First post..looking for people who share similar symptoms

[TyroneShoes]

...Now that I've been found to have sleep apnea I am hoping that by treating it some of these symptoms will improve...

The good news is....

That the news is all good. It is very likely that xPAP therapy can improve potentially all of your issues. Maybe not all that much for a few of them, but very likely for most.

And the other good news is that there is little chance of a downside. Sleeping with the mask is not something non-users ever look forward to, but you get used to it, and it is nothing after a while. But that is about the worst of it; there is nothing about this therapy that is invasive or harmful in most cases. Intraocular pressure issues? Maybe. Otherwise, you are golden.

Look forward to improvement. And try the mask with the congestion; sometimes it actually improves even that. And in a few months, you will wish you got this therapy sooner.

[Sleeprider]

Most of us find CPAP pressure actually helps to open the nasal passages. I suspect that your machine may have been supplied with the ramp setting turned on, and you are experiencing a sense of suffocation when you first put on the mask, and you are incorrectly blaming the CPAP for aggravating the congestion.

Ramp is a comfort feature (for some people). With ramp on, your machine only delivers 4.0 cm of pressure. This can be very uncomfortable for some of us, and feels like not enough air. You should be able to turn ramp off. If you don't see the settings for ramp, then you need to enter the clinician setup menu, or ask your doctor/DME to make the change. You can download the setup manual for your machine from this website...see links above. http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...tup-manual.

Best of luck in your treatment. You will eventually need to take control of it and this is a great way to start now. It is unfortunate you got the Airsense 10 Elite, as it will not provide useful therapy data, and it will be more difficult to know if your treatment is effective. If you can persuade the doctor or DME to provide and Autoset, I like your chances of comfort and efficacy better.

[49er]

Most of us find CPAP pressure actually helps to open the nasal passages. I suspect that your machine may have been supplied with the ramp setting turned on, and you are experiencing a sense of suffocation when you first put on the mask, and you are incorrectly blaming the CPAP for aggravating the congestion.

Ramp is a comfort feature (for some people). With ramp on, your machine only delivers 4.0 cm of pressure. This can be very uncomfortable for some of us, and feels like not enough air. You should be able to turn ramp off. If you don't see the settings for ramp, then you need to enter the clinician setup menu, or ask your doctor/DME to make the change. You can download the setup manual for your machine from this website...see links above. http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...tup-manual.

Best of luck in your treatment. You will eventually need to take control of it and this is a great way to start now. It is unfortunate you got the Airsense 10 Elite, as it will not provide useful therapy data, and it will be more difficult to know if your treatment is effective. If you can persuade the doctor or DME to provide and Autoset, I like your chances of comfort and efficacy better.

Sleeprider,

As far as I know, the Airsense 10 Elite is a data capable cpap machine and is compatible with sleepyhead. Sure, an autoset would be preferable and if Dawn feels like pursuing one, it is worth a shot. But she can still get good therapy from the elite.

49er

[Sleeprider]

49er, you're right, the Elite does have advanced therapy data. I was confusing it with the CPAP model that has basic data. My mistake. Thanks.

[Joanster]

Hello all!

I am new here to this website. I came here looking for advice and I guess some assurance. I was just recently diagnosed with OSA. My AHI is 10.5, REM AHI 34, and O2 destat 82%. I am 40 years old, female, and about 100 lbs overweight. Over the last few years I have been diagnosed with anxiety and depression due to the symptoms I have listed below. I have tried numerous medications, all of which did absolutely nothing for my symptoms. I have all along felt that there was something else medically causing me this distress.

My current symptoms are as follows:
-Memory problems-names, places I've gone, what I've done these things I can't recall at times. Things(routines) I used to do on a normal basis I can't automatically recall how to do it. I literally have to think things out. I have a hard time reading (sometimes I look at words and can't read it. Spelling words is very difficult! Texting and typing is a task in itself due to not remembering where the keys are)
-Concentration is diminished- it is hard to follow movies and television show plots. This also happens during conversations. Reading a page in a book takes numerous attempts and even then I still sometimes don't grasp the concept.
-Word recall- My vocabulary has been reduced to nothing! Sometimes it will take me minutes to think of the word I want to use. So I am mainly using simple words now. While having conversations I will make many mistakes using incorrect grammar and words.
-Constant observation and critique of every little mistake I make.
-Wake up often feeling like I can't breath, heart racing, sweating, and confused.
-Very bizarre and unusual dreams which make no sense.
-Waking up feeling like I haven't even slept
-Low energy
-Lack of motivation
-Frequent wakings through out night
-Hard to fall back asleep at times

I am at my wits end! I have had numerous tests for every possible disease there is to cause the symptoms I'm having, and all the doctors can come up with is depression and anxiety. I have through out these past years always felt that it was something much more than than this.

