sleep apnea

We use the C Pap for our Prader Willi folks and it is a life saver. If you are use to a dead quiet room it may take some getting use to but it is probably better (white noise, regular and you are not lying awake wondering when he is going to take his next breath/snore) then the alternative. The hose and face piece are usually well constructed an do not easily come disconnected. He will sleep more peacefully physically too.

PW is a genetic disorder where the babies are flacid and fail to thrive. They become voracious eaters and will "dumpster dive", steal, cheat and manipulate for food. They are often admitted at 300+ # but d/t locked kitchens, strict behavioral interventions and exercize they drop weight rapidly. Tehy can easily re-gain 20 or more pounds in a single weekend visit to family.

ENT problems are another common cause of sleep apnea. They are (sometimes) easier to solve through surgery.

 

I was tested for sleep apnea after my brother's diagnosis, because we had similar symptoms. In my case, the observation showed that I was waking up frequently in pain, not because breathing was interrupted (my pain was due to erosive acid reflux, which is under control with medication).

I talked to my brother before taking the test and he said "It will change your life." During his test, they were so concerned about the interruptions to his breathing they put a CPAP machine on him then. He told them there was no way he could sleep with it on, they told him to shut up and lay down, and he promptly went to sleep. When they woke him up for the end of the test he was adament he take the machine with him, but they wouldn't let him. Once he got it, he's used it every night for the last 4 or 5 years.

On the practical level, he found that the first machine dried out his throat too much, so he now has one that humidifies the air as it comes out of the machine (it bubbles it through water). The trade off for that kind of machine is that there is daily maintenance to dump the water and make sure you don't have a reservoir full of bacteria, but he says that only takes a few minutes each morning.

He has stayed with us, and the machine he has now is about the size of a shoebox. The noise seems a little loud to me, but his wife says its much quieter than his snoring was before the machine. I was surprised at the amount of air it pushes, but he finds it very comfortable now. Because he was so sleep deprived, he didn't have much of a problem adjusting to the mask (and they also do a very good job of fitting them).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ May 24 2006, 06:43 PM) [snapback]260600[/snapback]</div>

It takes a while to get used to it , and sometime it may take your breath away because you panic. why ? I don't know but you do. After you get used to it. Its great you get sleep at night. feel great in the morning . and most of all you are not tired during the day. I have worn the by-pap , and the c-bab for years now . all is fine. I even can not get to sleep unless I am wering the c-pap machine . now the masks are a nother thing. there are so maney of them out there . ones that goes in your nose, coveres your nose. head gares that are better then others. you have to try until you find the one that is for you. It tolk me about 2 years to find the one for me... So Good luck Bob

 

I have had some sort of sleeping disorder ever since I was a child (over 30 years). I "wake" up but can not open my eyes or move my body. I feel like I am not breathing (although I really am, but I can not sense it).

This can happen at anytime, sometimes more then once in a night, sometimes once a month, sometimes not for a year.

At first, I used to panic because of the suffucation feeling...but over the years I have learned to try to relax...and focus on moving one body part, like a finger. All of a sudden, my body will "wake" up and I jerk into movement.

As you can imagine this is rather unsettling for my wife. I have never been able to identify the name of this disorder...

Has anyone else experienced this?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ May 24 2006, 07:43 PM) [snapback]260600[/snapback]</div>

The natural way is best. Read the information on the following url; I'd be interested in hearing from you if it helps or not:

http://holisticonline.com/Remedies/Sleep/s...alternative.htm

 

Hi Galaxee. Look into LAUP as another option. (Lazer Assisted Uvula Palatoplasty). I had it done after being diagnosed with sleep apnea at a sleep study just like DH. I didn't think I would be able to handle wearing a mask as I'm very touch and hearing sensitive and a light sleeper anyway. So, the Doc recommended LAUP. It's not as effective as CPAP and is an option for very few people 'cause you can't have any narrowing of your air passageways. 7 years later, I still snore so I have to watch my weight, but the apneatic episodes are completely gone. Thank goodness. It felt like being out of breath while diving 100 feet down and having to make it to the surface before you can take another breath. Talk about panic!

Tell DH I feel his pain.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ May 24 2006, 06:43 PM) [snapback]260600[/snapback]</div>

My cousin has one and when we were in Las Vegas last month he brought it with him. It didn't bother me or my brother, it was very quiet. He said it took awhile to get used to it, but 5 years later, it's like second nature.

