New Here...just diagnosed with severe sleep apnea...

tekman88 · Post by **tekman88** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:58 pm

Hey Folks....My name is Stanley and I'm 38 yrs old and have been diagnosed with sleep apnea...I have done a little bit of reading on here and have dona a little research about it on the Net.....it looks like it might be a WHOLE lot more complicated than I first thought after reading a few threads here....I thought it was just a simple matter of wearing a nose mask hooked to a little machine that pumped air to keep the airway open....I HOPE it will be an easy matter to get a set-up that will work for me....

I completed the initial sleep study and got the results today...I didn't write down all the #'s the Lady gave me over the phone, but I did write down a couple of things....an RDI of 56.....oxygen level got down to 76% at one point during the test....and I don't remember all the other #'s she told me....I hope they send me a print-out with it all on there......

I'm scheduled to do the next phase in about 2 weeks....I guess they hook me to a CPAP machine along with all the other wires and stuff from the first time around.....then they adjust(titrate??) the machine to get that RDI# to >5??.....or hopefully 0....

My wife and I have slept in seperate rooms for the whole 12 years that we've been married....she couldn't stand my snoring and I couldn't take her yelling at me to turn over many times a night....only get that on overnight vacations now, thankfully.....but she told me that I'd quit breathing sometimes....but a visit to an Ear/nose/throat specialist for a bad ear infection is what prompted me to get referred to a sleep clinic.....he said my nose has a deviated septum and asked me if I could breath ok??...I told him as far as I knew I could.....but that I sometimes felt tired during the day....mostly when I was sitting still for a while watching tv, reading, or driving long distances in a car or on my motorcycle.....I am a Landscape Crewleader for the local City/County Govt. here and usually have no problem staying awake while I'm working.....

I am about 5'8" tall, weigh around 200-205 lbs which is about 25-30lbs more than I weighed only 3-4yrs ago.....SO, I have a feeling that this SA has slowed my metabolism down some.....but read that SA can cause weight gain also because of lack of oxygen-slowed heart function??....

I'm hoping that if I get this CPAP thing done that it may help me lose a little weight and be able to stay awake all day long.....maybe give me a little energy boost to start working out again...I work 4....10hr days, so it's hard to stay motivated in the summers after working outside in the 100+ heat all day....here in Athens, GA

I know I have a lot more to learn and will most likely have plenty of questions for you folks.....I will try to be a good student and let me apologize now for asking any dumb and redundant questions....

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap machine, CPAP, RDI

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap machine, CPAP, RDI

yorkiemum01 · Post by **yorkiemum01** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:13 pm

Since I too, am a 'newbie', less than 2 weeks under my 'hose'.
I cant relay all the wisdom and information these folks here have. But I will tell you your study was very similair to mine, and my second test (w/cpap) led to a third, and finally a presciption from my MD. I'm still in the early learning stage, but want to encourage you to save this web link to your favorites, as along this journey you'll have many questions, and the folks here are soooo supportive and informative!
I can relate to soooooo much you're describing, as my son sometimes slept in the guest bedroom downstairs to get his rest, as my snoring was so bad (although I never heard it), and my oxygen levels dipped into the lower 70s during my study, resulting in another stay.....and we're the same age.
Be patient and steadfast, as I'm learning myself this is a learning process, but in the long and short of it, your health is at stake. My father wasnt diagnosed til his 50's and by that time had his first heart attack, and COPD. Who's to say with earlier intervention this could've been avoided?? He has a decade of CPAP under his belt, as well as my brother....and both swear its the best thing since sliced bread! Good luck, and keep coming back.

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:57 pm

Welcome both of you. This forum will change your life. Read read read and with the right attitude your body will recover from essentially being water-boarded every night. Hypoxia is a slow killer and the cauase of many comorbidities. Few recognize the severity of apnea ... good luck on your new lifestyle.

goose · Post by **goose** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:51 pm

Welcome to you both -- obviously you've both found the yellow light bulb and the red balloon, so all I can say is read, read, read.

Recovery will take some time, but you are both fairly young so the damage done to your bodies by apnea isn't as severe as someone my age (58 ). I've been on the hose for almost a year (a few months to go) and I can say I really do feel better. Not super great yet, but I didn't get here overnight, so I don't expect miracles!!!!!

Stick with it.
Get yourself a data capable machine so you can keep an eye on your treatment.
Try different masks until you come up with a couple that work for you (getting one can be a major chore!!!!).

