Do you have sleep apnea? If you DO, please see a doctor... got the scare of my life with my Mom!!

[belladonna]

I had suspected for awhile that my Mom had obstructive sleep apnea and had bugged her about getting a sleep study done and have it treated. She finally did and, HOLY SHIT!! She stopped breathing 7 times during the night, once for as long as 45 SECONDS, with an average of 30 seconds. The doctor actually set her up to have oxygen delivered to her on the same day that he received the sleep study and, next, she will complete another study in order to titrate her levels for a BIPAP machine.

It may seem silly, but since I found out, I keep getting chills and minor anxiety attacks just thinking about how close she may have come to dying. I really pushed her after I heard about a 30-year-old guy who suddenly died in his sleep from sleep apnea... no warning whatsover.. so I knew it could be serious. But shit, knowing the results just kinda freaked me out :scared:

Also made me realize that I should be EXTRA careful not to take my Mom for granted. I think I generally do well in this respect, but I'll try to do even better now... I do love my Mommy :loveya:

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I almost had my little guy checked for this, but he seems to have grown

out of it.

[belladonna]

2. Wow, how old is he?

Unusual to see it in kids, isn't it? Glad he growed out of it tho :hi:

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. Actually not that unusual. I think it may save ties to SIDS, but in my family

we trend toward having tonsil and adenoiud problems as small fry.

This fella is abt to turn 7. :D

[belladonna]

6. Hmm, now that I think about it, that makes sense

The tonsil and adenoid problems, I mean. Hope the kiddo never has to be bothered with it again :)

[Zookeeper]

3. Hmm. Mr. Z. should be tested for this.

Over our many years together, I've listened to him stop breathing in his sleep, long enough that I jostle him a little to make him take another breath.

I'm so glad that you and your mom found out about her problem. You are a good daughter for bugging her about it!

[belladonna]

7. If he has witnessed apneas, definitely tell his doc

If he snores and has witnessed apneas, most insurance companies will foot the bill for the sleep study.

[Zookeeper]

9. I'll bring this up to him...

(again). Thanks, Bella!

[texas1928]

4. Nope...

I have that one that makes you falzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.











:P


No not really. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


Kidding...

Glad your mom found out. Mine just got home last week from having to have her gall bladder removed. Made her realize she needs to go to the doctor when she has pain. It was very inflamed and bad. But she is fine now.








ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[belladonna]

8. Glad your Mom got through the gallbladder surgery okay!

Smartass :P

[mdmc]

10. My buddy Chris died at age 32

his girlfriend said that he went, zzzz, zzz, zz, z, ...... then he was dead.

[belladonna]

12. Oh man, so damn young

That's so sad, not to mention scary :hug:

That's why I posted this thread. I think most people think of sleep apnea as just a problem with snoring and more of an inconvenience, not as a potential killer, as it obviously is. If you even THINK you have it, you should get checked out.

[proud patriot]

11. My mom has it and is going through all kinds

of stuff to fix the problem .

I'm glad your mom is on the road to healing .

[belladonna]

13. Yeah, she's having a hard time getting used to sleeping with oxygen

And, apparently, the BIPAP machine is even harder to get used to, but she's going to get through it. How long ago did your Mom find out she had it? How's she doing with it?

[proud patriot]

29. A few years ago

Last year she had surgery where they broke her lower jaw
and wired it shut . Now she just has braces , I asked how
she was doing and her husband says better that he can tell
a difference .

It was a pretty radical procedure if you ask me .

[EnviroBat]

14. Yep, I live with it every night.

I wake in a panic when it happens. I've learned to cope with it by arranging the pillows a certain way, but it may be time for alternatives. I'm terrified of surgery since I'm a singer...

[belladonna]

16. Get to the doctor already

If not apnea, it could be any number of other serious medical problems. It sounds like you're having a hard time breathing and, as bad as this sounds, you can't sing if you're not around anymore :hug:

Now, get thee to a doctor post-haste :hug:

[EnviroBat]

37. Thanks bella...

The hard part is I am now without medical insurance. Hopefully that is only a temporary situation. I appreciate the love...
:hug:

[LaraMN]

15. My husband has it. Pretty badly.

The mask they gave him didn't work well for him, and he won't use it. He has heart issues that may have resulted from the apnea, and he's ALWAYS tired. I can't even sleep in the same room as him; he snores so badly. I've given up nagging him about- it was thoroughly unproductive. I don't know what else to do.

