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Sleep Apnea (1 Viewer)

ragincajun

ragincajun

Footballguy
I am pretty sure I do. I can sleep 12 hours staright through and still be tired. Advice? Heavy drinking?

 
ragincajun said:
I am pretty sure I do. I can sleep 12 hours staright through and still be tired. Advice? Heavy drinking?
Click to expand...
Your doctor will tell you to get a sleep test and you'll probably be prescribed a CPAP. It hasn't helped me yet, because it's so dang uncomfortable to wear.
 
I am supposed to schedule a sleep test. Dr. says all my symptoms point to it, but that I am not a candidate for it given weight, health etc. He gave me a prescription steroid nasal spray and suggest breathe-rite strips when sleeping. My GF says they have helped with snoring. I have used a humidifier at times as well. We'll see what the sleep study says and then what possibly an ENT Dr. says next.

What is a sleep study like anyway?

 
Leeroy Jenkins said:
I am supposed to schedule a sleep test. Dr. says all my symptoms point to it, but that I am not a candidate for it given weight, health etc. He gave me a prescription steroid nasal spray and suggest breathe-rite strips when sleeping. My GF says they have helped with snoring. I have used a humidifier at times as well. We'll see what the sleep study says and then what possibly an ENT Dr. says next.What is a sleep study like anyway?
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You sleep under observation: they measure your breathing, oxygen levels, etc. They also will usually go ahead and put a cpap on you and see if that helps. THen they file the report to your doc and he will prescribe a machine if indicated.If you have to pay out of pocket, the study is thousands of dollars. If you have insurance, I think they pay a much lower rate of about $300.
 
cosjobs said:
Leeroy Jenkins said:
I am supposed to schedule a sleep test. Dr. says all my symptoms point to it, but that I am not a candidate for it given weight, health etc. He gave me a prescription steroid nasal spray and suggest breathe-rite strips when sleeping. My GF says they have helped with snoring. I have used a humidifier at times as well. We'll see what the sleep study says and then what possibly an ENT Dr. says next.What is a sleep study like anyway?
Click to expand...
You sleep under observation: they measure your breathing, oxygen levels, etc. They also will usually go ahead and put a cpap on you and see if that helps. THen they file the report to your doc and he will prescribe a machine if indicated.If you have to pay out of pocket, the study is thousands of dollars. If you have insurance, I think they pay a much lower rate of about $300.
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I hope they have a TV.
 
Leeroy Jenkins said:
I am supposed to schedule a sleep test. Dr. says all my symptoms point to it, but that I am not a candidate for it given weight, health etc.
Click to expand...
I'm the same way, but a lot of it has to do with your nasal/throat anatomy. The sleep study will determine if this is the case, and the appropriate CPAP prescription will be written for you if necessary.
 
Wow. I was going to post yesterday to see what other FBG's are experiencing this.

I am a terrible snorer. To the point that my wife has a fan in our room on high to mask the noise. I am 5'10" 210lbs. I add this because the quickest way to reduce apnia issues is weight loss. Ok back to my experience.

In October, I am siting down for dinner when my heart rate goes into a rapid rythym. Not a murmur but full on 200 beats a minute. I mention this to the wife and we drive to the hospital. They admit me ASAP, throw me in CCU and send a series of doctors in to see why this happened. At this point, I am into several hours of this very rapid heartbeat. By the morning, they administer a combination of drugs to regulate the heart, a drug to stop the heart quickly followed by another to start the heart. I felt my heart drop into a normal sinus rythym. 24 hours of observation and the cardiologist suggests a sleep study. He mentions that thyroid and other tests have come back negative so this is a last resort or start a fresh battery of tets to find a cause.

So I enter two sleep studies. They will put you in a private room, attache several nodes around the body to record blood and oxygen flow as well as videotape you while you sleep. Lights out at 11 pm. They will wake you up no later than 7 am. I was up at 5 to go back to work.

The second study was to see how my body responds to a CPAP machine.