Masks are the "Holy Grail" of xPAP, so you'll be on the trek for a bit, but have faith -- you'll find masks that will work for you!!!

And yes, it is a bit more complicated than strapping a little maskie to your nose and having air blown into it.....

But it sounds like you both have the right attitude for success!!!! Keep at it, don't give up and by all means let us know how you're doing. Ask away!!!!

take care
cheers
goose

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): hose

alnhwrd · Post by **alnhwrd** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:17 pm

Welcome to the forum, and the wonderful world of Cpap! If you are anything like me, after a few weeks on CPAP you should lose the daytime sleepiness (I was falling asleep while driving, but no more), be able to sit in comfy chair and watch TV without falling asleep, and maybe you and your wife can even move back in the same bedroom! If your O2 levels have been going down that low, you should also start healing your body right away from the damage that low O2 levels bring. Like Goose said, the right mask is all important, so pester your supplier into letting you try as many as possible until you find one you can be comfortable with. Keep reading and come back for any questions that you have. Good Luck!

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:53 pm

hello and welcome to the forum

this is going to feel like a huge learning curve, but this is the place for support and encouragement

when i first started i didn't believe i could ever get used to cpap, but i found this forum in my first two weeks and have learned more than i could have learned anywhere else; thanks to the wonderful people here i reached my first anniversary back in january

congratulations to you on finding your way here, and on your positive attitude...it will hold you in good stead in the days and weeks to come

take good care...see you around the message board!

sharon

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP

ColoradoDreamer · Post by **ColoradoDreamer** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 11:50 pm

Welcome to the two of you!

Stanley and yorkie, sounds like your attitude towards this will help you a lot towards being a successful user of this treatment. One's attitude towards this is a major hurtle. So study, study, study and ask questions. If you know someone that is currently on CPAP, as yorkie does, become their friend. They can help you out. This forum has been a great help for me.

Stanley, the CPAP will take care of your snoring so prepare the wife for trying out sleeping in the same room. One recommendation for you is to adjust the fit of your mask as best you can BEFORE you sleep in the same room. Take the time during the day to get a good fit. It took me a couple weeks of adjusting the mask for a good fit and the wife did not appreciate the sound of ripping Velcro at night. It's not just snoring that will get you kicked out of bed.

In terms of your response to treatment, it will vary. It could be right away, I noticed a tremendous difference the morning after the sleep study, or as some here have said it took them some time to notice benefits. So you should notice an increase in energy throughout the day…it is great! How wonderful it is to stay awake through an entire movie, read a book for two hours straight or not fall asleep while driving! Of course I can't guarantee that you will be anymore motivated after spending a day in that muggy 100+ Georgia heat.

I have not experienced any weight loss with the use of CPAP. Sure it will give you more energy but I imagine that diet and exercise will be the quickest way to tackle the weight. Weight loss may even help reduce the severity of your sleep apnea.

Don't worry about getting your numbers correct right away (I'm surprised the sleep techs told you your numbers for they told me that it was up to my Dr). When you see your Dr. to go over the results of the sleep study make sure you get a copy of it for your records. You may need it in the future for purchasing equipment. You may want to request the more extensive results from the sleep lab. And don't forget to get yourself a prescription before you leave the Dr. office.

Good luck!

We're all in this together and we're pullin' for you

Sleepy Dog Lover · Post by **Sleepy Dog Lover** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 2:11 am

Welcome tekman. It really isn't as complicated as some of the things you have read in other posts, and hopefully the good folks here an help you out if you are having any problems. Think of it this way, you may get to sleep in the same bed with your wife soon.

There are a lot of people who don't have a problem adjusting to cpap, and it can be as easy as sticking a mask on your face and starting off. I was one of the lucky ones, I really didn't have a problem adjusting to sleeping with a cpap, but I believe in educating myself and finding out how I can get the best results from my therapy and that is why I am here. A lot of people come because they are having problems and that is why it may seem like there is a lot more to it. And of course, there are lots on here who stay because they want to help others adjust.

The main thing to remember is to get a machine that is data-capable. Most DME's want to stick you with the cheapest maching possible, and if you haven't been here, you don't know enough to get a higher level of machine. If you have a data-capable machine you can get the software and card reader so you can check to see how you are doing on an ongoing basis. You don't have to have the card reader and software, but to have the ability to check if you want is the reason to have a data capable machine.

