Numbers Good, Still Feeling Bad, What Would SleepyHead Tell Me?

Numbers Good, Still Feeling Bad, What Would SleepyHead Tell Me? - Printable Version

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Numbers Good, Still Feeling Bad, What Would SleepyHead Tell Me? - crezman - 09-02-2016

I've been on CPAP for about a year now on the RESMED AirSense 10, nasal pillows RESMED AirFit P10 mask. Pre CPAP I had about 20 events an hour but worse than that the doctor said was how very low my oxygen levels were every night.

After CPAP, my numbers have always looked good according to the doctors. I average 8 hours of sleep a night, very low to no leaks, less than 1-2 AHI per hour, and rarely take the mask off but I still feel terrible.

Many of my symptoms have come down or entirely gone away: the pressure feeling in my head; morning headaches, and acid reflux.

But I am still really tired, have massive brain fog, can't read past 1-2pm in the day and am almost entirely unfunctional at night. I used to go out some times at night. I basically don't any more.

The doctor has said that my best pressure is at 10. We tried going over 10 this week and that kept waking me up and now I feel worse.

The next step is she wants to put me on Nuvigil or Provigil. I'm not against this but I'd like to make 100% sure I've done all I can on the machine end. My doctor thinks we have. She thinks the machine is working as well as it's ever going to work and that the fatigue and brain fog issue is my hormones.

My question: what would SleepyHead tell me that the doctor's haven't?

Thanks,

Chris

RE: Numbers Good, Still Feeling Bad, What Would SleepyHead Tell Me? - chill - 09-03-2016

You will never know until you look. I am in a similar situation, and my sleep doctor is sending me for another sleep study. There are a few other possibilities besides just OSA (limb movements, events that cause a partial awakening but don't score on AHI). Or it could be medications, or hormones or... I imagine the list is rather long.

Those medications sound pretty nasty. I'd be pushing my doctor to do tests and get a proper diagnosis. If it is your hormones, then treat that. Those medications look like a dodge, not a diagnosis.

RE: Numbers Good, Still Feeling Bad, What Would SleepyHead Tell Me? - trish6hundred - 09-03-2016

Hi crezman,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I wish you good luck with your CPAp therapy.

RE: Numbers Good, Still Feeling Bad, What Would SleepyHead Tell Me? - eseedhouse - 09-03-2016

Get an overnight oxymetry study. I had great AHI numbers as soon as I started and fully compliant, but was feeling worse, not better. An overnight oxymetry study showed that even with the machine my oxygen levels were going way down so supplemental oxygen was added in and that turned things around.

RE: Numbers Good, Still Feeling Bad, What Would SleepyHead Tell Me? - zonk - 09-03-2016

(09-02-2016, 10:55 PM)crezman Wrote: My question: what would SleepyHead tell me that the doctor's haven't?

Thanks,

Chris

[should say "AutoSet, AutoSet for Her, Elite or CPAP"]
If does say "CPAP", if I'm not mistaken, SleepyHead is not going tell you anything
ResScan (windows only) will tell you some information but no detailed data graphs

As for pressure 10 and low AHI, in scheme of things, events like snoring and flow limitation do not form part of AHI but nevertheless, can be troublesome, affect our sleep quality and prevent us from getting into deeper restorative sleep
In my opinion ...
APAP, like AirSense 10 AutoSet with the right pressure range can deal with all apnea, snoring and flow limitation and achieve a better outcome

Welcome

RE: Numbers Good, Still Feeling Bad, What Would SleepyHead Tell Me? - Sleepster - 09-04-2016

(09-02-2016, 10:55 PM)crezman Wrote: My question: what would SleepyHead tell me that the doctor's haven't?

Doctors usually check only summaries. SleepyHead will give you the details used to prepare those summaries. For example, even though every statistic indicated my therapy was effective, and I had my data checked annually by a doctor who specializes in CPAP therapy, I could tell by looking at my leak graph that something was wrong. Eventually I hit upon a full face mask as the solution that finally got me sleeping much much better.

RE: Numbers Good, Still Feeling Bad, What Would SleepyHead Tell Me? - crezman - 09-04-2016

(09-03-2016, 08:42 PM)eseedhouse Wrote: Get an overnight oxymetry study.

Thanks, I think she did this because she knew my oxygen levels but I'll ask about the oxygen again.

RE: Numbers Good, Still Feeling Bad, What Would SleepyHead Tell Me? - cate1898 - 09-05-2016

Hi crezman and welcome to the forum!

Sounds like you are using a fixed pressure as opposed to auto mode. So have you looked at your machine as zonk suggested to see what kind it is? Sleepyhead shows a lot more details if you are using either the Elite, or one of the auto machines.