So I am a slight Apnea candidate but my breathing and oxygen levels drop WAY down while sleeping. However I do not stop breathing. My oxygen levels were around 80% at times during the night and according to the doctors much to low. In order to compensate, the heart rate increases to increase blood and oxygen flow. My heart got "stuck" at this elevated rate at dinner. They are not sure why it happened at dinner and not during sleep.

The risks from this is the heart pumps too fast, not effectively circulating blood through the body. At times blood will collect in the chambers of the heart. As blood stays stagnant it can clot leading to heart attack or stroke. So what are the remedies....

weight loss is the best way. I found that I was tired in the mornings so I would resort to working out at night. This would leave me up all night leaving me more tired in the morning. A vicious cycle developed and I stopped working out or too infrequently.

Next they fit me for a CPAP machine. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure - it's a mask that fits over your nose and it's connected to a pump that forces warm air into your nasal passage and keeps airflow going. If you stop breathing, there is still airflow to the lungs taking the effort off the heart to compensate.

It's been ten days with the CPAP. I am up to 6 hours straight with it on. It is strange and takes a lot to get used too. It runs very quiet and I do find I am getting better nights sleep. My plan is getting more rest will give me more energy to begin working out again in the mornings.

Now this may give you the impression I am overweight but I played 27 years of soccer at all levels ( local, HS, College, Semi-pro) and played my college ball at 195. so I am not too far from the mark but like a lot of people I can stand to lose 20+ pounds.

My biggest problem is I have a narrow airway about 15% smaller than average. That's a lot and is adding to my breathing problems. I have never noticed this before and feel fine when running etc. But the doctors feel that when I lay down, the body relaxes and allows the airway to constrict even more, leading to my breathing problems.

SO that's where I am at with my Apnea issues, I hope you can learn from it and give you some answers on what you may experience.

Good Luck and feel better.

 
My CPAP is not that uncomfortable at all. The nose mask is very light and flexible; fairly easy to get used to. My only problem with mine is that I get hay fever at times and my nose gets clogged from that making breathing through the mask difficult. They also have full nose/mouth masks you may want to consider if you have similar problems.

My sleep study was just one night and about 2-3 hours into the study the technician came in and fitted me with the CPAP. It took me about 40 minutes to fall back to sleep but once I did I had no more apnea episodes the rest of the night.

One thing I read (in the FFA, I think) is that life insurance rates for folks with CPAPs are very high. Don't know if that's true but it might make sense to sign up for life insurance if you don't have it before you get your CPAP just in case.

Good luck.

 
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hmmm.... I am a single dude 30 years old. I want to live and all, but what hapens when I bring home a hottie fromthe bar and I say "excuse my while I put on my CPAP)?

 
ragincajun said:
hmmm.... I am a single dude 30 years old. I want to live and all, but what hapens when I bring home a hottie fromthe bar and I say "excuse my while I put on my CPAP)?
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My technician told me that she was so happy to see folks in their 20's and 30's coming in to get CPAPs "before the damage was done." Imagine your heart and system getting jolted awake dozens, hundreds, etc. times a night. Not conducive to a long and healthy life. Of course, I was in my 40's when I got mine so that was nice of the beyotch to say to me.Dude, you can take care of business with your hottie and then put on the CPAP. Have a set of jokes ready for the occasion. She'll thank you for not waking her up all night with your snoring.

 
ragincajun said:
hmmm.... I am a single dude 30 years old. I want to live and all, but what hapens when I bring home a hottie fromthe bar and I say "excuse my while I put on my CPAP)?
Click to expand...
If she starts reeling and heading for the door, swing your CPAP tubing at her feet, trip her, grab her and then tie her to the bed with your tubing. Put your CPAP mask on and do the Jacque Cousteau/Mermaid role play with her.
 
