apnea worsened after cpap and surgical interventions

[stuffeddose]

After a lifetime of unexplained exhaustion I suggested to my physician that I might have sleep apnea. He referred me to a sleep disorder specialist , and my first sleep apnea test came back as mild, but with sufficient scores to indicate remediation was advisable. CPAP was recommended and I went with the only local source covered by my health insurance, which I too late realized was a big mistake ( service issues).

Two days after I started using the cpap my nose would suddenly become so stuffed that I had to breathe through my mouth until my nasal membranes shrank back enough for me to breathe laboriously through my nose. At night, this was much more alarming because I was waking up between sleep and apnea episodes, when nasal breathing became impossible and my mouth or throat got so dry that the discomfort woke me. The next step was to try a CPAP with heated humidifier with ramp fit. No improvement, sleep still more disrupted than before CPAP. Next, I tried an auto titrating CPAP which did nothing to reduce the frequency or severity of the disruptions. Although the titration memory was delivered to the company , neither I nor my referring physician ever received any feedback on what, if anything , had been recorded. I put the unit in a box and when the company billed me for it I told them what had been going on and that they could have the machine back. After numerous calls and letters to the local and national offices, they took the unit back and cancelled their charges. My next apnea test upgraded me from mild to moderate. At my referring physician's suggestion ,I got checked for both allergies and any physical obstructions that might be causing the rhinitis-there were none-but the otolaryngologist suggested that I undergo septoplasty and turbinate reduction. The ultimate result, after 6 months, was a noticeable reduction in snoring and nasal blockages almost completely disappeared when I was awake and vertical. At night, I could only sleep on one side until the lower nostril became completely closed and the upper nostril started closing down, at which time I would wake up, switch sides until it happened again, or lie on my back ( inviting more apnea episodes ) until both nostrils were so useless that I'd again wake up. I had a 3rd apnea evaluation and advanced from moderate to severe. Some time after that I requested a sleep titration study which showed that I also have serious problems with blood oxygen levels . At referring physician's suggestion , I went to a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine for an evaluation, and was told that I could get two oral devices for $5,000 (an out of pocket expense because they're not covered by insurance). I decided not to spend that much on a gamble, and although I was offered a lower price some time later, I restated that I wouldn't use a mouthguard-like device of any design when I can't breathe through my nose and sometimes wake up short of breath or gasping for air. I subsequently spurned my referring physician's suggestion of a tracheotomy as a last resort.

Had I known that all this would happen as a result of seeking treatment for sleep apnea , I never would have started. Fortunately, I was able to take early retirement when years of accumulated fatigue and attendant issues made it impossible for me to meet my own standards of on the job performance, and I now am able to take mid-morning and/or afternoon naps. The readers' suggestions will be appreciated, and thanks for taking the time to read all this.

[secret agent girl]

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[ichitumi]

Sorry to hear about your troubles with both cpap and surgery.

What kind of mask were you using with your cpap machine? I found regular full or half masks very drying as well (even with the heated humidifier). My nasal pillows work very well for me and the forced air kind of "blows" my nasal passages open. I was worried about not being able to use it if/when I get a cold or flu so I have a half face mask to go with the setup in case of emergencies. Fortunately for me, I've only had a cold twice in the 3+ years that I've been on cpap. I found that nasal irrigation (saline solution to rinse out all nasty goop in my sinus passage) about 15-20 minutes prior to bedtime helps clears things up enough that I can continue using my nasal pillows. The forced air keeps things open.

Good luck, I hope you find relief soon.