Attn Newbies: your brain may be fried.....

[Babette]

SWC - how long have you been on the hose? Took me several months to really feel like I had more energy. And that was after a three month course of Provigil every day to keep me from falling asleep at work.

Have patience,
Barbara

[sop1]

Hello, I just found this forum. I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea over a year ago and been using a CPAP religiously since day one. It's great to read about others experiences. I knew I snored badly but didn't really even know I had a problem until my wife told me she was scared because I stopped breathing in my sleep for long periods with every breath. Of course it didn't phase me until I got a regular colonoscopy check up and the doctor told me afterwards that my colon was beautiful but he thought I was going to die on the table due to my sleep apnea while I was out. I am lucky in that I took to the mask (full- mouthbreather) with no problem. I immediately started sleeping solid for 7 hours a night (a previous normal state for me) and stopped needing a mid afternoon nap. I also don't get up 4 times to go to the bathroom any longer. I haven't been back to the sleep doctor since I began treatment but your posts have inspired me to have my data analyzed to optimize my progress. I didn't know about the short term memory thing and have noticed this occurs at times. Thanks.

[GumbyCT]

My Edit:

You see, I didn't think I was at all depressed, or angry, or frustrated, or desperate--I just thought I was "tired." Now I look back and see how bad off I was in many ways. I wonder how close I came to dying in my sleep or how many times my clouded brain came close to making some stupid decision that would have gotten me killed some other way. And I wonder if in another six months or so, I'll look back and see it even more clearly.

In the meantime, I am amazed by how much of who I am has changed....The world is a different place somehow.

It is scary to look back and not like who I've been, but it is interesting to look at who I am now and like myself better. And it is an oddly new concept to realize I may very well like myself even more in the future.

I owe a lot of that to PAP therapy.

Which means I owe a lot of that to you folks posting here at cpaptalk.com.

Most of us feel attacked or threatened when others mention we might not be processing to swiftly or forgetting things, or misunderstanding things, or having mood swings and so on. There are studies that compare OSA to alcohol intoxication and we all know you can't tell a person s/he's drunk.

After the diagnosis, I think the 1st hurdle is "Denial". Many don't/won't make it over that river. Others will take the path of least resistance and do nothing.

This is the most critical time, when we aren't thinking clearly and are vulnerable. This is when some DME's will get you to sign a contract to steal your money. Sad but true.

This is the hardest time to learn but it is when you must learn how to help treat your condition, yourself.

Who cares more about you than YOU?

How long can YOU hold your breath?

There is NO easy way out. We should ALL be thankful this OSA condition can be treated. There are sooo many other medical conditions which can NOT be treated.

OSA is only terminal if you do nothing.

For me, doing nothing was doing nothing for me.

GumbyCT - who thinks -
OSA has no age, sex, ethnic, or other requirements -
and that OSA is as common as cavities and arthritis.
There are two kinds of people in this world -
those who have OSA
and those who have not been diagnosed yet.

[carbonman]

I am not the same person. I'm a lot more "me."

It has been the process of psychological healing has been the most interesting part of it for me.
Now I look back and see how bad off I was in many ways.

In the meantime, I am amazed by how much of who I am has changed.
The world is a different place somehow.

It is scary to look back and not like who I've been, but it is interesting to look at who I am now and like myself better. And it is an oddly new concept to realize I may very well like myself even more in the future.

I owe a lot of that to PAP therapy.

Which means I owe a lot of that to you folks posting here at cpaptalk.com.

Thanks, guys and gals.

jeff

jeff, you are my brother.

On the other hand, "The essential epiphanies reflected in carbonman's mirror may be closer than they appear."

The essential epiphanies reflected in your mirror are the same reflections in my mirror.
So well said! Thank you!

Thank you! everyone for your replies.
Yes, I have been successful w/my therapy because of the advise I receive here.
But, I have to come here to share my thoughts and feelings because,
non-cpap persons in the world may smile and try to be supportive,
but they don't know.

You guys know what I'm talking about.