The other thing is to realize that the mask is everything in getting effective treatment. If your mask doesn't work for you, you won't get effective treatment. Masks are a very individual thing, and what works for some people doesn't work for others.

Keep reading and get yourself educated, and ask for help when you need it. You will be amazed at the difference it can make. You make your own adjustment to compensate for the tiredness, but it is still there. Good luck with your titration, make sure that you ask for a complete copy of your sleep study report so you have the information.

tekman88 · Post by **tekman88** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:29 am

Thanks for all the warm welcomes and replies......I guess this SA thing is just something else to deal with......I am used to wearing all kinds of PPE in the line of work I'm in....things like safety glasses, hearing protection, and dust masks occasionally.....some of the nose/head masks I've seen pics of look Darth Vaderish, but maybe I can grow accustomed to having to wear one in order to get a good nights sleep??.....

I don't normally have a problem staying awake during the day since my job is very physically demanding.....it's only when I am sitting for a while either driving.....or riding my motorcycle, or late at night while watching TV....I consider myself to be a pretty active guy although I have my days when I'd just as soon lay around watching old movies on the TCM channel......

As far as being able to sleep in the same bed with the wife, that's not something I feel I need from getting the snoring under control.....she and I never slept in the same bed when we were engaged and not after we were married either.....I like having the bed to myself to stretch out in and usually only sleep under a comforter.....I'm "hot-natured"....the wife likes to sleep under plenty of blankets and sheets.....we do our "business" then seperate to opposite ends of the house.....LOL.....we do love each other but do not have to be laying next to each other at night.....I don't expect that to change.....I do have a little Chihuahua named Lucy who sleeps in my bed.....uhhh, no....that's not right....SHE let's me sleep in her bed....LOL....she thinks she's a real "Lady"....and danged if that dog doesn't SNORE too....I was wondering if they made "Doggy CPAP's??"....LMAO.....)

One thing I DO hope changes is this.....I often get up 2-4 times a night and go to the bathroom.....when I wake up I feel like I need to pee but I'm not sure if I wake up BECAUSE I need to or, if I go the the bathroom BECAUSE I've awakened??.....kind of like the "chicken or the egg" thing....I read that a side effect of SA can be frequent use of the bathroom at night(nocturia?)....I had a kidney infection when I was a teenager and sometimes wonder if it affected my bladder?.....I DO drink a lot of cokes/pepsi's during the day but have been cutting that in half and drinking the low calorie Crystal light punch at supper each night.....SO, maybe it's just that I'm drinking too many liquids and has nothing to do with the SA.....

I'm hoping to get to find out what a full night's sleep will be like.....laying down at 11pm and not getting back up until 6am would be FANTASTIC!!....especially if I don't feel tired afterwards....

Thanks again for the welcome and I'm sure I'll have more questions later....and I do know 2-3 other folks who use CPAP....two are a couple of my motorcyle riding friends and another is a co-worker....and yet another co-worker is scheduled to take a sleep study soon....he's just a light-weight at 118 lbs when the Dr's told him he may have SA....so maybe weight isn't the ONLY factor in this affliction......

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 8:50 am

tekman88 wrote:...
One thing I DO hope changes is this.....I often get up 2-4 times a night and go to the bathroom.....when I wake up I feel like I need to pee but I'm not sure if I wake up BECAUSE I need to or, if I go the the bathroom BECAUSE I've awakened??.....kind of like the "chicken or the egg" thing....I read that a side effect of SA can be frequent use of the bathroom at night(nocturia?)....

Nocturia is actually a side effect of your heart having to pump wildly in order to get the needed oxygen to your brain. The "real" effects of sleep apnea are much worse than unrestful sleep regardless of whether nocturia is partly responsible for your waking or not. The damage occurs slowly and undetected stressing not only your cardiovascular system but all of your organs as well and it throws your hormone levels all out of wack which also take a toll on the entire body. Sleep apnea is strongly correlated to stroke, heart attack, hypertension (kidney failure), diabetes, and all of the many comorbidities that are associated with obesity. Having to get up to pee at night and daytime sleepiness are minor effects IMO.

Moby · Post by **Moby** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 8:51 am

Welcome Tecman, and welcome too, Yorkiemum!

1)

Getting a comfortable mask that you can sleep in is the first priority. Try out lots and lots, trial them at home if you can, if not, lie down and toss and turn and turn in them if you can.

