British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association

Last night I had a really bad night and I've no idea if it was CPAP related or not.

I think i was suffocating and I really do not think it was a dream.

I felt myself either holding my breath or or just not being able to breath.

My chest/lungs are hurting me today and I am completely struggling to get a full breath.

I know I did this more than once last night... Yesterday I was watching the news and they reported a plain in had suddenly dropped in altitude so guess what? Last nights dream was me in a plane where the plain just starts massively dropping in altitude and a bit like a fairground ride I cant breath, I think this went on for longer than usual and felt myself shaking my head left and right kinda like I was trying to wake myself up to breath.. I'm thinking if the CPAP was blowing harder I probably would have struggled more to breath and had to fight for air.

I sent the hopsital an email last month on another issue as they said they replied quicker to emails and got an auto reply stating a 21 day response, tried to call them today and the usual I get through to the answer machine. Usually takes a few days for a reply which is why I am aksing here.

Should I stay off the CPAP tonight?

View -

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2113

You are sensing hypopnea (shallow breathing) and apnoea my friend .

Stay off cpap tonight - NO !!!!!

Take care,

cheers,

I've had a read but what does it mean? Is this a good or bad sign? Seeing as the machine only captures compliance i have very little in terms of evidence to convince me its working

Would'nt say its a good thing just that you are now aware of what's happening to you when you sleep .

Hows your daytime sleepyness is it any better using cpap ???? don't worry about figures on the machine they mean nothing to a normal person estimate cpap working by not feeling tired in the daytime .

Take Care mate ,

Afraid not my friend, I still feel the same.

Sometimes I feel like I dream more but not all the time.

Is it helping me? I honestly do not know:(

Some people feel the benefit's of cpap therapy the first night they use it ,for others it could take a few months to start to feel the benefits .

Hopefully it will come for you -stick with it my friend .

Regards,

Just to say that on the nights I get the most vivid dreams and often wake up in a bit of a worried state because of them .... are the nights with my best AHI scores!!

Be careful what you wish for ... for me I prefer slightly more generous AHI scores and a peaceful night with very few memorable dreams!

Seriously Chattabob it can take time for the effects of CPAP to show up in your wakefulness. Glad you are persevering ... please don't stop using the machine ... and why not give your sleep doc/nurse/clinic a call for peace of mind. An appointment to check your data/needs might take the problem away. All the best.

Chattabob

You need to keep using the cpap the long term effects will be worth it. When I first started off with CPAP I was having all sorts of problems.

I have not seen my GP Now for about 6 months or longer. It was two or three times a week.

I still see the nurse for INR tests for the warfarin I take.

My lungs have improved and am no longer labelled as having COPD. The angina attacks are gone and I have lost about 3 stone + in weight.



Mac

Thanks all,

I do always use my machine... having said that last night I couldnt feel the mask on my face so I woke up to put it on and it was in the middle of my bedroom and switched off(Wow) The machine was switched off so I inspected the mask and it was untouched and all still clipped together so I ave no idea how i managed that. I tried putting it back on without unclipping it and couldnt so I really must have forced it off.

I'll try again tomorrow again with getting through to the hospital as I now need to find out why they have cancelled my upcomming hospital appointment with no alternative date offered.

The reason I am getting a little anxious about my AHI numbers is when I took my trial CPAP back I was told my AHI did not change for the week I had it

About a month into cpap i started taking the mask off in my sleep and waking up in the morning feeling slightly puzzled on how it had happened .This is just a phase you go through when you start off on therapy it will go .

What was the ahi on the trial machine when you took it back ???

Regards,

My AHI was 11 when I took it back in, she said my AHI had not changed and said my apnoea was neurological

I was booked in for the 15th February for my compliance check and then downstairs to see the consultant and surprise surprise my appointment to see the consultant has been cancelled with "no possible future apppointment being offered or available" lol

Ooooh as Im typing the woman in the call centre I rang who was going to send me an appointment in the post for a later date (But could not tell me when) Has called me back 3 times in 5 minutes since phoning her and has now offered me an appointment for Tuesday

What can I say they must put notes on there system beccause yet again I get a completely happier person dealing with me. I can only assume they've seen my complaint.

Ooooh no! Yet another call... Tuesday is not available so its going to be Wednesday now.

Chattabob, thank you for posting. I can sense your frustration!

An AHI of 11 when under CPAP treatment is NOT GOOD. It means that you are still having more apnoeas than you should despite being treated.

Correct treatment of OSA by xPAP should be showing less than 5 AHIs per hour (and over a full night, that's still not as much good sleep as you should be getting!).

Something doesn't sound right - perhaps I'm out of the loop by not living in the UK - but why are you having appointments allocated by a call centre rather than a hospital department directly. With an AHI of 11 you should now be making a loud noise, or perhaps even raising Cain. You definitely need to have your machine titrated to your needs and/or your mask fit being checked because your treatment is not meeting its objectives.

I hope you get your appointment very soon ... it should count as urgent. Is this NHS or private healthcare?

You know what i was thinking about your posts the other night and you have just posted the missing piece of the jigsaw .

You need to look into - Central Sleep Apnoea .

There's two members on the site who have had near enough the same problems as you perhaps pm them they can advise you better ,

Sleeplessinsalop

Hounddog

Both great chaps im sure they will be happy to help ,

Regards,

I'm not sure to be honest why we are using a call centre.. probably some effiiceny measure to make things better. My last appointment was booked at the hospital itself when I went in but when I phoned up yesterday I was told the call centre cancelled the appointment... The call centre told me the consultant notified them he had cancelled all appointments that day then its down to the call centre to reshedule his diary.

I would love my AHI to be under five but I dont think it is and have no way of knowing either.

The reason I dont make a loud noise is I fear that it may never work and I may never feel better.

My appointment is on the NHS as I cant afford to go private anymore lol

Great! I wish my consultant was as keen as you are

Ermmm from memory I think my results stated only one central apnoea but I would have to dig out my results to double check