gapwedge

Went in for my initial consult and they had a cancellation for the night test so I will be spending the night in a strange bed with wires attached to everything. I easily could be one that they wake up early. I just have that feeling. What I found interesting that apena produces a chemical that slows the metabolism as well as ******* any effort to lose weight. Also I am hoping my resting pulse and blood pressure drops as a result. This has really opened my eyes. I only wish I had done this a couple of years ago when the symptoms began to appear.

jaxgtr

Good luck. I lost 10 lbs within 2 weeks of using my CPAP and my doc said that is normal.

gapwedge

I hope that is the case with me.

txvintage

Good Luck GW! Hopefully it brings about a solution!

Mook

I've found that I can't sleep without my BiPaP! I was tested about 3 years ago after I was spending more time in meetings asleep than awake and I almost go to the point that I couldn't drive more than 20 minutes before I was a Zombie.

I have a double whammy, I have to sleep with a chin strap too. My fly catcher drops open and causes severe dry mouth along with a really strange sound from the BiPap. Tooks me longer to get used to the chinstrap than anything.

After the first three or four nights, I felt like I was 10 ft tall and bullet proof!!!

I'm trying to figure out how to tour with one!!!

fat sam

I too am a cpap user, it works well. If you are diagnosed with apnea use the machine. A truck driver in my area was diagnosed with it and never used it and one day he had an accident and caused a death and the first thing the insurance co. did was pull his smart card from his machine and it showed he was not using it. I think he was convicted with man slaughter. So use it if you need it.

overthehillmedi

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about six years ago and went onto a CPAP machine the next week,It took me about three nights to get used to the thing but I noticed a diference the first morning.About three years ago I went on a hunting trip and was not using it thinking that it would be all right not to use it for a week or two as there was be no power in camp Big mistake I woke up in the middle of the third night with a very irregular bounding pulse and made my way into the hospital an hour and a half later(yes we were that far out in the bush),spent the rest of the night in the emergency room wired up for sound and what have you,took all night to get back to a regular pulse and normal blood pressure.After passing a stress test the cardiologist released me on the condition that I would behave myself and use my machine. The next fall I had a battery powered machine and have had no problems since. The machine is the AEIO Everest. The battery is good for eight to ten hours.The unit is very portable so one should be able to tour with it and recharge the battery when you get a chance.

PATH

I have sleep apnea. I found myself falling asleep during the day. What a terrible feeling. I was told that if I lost a goodly amount of weight I could "probably" stop using the machine.

I feel a lot better knowing that I am not alone. I hope that does not sound too selfish on my part. In any case the hardest part is finding the right face piece and using the cpap on a regular basis. I use soap and water as well as white vinegar to clean the tubing and stuff. I do as once a week!

gapwedge

I had the tech take a camera phone pic of me all wired up prior to getting into bed. If I could figure out how to transfer that photo from my phone to the web I would post it here. Anyway they told me going in that if I had 30 events per hour or more they would have to stop the test and wake me up and install the CPAP. Well, about 12:30AM they woke me up. I was having 50 apnea events per hour. Once they put the CPAP mask on me I slept like a baby until the 5AM wake up call. Cannot wait to get mine here at the house. Hopefully in the next week.

jaxgtr

Damn, welcome to my world. Your score will be pretty high up, around 80-105. Mine was 103 and I did the same, woken up about 1:30 as they rolled in the crash cart as I was making them panic.

txvintage

Well, the good news is there is a solution.

For the record, this thread has really been thought provoking. I snore like a freight train and have a lot of the awake time tiredness many have mentioned. I work deep nights and have pretty much always used that as a rationale for the tired feeling, even though I know it could be more serious.

I think it's time for a check up.

Thanks to everyone who posted real life experiences.

youcoming

Is snoring a common or sure sign of apnea. I don't snore and I work continental shift and some days it's all I can do to stay awake. I should mention when I was over 300lbs I snored like a frieght train and would often wake gasping for breath, I also smoked then to. As stated i no longer snore or smoke but I never feel totally rested. I'm always blaming work' and the amount of exercise I do. I'm due for a physical in January so may be time to talk to the doc about this.

