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Permalink Reply by wallace j smith jr on October 28, 2009 at 9:36am

jan it took me almost two years to be myself again, what you have to remember is it can take time ,due the time you "lost" before treatment. the sleep debt you have plays a very important part. you have to "erase" this first. and you may take some time to get used to the mask ans sleeping with it. DONT get discouraged and above all you have to be your own advocate for your treatment only you know how you feel..there's so many options and machines out there. there are alot of us sufferers out here and this forum is a great thing..wish it had been around when i was first diagnosed..you'll feel better by the day once you find the correct balance for you..compliance is a must on the the therapy...have a great day and great sleep!!!

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Sargent on November 8, 2009 at 8:21pm

I’ve been using a CPAP for 3 years mainly due to weight related issues (a large round gut). While using the CPAP and not controlling my diet I was still constantly tired and in a brain fog. The best I could be was minimally functional. The following is what I had to do:
1. Do not eat more than fist size portions for any meal.
2. Eat Meat with vegetables as a side not bread, potatoes or paste.
3. B vitamins help a lot with brain fog.
4. If the sleep apnea is from having a large round mid-section, like mine, and if the first three steps are under control then for me an antifungal diet (no bread) eliminated the brain fog and reduced my dependence on the CPAP machine (as long as I kept my head elevated while sleeping).
Hope this helps.

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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on November 8, 2009 at 9:55pm

Kevin are you saying that you do not wear your CPAP every night? Positional therapy is just a crutch. It may be working to help you sleep, but you are not eliminating your apnea.

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Permalink Reply by sleepycarol on November 8, 2009 at 10:21pm

Kevin

Have you had another sleep study done? Otherwise I sincerely doubt your assertions. It maybe that your therapy was ineffective for variety of reasons. Mouth leaks, inadequate pressure, etc.

I do agree that diet can play a part in fatigue especially if you have allergies, but it will not have any impact on OSA.

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Permalink Reply by susan mccord on November 8, 2009 at 11:21pm

Hi Dave--just wondering if your grandma had obstructive sleep apnea. If not, her bourbon recipe may have worked just fine for her. I suspect she may not have had apnea. My understanding of apnea is that either the tongue falls back into the throat and blocks air flow OR the muscles of the throat actually collapse/close and cut off air supply. Anything that sedates, taken close to bedtime, would only serve to relax those muscles even more, thereby making apnea even more dangerous.

You don't really believe your MD is being "melodramatic" re: the dangers of apnea, do you????? I've never heard you say ANYTHING like that on SG before. People die. It's a fact. For someone like me, with heart disease or any other serious condition, it's a double-jeopardy situation. Please reduce my anxiety level and tell me you know better than that!!!!! (after all, it IS all about me!!!).

I know you've been fairly active on this Forum before--I recall many a conversation with you! My concern is in trying to understand whether you're kidding about Grandma's recipe for sleep or if you're recommending it as an alternative, or an addition to CPAP treatment. (?) Regardless of the intent, it's somewhat unnerving to think that someone newly diagnosed or in early stages of CPAP therapy might read this particular post and think that's an okay thing to do.

I remember when I first found SleepGuide this summer. I was a wreck, from exhaustion and from having just been diagnosed with yet another life-threatening illness. (was diagnosed with coronary artery disease 10/05). I felt like I'd fallen into the safest place on earth after being on here for a day. I read and re-read every single thing I could find, and I took it all in as gospel 'cause I was desperately trying to understand and to do the "right" thing. If someone told me something on here, I took it to the bank. I doubt that I'm the only person who feels that way in the beginning.....

Speaking ONLY for myself now, I'm telling you that I would have read what you wrote and believed it would help. (Kinda scares me to realize (now) how totally vulnerable I was at that time, less than 4 months ago......)

We periodically kid around a lot on here--but I think, I HOPE, it's clear when we're all goofing around that that's what we're doing. I'd just hate to think we might inadvertently lead a newbie astray, in the middle of a serious conversation.

I'd appreciate hearing your further thoughts about this, Dave. I may sound over-protective--maybe I am--but I have some concerns. So feel free to say exactly what you think and feel about my comments!

