RE: SLEEP APNEA PATIENTS ????

[angelsmom10]

 How long have you had it?  How is it being treated?
 
 I go tonight for the sleep study and this will determine how they will treat me.  They say that the operation has been found to be not useful and very painful; however, in some cases, surgery will work.  I hate pain, so I sure hope that surgery is out of the question.
 
 They say usually CPAP is ususaly the choice?
 
 Does insurance cover this (I know that this depends on your insurance, but just seeing what most companies have done)?  Is it expensive?
 
 
 [][][][][][][]
 

[B-flat]

 angelsmom10
I don t have it but I have a friend who just went through the procedure and is now on a cpap.  The initial test was difficult because of being hooked up to all the monitors and the difficulty in getting to sleep.  The cpap was uncomfortable at first but eventually you get used to it and you start to have improved energy and feelings of well-being after about a month.  It s worth it for good health because your oxygen level drops during apnea and the cpap restores your breathing.  Good luck.

[campingboaters]

 angelsmom10
My husband was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea earlier this year.  He had 60 interruptions an hour during his sleep study.  That is bad enough that they woke him up and tested him with a C-PAP machine that night to see what strength the airflow had to be.
 
 He later scheduled with a technician to have them come out and fit him with a machine and tell him how to use it.  Under my husband s insurance (Keystone HMO), he only paid to see the specialist and nothing more.  The technician told us that the insurance company actually " owns"  the machine for the first ten months (I guess until it is paid off) and if for some reason you lose it or damage it beyond repair, it is your responsibility to replace it.  I have no idea what something like that costs.
 
 Anyway, when my husband uses it every night, he says he notices a difference in his daytime energy level.  It took him about two weeks to get used to it.  The machine he has has a variable start so that it blows air softly for the first 20 minutes and then ramps up to full speed for the rest of the night.  His machine also has a humidifier attachment to prevent the air from becoming too dry.
 
 If you have any questions, I would be happy to help.  Good luck tonight.  My husband said it was one of the worst nights sleep he s ever had.  Of course, my brother said it was one of the best, but he was away from his wife -- that would poke him all night when he snored.  []
 
 

[birol]

 angelsmom10
Angelsmom10, good luck with it ........Hope it doesn t have to be an operation.

[angelsmom10]

 angelsmom10
Thanks for the info and the well wishes -- they said that if my oxygen level goes to a certain level, they will wake me and put on a cpap immediately.
 
 The Dr., also gave me a sleeping pill to help me sleep during the test as it is always harder to sleep in a strange bed.  I actually hope to get a good nights sleep anyway since I won t have any of the dogs in bed with me as usual.

[tlhdoc]

 angelsmom10
DH has really bad sleep apnea.  He has to have a bipap machine.  He need pressure in and out.  He no longer snores and sleeps so much better.  Our insurance has paid for the machine.  They usually rent the machine for the first months and then you own it.  Good luck and it isn t as bad as it sounds.
 

[CathyAnn]

 angelsmom10
I have sleep apnea.  It is soooo embarrassing that I snore so loud.  I hate it very much.
 
 I did the sleep study not once, but twice.  The 1st time I was miserable and was up and down all night.  The 2nd time I was given Ambien to help me sleep, and they were able to get the study done.
 
 I had my CPAP machine for a few months and it sucked.  I am a stomach sleeper so having to wear this thing was miserable.  I tried several diff. masks from the reg one, to the adams circuit (I liked this one best, less obstructive), then that horrible, horrible Oricle.  I would take it off in my sleep many nights.  It was pure hell.
 
 I eventually called my insurance company/supplier and told them they could come and get the stupid thing.   And I was very embarrassed when he asked how much I used it, then plugged it in to look for himself.  I logged only 104 hours.  []  I never knew they d be able to see my actual usage.
 
 Here I am, still snoring, still feeling tired a lot, and still a lowsey bed-partner.  But one thing is, I am trying to better myself with diet and exercise.  I hope to drop about 50 pounds.  I think that will help decrease my apnea.
 
 Just FYI, mine isn t severe, its mild to moderate.
 
 Good luck to you, and PM me if you have any other questions.
 CathyAnn

[NCSunshine]

 CathyAnn

 

ORIGINAL:  CathyAnn
 
 I have sleep apnea.  It is soooo embarrassing that I snore so loud.  I hate it very much.
 
 I did the sleep study not once, but twice.  The 1st time I was miserable and was up and down all night.  The 2nd time I was given Ambien to help me sleep, and they were able to get the study done.
 
 I had my CPAP machine for a few months and it sucked.  I am a stomach sleeper so having to wear this thing was miserable.  I tried several diff. masks from the reg one, to the adams circuit (I liked this one best, less obstructive), then that horrible, horrible Oricle.  I would take it off in my sleep many nights.  It was pure hell.
 
 I eventually called my insurance company/supplier and told them they could come and get the stupid thing.   And I was very embarrassed when he asked how much I used it, then plugged it in to look for himself.  I logged only 104 hours.  []  I never knew they d be able to see my actual usage.
 