[jnk]

. . . jeff, you are my brother. . . .You guys know what I'm talking about.

carbonman,

Thanks for another classic thread, hose-brother.

jeff

[SleepFast]

I was diagnosed with severe OSA about 2 months ago. It took over a month to get titrated and set up with the equipment. I found this site and demanded an auto unit and three masks upfront based on what I read. During the time I knew I had OSA and finally getting the equipment I dreaded going to bed knowing I was frying my brain.

I'm sure I've had OSA for years. All the classic symptoms and the others I've read on this thread. And the same stories I see here. I had no idea as I slept well (I thought). I've been on the hose for about 20 days and feel much better. Not perfect, but better. I hope that things keep improving as I have read on this posting.

I have a lot of friends who have similar symptoms, but don't want to take the time for sleep studies. Or they are afraid of what they might find. My own brother wakes up gasping for air.

I have sent them all this thread and hope they read it and pass it on!!!

Playing my guitar again:-)

[suneilp]

I left two jobs and was laid off from another because I just couldn't hack it. I couldn't manage everything that was required of me.

It's like I am looking back and seeing the wreckage that sleep deprivation has wrought in my life. Like: WOW: that wasn't *me* that made that decision or produced that outcome, that was sleep apnea.

I can relate to that as I just got laid off from work today. I was afraid of that happening as I saw it happen to someone at work a few months ago who also has OSA. Its so stressful trying to deal with a crappy doctor and DME who only care about their profit margins. It was such a struggle just getting ready in the morning and putting everything I had into the job and trying to get my OSA under control.

I wish I had found this board and done my research earlier. It would have prevented this from happening and I probably wouldn't have worsened my GERD this week to the point where I ended up going to the ER a couple days ago. Now one of the new extra meds I'm taking gives me stomach pain making me miss work today. Of course the company had the kindness of laying me off over the phone.

Well I'm not too bothered by it. I was gonna find a better job once I got my sleep apnea under control

On the bright side, I can take a few weeks before looking for a new job to relax and deal with all the stress. It was really hard and stressful working a full time job while dealing with OSA.

[roster]

........ I found this site and demanded an auto unit and three masks upfront based on what I read. ..........

Now that is the right way to do it! Next you need the card reader and software to monitor leaks, apneas, hypopneas, snores and pressure.

........
I have a lot of friends who have similar symptoms, but don't want to take the time for sleep studies. Or they are afraid of what they might find. My own brother wakes up gasping for air.

I have sent them all this thread and hope they read it and pass it on!!!

.........

You are a good man. I have sent 24 friends and associates to the sleep lab in the three years since I have been diagnosed and all were confirmed with sleep apnea. 22 have CPAPs and 2 have elected to continue frying their brain.

[carbonman]

bump

[tattooyu]

In the year before I was diagnosed w/OSA, I had just about quit playing my guitars,
because my coordination, endurance and cognitive functions were so degraded,
it was just not any fun. I didn't know why my abilities were going away.
I was about to sell the guitars.
After 7mths on the hose, I'm back to playing almost everyday.
I am remembering and playing tunes I thought I had forgotten.
It's fun again and I see and hear improvement everyday.

carbonman,

I'm sitting here in disbelief. I, too, am a musician who hasn't picked up his guitars in almost four years. No desire, no coordination, no NOTHING.

I can't wait to get my machine and change my life!

[SuperGeeky]

Great Post! Interesting how Guitar playing keeps coming up I started teaching myself how to play guitar and began noticing my retention declining. I really thought I was getting Alzheimer's. Physical strength declined too! Just didn't know I had SA.

Sleep Doc has pulled me off BiPap for ten days or so. Sinusitis, severe case. I mentioned it to my Mom. She cheered I was off BiPap. Her words 'That Sleep Apnea stuff is a bunch BS. Sleep Docs are nothing but Snake Oil Salesmen'

No one is going to cut any slack for feeling tired, or not remembering, not feeling well. Consider yourself lucky if you can steal some rest and stay on track with your therapy, find people who understand.

Thank God for this Group!!!