gapwedge

Without being tested you cannot determine how many apnea events you have during a night. Your % of oxygen in the blood goes way down. Snoring is one symptom. Being 50 years of age and old is another, having a neck size greater than 17 inches is another. Feeling tired when you wake up and a hypertension and a higher than normal resting pulse is another. I thought I was only have about 2-3 apnea events a night. I was tested having 54.1 per hour. >30 per hour is considered severe. I will be on my machine Friday evening. There is also a chemical that results from apnea that ******* the weight loss process.
I just know when they can in and woke me up at 12:30am and had by regulations put me on the CPAP (pronounced see-PAP) machine the remain 4 hours were as peaceful and restful as I can remember. I have gone so long this way I have forgotten what a good night sleep is really like. I have to confess my pride kept me away from getting tested, because I saw that as something I could correct on my own.
It would never hurt to get tested. If nothing else a peace of mind that you won't have a stroke or heart attack in bed. By the way the machine got rid of my snoring too. My wife will be happy.

nachomc

I used to snore and have sleeping issues before I started dropping weight. No issues now.

kenseth03

I don't know yet what I have but I don't sleep worth a darn. Maybe 4 to 5 hours a night and I repeatedly wake up usually about once an hour. I stay sleepy all the time and feel mentally burned out. It has definately made it harder for me to ride my bike since I stay so worn out. My wife says I snore really loud when I sleep and she says I also sound like I am choking in my sleep. I plan on going to my doctor in the next couple of weeks because it is getting worse and I just can't stand it anymore.

jgjulio

I love this thread. If this discussion has helped people who may have Apnea to get evaluated then I think it should be considered a real success.

If after an positive diagnosis for Apnea you should know the difference between an CPAP and a BiPap machine. I am on the BiPap (which changes air pressure on exhalation and inhalation). I had trouble adjusting to a CPAP (which delivers one level of air pressure at all times). I was given a choice. I don't know how MD's are doing that now, nor do I know what CPAP users think about their system.

Best of luck and if you start using the machine as prescribed you will have your life changed. As I said I totally believe that it saved my life.

Happy New Year!

JusticeZero

Snoring is a partial airway blockage caused by the tongue; the noise is air forcig it's way past the tongue. Apnea events are full blockages, where the tongue blocks the airway enough that the lungs don't manage to force air past the tongue. Sleep apnea is thus basically a more serious form of snoring, for most practical purposes.

SeizeTech

I do electronics repair on a sleep recorder that is used in the home to collect the data for sleep doctors to analyse. So, I'm in close working proximity to a doctor that has specialized in sleep apnea for 30 years. His inventions have changed the way the world treats sleep apnea.

What I noticed is just in the last 2 years, my boss is talking about the connection between sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes. And, he's not just talking about an indirect connection from weight gain. He's making reference to a new study that was recently published.

Lets not forget about the increased risk of automobile accidents, or getting fired on the job due to sleeping or impaired performance.

Everytime a new study comes out, or old data is reviewed by a medical association, the severity and risks from sleep apnea are revised. It has already become one of the nasties that increases your risk for other nasties, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc.

BTW, it's not just a symptom of weight gain. Toronto clinics have data that show extreme sleep apneic patients that are able to sleep without respiratory disturbances for hours at a time. This leads them to investigate the chemical feedback system in your body....ie what is causing apnea some of the time?yet the patient breathes well some of the time?

the results are interesting(at least to me), they are able to treat obstructive sleep apnea with a 'low flow' CPAP. the low flow CPAP doesn't pressurize the throat like other CPAPS, instead it regulates how much of your breath gets washed out of the mask....ie your are breathing into a slightly fancier paper bag. What does this do? it changes your bodies chemical feedback system and the patients don't experience respiratory disturbances.

SeizeTech

a few more things I'd like to add.

obstructive sleep apnea happens in the throat. It's not just a matter of excessive tissue like some overweight people may have been told. It's actually a combination of the cavity size established by bone and cartilage, AND the amount of loose tissue, too. This is why sleep apnea can occur ( or not occur) in a wide range of people that have a wide range of BMI.

SeizeTech

just one more thing before I stop my rant - LOL

I have obstructive sleep apnea, too. I stop breathing 120 times per hour. That is considered to be pretty severe. I was diagnosed in 2001, and I have no doubt that if I was left untreated that I would have already suffered a heart attack or a stroke.

I also have high upper airway resistance in my sinuses, which makes me a mouth breather.

I use a CPAP every night, including any naps. My treatment is so effective and so dramatic, I feel better and more energetic at 380 lbs than I did at 220lbs when I was much younger and putting on weight.

I also have type 2 diabetes. high cholesteral. high blood pressure. water retension in my legs(early signs of congestive heart failure?).

