Anyone with sleep apnea?

Originally Posted by CDubbie

oh no Natalie!

I had ;mine in a hotel looking one - but the mattress was horrible!
It pretty much was like this: \\/ - with me in the middle.
And the mask smelled terrible!

They woke me up a bunch of times and I'm..um...a tad bit irritable when I'm not sleeping well. I was quite angry that $2,000 a night and a sucky mattress and foul smelling air. Really ruined it for me.

Oh - and no water! I was in a hospital and they said it wasnt their job to provide water to pts! geesh.

OP - hope you had good accomodations

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They didn't provide water or anything for us either. There wasn't even any shower facilities. Just a toilet and sink in the bathroom. Basically you woke up, got dressed and went home or to work. If you wanted to shower you went home before you went to work.

I really shouldn't complain though. The test was covered by our government healthcare, and so was the CPAP machine.

Originally Posted by Natalie_ca

Was your study done in a hospital or a private clinic?

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Mine was done at a hospital, so hospital beds and hospital room. And given my recent problems, a hospital isn't exactly the most soothing place for me! Although I had a private room both times recently in hospital, and they were much nicer. I did have a tiny bathroom, but it wasn't very nice, so I waited until I got home.

Apparently if they think you'll benefit from a CPAP machine, they'll get you back in for a second study with a CPAP and see if it helps.

Originally Posted by Momofmany

A guy who works for me has sleep apnea. His symptoms went away when he lost a lot of weight. He's a bean pole now and claims he has so much more energy that he will never gain weight again in his life.

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I don't think it's weight related. I had the same exhaustion when I was 10kg lighter and doing triathlons.

I'm so glad I remembered this thread. I'm wondering, and so is my doctor, if I have sleep apnea. I really started noticing how tired I was constantly about the same time as my wrist started hurting (September of last year). The only time I've felt rested is right after my surgery when I was sleeping for almost a whole week! And a lot of that was drug induced. What really clued my doctor in to apnea is that by mid-morning at work I'm just exhausted.

For those of you who lost weight and it helped, how much did you lose before you noticed a different? I know I need to lose weight, and I'm trying (though having a BAD week for that this week!), but I also know that I just can't keep going like this for too much longer.

Sleep apnea is not always related to weight.

I remember back in the early 1980's when I was a skinny 122 pounds and wore a size 4, that my ex fiance told me a few times that he stayed awake some nights watching me sleep because I stopped breathing. Back then I'd never heard about sleep apnea. So I've had it for many years even when I was a healthy weight and active.

I believe I've had it since I was healthy and active as well. So while it's good to lose weight of course, that may not be the cause. It seems I have a small lower jaw which is causing mine.

I actually got my results in the mail yesterday, and was trying to decipher them (I see the doctor on the 28th). It says I do have "obstructive sleep apnea", but it's mild which is good. I only spent 5 minutes in the deep Stage 4 sleep, and about 20 minutes in Stage 3 sleep - about 5% of my total sleep in those 2 stages, when it should be more like 20% I think.

It'll be interesting to see what the doctor says about it all. My sleep pattern and how often I woke up was graphed and fascinating!

My coworker who had it told me that he lucked out when his weight loss helped the problem. Sometimes it works like a charm, and other times it does not. But he also told me that even if it hadn't helped, he feels physically better in general without the weight.

No, it's not always caused by weight, but I think that's the most common cause... and just the small amount of weight I've lost since my surgery has made a a noticeable difference for me. I still have a ways to go, but I'm sleeping considerably better already!

I have mild apnea too OP...but it sure feels worse than that!

The weight thing works for many, but weight makes mine worse, but is there regardless.

The connection between sleep apnea and weight isn't always one way (weight causing the apnea)- because you're not sleeping enough, it takes more energy during the day to keep yourself awake, so you end up eating more. They're now saying that for some people, losing their excess weight will be easier if they get their sleep apnea treated.

I was diagnosed with mild-to-moderate sleep apnea last fall. My doctor prescribed an AutoPAP machine. Unlike a CPAP, where the pressure is at a pre-set level, the AutoPAP self-adjusts throughout the night to whatever pressure it senses that you need.

I have not yet gotten the machine; I fully intend to- I wanted to get through the holidays first, then Albus came along and I had to nurse him back to health, then I had my eye surgery....I just didn't need another life adjustment at the same time as all of that. Now, everything's out of the way *crossing fingers* and I should set up the time for them to come deliver the machine.

To get diagnosed, I did an at-home test, something called a SNAP Test, made by SNAP Laboratories. I had some tubes around my face and in my nostrils and a oxygen monitor on my finger. It was annoying to wear and I didn't sleep well, but at least I got to sleep in my own bed- I'm grateful for that after hearing some of your horror stories

I'm glad I got diagnosed. My dad has it too, but he hasn't been diagnosed. From what my mom says, it's much worse than mine. I really worry about him because they say that when people die inexplicably in their sleep, a lot of times it's because of sleep apnea- it's hard on your heart and the damage accumulates over the years and you could stop breathing one night and your body just won't be able to start again My dad's one of those people who hasn't had a real physical exam in 15 or more years and doesn't want anyone telling him he should go. It's awful.