seem to have "palatal prolapse" on exhale that gets worse on the higher pressures needed to control apeans. This might be the reason for my pins and needles. I just dont know.

[OpalRose]

Hi sleepingbetterinFl,

I've experienced this too.  My doctor said it's the way I'm sleeping that causes compression of the Ulnar nerve.  

Numbness in hands while sleeping.


What Typically Causes Hand Numbness?

Numbness—and the tingling or “pins and needles” feeling that often accompany it—is usually the result of nerve compression, nerve damage, or another problem that interferes with the nervous system.

If you wake up with hand numbness, your body is sending you a message. It’s important to figure out what’s causing the numbness so that you can take action to relieve your discomfort and protect your nervous system.

Sleeping Position

Certain sleeping positions can compress nerves in the hand, wrist, arm, or elbow, producing numbness and tingling.
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Additionally, some positions can cut off or reduce blood flow to the hands, causing the nerves in that area to temporarily stop sending signals.

You’re more likely to experience nerve compression or lack of blood flow that leads to hand numbness if you sleep with your:

Wrists curled inward
Hands under your face or head
Head on your forearm
Torso on top of your arm
Head on a pillow that causes misalignment of the spine
Stomach sleeping has been associated with nerve compression, and while the research on side sleeping is mixed, some experts say this position is least likely to produce hand numbness, as long as your wrists are straight.

[sleepingbetterinFl]

Half asleep, thanks for your kind response.  I have posted my OSCAR data here so maybe you can surmise something about my pressure from the data.  Thanks - Appreciate your input. I am seeing my Pulmonologist on Monday,  should I mention this to him?

[UnicornRider]

You need to wean yourself off of the ramp feature, Time spent in ramp provides no therapy response.  Look at the time under ramp on your Pressure graph, Flow Limits graph & Snore graph .  It looks as though you fall asleep much earlier than the end of ramp. 

By now you should be acclimated to the fit and feel of your mask under therapy pressure. You need to address your leaks. The large leaks will "blind the machines sensors"  to your need for therapy flow & pressure adjustments. 

https://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph...ask_Primer

Be sure to read everything  in the Mask Primer down to: How to achieve the perfect mask fit - GUARANTEED! by Jeffy1958. 

Jeffy1958 does a very good job of putting all of the knowledge gained previously on the Mask Primer, to practical application and good results for many of the forum members. 

So now you have Ramp and Leaks addressed, you would benefit from reading about Positional Apnea :

https://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=Optimizing_therapy#Positional_Apnea

Some of your graphs were possibly indicative of "Positional Apnea" likely "Chin Tuck".

Your "Median" pressure from the "Statistics" area of the left hand panel would recommend you consider adjusting your Pressure Minimum to 7.4 cmH2O,  That Minimum Pressure would allow your therapy pressure corrections to begin from there. It also allows your EPR setting of 3 to become effective. Should be easy to adjust to. From the same Statistics area of the left hand column your 99.5% pressure of 9.90 cmH2O would suggest you could reduce the pressure maximum to 11.0 cmH2O to further tighten the control band the algorithms respond to.

To sum it up:   Mode: APAP
                      Pressure Min:   7.40 cmH2O
                      Pressure Max:  11.0 cmH2O
                      EPR: Full Time:  3.0 cmH2O
                      Ramp:  OFF


 The "Honeymoon Syndrome" can also account for numbness or tingling of the hands. Would not hurt to mention it to the Pulmonologist, they may offer another insight that has not been covered.

[sleepingbetterinFl]

Unicorn Rider,  thank you for the thoughtful and thorough reply.   I was not aware of the leaks coming from mouth breathing and that Ramp could have an effect.  Is 19/20 "My Air score". considered acceptable for seal ?    I sometimes find it hard to get used to the air strongly blowing in my face and I may have pushed mask as a result thus creating a leak .   I have found a solution to magnet staying on-  an Apnea Board member suggested taping the mask at magnet-  ( It has really worked, )

As far as numbness of hands,  what do you mean by Honeymoon stage?  And she I discuss this problem with my pulmonologist or should I see an Orthopedic Hand specialist ?

Thank you again for your response.   I read the mask primer and it is very informative.   I don;'t know where I would be without this forum!

[UnicornRider]

Honeymoon Syndrome: when your partner sleeps on your arm all night, you don't care because your young and in love, even though your whole arm is dead and as soon as your arm starts to wake up,,, Pins & Needles.  You can inquire about it with your pulmonologist, but he would suggest you seek some other source. You would want to check it out, it could be a compressed nerve anywhere between your neck and your wrist. I could not wear binoculars with the strap on my neck for years due to painful nerve pain in my hands, for some reason backpacking would also do the same.

PLM: Periodic Limb Movement. Did your sleep study mention PLM, many people with PLM have regularly spaced spikes in their flow rate graph, I noticed you have some spikes in your Flow Rate graph that may time closely with the onset, change in rate or cessation of a leak, that may indicate movement that starts, changes or stops the leak. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56...and%20ADHD.

My leak test does not reliably indicate what leaks I will have throughout the night. I stand beside the bed to leak test, then after I start the machine I crawl into bed, I cannot reach to start/stop my machine in bed. If I start getting leaks, I make minor adjustments to my headgear. By following what I learned from the MASK PRIMER, especially Jeffy1958, I am usually leak free throughout the night. Once I find that sweet spot on my headgear, I mark it with ink, knowing as it stretches out with use, I will be making minor adjustments. having marks helps me stay on top of leaks.

[OpalRose]

https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread...#pid508348