[belladonna]

17. There are a lot of different masks out there

And, if nothing else, see if he can at least be put on oxygen at night. From what I've heard, the oxygen isn't quite as hard to sleep with as the BIPAP or CPAP.

[Missy Vixen]

21. I have sleep apnea

>the oxygen isn't quite as hard to sleep with as the BIPAP or CPAP<

I sleep with a CPAP machine. When I was diagnosed, I was having one episode per minute. The nurse who explained my sleep study results told me that I had been getting 20 minutes of uninterrupted sleep a night.

The first week or so with the machine is difficult, just because you're not used to sleeping with something on your face. Once you get past it, you won't want to sleep without the machine again. The additional vitality, the fact I'm not falling asleep in the middle of the day, the realization that I can avoid some of the side effects of sleep apnea like, oh, stroke, heart attack, memory loss, mental deterioration...I was determined to make it work, and I'm very happy with the outcome. (One of the other side effects for men -- impotence. I wonder how many guys are taking one of the ED drugs that have sleep apnea and just don't realize it.)

The people that supply the CPAP machine WANT you to succeed with this. If it's an uncomfortable mask, get another one, and keep going till you find one that works. The side effects are too awful not to.

Julie

[belladonna]

25. I've been telling my Mom that very same thing

That, one, she'll get used to it after awhile and, two, it will make her feel so much better that it'll be WELL worth the few weeks it takes to adjust.

[SPKrazy]

28. My Experiences Are Similar

I had a hard time finding a mask that wasn't causing skin breakdown on my face.

I have to use one that goes in my nose.

But it works good.

[EnviroBat]

38. Hi there Julie...

Is the machine noisy at all during the night? I was wondering cause I may need one.

[billyskank]

18. If he won't wear the CPAP, I don't see what else you can do

I'm sorry to hear that. :(

:hug:

[Zookeeper]

19. Mr. Z. also snores so loudly...

(in addition to the sleep apnea thing) that I used to have to sleep somewhere else in the house at times.

THEN...:think: I started using ear plugs a couple of weeks ago. Now, I sleep very soundly in OUR bed.

[LaraMN]

20. I did that for awhile, but I get too nervous now, with small children.

:-(

[Zookeeper]

33. Oh yeah, small children rule out earplugs.

I am concerned about not hearing something going on in the house that I should hear. However, my kids are old enough to barge into my room if they have a problem and I'm pretty sure my Rat Terrier's oversized bark will pierce through any piece of foam. ;-)

I hope you can find a resolution and get some sleep! :hi:

[Elidor]

22. Apnea also increases your risk of stroke

I can't afford the study, but my former SO freaked several times when I stopped breathing. I also can't afford the little pump that keeps the airway open at night. It seems to wax and wane with me. Some nights I bolt out of sleep, gasping for air and unable to breathe. It's pretty dramatic. The possibility of stroke scares me, but dying in my sleep would be my preferred way to go anyway, and I'm ready whenever.

[Maddy McCall]

23. What made you suspect that your mom had it?

Do you have to go to a sleep clinic to be diagnosed?

TIA for any answers.

[belladonna]

24. Well, my Mom had always snored but that wasn't what made me suspicious, so much

She complained of never feeling rested, no matter how long she slept. She had a lot of daytime somnolence (sleepiness), and she just felt pretty bad in general. She complained of waking up a lot during the night and not really knowing what woke her up. I had a decent understanding of sleep apnea before I began working as a medical transcriptionist, but since I've been doing this job, I've learned SO much more about it and about the dangers associated with it. Not only is there the danger of episodes of apnea (where you don't breathe for a period of time), it can also exacerbate other medical conditions. Hypertension, cardiac disease, etc... I've seen a lot of patients whose blood pressure and overall health improved greatly after being on CPAP or BIPAP for awhile.

If you think you might have it, PLEASE get it checked out. Insurance companies are a lot better than they used to be about paying for these sleep studies, since treatment of sleep apnea seems to have such a positive affect on overall health.