I could honestly go home to sleep right now and wake up exhausted at 6 tommorow morning. All of the coffee in the world will not help. P.S. Sleep Apnea mixed with late night red bull binges are not a good thing.

 
dickey moe said:
ragincajun said:
I am pretty sure I do. I can sleep 12 hours staright through and still be tired. Advice? Heavy drinking?
Click to expand...
Your doctor will tell you to get a sleep test and you'll probably be prescribed a CPAP. It hasn't helped me yet, because it's so dang uncomfortable to wear.
Click to expand...
That's my story exactly. How long have you had your CPAP? I got my machine and mask on Dec. 31; it's the kind that just covers the nose. I haven't been able to sleep more than a couple of hours with it because of the discomfort. I imagine my nose is itching, or I need to blow my nose, or whatever. The forehead pad keeps coming apart, too. :excited: I'm not giving up, because I know how much I need it, but the whole thing is exasperating.
 
Surgery is an option. I had it. It's risky as hell w/ regards to success rate, but it worked for me and now I don't suffer anymore. :coffee:

 
I had:

Septoplasty - partially successful, still can't breathe for #### through my nose... only get one nostril or the other at any given time

Tonsillectomy

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) - this is the risky surgery, but it worked very well in my case

 
ragincajun said:
hmmm.... I am a single dude 30 years old. I want to live and all, but what hapens when I bring home a hottie fromthe bar and I say "excuse my while I put on my CPAP)?
Click to expand...
I was 23 when I said the exact same thing. I opted to go under the knife. Darth Vader breathing at night doesn't catch chicks.
 
An ex girlfriend of mine had this and slept for 18+ hours in her sleep study.

Unfortunately they just told her to set like 1,000 alarms and not oversleep. :yawn:

 
Leeroy Jenkins said:
I am supposed to schedule a sleep test. Dr. says all my symptoms point to it, but that I am not a candidate for it given weight, health etc. He gave me a prescription steroid nasal spray and suggest breathe-rite strips when sleeping. My GF says they have helped with snoring. I have used a humidifier at times as well. We'll see what the sleep study says and then what possibly an ENT Dr. says next.What is a sleep study like anyway?
Click to expand...
Weight is irrelevant. The old thinking was that sleep apnea only happens in overweight people. But there are plenty of average and skinny people that have been diagnosed with sleep apnea now. It just takes longer for find a doctor to take us seriously.
 
Leeroy Jenkins said:
Had my sleep study last night. I MAYBE slept 45min.
Click to expand...
The first one I took was horrible -- I didn't sleep the entire night even though they claimed to have generated "sleep data." -- they sent me home at 3 in the morning. I protested and they had me take it again. I think with my first study it was just nerves -- the second study I slept most the night and I had more confidence in the results.
 
ragincajun said:
hmmm.... I am a single dude 30 years old. I want to live and all, but what hapens when I bring home a hottie fromthe bar and I say "excuse my while I put on my CPAP)?
Click to expand...
One night with the hottie - skip the CPAP for one nightYou have been untreated until now. How often do you take a hottie home from a bar? Once, twice a week? Well, 5 nights of CPAP > 0 nights of CPAP.
 
If you have sleep apnea, getting a CPAP will make HUGE differences in your life. The mask takes a little while to get used to but now I can't lay down and feel natural without it.

 
dickey moe said:
Leeroy Jenkins said:
Had my sleep study last night. I MAYBE slept 45min.
Click to expand...
The first one I took was horrible -- I didn't sleep the entire night even though they claimed to have generated "sleep data." -- they sent me home at 3 in the morning. I protested and they had me take it again. I think with my first study it was just nerves -- the second study I slept most the night and I had more confidence in the results.
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They said I did fall asleep, but not for long and never got into REM. I slept sometime between 330 and 430. Almost fell back to sleep after that, but was awoken at 530am saying it was over. They got some data, but who know. I am supposed to go back next week and sleep with the mask on I guess. If the wires and nerves had me up all night, how are the wires, nerves, and mask going to impact my no sleep?
 