2)

A heated humidifier is important, as the nose normally moistens the air you breathe. With cpap the nose can't provide enough moisture and the nose and airways dry out.

3)

a data capable machine will prove invaluable down the track, once you have the mask and the sleeping with the machine sorted. Make sure you get a data capapble machine.

I've been on therapy a year and have been learning steadily all along. Still learning.

You will feel so much better with the treatment, you won't know yourselves!

Oh, add to the list above

4)

a Great sense of Humour!

looking forward to more of your posts,

Di

BelmontAl · Post by **BelmontAl** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:57 am

Hi Tecman,

As usual, you've already received a lot of great advice here. Getting to the right set-up for you will go a long way in helping you to adjust to CPAP. I found my set-up pretty quickly once I new what to look for, thanks to the great people here at cpaptalk.

Two things I haven't seen mentioned yet: hose management and exhalation relief.

Hose Management. I toss and turn throughout the night and found that the hose pulled at my mask, which then woke me up. I learned about suspending the hose from the wall above my head (a lot of different approaches discussed in different posts here); problem solved.

Exhalation relief. My first CPAP was a "straight" CPAP - the pressure stayed the same whether inhaling or exhaling. I found exhaling against a pressure of 14 very uncomfortable. I had not found this forum, and so didn't realize that there were machines avaiblabe to address this concern by providing for a lower pressure when exhalaing. I was non-compliant.

When I read about exhalation relief here on this board, I tried a machine with C-flex (Respironics version of exhalation relief on a CPAP. Problem reduced significantly.

I now use a BiPAP that provides even more exhalation relief than a CPAP with C-flex. Problem solved. (Note, I have also tried a CPAP with A-flex and found that almost as good as BiPAP for me.)

xPAP treats my nocturia problem - I hope it does yours.

FYI, I fortunately am a nose-breather and so faced a fraction of the challenges faced by mouth-breathers.

Of course, these are just my experiences and of course ymmv.

Congratulations on finding this board. With your proactive and persistent attitude and the support and guidance of this community you can and will end up with the right set-up for you.

Best,
Al

goose · Post by **goose** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 11:30 am

I used to get up 4-5 times a night to make a bathroom stop myself. Since I've been on the xPAP I generally sleep through the night -- have to go like crazy when I wake up , but I don't get up during the night.

Sometimes I'll wake during the night and have that urge, but that's rare anymore.

Dreamstalker is absolutely correct. The apneas cause your brain to freak out which causes it to secrete all kinds of hormones, insulin etc. to get your body to breathe. The heart races, the body goes into hyper mode for a short time and you breathe.....to the brain the crisis is now over.
But if this happens 20, 30, 40 times an hour, you can see how it accumulates.
Your kidneys go into hyper mode with everything else so the bladder fills and causes you to need to relieve....

These hyper mode incidents are not good for the body -- high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, diabetes among many others.....

SO -- bottom line is to get the apnea under control and a lot of other things will fall into line.
As I said in my earlier post -- you are young enough that you haven't had the level of damage to your body as many of us have had.
Count your blessings, find a mask that works for you -- and hang around to let us know how you're doing!!!

take care
cheers
goose

HelpMeBreath · Post by **HelpMeBreath** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 3:58 pm

Cute dog man.. My family rescues and imports street dogs from Vieques (island near puerto rico). 90% of them are Chihuahua mixes, those dogs get around! If you want to hear what other people hear when YOU are asleep, crash out with a bull dog for a while.

After I finish designing my cpap mask with a built in MP3 player, I might start on a mask for bulldogs.

Good luck and congrats on getting treatment. This board is loaded with smart helpful people who will take a legit interest in helping you, more so than most doctors it seems. I have personally become a little obsessed with getting my machine to work because Im kind of a tweaker.

roster · Post by **roster** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 7:20 pm

tekman88 wrote:......I'm "hot-natured"....the wife likes to sleep under plenty of blankets and sheets..........

I can pretty much say ditto to what the others have said. Let me add, for me, being "hot-natured" in bed was a side effect of sleep apnea. Once I started cpap treatment I turned the thermostat on the a/c up some during the summer and added a blanket during the winter.

Welcome aboard, you have come to a great support group!

Glad you are starting young with the treatment! Like Goose, I went untreated/undiagnosed for a very long time and have a lot of damage to deal with.

Humidifier

Additional Comments: ozzie heated hose.

Humidifier