 Here I am, still snoring, still feeling tired a lot, and still a lowsey bed-partner.  But one thing is, I am trying to better myself with diet and exercise.  I hope to drop about 50 pounds.  I think that will help decrease my apnea.
 
 Just FYI, mine isn t severe, its mild to moderate.
 
 Good luck to you, and PM me if you have any other questions.
 CathyAnn
 

Please realize that sleep apnea can cause death.  My cousin died from this in his forties in his sleep.  
 
 While on a trip with one of my sisters, I woke up during the night for some reason.  Then I noticed that she would stop breathing, then start back with a big gasp of air.  One time I thought I was going to have to wake her up to try to get her to start breathing again.  I told her the next morning about it and to get to a doctor ASAP.  During her sleep study they had to come in and put on a CPAP because her oxygen level got so low.  I thank God everyday that He let me notice this because I do not want to lose my sister anytime soon.
 
 Also sleep apnea cannot be cured or helped by losing weight, only snoring can (which snoring does not cause you to stop breathing during sleep).  Please note that this is a serious health issue and not to be taken lightly.  If you have children, it is worth another try with the CPAP.  Please discuss this with your doctor again.
 
 My sister has had her CPAP for 2 or 3 years, and now cannot sleep without it.
 
 Check out this website for more information  http://www.sleepapnea.org/
 

[birol]

 CathyAnn

 

ORIGINAL:  CathyAnn
 
 I have sleep apnea.  It is soooo embarrassing that I snore so loud.  I hate it very much.
 

 Forget snoring, please take it seriously and use your machine.
 
 Our DD had it as she was born little bit slower and lungs not very well developed.  Her first night at home 3 am, I woke to look at our little beautiful baby and realized that she was not breating. Just when I was going hey what is going on,her little body reeled /snapped and she took a big breath and same thing happened, she was breathing that was once every thirty seconds or so.
 
 I put my hand on her back, felt her body and decided that this was not normal, our son didn t breat like that I said. Now rememebr this was her first time at home, I am dead tired and don t know anything about sleep apnea. I ahd the courage to wake up my wife and say, something is wrong with Ceren (Karen s Turkish  name) we gotta take her to the hospital. And good thing we did , doctor  said she needs to stay at the hospital till her breathing gets normal under 24/7 monitoring. SO we came back with no baby. They gave her back to us after 10 says, and se was breathing more or less normal, maybe a few seconds late now and then but that was all. I still wake up at nights sometimes  and check her breathing.
 
 It is a serious thing, please go and see your doctor again ......
 

[aldebnj]

 angelsmom10
I have sleep apnea and now use a Bi-PAP machine with the ramp up feature.  I first tried a C-PAP about 10 years ago and couldn t stand it but the new ones are much improved and much more comfortable.  
 
 I used to be up 3-4 times a night and wake up my wife with my snoring.  Our oldest DD wouldn t even stay in the PU with us due to my snoring (she slept in the car).  Now I sleep through the night and no longer snore.  I used to fall asleep driving all the time because I was always tired.  Now, this past Saturday, I logged almost 600 miles with out a problem.
 
 I did not do the surgery because of its low success rate.  Friends of mine who have had the surgery are now being retested and fitted for C-PAPs.  If you do dry camping, some of the C-PAPs will run on 12v.  Mine does.  I am going to be testing mine with a portable rechargable battery pack to see how long it lasts.
 
 Good luck and if I can be of any further help, please let me know.
 
 Al

[birol]

 angelsmom10
Angelsmom10, did you have the test ? What happened ?

[angelsmom10]

 birol

ORIGINAL:  birol
 
 Angelsmom10, did you have the test ? What happened ?
 

Just got off the phone with the Dr -- I just went to the hospital last night.
 
 The results are...
 
 I got 7hrs sleep
 
 Had 579 breath disturbances
 
 Average 85/hr
 
 Snored all night at a moderate loud level
 
 Oxygen level low 78% -- normal should be above 90%
 
 Final diagnosis.... High Frequency Sleep Apnea
 
 The soonest the hospital could get me in is Aug 5th to do a CPAP study, at that point, they will send a RX to a medical supply place and they will come out and set everything up.

[luvourjayco]

 angelsmom10
Glad to see you are taking care of yourself. The long delays for some issues though are maddening.
 Our best wishes go out to you for a good nites rest asap.
 

[CathyAnn]

 angelsmom10
Hi Guys and thank you all for your concerns.  []
 
 My Dr. did believe that dropping some pounds would help me.  When I lost 30 lbs in 2001 it did make a big differance.  I was healthy, sleeping well, feeling well-rested.  I aim to get back there, and then some.  
 
 My brother on the other hand, has severe apnea.  He got so bad that we was falling alseep while driving.  That is extremely scary!  At his sleep study, the Dr said they have never seen a worse case, guess he had like 160 episodes a minute  or something like that.  He now swears by his CPAP.
 
 I would rather have the surgery then have to wear a CPAP again.  But since my case is fairly mild, I don t know if insurance would cover it.
 
 Good luck to everyone, and again thanks for looking out for me.
 CathyAnn

[birol]

 CathyAnn
Good luck, please take good care of yourself.