My Sleep Doc reviews my Encore Reports, shakes his head, says 'This is exactly how it's supposed to look'. Perfect!! I'm not fooling around with this nasty stuff, causing heart attacks, strokes and brain damage. No way!!

[SharkBait]

Ditto to most everything so far... (except I don't play the guitar except a little Rock Band/Guitar Hero...)

I especially like the analogy of the dirty windshield. You'll drive around with all that dirt and bugs and not think a thing about it and then you clean it, and viola! I have this clear headedness that I didn't know I was missing and I'm only a few days in.

[Sleepy Boy]

So true, Carbonman.

Rooster, you and Carbonman got me headed in the right direction the other day with telling me to get a FF mask. I'm glad I did it. This OSA thing is awful, you fight yourself, the equipment, and everything else. But those nights for us "Newbies" that it all works---what a blessing. Also, bless all you folks on here that have "been around a while" and take the time to help us out. Jim, Rested Gal, Babbette, Gumby, Gail etc. all the names slip my mind that have personally helped me, BUT, THANKS!!!! Larry....

[roster]

....... I really thought I was getting Alzheimer's. ........

You probably were:

Researchers found that when people with Alzheimer’s and OSA are treated with CPAP, cognition and memory improves. This study was published in the November edition of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. They estimated that about 70-80% of Alzheimer’s patients have at least 5 apneas every hour. The authors concluded that CPAP may be an effective tool to improve cognitive skills if someone with Alzheimer’s also has OSA. They pointed out, however, that it’s unlikely that OSA causes dementia, and that the lowered oxygen levels and sleep fragmentation is what can aggravate poor cognition and memory loss.


I disagree with the last statement. The fact that 70-80% of Alzheimer’s patients have OSA is a very high figure. The minimum criteria for a sleep apnea diagnosis is 5 apneas or hypopneas per hour, and each episode has to last longer than 10 seconds. But what if someone stops breathing 25 times every hours, but wakes up only after 2 or 9 seconds? It doesn’t get counted at all! These are the people who are tried all the time and never get deep refreshing sleep, and it’s called upper airway resistance syndrome.


Also, sleep apnea doesn’t just occur all of a sudden when you’re older or gain weight. All modern humans are all susceptible to various degrees, so it’s plausible that these same Alzheimer’s patients in the study already had at least some degree of a sleep-breathing problem years, or even decades before the onset of Alzheimer’s.


If you take a look at the research literature, there are tomes of studies that link sleep apnea (and even snoring alone) with a much higher incidence of stroke (as well as heart disease). One recent study looked a MRI’s of people with sleep apnea and found a significant increase in the number of small silent strokes (or lacunar infarcts). Another study showed that people with sleep apnea had significantly reduced blood flow rates to certain critical areas of the brain. Other studies have shown that the acoustic trauma from snoring can worsen carotid artery plaque formation. This is just a small sampling of studies that all suggests that the process of Alzheimer’s begins long before you develop symptoms. Add to this the fact that Alzheimer’s patients also have a higher incidence of depression and heart disease. And lastly, there’s a general consensus amongst Alzheimer’s researchers that this condition is a small vessel disease. Autopsy studies have revealed neurofibrilary tangles (NFTs) and senile plaques (SPs) in Alzheimer’s patients, but no one has figured out why or how these events occur. NFTs and SPs are also seen in other non-Alzheimer’s conditions as well.


All this goes back to my theory that all humans are on a continuum with regards to sleep-breathing problems. Of course, if OSA causes lots of mini-strokes over decades and once you become demented at age 80, treating your underlying sleep apnea will help you think better, but the damage has already been done.

Written by Steven Park · Filed Under Blog

http://doctorstevenpark.com/can-sleep-a ... zheimers-2

[DoriC]

Carbonman, thank you for this thread and reminding me again why I'm doing this for my husband. Since I'm the one mostly responsible for his therapy(although he is beginning to take a more active part now), my resentment was starting to build until I began to see the positive changes happening and getting back some of the companionship I was missing. We're more determined than ever to make this work for many happy years to come. Thanks to all for reminding me of how it used to be!