Anyone with experience with sleep apnea?

Julio Riddols · 07-31-2012, 02:00 AM

I'm going to go see a doctor soon regarding this and wanted to compare symptoms. I have been feeling really exhausted for a couple weeks now and got blood work done today that ruled out anemia and mono.. So now we're trying to rule out sleep apnea.

Do any of you have this? If so, what were the symptoms you experienced and what kinds of treatment worked/did not work for you?

Thanks in advance, y'all.

rjolley · 07-31-2012, 02:09 AM

If someone is with you at night, ask if you stop breathing while sleeping or snore loudly.

For me, it was being very tired even if I slept 7-8 hours, the snoring, and the symptoms of sleep deprivation. There's also some info on WebMD here.

Getting used to the mask can be a pain, but it does help. Good luck.

rowech · 07-31-2012, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

I'm going to go see a doctor soon regarding this and wanted to compare symptoms. I have been feeling really exhausted for a couple weeks now and got blood work done today that ruled out anemia and mono.. So now we're trying to rule out sleep apnea.

Do any of you have this? If so, what were the symptoms you experienced and what kinds of treatment worked/did not work for you?

Thanks in advance, y'all.

More than likely, the only thing that will work is the mask. I tried a lot of stuff before I finally accepted my fate. It takes a while to get used to but if you have apnea, the difference you will notice will be worth it.

In the last two years I have lost 85 pounds and no longer use the mask though and I must say it's been pretty liberating to not use it anymore.

Julio Riddols · 07-31-2012, 10:51 AM

Yeah, I could see myself getting used to anything that allows me to wake up refreshed instead of wondering what happened all night while I thought I was sleeping. I've been slowly losing weight as well, although I am not very overweight at 5-11 190. My throat seems to tend to close up really easily though and rather than snoring my breathing just turns to a wheezing and sucking sound (according to my fiancee) until I find myself awake and switching positions again. Must have moved 15 plus times last night in less than 6 hours. Pretty stoked to hear the mask seems to work, because I would give anything to wake up and feel good again.

Thanks for the input.

rowech · 07-31-2012, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

Yeah, I could see myself getting used to anything that allows me to wake up refreshed instead of wondering what happened all night while I thought I was sleeping. I've been slowly losing weight as well, although I am not very overweight at 5-11 190. My throat seems to tend to close up really easily though and rather than snoring my breathing just turns to a wheezing and sucking sound (according to my fiancee) until I find myself awake and switching positions again. Must have moved 15 plus times last night in less than 6 hours. Pretty stoked to hear the mask seems to work, because I would give anything to wake up and feel good again.

Thanks for the input.

Definitely sounds like apnea. There are several different kinds of masks as well so if one doesn't work, you might find a different kind that worked. I opted for just nose pillows which worked for me as long as it stayed tight. Much less cumbersome. However, some people feel the mask has to be fully on them to get the effect.

rowech · 07-31-2012, 11:23 AM

Honestly, the sleep study is 100 times worse than anything else. You'll be hooked up to so many wires you won't even know how to move.

Also...when you go for your sleep study, absolutely 100% take your own pillow. You will be miserable otherwise.

nilodor · 07-31-2012, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowech

Honestly, the sleep study is 100 times worse than anything else. You'll be hooked up to so many wires you won't even know how to move.

Also...when you go for your sleep study, absolutely 100% take your own pillow. You will be miserable otherwise.

Totally agree, I'd even go as far to say get a haircut before because they'll be gluing electrodes to your scalp. I had a really minor apnea so I didn't exhibit any outward symptoms like snoring. What would happen is my tongue would slightly obscure my airway causing me to drop out of deep sleep into lighter sleep with the result being that I would feel super tired. As a solution they offered the mask or an appliance which moves your jaw forward to keep your tongue from obstructing your airway. The appliance takes a little getting use to but has worked really well for me. I would recommend one that covers all of your bottom teeth instead of the ones that just push them forward as those can permanently reposition your teeth. Good luck!

