More tired after using CPAP

I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea (10 AHI). I was given the option of either trying stomach sleeping or buying a CPAP. Since I'm getting weight loss surgery, CPAP compliance is a requirement, so I have no choice but to use the CPAP.

Here's the issue. The ONLY reason I got tested for apnea is due to the surgery. I was not having any symptoms before. I was having a moderate amount of daytime tiredness, but it was manageable. I don't snore, and I don't get up during the night. I considered myself a champion sleeper - I slept dreamlessly and soundly, and never tossed or turned during the night. I was shocked to hear that I have sleep apnea.

Now that I'm using the CPAP machine, I'm absolutely exhausted. I have to take a nap during the day just to be able to function. I keep waking up late for work. I am so tired that I can barely function. If my tiredness was a 4/10 before, now it's a 10/10. I feel that I can no longer drive because I am terrified of falling asleep at the wheel. I'm absolutely miserable. And I already checked everything with the machine. The app for the machine that I'm using (resmed autosense 10 for her with autoramp) says that I am now experiencing between .5 and 1 apnea per hour, and that the mask is sealed properly.

I'm half convinced that the at home sleep test malfunctioned and didn't provide an accurate reading. It shocked me, hard, while I was using it, waking me up from my sleep and making my heart race. I couldn't get my heart to calm down for over an hour.

Has anyone else's CPAP caused extreme exhaustion? What should I do? Is it possible that the machine would cause extreme exhaustion if I was misdiagnosed?

I would start by posting nightly OSCAR or SleepyHead charts. There is much that could be happening that isn't related to AHI that could be the problem, Flow Limitations, RERAs, UARS for example. The charts are a great way of eliminating some of these.

Your experience is a lot like mine (click on my name to see my posts on the topic), except I had to do it for work-related reasons. What I can say is after about 3-4 weeks, the daytime drowsiness went away. I think the quality of sleep is worse than it was before the CPAP, as you get acclimated to the mask and machine, and then once you do, your sleep patterns return to normal. Taking a long nap each day helped me to get over the hump, although I don't know if that's doable for you.

Hope things work out.