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Headache and Increased BP on CPAP
I started on CPAP 5 days ago for severe sleep apnea and am noting I am waking up with a headache and increased blood pressure which was 148/93 this morning. The actual machine I am tolerating all night. It is set at a pressure of 9 with a flex of 2. I am using a nasal cushion, heated water, and note no problems with my sinuses. Checking the machine's information section it shows Apnea/hypopnic events at 8.6/hour which is a huge reduction. What could be causing the headache and raised BP? Marie
Best Answer
8.6 may be a reduction but is not an acceptable goal. If you slept 8 hours that's 68 over the course of a night. Also, the screen on the machine does not tell the duration of those events nor if you had really low desats. Make sure your leak rate is ok and that you are not losing your treatment air out of your mouth. If you are not leaking or mouth breathing, you may need your pressure increased a bit. Your provider should have the software to get more details about what's going on in your data. Ask them to get a detailed report and print you a copy and review it with you. With headaches and increased BP, I would be the squeaky wheel. No reason to delay.
Thanks for your reply. I will be having a follow up appt. tomorrow and will have the print out done and with me for that. This is day 14 of CPAP. I am able to wear the nasal cushions, once I figured out the correct size, easily and turning up the humidity to 4 has made the air comfortable. I actually find the CPAP itself comfortable. It is just that the entire time I have had it on I have awaken with headaches which were not there before and my morning BP is higher then it was. Obviously something needs tweaking. I also find myself searching for the right words...often taking an embarrassing amt. of time to find them...more frequently. That seems the opposite of what is supposed to happen. On the positive side, I sleep longer and more comfortably. I get up only once at the most to urinate. I am having a few dreams again. My HR which had become unresponsive to changes in BP is showing a wider range of response.
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