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sleep apnea

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by galaxee, May 24, 2006.

  1. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    we found out today that my husband has sleep apnea.

    it wasn't a big surprise to be honest, i've been worried about him for ages- he's always tired, always taking naps, falling asleep watching movies, and on and on. he has all sorts of plans and only gets to half of them before he falls asleep for the night. it's been getting progressively worse in the 6 years we've been together and it's really bad now. he finally took it to heart when i told him i had to shake him once to get him to start breathing. so his doctor sent him off to a sleep study and they diagnosed him with sleep apnea.

    now he sees it. when i read off the list of symptoms he says "oh, i guess that does explain it!"

    pffff.

    well they're fitting him for a CPAP mask on friday night and he's not sure how he's going to like it. so i'm wondering if anyone here has a CPAP machine and how their experience has been since they started using it.

    did you feel better right away?
    how is it to deal with?
    can you accidentally pull it off in the middle of the night?
    how comfortable is it?
    is it noisy?
    how long does it take to get accustomed to?

    any input would be much appreciated. :)
     
  2. furkidsnprius

    furkidsnprius New Member

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  3. Salsawonder

    Salsawonder New Member

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    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.
     
  4. fshagan

    fshagan Senior Member

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    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).
     
  5. bobkat21

    bobkat21 New Member

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    <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
     
  6. mssmith95

    mssmith95 Michael

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    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?
     
  7. JackDodge

    JackDodge Gold Member

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    <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
     
  8. unruhly

    unruhly New Member

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    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.
     
  9. mdmikemd

    mdmikemd Member

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    <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.
     
  10. Drifter

    Drifter Member

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    <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.
     
  11. heavenleigh

    heavenleigh New Member

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    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!
     
  12. larkinmj

    larkinmj New Member

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    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.
     
  13. Subversive

    Subversive New Member

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    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.
     
  14. okm36

    okm36 New Member

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    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
     
  15. ghostofjk

    ghostofjk New Member

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    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.
     
  16. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    thank you so much, everyone, for the feedback! your stories are all very encouraging. i am really hoping this works for him, after 12 or so years of undiagnosed sleep apnea, he really deserves to feel like a normal person and not someone who's increasingly limited by exhaustion. i also can't wait to have my husband back.

    i've been so busy lately with the pre-and-post-prelim stuff and now the cementing down of my thesis with the boss and collaborators, so i haven't been around as much as usual. but we'll see how things go tonight and i'll let you know.
     
  17. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    a follow up:

    he woke up on his own early saturday morning... only needed 7 hours of sleep! he said his usual morning "fog" was gone and he felt fantastic! he came home after they finished up the study and it was still early morning, so he decided to try to take a nap and found that for the first time in ages, he wasn't tired. we got a TON of stuff done that weekend, caught up on all the stuff we'd been neglecting while i was studying. so he was thrilled about the whole experience.

    now.... we're waiting for the clinic to call back with a prescription for one of those machines so we can go ahead and order one. i'm sadly reminded of this because he's been asleep since oh, maybe 6:45 tonight. i've had enough of this. he swears he's going to use it all the time, and maybe take a break here or there but after feeling that good he's convinced. he even thinks the cost of the machine will pay for itself quickly just based on all the extra work he'll be able to get done! now THAT is impressive! :lol:

    thanks again to all for sharing your stories and ideas. it's very much appreciated by both of us.
     
  18. larkinmj

    larkinmj New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Jun 1 2006, 11:18 PM) [snapback]264460[/snapback]</div>
    Yikes! Your insurance won't pay for it?
     
  19. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    heh... $1k deductible. we're just gonna suck it up. :angry: but i already called the credit card company and got them to drop my interest rate ;)

    that's ok though, the benefits package he gets is very much worth it with that one rarely-used exception. (we haven't paid a dime for tons of diagnostic tests and 2 sleep studies.)
     
  20. fshagan

    fshagan Senior Member

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    <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.