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First Night On Cpap (headache)
#1
First Night On Cpap (headache)
Howdy all, first time post, been reading a lot here before buying my Cpap machine and mask and it helped A LOT. I have a s9 elite and resperonics wisp mask.

My first night on CPAP was not great. I woke up a couple times, and have a headache (still have it after being awake 4 hours now). The bridge of my nose is red and sore from the Resperonics wisp mask (with cloth frame). I am really bummed out as I was hoping this would solve my morning headaches not make them worse.

Downloaded sleepyhead and saw many events, but overall my AHI was 1.88 which is pretty good as on my prescription my AHI said 49 events untreated.

Here are my stats for my first night from SH:

AHI 1.88
Hours per Night 10:38
Pressure 8.00
Average Leaks 0.55
95% Leaks 4.80

Questions:

The headache bothers me though, it's a dull ache and I feel hung over all day. Is this an adjustment period? The leak report in SH says I am doing well.

The wisp mask in general is comfortable, I can see myself getting use to it but the redness on the bridge of my nose is not fun. I tried wearing it very tight, which collapsed the plastic cone and felt like I was not getting enough air. half way through the night I readjusted VERY loose and it felt better, still felt bad in that one area. Any tips on how to get this mask comfortable?

Thanks everyone, great community.

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#2
RE: First Night On Cpap (headache)
(01-17-2014, 12:33 PM)SnuffySleeper Wrote: Howdy all, first time post, been reading a lot here before buying my Cpap machine and mask and it helped A LOT. I have a s9 elite and resperonics wisp mask.

My first night on CPAP was not great. I woke up a couple times, and have a headache (still have it after being awake 4 hours now). The bridge of my nose is red and sore from the Resperonics wisp mask (with cloth frame). I am really bummed out as I was hoping this would solve my morning headaches not make them worse.

Downloaded sleepyhead and saw many events, but overall my AHI was 1.88 which is pretty good as on my prescription my AHI said 49 events untreated.

Here are my stats for my first night from SH:

AHI 1.88
Hours per Night 10:38
Pressure 8.00
Average Leaks 0.55
95% Leaks 4.80

Questions:

The headache bothers me though, it's a dull ache and I feel hung over all day. Is this an adjustment period? The leak report in SH says I am doing well.

The wisp mask in general is comfortable, I can see myself getting use to it but the redness on the bridge of my nose is not fun. I tried wearing it very tight, which collapsed the plastic cone and felt like I was not getting enough air. half way through the night I readjusted VERY loose and it felt better, still felt bad in that one area. Any tips on how to get this mask comfortable?

Thanks everyone, great community.

Hi Snuffy,
Welcome to the life after getting used to cpap world! Yes, your issues are very common for the first night or so. It will get much better way soon.... To begin with it does sound like you had your mask on too tight. Then later perhaps too loose. Generally speaking, these things like to be fitted snug, but not tight, and not loose. So that makes it an artform, not a science.

The headache ect is just from fighting the mask all night. That will stop. See if you can find a "youtube" video or two that will help you adjust the mask.

After a few days, if its still giving you fits, (and I'll bet it won't!) perhaps it will be appropriate to talk about a different style of mask.

Hang in there, I suspect you'll sleep very well tonight!
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#3
RE: First Night On Cpap (headache)
Maybe you have your head gear too tight. Also, maybe you have the wrong size cushion. what size cushion are you using? your head gear doesn't need to be too tight. I use the same mask and my head gear is loose and still my leaks are in the acceptable range (last night the leaks were median 0, 95% was 0 and max was 6 and was the lowest leak rate I can remember having).
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#4
RE: First Night On Cpap (headache)
(01-17-2014, 12:52 PM)retired_guy Wrote: Hi Snuffy,
Welcome to the life after getting used to cpap world! Yes, your issues are very common for the first night or so. It will get much better way soon.... To begin with it does sound like you had your mask on too tight. Then later perhaps too loose. Generally speaking, these things like to be fitted snug, but not tight, and not loose. So that makes it an artform, not a science.