So, when I finally met with a neurologist who specializes in sleep medicine, and he suggested I be tested for sleep apnea, I was kind of hopeful that someone else saw that there was something else going on. Now that I've been found to have sleep apnea I am hoping that by treating it some of these symptoms will improve.

I just received my cpap machine last Monday 6/29, but have been unable to use it due to issues of nasal congestion. I am exchanging the nasal pillows tomorrow for a full face mask, which I hope helps get me to the road to recovery.

I would really appreciate anyone sharing their symptoms, any advice, or suggestions you might have which could be beneficial to me. Thank you in advance!

[Joanster]

you sound like me, i got a auto cpap by respironics just little over 2 months ago after learning I had severe sleep apnea. [co2 dropping to 84% which is not good. I got a friend of mine to be tested, she had 81 apneas an hr with co2 levels dropping to 72% she felt like she was dying--no kidding, and she has eye issues, overweight, always tired. Others drs. told me I had chronic fatique and figured i was perhaps a little nuts, lol . I have learned that when many drs. don't have the answer, rather than admit it, tell you its all in your head. My ocular pressure IOP [ in my eyes] has been increasing over the last several years, no one seems to connect the dots, but now thanks to the power of the internet we are finding some answers. my Opthamologist did not want my sleep study, nor was he interested in anything the other specialist at sleep clinic had to say [he is a resporologist, sleep expert, in both canada and the uas from toronta area-, an amazing man, and amazing dr. he explained what happens when a person stops breathing so often, adrenal, cortisal, is released, along with other hormones raising bl pressure/and causing all kids of problems--I am presently trying to get enough research together, and along with help from others, help people with glaucoma--it only makes sense if your optic nerve and your barin is not getting blood and oxygen it is going to cause problems--sometimes common sense, and connecting the dots, as we can on these forums is the way too learn and move forward--good luck with you health issues--I am sure cpap will help you..

[justMongo]

Joanster: Have they tested your blood sugar?

[Joanster]

MzDawn, welcome to the board. There is a good chance that cpap may help your issues. However, if it doesn't, the doctor you should be seeing is a neurologist. I had all your symptoms at age 38 (although only 50 pounds overweight). I was written off as a hypochondriac or told to see a shrink. You cannot make this stuff up. See a neurologist and if that one won't help see another. People don't just start having short term memory issues at your age for nothing.

I agree--no one would make this stuff up--it is enough too drive you nuts when rs. haven't got a clue so blame you--i did learn that the cpap auto works best for eye /glaucoma issues thanks to someones infor on the board about a study done by Loyola University in Chicago--I could not tolerate one night on just plain cpap--the auto is amazing, it adjust to what ever pressure is needed--I love my Philips respironic, auto a flex RemStar--now to get a new eye dr. that will listen to others--he had me on beta blockers for months while i was waiting for resuts f my sleep study--i fet like i was going to have a stroke or heart attack , couldnt sleep, anxiety etc which promted me to get a sleep study [now I am sure it was the beta blocker eye drop Timolol that really made my [undiagnosed sleep apnea] to a point my body could not last much longer--thank God I got that sleep study done--and found one good Dr. --working on the eye department is next---thanks to this forum and one i joined about glaucoma, i have hope for a better future....

[mzdawn74]

you sound like me, i got a auto cpap by respironics just little over 2 months ago after learning I had severe sleep apnea. [co2 dropping to 84% which is not good. I got a friend of mine to be tested, she had 81 apneas an hr with co2 levels dropping to 72% she felt like she was dying--no kidding, and she has eye issues, overweight, always tired. Others drs. told me I had chronic fatique and figured i was perhaps a little nuts, lol . I have learned that when many drs. don't have the answer, rather than admit it, tell you its all in your head. My ocular pressure IOP [ in my eyes] has been increasing over the last several years, no one seems to connect the dots, but now thanks to the power of the internet we are finding some answers. my Opthamologist did not want my sleep study, nor was he interested in anything the other specialist at sleep clinic had to say [he is a resporologist, sleep expert, in both canada and the uas from toronta area-, an amazing man, and amazing dr. he explained what happens when a person stops breathing so often, adrenal, cortisal, is released, along with other hormones raising bl pressure/and causing all kids of problems--I am presently trying to get enough research together, and along with help from others, help people with glaucoma--it only makes sense if your optic nerve and your barin is not getting blood and oxygen it is going to cause problems--sometimes common sense, and connecting the dots, as we can on these forums is the way too learn and move forward--good luck with you health issues--I am sure cpap will help you..

for sharing your story with me. It gives me a little more hope!

[mzdawn74]

[/quote]

Sleeprider,

As far as I know, the Airsense 10 Elite is a data capable cpap machine and is compatible with sleepyhead. Sure, an autoset would be preferable and if Dawn feels like pursuing one, it is worth a shot. But she can still get good therapy from the elite.

49er
[/quote]

Hi 49er,

Thank you for your vote of confidence. I will make it work!

Dawn