Question:
Why am I taking my CPAP off?
I am 7 weeks post-op and have been using my CPAP since last August when I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I believe it is set on level 5. For several weeks now I will go to bed with it on but will wake up in the middle of the night and the mask will be off my face and machine will be off. I've cleaned it and changed the filter. I have no memory of taking it off my face during the night. What's going on? Sometimes I will wake up with a headache so I'd like to figure out why this is happening. — Sarahlicious (posted on May 26, 2003)
May 26, 2003
Hi, Sarah, I have had a CPAP for 10 years (mine is set at 14, if you can
believe it!)... my advice would be to ask your doctor ASAP about it, he/she
is the only one who can figure it out for sure... it could be your mask is
out of adjustment, or you could be taking it off unconsciously. If you
need it, and it is off, you probably aren't getting enough oxygen, that can
cause a headache or worse!
— Tim W.
May 26, 2003
If you are just beginning to take it off then maybe your weight loss has
caused it to need to be adjusted. Five is a low setting, but if you are
waking up with headaches then you might still need it as that could be
caused by low oxygen. You probably should go for another study and/or
titration.
— Lisa N M.
May 26, 2003
Sarah, My opinion is 180 degrees from the other posters. I believe your
body is telling you it's time to put the machine away. The pressures are
likely too high now and subconsciously you are removing it. As your weight
goes down it would be unusual to need to increase the pressures.
<p>I am one who is somewhat like you. I started on BiPAP at 22/18,
3-1/2 weeks before surgery. I likely had sleep apnea for about 2 years
before it was diagnosed but because of a daytime sleep disorder I wrote off
the symptoms to not being totally compliant with my meds. About 10 days
before surgery my sleep doctor reduced the pressures to 17/14 because the
details of the study showed that at that setting the majority of my apneas
were gone and were within a normal range. I was complaining that I was
having so much pressure on my front teeth from my bottom teeth. It was
because of the severity of the pressures. I stayed on that setting till
surgery. I never had any problems adjusting to the machine and mask and
from day one slept great with it. That was until after surgery!
<p>After surgery my surgeon asked that I stay off the machine for 1
month. In the hospital the only problem I had is that my oxygen level
would drop below 90, so I would have a low degree of oxygen when sleeping.
I found that I slept fine that first month without the machine until about
3 days before the 5th week. All of the sudden my Fibromyalgia flared up
and I thought maybe it was due to not sleeping as well, so I went back to
using my machine. I woke up the next morning with very sore ribs and
muscles. I did not put it together. It took me till after 3 nights of
sleeping with the machine and waking up and barely able to move from the
pain to realize it was from the machine. It felt like I was about 4 days
out of surgery. I stopped using the machine and it took 10 days for the
pain to subside. I waited about another week and tried it again. In the
meantime my doctor had the machine lowered to 14/11. I tried it again and
the same thing started to happen. I only used it one night for about 5
hours and I was already feeling the pain. It was then lowered to 12/9.
The same result happened. Finally it was lowered to 10/7. I was now about
10 weeks out and still trying to find something I could tolerate. I tried
this setting for about 3-4 days and found I slept worse on this setting
than I did with nothing. I could tolerate the setting. The only problem I
was having without using the machine is I was waking up with my teeth
hurting horrendously! The machine greatly reduced the teeth pain, but I
was not refreshed in the am and was dragging butt all day. My sleep doctor
had me quit the machine as he decided things must have changed enough that
it wasn't worth messing with anymore. He plans to retest me in June or
July to be sure things are gone before he officially calls me cured. I am
16 weeks out and have used my BiPAP a total of 5 or 6 days since surgery
and am doing fine. So it is not impossible that you no longer need it.
Many people are off their machines in 6 months, so maybe in your case it's
just sooner.
<p>Fortunately they were still renting my machine as it was a very
expensive one ($3500) because I needed BiPAP and also a machine that would
go over 20. There are only 3 machines made that can do it. We only paid
for 3 months of rent. I'm glad I won't end up with an expensive machine
machine and nothing to do with it, as it is illegal to sell it.
<p>You definitely should not just quit but get in contact with your
prescribing doctor and see what he or she wants to do. If you are sleeping
okay and feeling refreshed they may opt to just have you quit it and wait a
few months till you have more weight off. As far as the headaches that
could be from allergy related things since it is that time of year. Call
the doctor and let them advise you!
— zoedogcbr
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