[jarab]

26. I have it, and according to my doctors ...

who initially diagnosed it, they were concerned about:
(1) lots of snoring
(2) very little if any dreaming (failure to arrive at deep sleep)
(3) awaking after "sleep" feeling just as tired as before you retired to "sleep"

Just a heads-up on those combinations of symptoms.

...O...

[SPKrazy]

27. Yes, I've Had It Since I Was A Teenager Believe It Or Not

I was skinny as a rail too

I have used CPAP for 10 years or more.

Get frustrated with it at times. Especially when it "rains" (humidifier on it puts too much moisture in the hose, usually when the room is too cool it condenses and you get water on your face.

But for the most part it helps me feel better.

I can't even remember how many times I stopped breathing but it was very often and it really made a difference

[Missy Vixen]

31. My sleep doctor gave me a suggestion for the water on the face

Hi southpawkicker,

I don't know if you sew or perhaps your significant other might, but my sleep doctor gave me a suggestion for the moisture in the hose/water on the face thing. He suggested sewing a "sleeve" to go over the hose. He thinks our room is too cold and if the hose is kept warmer, it may work better.

I'm going to try it over the next couple of weeks and see what happens.

Julie

[SPKrazy]

32. I've Actually Even Seen Those Sold Somewhere Online

my SO doesn't sew

I might do it though.

It's not like it is going to be a fashion statement or anything.

:rofl:

thanks

[REP]

30. I Have Severe Apnea and Am a HoseHead™

I stopped breathing about 33 times an HOUR and had an O2 sat of 60% (which is very, very bad). I was in my early 30s and had been told by another doctor I was "too young, too thin and too female" to have sleep apnea. Nope.

[marzipanni]

34. I was watching "The View" a week or two ago, and Rosie O'Donnell

was telling about her experience having sleep apnea. She showed two different mask/headgear types she has used and prefers the one like this with tubing going up over the forehead, not next to her cheeks.
http://www.cpapxchange.com/cpap-products-by-manufacturer/everest-headrest-nasal-pillows-cpap-mask.html
She also explained how at first she didn't want to sleep at a lab for her sleep study, but found a doctor who let her wear a diagnostic machine at home to do some initial tests.
On this website it showed those anti-moisture sleeves made of fleece. Fleece would be easy to sew one out of, because it doesn't fray and you don't have to hem it, you would just have to sew one long straight seam.

[LoZoccolo]

35. A nice bonus you get with treatment is that you start getting better sleep...

...than you've had in a long time, and start feeling very refreshed.

[Lowell]

36. I've been sleeping on a CPAP for years

Actually if you mom only stopped seven times in a night that is not too bad. Most of us with apnea stop hundreds of times a night.

The machine is great, once you get used to it. I can't get to sleep without it now and carry it with me in my saddlebags whenever I go on a road trip. I guarantee once you mom starts using the cpap she will start feeling better.

[belladonna]

39. Ack, I'm sorry about that

I meant to say seven times in an HOUR. My brain was preoccupied with exams yesterday.. sorry about that :blush:

[NewWaveChick1981]

40. I'm so glad your mom is OK, belladonna!

:hug: My husband has mild to moderate sleep apnea. I'm a moderate sleeper (meaning that I wake up relatively easily but can usually go right back to sleep). Many times, he stops breathing and then snorts awake. He often snores terribly. Fortunately, I sense when he stops breathing and will nudge him to turn over. I do worry that if I'm not there, he won't turn over and will stop breathing for too long. He won't listen to me about going to the doctor about it, but I'm going to continue to bug him until he does it. It's not a new condition for him, but if I keep after him enough, he'll eventually wear down and go to the doctor.

Thank you for making this Public Service Announcement. :hug: A lot of people don't think about sleep apnea.

[Jimbo S]

41. How does one go about this?

What is the name of the specialist?

[belladonna]

42. Just look for the nearest sleep disorder center near you

Or ask your primary care doctor, who'll you'll need to make the referral anyway, nine times out ten. Most insurance companies are going to require that your PCP refer you. If you're paying for it out of pocket, just find the nearest sleep specialist and make the appointment yourself. Good luck :hi:

[Jimbo S]

43. Was tested for ADD, but it showed nothing

maybe I should have been tested for this instead.

Just getting set up with a physician and determining how much insurance will cover will be a pain. One day I'll get around to it.

Thanks.