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after I complained of feeling exhausted during the day and found it to be much too low. I wore this clothes-pin type thing on my index finger all night which recorded this.
So he prescribed an oxygen machine for me with the long, thin, flexible hose, you know, and the two little tubes that go in the nostrils -- like the thing you might have used after an operation. The machine condenses oxygen out of the room's air. I use it at night. During the day there's no problem. At night, in my particular case, my air passages sort of collapse. The constant stream of oxygen going into my nostrils make up for this collapse, and two (so far) more tests during the night have shown my blood oxygen level to be normal while using the oxygen machine.
The lack of oxygen to the brain can lead to heart problems, stroke, memory loss. The list is rather scary.
In the meantime, I'm supposed to be losing weight. I'm not terrifically overweight and could hardly believe that could be a problem, but my doctor says it could, so I'm taking his word for it.
I rent the oxygen machine, my insurance pays for part of it, but the provider (I'm fairly sure) needs a prescription from a doctor.
I spent a night at the local sleep clinic, and it was indeed awful. The bathroom, for instance, was half a city block down the hall and I trotted down there at least a half dozen times, just out of nervousness. Moreover, I, too, have panic disorder and for the first time in years, felt an attack coming on in that nightmare of a place -- you have all my sympathy! Finally, at 2:00 in the morning, the attendants allowed me to take a Xanax and I finally went to sleep.
I was supposed to have two follow-up visits which I refused point blank. Had to swear to my doctor I would lose weight.
Do you have a sympathetic family doctor who would work with you on this? Good luck.
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