Question:
Has anyone NOT been helped by c-pap within 2 weeks of using it

I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea last month, and have been using my c-pap for 2 weeks on a setting of 8. I was told it would take about 2 weeks and I would feel such a difference, but I still don't. I'm still sleepy all day, and take one or two naps on weekends (2 today). It's been three months since my last blood tests, so I don't think anything else (thyroid, etc.) is out of whack. Everything I have read in the library talks about how everyone could see such an improvement in their energy levels after just a night or two. Anyone else NOT see a quick improvement? I go back to my sleep doc on 8/5. Thanks for any suggestions. Ginger    — Ginger N. (posted on July 28, 2002)

July 28, 2002
Ginger I swear I have been on this cpap now for about 2 months and I still don't see that much of a difference. My Dr. said that it would change my life and the only way I see that it has is it has increased my disappointment. Good luck to you!!!!!
   — Peggy A.

July 28, 2002
If you have not already had a full sleep study, it could be very important. Instead of guesstimating the appropriate settings, the doctor could well find that you need a more appropriate pressure level which can be better determined during a full sleep study. I was diagnosed with the sleep apnea following spinal fusion surgery and they gave me a CPAP machine to use in the hospital at a setting of 8. When I had a full sleep study a month later, it was determined that the appropriate level needed to be much higher. It is also important that your mask was properly fitted so that there are no air leaks interfering with the proper air flow for you. Your machine supplier can check the fit of your mask, but your pulmonologist should order a full sleep study.
   — Roslyn B.

July 28, 2002
My apnea was pretty bad, 125 "events" per hour. My CPAP was at 15, and I woulda had to hurt anyone who touched that machine after the first 4 hours I used it. HUGE diff. My husband was not as serious, being only 25 per hour. His CPAP was at 10, but it took him forever to get settled. He tried 3-4 different masks before settling on one (the "bubble" seems to work best with men with moustaches), and then he didn't notice a SUDDEN change, like I did. After a few weeks, he was no longer falling asleep, but it was not day & night like mine. We both had the full sleep clinic going-over, but some are not helped as drastically or as fast. But he WAS helped. He'd had 2 minor car accidents from falling asleep. And he stopped falling asleep.
   — vitalady

July 28, 2002
I've had my C-pap almost 3 months now, setting of 16, average of 30 episodes p/hour. I have good and bad nights, but the good ones are coming more often. It takes time to get used to it. I'm a insomniac also. It's 3am EST. If I would get myself to bed at a more reasonable hour I think I would do better also. <p> When I do sleep 5-6 uninterrupted hours now, Yeah I have more energy. Now if my dang back and legs wouldn't fail me. Hang in there, maybe the mask isn't fitting well. I find myself wondering what I'd do without my C-pap. It scared the hell out of me when my Pulminologist read my sleep study to me. I'll stick with the machine.
   — Moma V.

July 28, 2002
It took me a long time to tell any difference at all using my C-pap (set on 5), and then the only difference was that when I woke in the AM, I would come awake quicker and be completely alert faster. I have never had a problem sleeping, but I still like to take naps. So do some skinny people I know. It made such a little difference for me that after surgery I never used it again. Good luck! I would certainly discuss this with my sleep guy.
   — Loretta E.

July 29, 2002
I disagree that you should have to wait 2 weeks for relief. I noticed an immediate benefit to the CPAP the first night I used it. The first morning that I woke up with it I couldn't believe that I had made it through the night without waking up. Barring any problems with the machine, such as air leaks between the mask and your face or wearing it too loosely, you should be getting a restful sleep. My sleep study noted that I didn't get relief until the machine was ramped up to a setting of 12. I would bet that you are not at a high enough setting. The troubling thing about that is that this is a basic piece of information that should have been settled on during the study. They should have made specific recommendations as to what the proper setting should be. Good luck - when they get this right for you, you won't believe how good you'll feel in the morning.
   — Michael N.

July 29, 2002
I have been using a c-pap since February. At first, I did notice an improvement, but that only lasted for a few days. I was quickly back to being sleeping during the day. Now, I severely struggle, more than before, to stay awake at work. I still take two caffeine pills and drink three or four caffeinated pops a day trying to stay awake. Sometimes it doesn't help at all. I've asked my doc to have my machine set higher, it's on 6 now; he's never responded to my request to have it set higher. Sometimes when I put the mask on, I feel like I'm suffocating. If this happens to you, I suggest sitting on the side of the bed with the mask on and focusing on breathing deeply a few moments prior to laying down. This helps me to get through it. I don't know though; I feel more exhausted than before I got the machine.
   — Jean T.

July 29, 2002
Ginger - I work at a DME provider - we rent and sell CPAP machines. The other posters are right to tell you to have the pressure setting checked out - but there are some things that you can troubleshoot first. Are you wearing your mask throughout the night? Many first time users have trouble with inadvertant mask removal - this is when you wake up and realize you had taken your mask off at some point. Assuming you ARE able to tolerate the mask all night you need to make sure the mask is fitting properly. The clinician who fit your mask for you is the first one to call. If the mask fits OK then call your doctor again - the fact that he hasn't responded does not mean he has refused your request - the sleep Dr's and pulmonologists we work with are VERY busy and we have to bug the crap out of them to get a pressure setting change for some of our patients. Another alternative is to see if you can get an "auto-titration study" done - Our company provides them free of charge to any patient who gets their machine from us. An "auto-adjust or auto-titration" CPAP machine has a sensor in it and adjusts the pressure of the CPAP according to your breathing. You use the machine for 5-7 nights and it records the different pressure settings that you needed for your breathing patterns. After reading the results, your physician or the provider can determine the proper pressure setting for your CPAP machine. This way you don't have to go to the sleep lab again - you can do it at home!
   — Kim A.