Of all my conditions, the CPAP is the most effective and least risking treatment. And, it leads me wondering if I could have been healthier, if in my 20s, the medical community was more aware of high upper airway resistance and obstructive sleep apnea. I'll never know.

gapwedge

I had another miserable night sleeping. Since today is New Year's Day I have to wait until Friday to get fitted for my CPAP machine and mask. So last night and again tonight I will have to go through the multiple apnea events and wake up exhausted. The good news is I should sleep like a baby Friday night.
Our little group that meets at the LBS is going on a 30 miler later this morning and I already feel like I have riden 20 miles. Being 55 I sure which I had gotten checked when I turned 50 when the weight gain and apnea began to show its ugly head. Better late than never, so I am excited about Friday night and future sleeps.
I am glad this thread had stayed active and others have joined in with their experiences and expertise as well as others now questioning themselves to go get tested. A very postive topic and thread.

rideorglide

I did an overnight pulse oxymetry and the pulmonologist has said a sleep study might be in order. I guess I have to bite the bullet and do it.

It's real encouraging to read the rave reviews for Cpap/Bipap here. I sleep so lightly I was real concerned that having a mask on would make it very difficult to sleep at all.

Looks like for many of you the very opposite was true.

SeizeTech

One of the concerns about CPAP usage for mild or moderate cases of sleep apnea, is compliance. About 2/3 of the patients do not remain in compliance of treatment. They find the mask is very claustophobic type experience.

My condition is so severe, I would never dream of taking the mask off in the middle of the night, but some people do this.

There are dental appliances that can be used as an alternative to a CPAP. However, the dental appliances aren't effective for all patients, so its important to be properly evaluated to see if it will work for you. Now that sleep apnea is considered more than just a 'quality of life' issue, a responsible doctor will insist on proper tests instead of just taking your word on how you feel.

jaxgtr

I agree, I know that when I was tested an had the CPAP on for those 4 hours, that by far was the best rest I'd had in years and then I had to wait a week to get my machine and fitted for the mask. I called my docs office to see if I could rent one until I got the OK, from my insurance. I never sleep without it and as a prior post mentioned, low to mod apnea patients will not wear theirs, my wife is an example of that and then complain about not sleeping good.

Some side notes:

I have found when I have a stuffy head, that my CPAP actually forces the sinus to open a little since I no longer breathe through my mouth, so you might feel sore throats more often in those cases as the drainage may go down your throat when you are using it. I tried the warm salt water up the nasal passages thing to clear them out, lets just say, never again . Also, when you are sick, make sure you wash the mask with soap and water. I will wipe mine down with baby wipes each day normally, but when I am sick, it's soap and water.

I shaved the beard and mustache off. I had those for 20 years, my kids and wife never new me without them and since it was all grey anyway, I look younger now , but it really did help keep a better seal.

Your skin will need to get used to the mask and you might get some irritation from where it sits at first. I had some rubbing and raw skin right at the base of my nose where it meets my upper lip. Was really sore for about 2 to 3 weeks until it cleared up. I thought I might have the mask too tight so I loosened it up, and that made it worse.

Mine has a function to heat the water, I think all the new ones have this, I found that if the heat is up to high, it really creates condensation in the tubing at night when room is cold during the winters. Then as I turn or reposition myself, I was having water run into the mask from the tube. I turn the heat down to a fairly low temp, just enough to take the edge off the tap water.

Finally, lets talk water. If you have a water reservoir, they will tell you to put bottled or distilled water in it. My doc told me that if you have good tap water, it is fine, but if it is hard, you will find some hard water build up in the reservoir, you will just need to clean that up a little. I have a water softener, so I don't get that, but I know someone that uses one of those britta's water pitchers as she has a well for her house. It removes a lot of the stuff from their water an she refills her tank with that each night.

gapwedge

Thanks Jaxgtr. Great tips. I slept so badly last night I could not finish my 30 mile ride today. The group left me at 8 miles as I headed back to my car. I had no energy. Tomorrow I get my machine. I know I am not expecting a miracle, but if it can help me sleep then I am all for it. I have a beard, not a heavy one, I trim it fairly short. The mask they used at the sleep center did fine even when I went over to my side. So, maybe I can keep mine, but it will come off if need be.

Has anyone used the CPAP Pro mask? Just curious. You never know about the testimonials on the internet, but my nurse practiconer said the ones at the sleep center who have purchased it have liked it. Seems like it might be a good alternative to the mask. Dunno.