Kids and Apnea

SisterShotgun · Post by **SisterShotgun** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 5:23 pm

I have been sitting here watching my 14 year old son sleeping on the couch for over 30 minutes. He has stopped breathing 10+ times in the past few minutes. Tomorrow I will take him to his doctor and request a sleep study.

Looking at this kid you wouldn't think he fits the profile of sleep apnea, he is underweight because of type 1 diabetes, his neck isn't thick, he doesn't snore..

But for some reason that blood tests cannot explain and doctors cannot explain he has become insulin resistant, he needs more and more insulin to do what very little insulin used to do. Some of his many doctors say it is puberty playing havoc with his system..

I don't know, maybe I am making a big deal out of nothing, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:00 pm

i think it's a great idea to have him tested...i know now that i've had osa my whole life...snored even as a little kid, was always exhausted, had nightmares/panic attacks, never had any energy, never felt rested, always needed to sleep way more than everyone else...

just think, if he is dx'd, it can be taken care of before the damage can really start

my daughter snored like a power tool, even at 3 years of age...i brought her to an ENT because my gp said her tonsils were enormous...ent put tubes in her ears (her hearing was significantly impaired in both ears) and took out adenoids, but argued with me over and over about her tonsils, told me she couldn't be snoring the way i described...finally when she was 7 or so he looked in her mouth and said, 'oh my god, her tonsils are huge' and took them out along with the adenoids that had grown back... and i only found out recently that kids under 10 shouldn't be snoring...the general response to childhood OSA is removal of tonsils and adenoids, which apparently precludes the risk of developing it as adults...so hopefully that will be the case, but believe me, i'll be watching both my kids closely

I don't know, maybe I am making a big deal out of nothing, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

he's lucky that you're not ignoring his symptoms and brushing it off...that's what happened to me my whole life

best of luck, hope it turns out well
sharon

SisterShotgun · Post by **SisterShotgun** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:12 pm

Oh good, I thought for sure I might get slammed for being so overprotective of my son. He was diagnosed 4 years ago with diabetes and I all of a sudden became very protective of the boy, not so much that I won't allow him out of my sight, he does spend the night with friends and basically does what normal kids do, he just has to watch his blood glucose 8 or more times a day. But I still worry about him, and complications of the diabetes have begun to set in, his veins are thinner and are brittle

I told him after he woke up what I have noticed while he was sleeping and I asked him to tell me anything he can remember about his sleeping habits. He told me he has nightmares every night, he is very tired during the day, can't pay attention to save his life, and many times he would rather watch tv than spend time doing family activities. He also told me he wakes up a lot at night and doesn't know why. He also goes to the bathroom a lot at night.

drummergirl410 · Post by **drummergirl410** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:52 pm

I think your decision to get him tested is a very sound one! I'm sure you're already well aware that the diabetes and risk of complications warrant good home managment and oversight from a qualified physycian. You are doing the right thing by going ahead and requesting the study. When it comes to diabedic children any sign of medical change needs to be taken seriously. I have a 16 year old cousin who has been Type 1 since she was four years old. Her care was well managed until she could take the responsibility on herself. She does everything a normal 16 year old does. She's learned that she can have the quality of life she wants when she manages her diabetes the way she needs to, but mom and dad still frequently check behind her to be sure she's doing things properly. If they notice anything out of the ordinary or if she complains of something new the doc visit is scheduled right away. You're doing what any intelligent parent would do. I've also heard that adoledcence plays havoc with a diabetic child, so what you said about that doesn't surprise me.

jennmary · Post by **jennmary** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:03 pm

I have also had SA my whole life. My mother remembers me being an infant and stopping breathing at night. There was more than once that she had my rushed to ER for turning blue. This continued, and was never checked out fully. Then when I was DX with asthma at age 8 my mom just assumed that the waking up gasping all night was just an asthma thing, and that was the end of that discussion. Even when my asthma was very well controlled the night time problems persisted. I only wish someone had paid more attention to it way back then.
You are just doing what any good parent would do. I have a 2 year old. I watch her sleep regularly. So far, so good. She doesnt seem to have the problems I had at that age. I thank god every day. But the moment I start to see signs of SA she will be at the dr. I wont let her spend her life the way I spent mine....tired all the time. So it is great that you have the chance to catch this now....before any more time is wasted. That is the only benefit I think of having SA....you know what to look for. Our children will have a better chance to being dx early, before it has a chance to take over their life.

Stefernie · Post by **Stefernie** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:07 pm

I'd agree.

Time for a visit to an ENT and a sleep doc! Ya might wanna make extra sure his diabetes is under control too.