Marvelous said:
Leeroy Jenkins said:
I am supposed to schedule a sleep test. Dr. says all my symptoms point to it, but that I am not a candidate for it given weight, health etc. He gave me a prescription steroid nasal spray and suggest breathe-rite strips when sleeping. My GF says they have helped with snoring. I have used a humidifier at times as well. We'll see what the sleep study says and then what possibly an ENT Dr. says next.What is a sleep study like anyway?
Click to expand...
Weight is irrelevant. The old thinking was that sleep apnea only happens in overweight people. But there are plenty of average and skinny people that have been diagnosed with sleep apnea now. It just takes longer for find a doctor to take us seriously.
Click to expand...
I'll attest to that. My wife is definitely not overweight, but she snores like a water buffalo.
 
My old man needs this in a big way. He's due to meet and discuss it with his GP this week. He's had it for 20 years, but he complained recently about being tired, and it never occured to him, the doc or my mum.

What is the story with it? Is it for life to get to some point of correcting your sleep? I think the rest would be worth whatever minor headaches might accompany it.

 
dickey moe said:
www.nomask.com
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wow. that looks a lot more uncomfortable than my cpap. i have used one for more than 10 years. it worked great at first. i don't like to travel, because its cumbersome. i sleep well now, but as great as i used to, so i'm getting ready to go in for another test.

i don't even notice that i'm wearing it anymore at night.

 
eagles2007 said:
dickey moe said:
www.nomask.com
Click to expand...
wow. that looks a lot more uncomfortable than my cpap. i have used one for more than 10 years. it worked great at first. i don't like to travel, because its cumbersome. i sleep well now, but as great as i used to, so i'm getting ready to go in for another test.

i don't even notice that i'm wearing it anymore at night.
Click to expand...
Right, A LOT. I wouldn't use that thing with the mouthpiece. And that "before" picture is a joke, too. My mask looks nothing like that one and it doesn't require constant adjustment during the night, etc. Crapola.
 
Marvelous said:
Leeroy Jenkins said:
I am supposed to schedule a sleep test. Dr. says all my symptoms point to it, but that I am not a candidate for it given weight, health etc. He gave me a prescription steroid nasal spray and suggest breathe-rite strips when sleeping. My GF says they have helped with snoring. I have used a humidifier at times as well. We'll see what the sleep study says and then what possibly an ENT Dr. says next.

What is a sleep study like anyway?
Click to expand...
Weight is irrelevant. The old thinking was that sleep apnea only happens in overweight people. But there are plenty of average and skinny people that have been diagnosed with sleep apnea now. It just takes longer for find a doctor to take us seriously.
Click to expand...
:bag: Maybe for some, but for many it is key. That's one of the first things they tell most folks: lose weight to see if it makes a difference. In fact, my sleep technician told me that he used to use a CPAP and then he lost a lot of weight and no longer needed it.
 
NY/NJMFDIVER said:
My old man needs this in a big way. He's due to meet and discuss it with his GP this week. He's had it for 20 years, but he complained recently about being tired, and it never occured to him, the doc or my mum. What is the story with it? Is it for life to get to some point of correcting your sleep? I think the rest would be worth whatever minor headaches might accompany it.
Click to expand...
Yes, it's for life and, yes, the rest is worth it. I guess your father could investigate the surgical techniques mentioned in this thread but if he goes CPAP it won't "correct" his sleep. It just pushes air through the partially/near fully closed passages allowing the wearer to breathe normally while sleeping. Without the air getting pushed through, the passages just go back to their normal "closed" state.
 
Well I have about a month into this with my CPAP mask and I can say it's definitely helping me. I started with an hour or two a night and worked my way up to a full night with it on. It takes a while to get all the straps to fit the comfortably as well as the nose cone on your face. I do notice how much easier it is to breathe at night and according to my doctor my apnea is considered a mild case.

For those that are getting fit for a CPAP, I am not sure they all have humidifiers built in but mine has one and I feel it helps. I am not all dried out in the morning from the air that is pushed through.

Others have said that you will wear the CPAP for life. Of course this will vary for each person but I was told getting my weight back under 200 will have a large difference. The more weight I can lose the better I will breathe thus eliminating the CPAP machine. I am told I have a narrow airway that even a slight increase in weight is restricting airflow by up to 15%. I am 210lbs now at 5'9". Ideally they want me as close to 180 as I can get.