He used to joke that his wife thinks there's nothing sexier than a man in bed with a mask over his face.

He said he used to nap all the time, now he doesn't have to.

He should definitely try the CPAP before trying any surgery. I was thinking of getting one, but I'm not too interested in going through a sleep study.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mssmith95 @ May 25 2006, 01:26 AM) [snapback]260797[/snapback]</div>

mssmith95-

Google "sleep paralysis", read the symptoms and see if they sound familiar. I occaisionally experience sleep paralysis though less often now that I know that sleeping on your back can trigger it. I'm not completely sure that is what you have but it may be. I don't feel suffocated, but I can't move no matter how hard I try, until all of a sudden I can. For me it is almost always when I am first falling asleep. I also get a feeling someone is in or just outside the room (other than my husband) and get what I'd call sound halucinations. Very unsettling until I figured out what was going on.

Hope that helps.

 

My father has had a CPAP for over 10 years. Like a previous poster, he has bought a lot of "accessories" for it, like a humidifier and more comfortable masks, etc... It is noisy, like a loud blowing fan, but my mother hasn't moved out or anything.

The only thing I can say is be EXTREMELY WARY of surgeries. My father had some sort of throat surgery in the early 90's that was supposed to fix the problem without needing the CPAP for the rest of his life. It left permanent damage which actually exacerbated the sleep apnea and now not only is he stuck with the CPAP, he can't undo the damage that has already been done. In my opinon there is too much that can go wrong down there to justify chancing it.

I know there are a lot of active online communities he uses as resources for support and tips.

Good luck!

 

Several years ago, I underwent a sleep study as I had been suffering from chronic fatigue. I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea, so I tried a CPAP. I used it for about 6 months, and the only reason that I discontinued it was that it didn't make a significant difference; apparently my fatigue was due to other reasons. However, I had no problems sleeping with it whatsoever- it was quite comfortable. I would recommend one with a humidifier.
My brother started using one several years ago- he says that it made a HUGE difference in his life. Several of my friends have also had good experiences with them. I certainly would give one a good trial before even considering surgery.

 

I'd like to make a simple suggestion, based upon my own experience....

Try cutting out eating right before bed. Especially sweets right before bed.

It makes a huge difference for me.

 

galaxee
I guess you can call me an expert on this subject?
I know what happens with out the machine!
please bear with me, it is long but if it helps 1 person I will be happy!
I am 62 yrs old now using a Bipap machine,the best for me is a Resmed Ultra Mirage face mask
for about the first 15 yrs I used a CPAP machine
(note all this is sleep caused!) in my early 20's
my blood pressure was 220 over 190, into the hospital for 3 days all kinds of tests, found nothing.
they didn't know about sleep problems then.
early 30's red cells were to high (caused by not breathing!) they did not know that then. they started taking 1 pint of blood every month. then they gave me some Nuclear medicine to kill bone marrow (I think?) that stopped the red cells from getting to high for some time. then in the mid 80's
I was working driving a marked squad car, went to sleep and took out a light pole on the interstate, then 2 weeks later same thing and took out a fence?
the Under Sheriff called me in and asked if I had a problem ?? I said yes he said to take care of it.
then to the sleep test, my blood oxygen was dropping to 70 % when I quit breathing, that was raising the red cell count! the Dr. said I was lucky, that year they just came out with a machine to help, it was the CPAP machine with the nose pads. he said if it was not for the machine, I would have had to have a tracheotomy !!?? it helped a lot but still did not stop the red cells from rising? my second machine was a
Bipap, it helped more still having blood taken though (must have had a tanker full taken over the years taken?) another new machine, then about 3 yrs ago I got the Resmed mask (I sound like a salesman?) red cell count went to normal, I was still taking a lot of blood pressure meds, it dropped a lot! and have almost dropped of them, last time my BP was 90 over 50 I told the Dr. I was dead never saw it that low?
so I guess the bottom line is use it if you have sleep problems or you can see where you can be with a lot of problems
Thanks Orrin Meyers

 

Good grief! I never heard of a problem such as that.

Amazing that a human body can adjust to such a huge shift in blood pressure, even if it was over a period of time.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jun 1 2006, 11:18 PM) [snapback]264460[/snapback]</div>

Yikes! Your insurance won't pay for it?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jun 1 2006, 08:18 PM) [snapback]264460[/snapback]</div>

That's great to hear galaxee! "Quality of life" is definately something that is worth paying for, so I don't think he'll ever regret spending the money on a machine.