HeatherN · Post by **HeatherN** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:16 pm

Wow, you are one smart Mom for putting two and two together with your son. I can't tell you how many times Dr's tried to dismiss my concerns about my daughter. Hannah had all the classic symptoms but I have heard so much about how some kids never exhibit the classic signs, it maifests itself with other health concerns and behavoir issues.It certainly sounds like he has all the signs.You are not being overprotective, Mom's intuition is usually correct!

Cliff · Post by **Cliff** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:19 pm

I read Dr. Bernstein, who himself was diagnosed with type 1 at the age of 12. If the link does not work, google Dr. Richard Bernstein. His book "Diabetes Solution" was just updated again this year to reflect current medicines on the market. This guy is serious stuff.

http://www.diabetes911.net/

Here is a link to Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Forum:

http://www.diabetes-book.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:35 pm

Yes, you are ABSOLUTELY doing the right thing. I'm also concerned about my 4 year old. I still listen to him on the baby monitor and wonder if what I'm hearing is apnea. I'm going to have him get a sleep study even though my husband thinks it is ridiculous. He has mild add behavior and is always tired. I have heard him snore occasionally and I heard him apnea once when I shared a room with him at my sister's house. He is going for his yearly exam in Aug and I will be scheduling a sleep study, I hope, at that time.

jen

DawnTCB · Post by **DawnTCB** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:48 pm

Just wanted to say that my sleep doctor said that in her experience, if someone has witnessed someone else stop breathing in their sleep, 100% of the time she has been able to repeat that in a lab setting, and 100% of the time they are diagnosed with sleep apnea.

She also said I have probably had mine since I was a toddler, and if they could have caught it in time, I might not have it today. However, since I was born in the 70s, even if my parents knew what to look for and that it was dangerous, it would have been virtually impossible for them to get a diagnosis. The condition was just not recognized then. My dad was quite relieved when I told him it was his "fault" that I wasn't diagnosed earlier! I guess I was just born too soon!

That said, I agree you should take him for a study. Better safe than sorry, in my opinion.

Dawn

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:18 pm

I'm going to have him get a sleep study even though my husband thinks it is ridiculous. He has mild add behavior and is always tired.

as you well know, Jen, it's not normal for a child of his age to always be tired...secondly, as adults we tend to become irritable and moody with sleep deprivation...imagine a child who is not rested...it's normal for them to have lack of impulse control, but a child who is not rested has no resources to sustain him, which is perceived as behavioural issues...research shows that many childen who have ADHD also present with sleep disorders; my nephew has apneas (waiting for an official diagnosis, but you know it when you see it) and has always been extremely emotional, tantruming at the slightest provocation and has very poor impulse control...

it's too bad that your husband thinks it's ridiculous, but i'm glad you're going to go ahead...my sleep lab tech told me they see more and more todders and preshoolers all the time...

good luck
sharon

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 7:00 am

Thank you for the support, Sharon, it is important that I stick to my guns and not let my husband talk me out of it. In fact, I think, instead of waiting for his check up in a month, I'm going to call now. If he needs surgery or cpap, better to do it now then after school starts!

Jen

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 8:51 am

I'm going to call now. If he needs surgery or cpap, better to do it now then after school starts!

or, if the news is good, and he doesn't have osa, that's even better

i work at a family resource centre where we are the lead agency for our city and county for a Preschool Speech and Language Program...all of our literature and posters etc. say "Don't Wait and See..." because time after time a parent will call to request an assessment on their non-verbal or late-talking child after being told by their doctors and family members to "wait and see...he/she'll be fine"...we NEVER recommend this choice of action (or non-action, i should say) because early intervention is key...(of course, our program is funded by the provincial ministry, so all costs are covered similar to our health care system, so i understand if parents had to pay it might make them more reluctant) parents know what's best for their own children

hope for the best and prepare for the worst...but, it's always better to know

sharon

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 10:46 am

Yes, Sharon, I agree. I will get such peace of mind just from knowing. You can't grow a kid in your body for 9 months and then spend all your free time looking after them and then overlook something glaringly obvious like this! I would feel like a terrible Mom if I found out later that I could have prevented health problems down the line.

So, I did call. His doc is currently on vacation (not interested in another docs opinion--his doc is special!) and can't see Harry until the date of my tonsilectomy (july 30). Yikes. So, I'm going to have to wait until mid-August for his annual physical, but I did tell the nurse to please put on his chart that I want to discuss sleep apnea at that appt.

So, I guess I'll have to keep worrying for a few more weeks!

Jen

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 10:55 am

So, I guess I'll have to keep worrying for a few more weeks!

jen
good for you--glad to hear you made the call; but...
since you already have so much going on, how about not worrying for a few more weeks since now you've got the ball rolling and you've done all you can do for now? be kind to yourself

sharon

Mask

Additional Comments: Started CPAP and my new life 5-25-07