I find myself feeling better in the mornings and hopefully can take that to the gym. If I feel more rested than I should be able to get up earlier and start working out again.

Bottom line is the mask is helping. It takes some time to adjust but it's important to give it a chance. It's getting better.

 
I'm glad to see some people need more than a few nights to get used to the mask. I've had mine since the beginning of the month and I'm not yet at the point where I'm sleeping through the night with it. It seemed to be keeping me awake, and I can't afford to lose sleep on nights when I have to work the next day. A sleep therapist advised me to get used to it at my own pace, gradually getting used to it without worrying about whether I can get to sleep wearing it. That approach seems to be working for me.

 
I've been using a cpap for a few years now. I never really experienced any of the symptoms (only did the study/got the cpap because snoring bothered my wife) but using the thing has effectively given me about 1-2 extra hours a day. I go to sleep later than I used to but get up at the same time feeling the same. Big :shrug:

 
I had my first study done and the doc explained to me that if the brain 'wakes up' because you stopped breathing, for 1-3 seconds that's called an arousal (insert joke here) and if the brain wakes up for longer it's called an awakening. Well, the doc started off saying, "I have some good news and some bad news, the good news is that after we turned off the lights in the room it took you about a minute to fall asleep and from that time to the time we woke you up was a little over 7 hours of sleep. The bad news is that in those 7 hours you had 15 awakenings and for each hour you averaged 72 arousals (again, insert joke here). So it finally made sense as to why I was soooooo tired everyday regardless of the amount of sleep I get. I know I need to lose weight and have lost almost 10 pounds last month. I've heard where good sleep can help people lose weight. Don't know if it's true or not, but I'm hoping it will.

I get my CPAP machine on Thursday and hope that I can start getting some 'good' sleep and hopefully help me with my weight loss. But my Dad tried for three months and couldn't hack it, so I'm hoping that I can do better. It's nice to read the comments of some of you that have been on the machine for awhile and are having no problems.

 
Skylord said:
So what gave any of you the clue that you might have sleep apnea?
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I would snore so loud my wife wouldn't be able to sleep, I also kicked her while I was sleeping. I would have the feeling of wanting to fall asleep throughout the day. They suggested that I have the surgery to cut my uvula and straighten out my septum. I did it and now it is so much better and I sleep great.
 
Well, guess I'm in the club. Just got back from the doc and he scheduled a sleep study for me next week. I can sleep 12 hours and still feel exhausted, and the g/f says I'm a loud, persistent snorer. Also have frequent chest pains and severe heartburn, so he put me on a prescription heartburn medication, and I have to get that damn camera snaked down my throat to see what's going on.

Then I have an MRI scheduled for the rotator cuff I blew out. My wrist tendons are shot, and I have a bad back.

But hey, my EKG and blood pressure were excellent! :no:

 
I'm beginning to take my situation seriously. I don't believe I have apnea. I have horrible allergies (mostly pollens, etc) and also have a 12 year old yellow lab sleeping near our bed not helping matters. My nasal passages clog up daily. I take Claritin D, works most of the time. Have tried steroid nasal sprays, works to some degree. Also use strips. And the killer - Afrin like sprays. Getting better and weaning myself off of them slowly, but still spray right before bed to open up my passages. If my nose is clear, I can sleep with a closed mouth and not snore or wake up at all. If not - I can peel paint. Some insomnia at times as well, so I take Lunesta 1-2X a week to help me get a deep sleep.

Doctor at UCLA says he can fix all of this (throw away strips, sprays, etc forever) with a laser. Dr. Feinberg. Anybody do something like this?

 
Weird. I definitely stop breathing during the night, once in a while. Seems like there are certain nights where it happens a few times, then lots of nights where it doesn't happen at all that I am aware of. But I'm not fat, not tired, don't snore. :mellow:

 
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