Telle · 07-31-2012, 11:50 AM

I have sleep apnea, and use a CPAP. I was actually one of the lucky ones that took to it just fine with no problems... some people have a really hard time adjusting to using it. The sleep study does suck (as someone else said, you're hooked up to so many wires you can barely move), but I think it's well worth it to find out if you do have sleep apnea.. and to set your pressure level for the CPAP if you end up needing one.

I strongly recommend you check out CPAP and Sleep Apnea Community ..there are lots of very knowledgeable and experienced CPAP users there.

AnalBumCover · 07-31-2012, 11:51 AM

I've got sleep apnea, and I can't sleep without the CPAP machine. I actually am one of those with both obstructive sleep apnea (blockage of the airway) and central sleep apnea (temporary failure of diaphragm and chest muscles).

It took a while to get used to the mask and machine (and the constant flow of air into your nose), but when I finally had my first full night of sleep, it felt glorious.

RendeR · 07-31-2012, 04:19 PM

Just be careful of some sleep centers. I was sent for a sleep study and forced to sleep on my back, which I never do. And of course the results were there, so they stuck me in this god awful mask and once again made me sleep on my back, which I didn't , sleep that is, for the next four hours.

When I got up the nurse asked how I felt after a good nights sleep. I said "I';; let you know after I go to bed tonight since I haven't s;ept since 2am."

She was shocked that it didn't do some amzing change. I had to explain that forcing people who NEVER sleep on their backs to do so for this test completely invalidates the test.

And those masks are horrible. I have no idea how Telle sleeps with that on, but she seems to sleep better for it.

Anyway, just my experience.

Lathum · 07-31-2012, 06:10 PM

My wife has it pretty bad, and isn't overweight at all ,actually ran a half marathin recently. She did the sleep study and they gave her a mouthpiece they want her to try first before going to the mask. So far she hasn't really seen any noticable changes

Julio Riddols · 07-31-2012, 08:25 PM

Nice, lots of good info here. I'll check out the forum and definitely take my own pillow. Maybe they'll let me play my handheld (Caanoo) until I pass out.. That usually helps me get there since I tend to have trouble getting to sleep if I can't occupy myself with something, as my mind tends to run wild when not focused on a task. Sleeping on my back should be fine as long as I have that. Gonna have to get some pics taken of the wires going into me so I can have some photoshop style fun with it afterwards..

Also thankful I have been toying with the idea of a shaved head recently, so I might just give it the old buzz before going to it.

Glengoyne · 07-31-2012, 10:25 PM

About seventeen years or so ago I had a bad case of sleep apnea. As in I fell asleep on the phone with a client. I fell asleep in a one on one meeting with my boss. Tired just didn't begin to describe it.

I went in to a Dr after doing a little research. He gave me a harness that held a monitor to track my breathing, snoring, and pulse oxygen rate. I think this is a much better process than the sleep study, btw. The next day I turned the monitor in, and made an appointment for one week out to review the results.

About three hours later, I got a call from the doctor to come right over now. He informed me that I had the worst single case of sleep apnea that he'd ever seen. My statistics... from memory. About 43 times an hour I stopped breathing. For an average of over one minute at a time. Yeah...do the math on that. My pulse ox rate dropped to 50%. For reference, if you are in the hospital, they put you on oxygen if that gets toward 90%.

He'd already set up a respiratory therapist to come visit my home that night to set me up with a CPAP. The CPAP would keep me alive while I slept...those were his exact words...until I could have a uvulectomy. He told me that this was what had killed John Candy, and that it would be crazy to sleep even one more night as I had been doing. I don't know how much was hyperbole and what, but it got my attention.

The CPAP worked..on the maximum setting...and I still remember waking up that first morning. I was lying in exactly the same position I was in when I shut my eyes the night before. It was crazy. I was actually rested. I had really slept for the first time in years.

A month or so later I had the uvulectomy...they removed my uvula and also zapped a bunch of blood vessels in my sinuses to improve the airflow through my nose. The results were amazing. No more CPAP...I get good rest. All good.

