Poll: How many years before diagnosis? Treatment?

[BeanMeScot]

I was told I snored a long time ago but my sleep study last year showed my non-REM apnea was only 10.5. My REM apnea was 38 and I never stop breathing. Just have hypopneas. So I don't know how long I have actually had it. It's not that bad now so how bad could it have been then? Apnea seems to get worse over time so I don't think it was bad for too many years but I don't know. I never had an issue was sleepy during the day until about 2 years ago when I started getting to work by 7:30am. I can't go to sleep early and that, in combination with the apnea, finally made it to where I wasn't getting enough sleep.

I was surprised when I was diagnosed with apnea because I really didn't have the classic symptoms. I never peed more than once during the night and sometimes not even that. I wasn't sleepy during the day until I started getting up earlier (and less sleep would cause that!) and while I was told I snored, no one ever said I gasped or stopped breathing (because I don't). With everything not clear, I didn't have a split study. I had to go back at a later time and being confused with the diagnosis, I met with my doctor to get a copy of my sleep study before I did the titration. Then I looked into other treatments so it was about 6 months before I got my equipment.

[LaurieJ31981]

I have known I had sleep apnea since I was probably 14 or so... I asked my Dr at the time about it and she said "you are to young, you just have large tonsils" which she never did anything about... Then when I heard about the whole sleep study experience, I got scared... Now that I am 28, My health has gone down hill with High Blood pressue, a lot of weight gain, beyond exhausted... I went to my sleep study May 21st 2009, and was diagnosed with Severe Sleep Apnea... Have been on CPAP for 5 weeks... and have seen a 75% improvement on how tired I am... It's lovely

[RipVW]

Diagnosed July 2006, began CPAP July 2006.

[bobkat13]

I don't know for sure when I started snoring, but I noticed something was "off" in Fall 2001. I was very very fit at that time - I'd discovered I had a case of walking pneumonia that summer because I was having difficulty swimming my usual mile.

But I was getting more tired and I just chalked it up to age related "slowing down". At that time, we moved to La Paz, Bolivia. The airport for the city is at 14,400 feet and they have oxygen tanks there for incoming travelers who experience breathing difficulties (ya think?). Our home was at 10,000 feet and I shudder to think what kind of desats I was experiencing during my time there (Nov 01 thru May 02 and then Sep - Dec 02).

Back to sea level in Dec 02 and just getting more and more tired! Fatigue became a MAJOR part of my life in Fall 2004 and it just kept crowding me and my life out more and more and more until my PCP finally suggested a sleep study in late Feb of this year. My first night in the lab was March 11, saw the doc and got my titration study (cancellation) on March 16. Received my CPAP on March 24 and my life has improved quite a bit (fatigue wise) since then!!

[Jason S.]

probably had it for 25 years (reported loud snoring) but only diagnosed in last year because I woke up gasping for air. I didn't have huge fatigue symptoms other than post-lunch sleepiness. My dad I'm sure had lifelong untreated OSA, he was an extremely loud snorer and used to wake himself up with a snort. He's still alive at 90 and never sought treatment or even thought it was an issue. He no longer snores but I feel his lifelong OSA may have contributed to the dementia from which he now suffers.

[Jason S.]

Since 70% (44/63) people responded they had OSA 10+ years before diagnosis, this indicates to me that the root cause of OSA for most people is anatomical in nature. If it were the result of obesity alone you would not expect to see such a long time before diagnosis. I would say for most people there is an anatomical defect resulting in OSA which, over time, is aggravated by weight gain to the point where it becomes disabling, at which time medical care is sought.

[cookieface4750]

I can remember having my symptoms as far back as 1967. Guess it took 42 years for a diagnosis. My test show I have 37 apneas an hour.