+- Apnea Board Forum - CPAP | Sleep Apnea (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Public Area (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Public-Area)
+--- Forum: Main Apnea Board Forum (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Main-Apnea-Board-Forum)
+--- Thread: Is there anything I can do post surgery to help me sleep? (/Thread-Is-there-anything-I-can-do-post-surgery-to-help-me-sleep)
Is there anything I can do post surgery to help me sleep? - Zzera - 11-30-2024
Hello!
I had surgery 4 days ago, hiatal repair, diaphragm mesh and partial stomach wrap. Because of the added co2 into the abdomen for surgery, my breathing has become extremely shallow. They pump your entire abdomen with Co2 and this moves up into the lunges and constricts the diaphragm. I have not been able to sleep more than an hour at a time since the surgery, totaling about 5-6 hours of very low O2 sleep since surgery. It feels as if my oxygen levels are dropping while trying to fall asleep my head starts pounding, I start hyperventilating, and this eventually jolts me awake. I wore a pulse ox the other night to confirm this and I will attach the data below.
Unfortenetly my SD card has not been plugged into my machine so I cannot upload OSCAR data, I understand this is not ideal. I am just desperate at the moment to get some sleep and was wondering if there are any suggestions or tweaks I can make at all to help this.
Current matching / settings:
Machine: AirCurve 10 VAuto BiPaP
IPAP: 12
EPAP: 8
PS: 4
TI Max: 2.4s
TI Min: 0.3s
Trigger: Very High
Cycle: Medium
I understand this is not ideal at all and not normally how things are done without the data but I am very desperate at the moment and scared to sleep because of how it makes me feel / how low my o2 is dropping. I will put the SD card in now for tonights data.
RE: Is there anything I can do post surgery to help me sleep? - Nipper - 11-30-2024
I can not comment on the setting yet as a nurse I would suggest sleeping in a recliner or elevate your head with a wedge pillow while in bed. What you are feeling is no longer the CO2 as that has already dissipate.
You had a pretty extensive repair. There are a few things that come to mind. If you are taking narcotic pain meds this could be caused by them. Use Tylenol and ibuprofen as your first line of defense and keeping in mind the daily recommended doses and use the narcotics as the back up for break through pain. It is ok to take less of the narcotics but not more. Ie cutting them in half or stretching out the time.
If this continues you want to follow up with the surgeon. There is always a remote possibility there was damage to your diaphragm. These are suggestions but not medical advice.
RE: Is there anything I can do post surgery to help me sleep? - Zzera - 11-30-2024
Hello thank you for the reply. The gas is still very much present, as confirmed by my doctor. I am concerned about potential buildup in the blood?
I am also no longer on narcotics. This was taken after I had already stopped. Thank you for the suggestion. I will definitely try this.