Now fifteen plus years later, I'm still without the CPAP, although I bet if I used one I'd still sleep better than I do now. I do still snore, but it is a lot different than it used to be. Also my wife says I still have the apneas, but they are not long. I will also say that CPAP technology has improved greatly over the years, as I've seen the new masks and things and my ancient apparatus looks like an iron lung by comparison.

AnalBumCover · 07-31-2012, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

About seventeen years or so ago I had a bad case of sleep apnea. As in I fell asleep on the phone with a client. I fell asleep in a one on one meeting with my boss. Tired just didn't begin to describe it.

I went in to a Dr after doing a little research. He gave me a harness that held a monitor to track my breathing, snoring, and pulse oxygen rate. I think this is a much better process than the sleep study, btw. The next day I turned the monitor in, and made an appointment for one week out to review the results.

About three hours later, I got a call from the doctor to come right over now. He informed me that I had the worst single case of sleep apnea that he'd ever seen. My statistics... from memory. About 43 times an hour I stopped breathing. For an average of over one minute at a time. Yeah...do the math on that. My pulse ox rate dropped to 50%. For reference, if you are in the hospital, they put you on oxygen if that gets toward 90%.

He'd already set up a respiratory therapist to come visit my home that night to set me up with a CPAP. The CPAP would keep me alive while I slept...those were his exact words...until I could have a uvulectomy. He told me that this was what had killed John Candy, and that it would be crazy to sleep even one more night as I had been doing. I don't know how much was hyperbole and what, but it got my attention.

The CPAP worked..on the maximum setting...and I still remember waking up that first morning. I was lying in exactly the same position I was in when I shut my eyes the night before. It was crazy. I was actually rested. I had really slept for the first time in years.

A month or so later I had the uvulectomy...they removed my uvula and also zapped a bunch of blood vessels in my sinuses to improve the airflow through my nose. The results were amazing. No more CPAP...I get good rest. All good.

Now fifteen plus years later, I'm still without the CPAP, although I bet if I used one I'd still sleep better than I do now. I do still snore, but it is a lot different than it used to be. Also my wife says I still have the apneas, but they are not long. I will also say that CPAP technology has improved greatly over the years, as I've seen the new masks and things and my ancient apparatus looks like an iron lung by comparison.

Wow. That sure is eye opening. Even for someone who already uses a CPAP, it frightens me to think of how little oxygen I got while sleeping before I was diagnosed.

I tell my (snoring) friends how CPAP made my life better and recommend they get take a sleep study in case they have apnea. They think about having to wear the mask and it discourages them from taking a sleep study.

Julio Riddols · 07-31-2012, 11:04 PM

Glengoyne, your story is exactly how I hope mine plays out, aside from constantly stopping breathing. For me, I believe it to be that I simply take very shallow breaths and just over time the lack of real rest and good enough amounts of oxygen has just finally caught up to me. If I get to have a night of sleep like you described, I can only imagine how joyful and exuberant I would feel the next day, because I have had trouble sleeping well my whole life and I don't know that I have ever experienced a real full night of restful sleep. Once I get a mask, I'll just go to bed and pretend I am Bane.

rjolley · 07-31-2012, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnalBumCover

Wow. That sure is eye opening. Even for someone who already uses a CPAP, it frightens me to think of how little oxygen I got while sleeping before I was diagnosed.

I tell my (snoring) friends how CPAP made my life better and recommend they get take a sleep study in case they have apnea. They think about having to wear the mask and it discourages them from taking a sleep study.

When I first got my CPAP, it felt like I couldn't breathe with it on. I even took it off in my sleep from time to time. Now, it's like it isn't even blowing air since I'm used to it.

It can be something to get used to, but it's worth it.

I went in and got tested when Reggie White passed away from it. When the news report said he passed from sleep apnea, explained what it was, and the woman I was with said that it sounded like what I did when sleeping, I had an appointment scheduled the next day. The doctor I saw said that I would have apnea even if I wasn't overweight due to my time lifting weights. He said that while the chest and neck get larger, the airway doesn't and that the muscle that allows air in can close due to the weight of the body around it, especially when sleeping on my back.