You're a valuable contributor to this Forum, and you come to it with a completely unique perspective given your work situation and lack of opportunities for sleep anyway, separate from apnea. I'm glad to see you back on SG--haven't seen you here for awhile, it seems. (or maybe I was brain-fogged and missed you!!)

Don't be a stranger!! Looking forward to hearing back from you, or anyone else, about this topic.

Susan McCord :-)

dave foster said:

I'm relatively new, been on the CPAP for 3 1/2 months, and things do seem better than they were. I do feel better waking up, though I have my own issues to take care of - see 'Truckers Corner' - my doctor is so fond of pointing out, you could DIE from a heart attack or stroke if you don't use the CPAP and you stop breathing. This seems so melodramatic... I wonder if they just say this to get better compliance? On the plus side, after a while, and this 'while' seems to vary from person to person, you feel better. It took about a month for me. Reading these blogs makes my issues seem a lot less serious. And it's nice to know there are other folks in the same boat [and we are all snoring!!]. Good luck to you, and please don't give up! Things really do seem to get better. If not, try my grandmas RX : Juice from 1/2 lemon, teaspoon of honey, and a nice shot of bourbon, stir, sip, repeat as needed. She lived to be 89. Had lemons, honey and bourbon on hand at all times !

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Permalink Reply by Lucia Logue on June 30, 2010 at 11:09am

Cassie said:

I've used my CPAP for about 3.5 years. I think that maybe it's more of a gradual change because I don't ever remember waking up and saying, "Wow! I feel so much better!" On the other hand, if I can't use my machine for whatever reason (camping, power outage) I am miserable.

I use the Mirage nasal pillows and I love them. I use my machine when I'm in bed no matter what I'm doing-ok not for everything lol. But if I'm reading or watching tv I have the mask on. I think that's what helped me get used to it was by wearing it while I was awake.

I was pretty disappointed at the result because my doctor kind of set me up for disappointment. She told me I was going to feel amazing and I would lose weight without trying and have a ton of energy. It didn't work that way for me. Yes I'm better but it wasn't anything dramatic like that.

Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Lucia Logue on June 30, 2010 at 11:17am

I just got my CPA two weeks ago, and I was expecting to miraculously feel like a new person the next morning. I actually felt worse the first morning, with a worse headache upon waking than usual. Actually stayed home from work it was so bad. It has been two weeks, and I am discouraged because I dont feel better. I dont know if it is working , but I dont feel better. I have used it as prescribed, wearing it all night. How long does it take before you start to feel better? Have more energy? Wake up feeling refreshed, and without a headache? I have had the headache for 25 years straight, it never goes away, So , I was seriously hoping that this was the answer.
Lucia Logue said:

Cassie said:

I've used my CPAP for about 3.5 years. I think that maybe it's more of a gradual change because I don't ever remember waking up and saying, "Wow! I feel so much better!" On the other hand, if I can't use my machine for whatever reason (camping, power outage) I am miserable.

I use the Mirage nasal pillows and I love them. I use my machine when I'm in bed no matter what I'm doing-ok not for everything lol. But if I'm reading or watching tv I have the mask on. I think that's what helped me get used to it was by wearing it while I was awake.

I was pretty disappointed at the result because my doctor kind of set me up for disappointment. She told me I was going to feel amazing and I would lose weight without trying and have a ton of energy. It didn't work that way for me. Yes I'm better but it wasn't anything dramatic like that.

Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on June 30, 2010 at 11:46am

Lucia, your headache may be from a different cause, or maybe you need to adjust you humidification up or down. Did you ever know a cause for the headaches? It takes some of us longer than others to start feeling better. I would give my doc a call, maybe talk to his nurse if he's hard to get ahold of and tell him what you're telling us. Is your machine data capable, meaning are you able to access each morning the pressure, leaks, RR, number of AHIs and AIs. They should start to be on a downwrd trend AI and AHI). You didn't get that way in two weeks so it may well take longer to feel better. Just don't wait to long to seek professional help if it doesn't get better- something may need to be adjusted. You're doing real well, wearing it all night.
Good Luck, and keep us posted.
Mary Z.

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