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#1
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New here
I've been on cpap for about a month now, and while my overnight reports regularly register on my air at 95, I'm still struggling with daytime symptoms like heart palpitations and indigestion. I registered at another forum, but all they wanted to know was the type of machine I'm using, pressure settings, etc. so I don't go there very much. I'm just wondering if anyone can tell me at what point my symptoms will get better, and I feel more normal again.
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#2
RE: New here
Welcome to Apnea Board Protege

The information in your profile is important to us so that we can better answer your questions.

The symptoms you mention above (heart palpitations and indigestion) could be cause for concern. Have you had a complete workup by your Doctor?
Did you have these symptoms before you started CPAP therapy?

I am no Doctor, but if it were me, I would get a complete workup to be sure nothing was going on with my heart and also discuss the indigestion as that could be related.

I don't see that CPAP could cause those issues, but better to play safe.

OpalRose
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#3
RE: New here
I've had these symptoms for two months. I have a cardiologist now and he assured me it was no cause for concern. I had a full work up and have no heart blockage. He just said "my signals were crossed," or someyhing.Both he and my doctor are fully aware of my situation and pointed me in this direction. When I did my sleep study, I was told I had 60 events per hour. I'm a little skeptical about this, because my sleep apnea Doctor isn't all that informative, my respitory therapist was able to answer most of my questions, but even now I'm just unsure about all this.Everyone assures me that eventually, this will pass,and I guess as far as my sleep goes, things are getting better, but I'm still wondering how long it will take for me to feel normal again. I suppose I had daytime fatigue, but it seemed to be mild. The symptoms I have don't seem to be common among people with sleep apnea, and I'm just wondering what to expect, and what I can do in the meantime.
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#4
RE: New here
Hi Protege,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Hang in there for more answers to your questions.
CPAP therapy can take some time to get used to so don’t give up, it does get better over time.
Much success to you.
trish6hundred
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#5
RE: New here
G'day Protege, welcome to the forum. If I understand it correctly, you had palpitations and indigestion before you started CPAP treatment? I don't know what (if anything) the treatment can do about your indigestion but palpitations (specifically premature ventricular contractions) can be caused by apnea and may well get better with time. In my own case they disappeared after a few weeks on the hose.

However that does depend on how well your treatment is going. You had an AHI of 60 which is pretty high, but what has it come down to now? If it's not below 5 then your treatment isn't yet fully effective. Perhaps you could post your ResScan report and we could have a look at that for you.

A lot of members get a condition called aerophagia which is basically just swallowing air. It causes abdominal pain, bloating and gas. Maybe you have something like this going on? Do a search of the forum and you'll find quite a few discussions with suggestions for overcoming it.
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#6
RE: New here
(01-25-2016, 09:23 PM)DeepBreathing Wrote: G'day Protege, welcome to the forum. If I understand it correctly, you had palpitations and indigestion before you started CPAP treatment? I don't know what (if anything) the treatment can do about your indigestion but palpitations (specifically premature ventricular contractions) can be caused by apnea and may well get better with time. In my own case they disappeared after a few weeks on the hose.

However that does depend on how well your treatment is going. You had an AHI of 60 which is pretty high, but what has it come down to now? If it's not below 5 then your treatment isn't yet fully effective. Perhaps you could post your ResScan report and we could have a look at that for you.

A lot of members get a condition called aerophagia which is basically just swallowing air. It causes abdominal pain, bloating and gas. Maybe you have something like this going on? Do ad search of the forum and you'll find quite a few discussions with suggestions for overcoming it.
Well, I hope you're not asking me to download the data, because I don't know how to do that. I can tell you that my nighttime events have gone from 3.5 to as low as 0.0 ultimately, all I care about is how well I'm sleeping, and if my symptoms clear up, and I do notice that my heart tends to slow down at night, but I am a little skeptical of the results because all I care about is getting better. Maybe my anxiety is getting in the way. I'm still getting used to this. I've heard it can take up to four months to get fully adjusted to this- I sure hope it doesn't take that long. As far as swallowing air- well, I'm not sure. I wear a bite plate, and I think I keep my mouth closed at night- I do take the mask off at times, sometimes for no apparent reason, so I guess I need to keep working at this.
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#7
RE: New here
Quote:Well, I hope you're not asking me to download the data, because I don't know how to do that.

Yeah, I was. But if you can't do that just now that's OK. It's just that a lot of us are data junkies and we love to see the graphs and charts. They can tell us a lot about how your treatment is going, and how to fine tune it. On the other hand, if you're consistently getting below 3.5 and even some zeros, then it's obviously in the right ballpark.

Quote: all I care about is how well I'm sleeping, and if my symptoms clear up, and I do notice that my heart tends to slow down at night, but I am a little skeptical of the results because all I care about is getting better. Maybe my anxiety is getting in the way.

Fair enough - it's really all about getting good refreshing sleep, which allows your mind and body to rejuvenate each night. Anxiety is a big issue for a lot of people - after all you have to learn a new way of breathing, with air blasting into your face from a rubber hose, and with a plastic alien strapped to your face! Shock It's enough to make anybody nervous, and for most people there is an adjustment process they must go through. A lot of people don't make it, and there is a high drop-out rate. On the up side, CPAP therapy is proven to treat sleep apnea, which in turn will mean that you have a much better chance of avoiding the co-morbidities like high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes etc etc.

Quote:I'm still getting used to this. I've heard it can take up to four months to get fully adjusted to this- I sure hope it doesn't take that long.

That depends entirely on the individual. Some lucky people experience instant results and are 100% better after their first night. Some never adjust and either struggle on for years or else give up. But the great majority seem to get the hang of it within a few weeks or so. In my experience, the first and most important thing to get right is the mask. If your mask is uncomfortable or doesn't fit right or leaks a lot, then nothing else will work. The mask is the key, so if you're not happy with yours, then try optimising the adjustment, try a mask liner (Google Remzz) or try a different mask. The associated problem is leaks. They can disturb your sleep and (if excessive) can compromise your treatment. Your machine should have an indication of how your leaks are going - a green smiley face or red frowny face. If you have a red, then there is definitely a problem. Otherwise good sleep hygiene helps a lot.

Quote:I do take the mask off at times, sometimes for no apparent reason, so I guess I need to keep working at this.

That's a very common problem - in fact I took mine off last night because it was hot, humid and uncomfortable. Mrs DB gave me a nudge to put it back on. Your bed partner can be your greatest asset here - if they notice something is amiss, they can give you a gentle prod to put your mask back on, or perhaps notice if the mask is leaking.

Good luck! This is an important period in your life, and hopefully the start of a much better and healthier future.
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