Glengoyne · 08-01-2012, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julio Riddols

Glengoyne, your story is exactly how I hope mine plays out, aside from constantly stopping breathing. For me, I believe it to be that I simply take very shallow breaths and just over time the lack of real rest and good enough amounts of oxygen has just finally caught up to me. If I get to have a night of sleep like you described, I can only imagine how joyful and exuberant I would feel the next day, because I have had trouble sleeping well my whole life and I don't know that I have ever experienced a real full night of restful sleep. Once I get a mask, I'll just go to bed and pretend I am Bane.

Using a CPAP is an interesting experience. It worked very well initially but over time that changed. I find that mine isn't all that effective now, as I've subconsciously figured out how to breathe through my mouth, even with all of that positive pressure. Waking up after breathing through your mouth all night and having air pushed through your sinuses the whole time isn't pleasant. So I eschew the CPAP now. I think I'd probably do well with some sort of chin strap. I should probably look into that, but I just haven't. I do make sure that my sinuses are clear when I go to bed, and I take an antihistamine if there are any doubts.

I had to think about my initial diagnosis, but I think I have the numbers they gave me now. 43 times an hour I stopped breathing for an average of 82 seconds at a time. I think that means I pretty much only gasped for breath...and only took normal breaths for one or two minutes per hour. I'd never done the math on that before now. That is pretty disturbing.

bronconick · 08-01-2012, 08:54 PM

I did the sleep study a few years back when I got diagnosed with high blood pressure because my doc couldn't figure out why the hell it was so high when I was only 27. (partial answer: because I was 60-70ish pounds overweight) I'd agree with all the other stuff people have said about shaving as much as possible.

Turned out I didn't really have it (7 times per hour, which is technically in the lowest range of apnea, but my doc and I figured if I lost the weight I needed to lose anyway, it would likely drop me below the 5 per hour minimum) but it was an interesting experience none the less, and it was at least on a Thursday night at a local hotel they ran it out of that had the NFL network at the time.

GoBuckeyes · 08-02-2012, 05:47 AM

Working as an EKG/Telemetry tech at a hospital, I've seen first hand what sleep apnea looks like with a heart rate and rhythm. We've had guys, bigger guys with the barrel chest, with heart rates in the low 20's along with the "pauses" that occur with the really heavy snoring. I've seen some of these "pauses" last as long as 6-8 seconds or more at a time.

We've went as far as to put permanent pacemakers in a couple of the more advanced apnea patients. Generally, it doesn't get that far along the care process, but it has been known to happen. That's why I'll never wear a holter monitor myself. The sleep study works, though. And the CPAP, while annoying at first, will get your breathing lined out. It's well worth the testing!

Schmidty · 08-02-2012, 02:26 PM

My wife has it, but won't do anything about it. Pisses me off.

sovereignstar v2 · 04-10-2021, 09:36 AM

a/s/l ?

GrantDawg · 04-10-2021, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sovereignstar v2

a/s/l ?

3 years/genderless/dank basement in Russia

rjolley · 04-10-2021, 01:22 PM

I must say, that is an interesting way to push vinyl flooring...

CraigSca · 04-11-2021, 10:11 AM

This quickly turned into one of the best threads ever.

07-31-2012, 10:51 AM	#4
Julio Riddols College Prospect Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Bryson Shitty, NC	Yeah, I could see myself getting used to anything that allows me to wake up refreshed instead of wondering what happened all night while I thought I was sleeping. I've been slowly losing weight as well, although I am not very overweight at 5-11 190. My throat seems to tend to close up really easily though and rather than snoring my breathing just turns to a wheezing and sucking sound (according to my fiancee) until I find myself awake and switching positions again. Must have moved 15 plus times last night in less than 6 hours. Pretty stoked to hear the mask seems to work, because I would give anything to wake up and feel good again. Thanks for the input. __________________ Recklessly enthused, stubbornly amused. FUCK EA

