introducing myself

[ladyofthelake]

Hello!
I have had 4 sleep studies over the course of 15 years. I have had three machines..... Until 2 years ago, I was not compliant.... I could not use the CPAP-gave up and all that . I tried but failed... this last time I willed myself and did not beat myself if I did not do a whole night or a few more hours... over the course of 6 months to a year I got used to it.

I also had my nasal turbinates trimmed, deviated septum fixed , my uvala shortened , tonsils taken out as well as excess tissue, That was several years ago and I started to snore again after a year or so. So all that surgery did not necessarily help.

I just bought a Devilbis from cpap.com and it did not set me back a lot. $550 with extra filters. Just got it today! So good luck... I just found this site and am sure you will get great advice from the experts. Just wanted to add my 2 cents.

Lady of the Lake

[kteague]

Your apnea may or may not be mild at this point.

Tonsillectomy may or may not resolve mild apnea. In any surgery one has to weigh the value and probability of a successful outcome against the cost and liklihood of known risks.

Neck size and weight may be indicators of risk for obstructive sleep apnea, but their absence is not evidence of being risk free. For one thing, jaw structure can cause a narrowed airway in non stereotypical body types.

You've gotten some good and varied input to think about. Whatever you do, do something! Guess I could say to give it a good old college try, since that's when you first found out. Taking stimulants in the absence of OSA treatment probably wasn't your best decision. You of all people know we can talk ourselves into believing just about anything. I've heard it said knowledge is power. I'm not so sure about that. But knowledge with a will to apply it should get you where you need to be. Find out what you need now then determine to treat yourself right. Let us know how things go.

Kathy

[ozij]

If I don't naturally have a large neck and I am not obese, might it be that the sole problem my tonsils being 3x too big, and so a tonsilectomy might completely resolve the problem, such that I wouldn't need the CPAP?

I would love to answer yes to that -- but I can't. There is no doubt in my mind that giant tonsils obstruct your airway -- but there may be additional reason - as Kathy pointed out.

I was hoping I could have or the other-- hope to hell I don't need both a tonsilectomy and CPAP. Would a sleep study figure this out for me, or perhaps an ENT?

Well, that too is a wish it would be nice to grant - but people have been promised things that are in the best financial interest of the person who promised - and the promises were not kept.

Are there variations of the CPAP that can comp for enlarged tonsils?

Physical obstruction like large tonsils mean you need much higher pressure: that makes CPAP therapy much more of a bother. High pressure makes masks more leaky ---> more noisy ---> more apt to wake you up. The chances of suffering from gas when your pressure is high are much greater too.

And there is no necessary relationship between the number of breathing obstructions you have, and the pressure you need.

[Hawthorne]

Ozij - you have indeed been "overcome by monkey business". Not surprised to see that you are a very "thoughtful" monkey!

[Songbird]

Hi, Cuziamthecaptain. Welcome to the forum!

Just two comments....

First, no matter where you get a cpap machine -- via the Internet or from a DME (durable medical equipment) supplier -- you'll need a prescription written by a physician. In case you haven’t discovered it yet, here’s a good article from Our Wisdom (the yellow lightbulb, above) by Mile High Sleeper about diagnosis, self-titration and other such things:
our-collective-cpap-wisdom/diagnosing-s ... rance.html

(Where is that woman, by the way? She hasn’t posted since last October. Anybody know?)

Also, here’s a good article by Slinky that addresses the importance of getting a data-capable machine and provides excellent suggestions on exactly how the scripts should be worded:
our-collective-cpap-wisdom/CPAP-machine ... ption.html

Second, whether you decide to continue to mask your sleep apnea symptoms with Adderall is your choice, of course. However, if you do continue to take it, please keep a close watch on your blood pressure and pulse rate. I took Adderall for a number of years to treat ADD, but a few months ago, I noticed my heart started racing for no good reason, so I started paying closer attention. Seems my BP had crept up, as well. I decided my heart had to take precedence over the cheese-whiz nature of my ADDled brain, so with my doc’s help, I gradually weaned myself off the Adderall. My heart rate and BP are back where they should be, and I’m living with my superball-like brain. Actually, my brain isn’t as deficit as it had been, and I’m sure that’s because I’m now getting good, restorative sleep with my cpap machine. I’m also sure my OSA was making my ADD worse. All of that is to say this from my nonmedical, nonprofessional background, based only on my own experience: please be careful with the Adderall. It’s a wonderful drug when used for its intended purpose. However, as far as I know, it was never intended to “treat” sleep apnea. IMO, you'd be doing yourself a huge favor by dealing with your SA rather than hiding from it. Even though the Adderall is helping you stay awake during the day (though not as well as before), you're still being deprived of oxygen every single time you sleep, and that can have long-term, sometimes fatal, results. Step up to the plate, Cuziamthecaptain, and do what you know needs to be done. You'll find a whole stadium full of us cheering you on.

Again, welcome to the forum. Hope everything works out well for you.


Marsha