couple of apnea questions.

desikitteh · Post by **desikitteh** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 11:32 pm

does anyone know if (australian) basic travel insurance would cover a hired cpap machine?

also...

i was diagnosed yesterday with sleep apnea. but i also have insomnia (in that i have a lot of trouble getting to sleep.) the specialist gave me the go-ahead to talk to my gp about sleep medication to assist in getting to sleep, and i was wondering if there are any sleep meds that are particularly apnea friendly or ones that i should definately avoid?

thanks.

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alnhwrd · Post by **alnhwrd** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 12:06 am

Lots of people use lots of stuff to help them sleep, especially in the first few days of adjusting to CPAP. I've read lots of posts from people who use Ambien and like it, and lots of people use OTC stuff like benedryl and melatonin. A few people report difficulty with them, so you will have to see what works for you and what doesn't. You should probably avoid sleep aids, especially RX stuff that will really knock you out, until you have your machine and are getting treatment for OSA. OSA causes your throat to collapse, so you stop breathing and your brain must wake you to get you to breath again. Since you are not breathing, oxygen is not getting to your bloodstream, which is a bad thing. So if you are taking something that keeps you asleep, your brain is less able to waken you and your blood oxygen level goes even lower, which is a VERY bad thing. So do be careful. Best of luck.

larbabe · Post by **larbabe** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 1:10 am

Good advice about meds. Safety and dependency are important concerns.

I found 2 things that help. Pursleep French Vanilla and headphones with relaxing music or nature sounds. On nights that the restless legs or anxieties are too much, I take Requip and a tiny dose of Klonopin. Now that I'm more used to the CPAP it's much easier to fall asleep and I don't need the meds very often. Ambien or Soma are good, but not for long term or permanent use. Some like natural things like chamomille herb tea, melatonin and aromatherapy.

There are some really good sources of new age music designed for sleep. One of my favorites is The Silent Path, by Robert Haig Coxon. Other good ones are Sleep by Liquid Mind, Journey To The Angel by Llewellyn... the list goes on and on.

Don't be afraid to experiment. You'll probably end up with something that works well for you!