07-31-2012, 11:51 AM	#9
AnalBumCover College Starter Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: La Mirada, CA	I've got sleep apnea, and I can't sleep without the CPAP machine. I actually am one of those with both obstructive sleep apnea (blockage of the airway) and central sleep apnea (temporary failure of diaphragm and chest muscles). It took a while to get used to the mask and machine (and the constant flow of air into your nose), but when I finally had my first full night of sleep, it felt glorious. __________________ ABC's Game Giveaway list

07-31-2012, 04:19 PM	#10
RendeR Coordinator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Buffalo, NY	Just be careful of some sleep centers. I was sent for a sleep study and forced to sleep on my back, which I never do. And of course the results were there, so they stuck me in this god awful mask and once again made me sleep on my back, which I didn't , sleep that is, for the next four hours. When I got up the nurse asked how I felt after a good nights sleep. I said "I';; let you know after I go to bed tonight since I haven't s;ept since 2am." She was shocked that it didn't do some amzing change. I had to explain that forcing people who NEVER sleep on their backs to do so for this test completely invalidates the test. And those masks are horrible. I have no idea how Telle sleeps with that on, but she seems to sleep better for it. Anyway, just my experience. __________________ http://wotlabs.net/s...8/signature.png http://wotlabs.net/sig_dark/na/banichi18/signature.png

07-31-2012, 08:25 PM	#12
Julio Riddols College Prospect Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Bryson Shitty, NC	Nice, lots of good info here. I'll check out the forum and definitely take my own pillow. Maybe they'll let me play my handheld (Caanoo) until I pass out.. That usually helps me get there since I tend to have trouble getting to sleep if I can't occupy myself with something, as my mind tends to run wild when not focused on a task. Sleeping on my back should be fine as long as I have that. Gonna have to get some pics taken of the wires going into me so I can have some photoshop style fun with it afterwards.. Also thankful I have been toying with the idea of a shaved head recently, so I might just give it the old buzz before going to it. __________________ Recklessly enthused, stubbornly amused. FUCK EA

07-31-2012, 11:04 PM	#15
Julio Riddols College Prospect Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Bryson Shitty, NC	Glengoyne, your story is exactly how I hope mine plays out, aside from constantly stopping breathing. For me, I believe it to be that I simply take very shallow breaths and just over time the lack of real rest and good enough amounts of oxygen has just finally caught up to me. If I get to have a night of sleep like you described, I can only imagine how joyful and exuberant I would feel the next day, because I have had trouble sleeping well my whole life and I don't know that I have ever experienced a real full night of restful sleep. Once I get a mask, I'll just go to bed and pretend I am Bane. __________________ Recklessly enthused, stubbornly amused. FUCK EA

07-31-2012, 02:09 AM	#2
rjolley College Starter Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Roseville, CA	If someone is with you at night, ask if you stop breathing while sleeping or snore loudly. For me, it was being very tired even if I slept 7-8 hours, the snoring, and the symptoms of sleep deprivation. There's also some info on WebMD here. Getting used to the mask can be a pain, but it does help. Good luck.

07-31-2012, 11:23 AM	#6
rowech Pro Starter Join Date: Feb 2006	Honestly, the sleep study is 100 times worse than anything else. You'll be hooked up to so many wires you won't even know how to move. Also...when you go for your sleep study, absolutely 100% take your own pillow. You will be miserable otherwise.

07-31-2012, 11:50 AM	#8
Telle College Starter Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Buffalo, NY	I have sleep apnea, and use a CPAP. I was actually one of the lucky ones that took to it just fine with no problems... some people have a really hard time adjusting to using it. The sleep study does suck (as someone else said, you're hooked up to so many wires you can barely move), but I think it's well worth it to find out if you do have sleep apnea.. and to set your pressure level for the CPAP if you end up needing one. I strongly recommend you check out CPAP and Sleep Apnea Community ..there are lots of very knowledgeable and experienced CPAP users there.

