Sleep Apnea?

Reddwarf

Reddwarf

New member
Any of you suffer from Sleep Apnea? Last week I went for a sleep test because I'm always so darn tired. My Doctor called and she said "you have SEVERE sleep apnea. I'm not real happy about this, but at least I know why I'm tired. She said "you don't sleep much".

Saturday night i go back to the sleep clinic to get tested for a CPAP that should enable me to sleep through the night.
 
a guy at work just started on the pump/mask thing and he is doing better ... might hurt love life though :drool:
 
I have been using one for 11 years, changed my life for the better! You and whoever you sleep with will get used to it. Two things to think about, if you are overweight, lose the pounds. Overweight people tend to snore more. Also don't drink alcohol before going to bed.
 
dave40co said:
What meds do they use? Does it replace the mask?
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there are a few new methods.. one is a pill, not sure of the name, another is a spray to lubricate the throat, and some use the nose patch ... I guess it would really depend on the severity of the apnea and also the physical condition of the person...

***disclaimer I am not a doctor nor do i play one on the TV or the internet :D but i have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express :notme:
 
My case is severe enough that I cannot use the spray or patch and I haven't done any research on the pill. In my sleep study I woke up 90 times in 4 hours!
 
wow that is pretty severe :eek: I've also heard that changing sleep position can help a lot .. sleeping on your back is the worst ..sleeping on your right side is supposed to be the best, not only for snoring but for digestion...
 
Poorboy said:
wow that is pretty severe :eek: I've also heard that changing sleep position can help a lot .. sleeping on your back is the worst ..sleeping on your right side is supposed to be the best, not only for snoring but for digestion...
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Steve

The place that my wife works at, looks like a mini hotel...when they do the overnight study they hook you up like a science experiment, then the computer will spit out over 2000 pages during the evening.

There are many levels sleep apnea that she had told me about
 
Beemerboy said:
Steve

The place that my wife works at, looks like a mini hotel...when they do the overnight study they hook you up like a science experiment, then the computer will spit out over 2000 pages during the evening.

There are many levels sleep apnea that she had told me about
Click to expand...

my daughter went to one too and she looked like something out of a science fiction movie :lol2:

I know Natty went to one too and he left in the middle of the night because he was so uncomfortable and couldn't fall asleep :wall
 
That is how I felt but they did mine at home. The tech hooked me up and left and half way through the night I took off all the probes etc.. It was enough for a diagnosis and I had a CPAP in a couple of days. I don't think I could of done a study in a clinic, wouldn't of been able to sleep there.
 
My brother has had a CPAP for several years now and it has done wonders for him. I mean remarkable improvement in his health and daytime alertness. I'm pretty sure his was also a severe case.
 
I too have this problem. The first time they performed the test on me in home the equipment used to monitor the test kept me awake the entire night (they were unable to get any results). I had to go in and have the test performed at a sleep center. Unfortunately the mask also keeps me awake (claustrophobic) and I'm unable to use it. I've tried the nose strips and throat lubricants with little success. Recently (last 6 months) my wife and I purchased a sleep number bed out of shear desperation. I don't know what the test would show no that I sleep on this bed but I know without a doubt I sleep much better. My wife says that when she listens to me know I no longer "stop breathing". I don't know that I can back that up but I know I feel better.
 
Thanks for all the replies!

I don't know what the exact results were yet, but My Doctor said it was severe and patients with my results don't have much options other than the CPAP.

I'm going in Saturday night for the next test were they fit me for the CPAP settings.
 
dave40co said:
I have been using one for 11 years, changed my life for the better! You and whoever you sleep with will get used to it. Two things to think about, if you are overweight, lose the pounds. Overweight people tend to snore more. Also don't drink alcohol before going to bed.
Click to expand...


Poorboy said:
they make some good meds for that now and it should be taken seriously :inspector:
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Overweight, meds, drinking before bed, you guys are killing me! Have you been peeping in my window? :rofl

Beemerboy said:
Steve

The place that my wife works at, looks like a mini hotel...when they do the overnight study they hook you up like a science experiment, then the computer will spit out over 2000 pages during the evening.

There are many levels sleep apnea that she had told me about
Click to expand...

The place I went was like that. The room was much like a hotel room. I had tons of wires hooked up to me. It was very odd.
 
Reddwarf said:
Last week I went for a sleep test because I'm always so darn tired. My Doctor called and she said "you have SEVERE sleep apnea. I'm not real happy about this, but at least I know why I'm tired. She said "you don't sleep much".

Saturday night i go back to the sleep clinic to get tested for a CPAP that should enable me to sleep through the night.
Click to expand...
finding out whats causing you to be so tired is not a bad thing..now that you had sleep study and a diagnoses you should have a follow up with your neurologist to review the results of your sleep study and the cause of your sleep apnea..

1)he will look to see if your overweight..
2)he should check your tonsils..
3)check your throat..

if a few listed above aren't the cause of your sleep apnea then it may be the structure of your chin (too short)allowing your tongue to slide back blocking your airway..if this is the case a cpap machine might be needed..they also have a dental device that can be made specifically for you if you can't get comfortable with the cpcap machine ask the doc if the device would be better for you..i wish you the best of the luck ..

heres a link to help you understand a little bit about sleep apnea

Long-Term Follow-Up After Surgical Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea by Maxillomandibular Advancement
 
GearHead_1 said:
I too have this problem. The first time they performed the test on me in home the equipment used to monitor the test kept me awake the entire night (they were unable to get any results). I had to go in and have the test performed at a sleep center. Unfortunately the mask also keeps me awake (claustrophobic) and I'm unable to use it. I've tried the nose strips and throat lubricants with little success. Recently (last 6 months) my wife and I purchased a sleep number bed out of shear desperation. I don't know what the test would show no that I sleep on this bed but I know without a doubt I sleep much better. My wife says that when she listens to me know I no longer "stop breathing". I don't know that I can back that up but I know I feel better.
Click to expand...

I believe this..I have a friend who is very heavy and wasn't sleeping well and he got one and swears by it now :)
 
Poorboy said:
I believe this..I have a friend who is very heavy and wasn't sleeping well and he got one and swears by it now :)
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I'm no light weight but not terribly over weight. I'm 6'4" and weigh 235 lbs. That said, I've got a back that's been fused, a knee that's been replaced and a ridiculously bad shoulder (it's been re-surfaced) that for whatever reason I end up laying on during the night. This mattress has been great. No more numb extremities.

We had a rather expensive Sealy set. It was about $4K (18" thick pillow top mattress) at the time of purchase. It felt great in the store but after having it for a few weeks we knew we made a mistake and ended up paying price (I don't mean money) for the next couple of years.

The best thing about the sleep number bed is it can be whatever I want it to be. My wife and I have very different sleep numbers but we both like this set up a lot. Before I got it I could tell you every time I turned over. I now will go several hours without re-positioning myself.

I'm not steering you towards a brand because I think there are several air mattresses that accomplish the same thing but if you don't like your bed I would tell you this is worth looking at. We bought a Sleep Number brand 6000 (mid line level) set. It ended up being less than 1/2 the price we originally paid for our Sealy set.

This certainly isn't everybody's answer for a sleep apnea problem. In fact it probably doesn't provide any solutions directly related to apnea. The common fixes for apnea didn't work in my situation. I can however sleep now and that has made a world of difference for me.
 
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