COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
doc put me on 2 liters of oxy at nite,gives me a headache in the middle of the nit or in the morning,also implugged up for a while in the morning,doc,s nurse said she never heard of this happening,has anyone else had an issue with nitetime oxy?thahnks
http://www.dailystrength.org/c/COPD_Emphysema/forum/20083357-night-time-oxy/lastpage
If you do discover the cause, please report back and let us know, so as to better help the next poster.
#1, if you are asking if the nurse is crazy the answer is YES! A consistent headache in the middle of the night and/or morning for someone on oxygen therapy is a common indicator of a possible problem with the therapy. I would have thought that was well-known. She likely slept through that class that day. An occasional headache is rarely a problem, but a consistent, severe and periodic one needs closer attention.
#2, Yes, Ive had that problem before. A few times when I accidently left my concentrator at a high-level, but most often because of some change in medication (dosage change, withdraw, something new, etc.).
I get occasional mild headaches. I don't think they consider 2LPM a very high dose. I wouldn't change it until you talk to your Dr.
I really don't understand why they don't do more overnight testing while we are on O2. To double check it.
I don't know where some of these people come from! Another reason I hate going to the Dr!
the most common headache i get is "sinus" type because everything seems to "pack up" at night.
i've pretty much eliminated that by;
1 running a humidifier
2 those nose strip tapes (those work great for keeping my sinus' open at night ---i can't sleep without them now.
3. lubricating lotion to keep my nostrils from drying out.
4. i run as short of line as possible from concentrator to my bed in the winter, so the air is warmer & i don't get "brain freeze" from icy cold air coming thru my cannula
what kind of headache do you wake up with? (differen't areas of the head are different reasons for headache)
also since starting the night time 02 have you had a sleep test to make sure you are getting enough at night?
---my 02 supplier offers free 02 night monitor tests any time i want one.
it isn;t "the big" sleep study; they just bring out a box/monitor that has a oxomiter on it that you wear at night & then they send your results in about a week.
last year i was waking up with headaches & also with racing pulse (135+) that would make me lethargic all day---i did that simple sleep study & it showed that my 02 was dropping at 2LPM so now i have to wear 3LPM at night....since going up i haven't woken with headache or racing pulse.
besides sinus problems from the 02---do you take any medication at night that might be causing the headaches?
also, if you snore or sleep with your mouth wide open (i'm a mouth breather) you may not be getting the 02 ---another reason to have a sleep test done. it seems like they would check before & after 02 at night---they check us without & with 02 for daytime.
good luck! (as for the nurse, has she never heard of people getting headaches at night or stuffed up noses? (DUH))
BJ