07-31-2012, 06:10 PM	#11
Lathum Favored Bitch #1 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: homeless in NJ	My wife has it pretty bad, and isn't overweight at all ,actually ran a half marathin recently. She did the sleep study and they gave her a mouthpiece they want her to try first before going to the mask. So far she hasn't really seen any noticable changes

07-31-2012, 10:25 PM	#13
Glengoyne Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Fresno, CA	About seventeen years or so ago I had a bad case of sleep apnea. As in I fell asleep on the phone with a client. I fell asleep in a one on one meeting with my boss. Tired just didn't begin to describe it. I went in to a Dr after doing a little research. He gave me a harness that held a monitor to track my breathing, snoring, and pulse oxygen rate. I think this is a much better process than the sleep study, btw. The next day I turned the monitor in, and made an appointment for one week out to review the results. About three hours later, I got a call from the doctor to come right over now. He informed me that I had the worst single case of sleep apnea that he'd ever seen. My statistics... from memory. About 43 times an hour I stopped breathing. For an average of over one minute at a time. Yeah...do the math on that. My pulse ox rate dropped to 50%. For reference, if you are in the hospital, they put you on oxygen if that gets toward 90%. He'd already set up a respiratory therapist to come visit my home that night to set me up with a CPAP. The CPAP would keep me alive while I slept...those were his exact words...until I could have a uvulectomy. He told me that this was what had killed John Candy, and that it would be crazy to sleep even one more night as I had been doing. I don't know how much was hyperbole and what, but it got my attention. The CPAP worked..on the maximum setting...and I still remember waking up that first morning. I was lying in exactly the same position I was in when I shut my eyes the night before. It was crazy. I was actually rested. I had really slept for the first time in years. A month or so later I had the uvulectomy...they removed my uvula and also zapped a bunch of blood vessels in my sinuses to improve the airflow through my nose. The results were amazing. No more CPAP...I get good rest. All good. Now fifteen plus years later, I'm still without the CPAP, although I bet if I used one I'd still sleep better than I do now. I do still snore, but it is a lot different than it used to be. Also my wife says I still have the apneas, but they are not long. I will also say that CPAP technology has improved greatly over the years, as I've seen the new masks and things and my ancient apparatus looks like an iron lung by comparison.

08-01-2012, 08:54 PM	#18
bronconick College Starter Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Kalamazoo, MI	I did the sleep study a few years back when I got diagnosed with high blood pressure because my doc couldn't figure out why the hell it was so high when I was only 27. (partial answer: because I was 60-70ish pounds overweight) I'd agree with all the other stuff people have said about shaving as much as possible. Turned out I didn't really have it (7 times per hour, which is technically in the lowest range of apnea, but my doc and I figured if I lost the weight I needed to lose anyway, it would likely drop me below the 5 per hour minimum) but it was an interesting experience none the less, and it was at least on a Thursday night at a local hotel they ran it out of that had the NFL network at the time.

08-02-2012, 05:47 AM	#19
GoBuckeyes n00b Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: an old Kentucky boy, living on Long Island	Working as an EKG/Telemetry tech at a hospital, I've seen first hand what sleep apnea looks like with a heart rate and rhythm. We've had guys, bigger guys with the barrel chest, with heart rates in the low 20's along with the "pauses" that occur with the really heavy snoring. I've seen some of these "pauses" last as long as 6-8 seconds or more at a time. We've went as far as to put permanent pacemakers in a couple of the more advanced apnea patients. Generally, it doesn't get that far along the care process, but it has been known to happen. That's why I'll never wear a holter monitor myself. The sleep study works, though. And the CPAP, while annoying at first, will get your breathing lined out. It's well worth the testing!

08-02-2012, 02:26 PM	#20
Schmidty Coordinator Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Early, TX	My wife has it, but won't do anything about it. Pisses me off. __________________ Just beat the devil out of it!!! - Bob Ross

04-10-2021, 09:36 AM	#21
sovereignstar v2 hates iowa Join Date: Oct 2010	a/s/l ?

04-10-2021, 01:22 PM	#23
rjolley College Starter Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Roseville, CA	I must say, that is an interesting way to push vinyl flooring...

04-11-2021, 10:11 AM	#24
CraigSca Pro Starter Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Not Delaware - hurray!	This quickly turned into one of the best threads ever. __________________ She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah! She loves you, yeah! how do you know? how do you know?

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