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+--- Thread: Back pain meds spiked my AHI (/Thread-Back-pain-meds-spiked-my-AHI)
Back pain meds spiked my AHI - what - 06-20-2015
I've been using my cpap for 3 weeks now and my AHI has been pretty good - 3-4 most nights. I had a flareup of back pain and took tizanidine, a muscle relaxant. My AHI went up to 9. I tried again a few nights later and got an AHI of 8. I felt crummy the next morning both those nights like I didn't sleep well. I tried Percocet last night and my AHI was 7. I feel ok today so I think this med will work ok for me but I'd prefer to use the muscle relaxant not the opiate.
My question is whether there is a way to adjust the settings on my cpap to compensate for taking these meds? I'm not fixated on the numbers, just trying to get a good night's sleep and feel ok the next day - has anyone dealt with this?
RE: Back pain meds spiked my AHI - zonk - 06-20-2015
Opiate medication known to cause central apnea
Whats the composition of AHI?
RE: Back pain meds spiked my AHI - Mosquitobait - 06-20-2015
Does your Sleep chart indicate you are hitting the top of your pressure range? If so, I would raise your pressure range up to 20 and let the machine work for you. If not, you could be having low oxygen values that the machine can't correct for. For instance, your heart is a muscle and the drug could be slowing your heart rate resulting in lower oxygen which makes you feel crappy. In this case, try to raise your chest on up. I found a couch cushion worked for a couple of nights, using a folded blanket to ease the transition. I had to sleep on my back to do this, but found another folded blanket to raise my legs helped. You might consider sleeping in a recliner, if you have one.
I am a newbie to cpapping, but no stranger to breathing with back pain. Due to disk deterioration, I'm suppose to transition out of side sleeping because it aggravates it. I miss my waterbed. Sniff.
RE: Back pain meds spiked my AHI - what - 06-20-2015
No or very rare CA and none at all on the night I took the opiate.
I've tried all kinds of positions and pillows and raising my head and I can't get comfortable. Also can't sleep in my recliner. I was hoping getting a cpap would help me sleep better and be better rested so my neck and back pain subsided. I think it's too early to tell about that.
I'll try increasing my max pressure tonight and see how I do. Thanks for the suggestion.
RE: Back pain meds spiked my AHI - Adoniscmj - 06-20-2015
As with most pain meds they can increase your AHI, however if you take them on a regular basis your body will compensate for the sedating effects and the AHI should return to normal. I am on pain management and it doesn't change my AHI unless I had a dosage increase.
RE: Back pain meds spiked my AHI - zonk - 06-20-2015
(06-20-2015, 08:56 PM)what Wrote: I'll try increasing my max pressure tonight and see how I do. Thanks for the suggestion.Profile indicate ... CPAP Pressure: 4-15
I would rather increasing the minimum pressure and see what pan out
If you're using EPR, turn down or off, if you can do without
For some, can increase AHI but for others have no such effects and find easier breathing out at lower pressure
RE: Back pain meds spiked my AHI - PaulaO2 - 06-20-2015
Take a look at your data. If your median is way above 4, raise that lower number. What this will do is narrow that gap and allow the machine to respond better.
Then look at the data for the nights you took the med. If you were maxing out the pressure a lot and/or if the 95% was higher than usual, raise the maximum pressure by a point or two. So say to 16 or 17.
RE: Back pain meds spiked my AHI - me50 - 06-21-2015
can you take half of the muscle relaxant to see if that helps and keeps you as pain free as you can be?
RE: Back pain meds spiked my AHI - OpalRose - 06-21-2015
(06-20-2015, 08:56 PM)what Wrote: No or very rare CA and none at all on the night I took the opiate.
I've tried all kinds of positions and pillows and raising my head and I can't get comfortable. Also can't sleep in my recliner. I was hoping getting a cpap would help me sleep better and be better rested so my neck and back pain subsided. I think it's too early to tell about that.
I'll try increasing my max pressure tonight and see how I do. Thanks for the suggestion.
what,
I wouldn't increase max pressure unless you are topping off at that pressure a lot.
Check your sleepyhead chart before changing it, then only up it one number maby to 16, and watch it for a week or so.
I feel you can get better results if you raise the bottom number a bit, as previous posts have said. But again, check Sleepyhead to see where you median and 95% numbers are. Then set it below that.
I wish I could give you advice with sleeping and pain Meds. That's a tough one. I know when I have to take pain meds, my AHI goes up.
Good luck.