Cannot exhale thru nose and more

No doubt my husband has sleep apnea. He snorts, chokes, stops breathing, etc. and snores every night. BCBS refused a sleep study even tho he also has asthma and COPD from undertreated asthma (parents and grandfather chain smoked). He also has HBP (treated) and a urogenic bladder for 35 years. So, he has NO treatment other than Theodure 2 x's a day. His sleep is SO loud, that if he ever gets settled down and stops all the noises, it wakens me to see if he's breathing!!!

For myself, I have no HBP, neck isn't large, am about 15 lbs overweight but over the last 4 or 5 years have woken maybe 10 times at the most feeling like someone had their hand over my nose so I couldn't exhale. I open my mouth, exhale and go right back to sleep. Seldom snore and then only if congested from sinus or a cold. I'm 66. However, a trip to the dentist or hair dressers where my head and neck are back in an abnormal position causes minor incidents of the same type sensation. It feels like the upper back of my throat has closed off. My GP sees nothing but some enlarged turbinates. (I had a horrible chemo 7 1/2 years ago that turned my nasal passages into 'ground meat' and have had nasal concerns since then.) Also, I take .5 mg Klonipin for Chronic Disease Post Traumatic Stress after colon cancer in 2009 and a met to my liver in 2012 (cancer FREE for 5 years this coming April). My doctor says .5 mg 2 to 3 x's a day isn't enough to cause sleep apnea. I sleep in a night guard because I cracked off several teeth (again damage from chemo) grinding my teeth at night. I think mine would be caused by lack of muscle tone and be exhaustive sleep apnea???

I go to the gym 3 days a week, 2 hours each day for cardio, crossfit, circuit training and have NO problems. I have no known health issues. I have CT/ MRI's 2 times a year. No problems noted. Have EKG prior to colonoscopies and doctor said I have the heart of a woman half my age. Resting heart rate is 62! BP is 126/74 as an average.

Since BCBS won't approve sleep studies other than a thing on our finger at home, what else could we try?

Does BCBS not cover any sleep testing or did they decline you and/or your husband's? If their lack of approval is case specific, I'd say give all the information you gave us to your doctor and file an appeal on the decision, asking the doctor to carefully document why the test is medically necessary. It is not unusual for insurances as a normal course of business to look for excuses to deny approval in hopes you'll give up and go away. The doctor requesting the test needs to leave them without excuse. Often denied approval is reversed upon appeal with a doctor's statement of medical necessity. Let us know how this turns out.

guest diane wrote:Since BCBS won't approve sleep studies other than a thing on our finger at home, what else could we try?

For goodness sake, do the "thing on the finger" and see what the results say.

BCBS would only approve the in home test with the pulse ox thing on the finger. We tried to explain to the sleep specialists that between the dogs wanting up at night and a 22 year old son who works until midnight, then comes home to cook supper, I don't sleep undisturbed. Hubby is always up by 3 then comes back to bed around 5. He will get up and sing or watch sports. We felt they wouldn't get a true reading off the hand thing and since the sleep study was refused, the pulmonologist we'd waited 6 months to see cancelled our follow up appointments.

I just saw last night that the VA is helping veterans with sleep apnea and my husband has a doctor's appointment there in early February. Like I said, mine has only happened maybe 10 times in my life and some odd sensation in the hair dressers hair washing chair or at the dentist in certain positions.

Thank you. I won't bother you again.

guest diane wrote:We felt they wouldn't get a true reading off the hand thing

You can sleep any time of day - it doesn't have to be at nite or between 11pm and 7am. The only requirement is that you sleep. You can even buy your own recording O2 meter and check it yourself.

If hubby is a VA patient that is a good choice. They do supply top notch equipment at no cost to the veteran. Often there will be a wait to get tested but he can ask to put on their cancellation list if they have one.

guest diane wrote:the dogs wanting up at night and a 22 year old son who works until midnight, then comes home to cook supper, I don't sleep undisturbed. Hubby is always up by 3 then comes back to bed around 5. He will get up and sing or watch sports.

Oh my gosh. I don't think a sleep study will solve your problems.

shut your bedroom door and wear earplugs and an eye mask. why is your husband getting up at 3AM to futz around until 5am? tell him to go to bed at a normal time so that he can get up at a normal time.

if it's just OSA that's suspected, you don't really need a sleep study...if you get a used machine the forum can help you find the optimal pressures if you need the assistance.