The headache ect is just from fighting the mask all night. That will stop. See if you can find a "youtube" video or two that will help you adjust the mask.

After a few days, if its still giving you fits, (and I'll bet it won't!) perhaps it will be appropriate to talk about a different style of mask.

Hang in there, I suspect you'll sleep very well tonight!

retired_guy:

Didn't you just start using CPAP a little over a month ago? And now you've pinpointed the cause of SnuffySleeper's morning headaches?

Huhsign
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#5
RE: First Night On Cpap (headache)
Hi SnuffySleeper,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Headaches can be common when you first start CPAP therapy but things should improve as you use your mask and machine.
Try not to tighten the mask too tight and that should help with your red, and soar nose,as well.
Hang in there for more suggestions and best of luck to you with your CPAP therapy.
trish6hundred
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#6
RE: First Night On Cpap (headache)
(01-17-2014, 12:33 PM)SnuffySleeper Wrote: My first night on CPAP was not great. I woke up a couple times, and have a headache (still have it after being awake 4 hours now). The bridge of my nose is red and sore from the Resperonics wisp mask (with cloth frame). I am really bummed out as I was hoping this would solve my morning headaches not make them worse.

If I am reading this correctly, you had morning headaches before CPAP. I would ask those with more experience if you can tie this bad headache to a tight mask if the headaches were there before?

What causes the morning headaches and why did using a CPAP machine make it worse?
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#7
RE: First Night On Cpap (headache)
Thanks retired_guy!

It really helps talking to people who have been through this and knowing it gets better. I was pretty bummed out and tired this morning, good to know it gets better. If I contacted my Cpap dealer about this, I feel they would just try to sell me something more expensive Smile

Hi Me50,

I am using the lg cushion (the largest it comes with as far as I know) and the sides of my nose just barely fit in and are snug. Yeah! That's the thing about this mask, it seems the looser it gets the airflow gets better and the leaks stay the same and seem acceptable to SH and the resmed s9. It really is an art to get it perfect each night as the cloth straps can rest on your head a little different. I am not confident to read the leak stats in SH yet, all I know at this point it's well under the threshold.

I found my self reseating the mask a lot, by pulling it out and stretching the straps and letting it rest on my face. I did this about 4-7 times last night. I sleep on my side so I found it can shift around easy, but nothing that affected leakage according to SH.

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#8
RE: First Night On Cpap (headache)
Thanks for the welcome trish6hundred! Will do. I'll keep trying Smile

(01-17-2014, 01:19 PM)JohnNJ Wrote: If I am reading this correctly, you had morning headaches before CPAP. I would ask those with more experience if you can tie this bad headache to a tight mask if the headaches were there before?

What causes the morning headaches and why did using a CPAP machine make it worse?

Yep, you are reading it correctly. I did have morning headaches before Cpap. My sleep doctor said it was because of my severe sleep apnea at 49 AHI, but this headache first night on Cpap is much different.

It's more intense and painful like a hangover headache, with a dull ache that seems to be lasting all day. Where as normally without Cpap it would be a dull ache for maybe the first hour I wake up and then go away.



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#9
RE: First Night On Cpap (headache)
SnuffySleeper, I am with JohnNJ on this... Morning headaches prior to CPAP use and During sounds like another issue all together... I would speak to your Dr about the headaches... I have severe Cental Apnea and I have supplemental Oxygen added at 3L/min
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#10
RE: First Night On Cpap (headache)
(01-17-2014, 01:31 PM)SnuffySleeper Wrote: Yep, you are reading it correctly. I did have morning headaches before Cpap. My sleep doctor said it was because of my severe sleep apnea at 49 AHI, but this headache first night on Cpap is much different.

I don't know enough to contradict what your doctor told you. All I can tell you is that my AHI was higher than yours plus my O2 sat was 58% and I never woke up with a headache.

Everyone is different. Hope you find a way to avoid headaches.
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