How did you cope before your CPAP

sdaniels · Post by **sdaniels** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 11:21 pm

This message may come up twice because I tried to post it already.

How did everyone cope with their apnea right before they got their CPAP? I am supposed to go back to the doctor this upcoming Wednesday. I am awaiting my cpap. I already fell asleep tonight and woke up fully aware that I was taking a breath and stopping, taking another breath and stopping. I am so frightened now that I am afraid to fall back to sleep.

LDuyer · Post by **LDuyer** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 11:30 pm

Sdaniels,

I'm amazed that your are aware of the stopping of breath. Many people don't even know it's happening because they are "sleeping" through it. If you have a spouse or partner, they usually notice the irrigular breathing first. So I think it amazing you can notice it. But they tell me it's the brain that is alerted to the sudden stoppages of breathing, then sends signals to the muscles to nudge you back into breathing. But you're not getting oxygen or good sleep, and you feel exhausted during the day. Not to mention other health issues that develop from sleep apnea which can further complicate exhaustion.

So have you had your sleep test already? Do you know the results? I'm sure you will get plenty of advice and encouragement from this forum. Feel free to let us know more about yourself and your condition, and keep us posted on how it goes. Welcome, and good luck to you.

Linda

Liam1965 · Post by **Liam1965** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 5:56 am

sdaniels wrote:How did everyone cope with their apnea right before they got their CPAP?

Well, I handled mine through a little-known technique known as "snoring". I don't know why, but I found this "snoring" (do a google search, I think there might be one or two sites out there that can give you more information on it) to be a perfect fit with my un-treated apnea.

sdaniels wrote:I already fell asleep tonight and woke up fully aware that I was taking a breath and stopping, taking another breath and stopping. I am so frightened now that I am afraid to fall back to sleep.

Seriously, this doesn't sound like OSA. This sounds like central apneas. I've had some of them as well, mostly while ON the CPAP machine. Make sure you mention to the doc that you're having them. It may affect which machine and features you'll do well on.

Central Apnea is effectively when the brain "forgets" to breathe. Your throat isn't closed, you aren't UNABLE to get air through, you just... don't. It's an odd feeling, and once you start feeling some anoxia (at least in my case) you realize and start breathing again. But I agree, it's kind of scary to sit there and realize that no, left to it's own devices, you CAN'T necessarily trust your brain to keep you breathing without conscious effort.

(Which I'm told is not actually true, you CAN still trust it. But late at night, lying in bed, it sure doesn't feel that way.)

Liam, hoping the CPAP Express can take him past Apnea Central Station.

gargoyle · Post by **gargoyle** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:45 am

I never really had any trouble. I had no sleepiness during the day. Nothing but horrendous snoring and my blood pressure was climbing of late. The doc said it could be sleep apnea. My wife said early on she was afraid to sleep because she was afraid I might not start breathing again. BTW, after I switched off Viox and lost 20 lbs. my B/P got better. Go figure.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 1:42 pm

I haven't gotten my CPAP yet so this is one of the topics I can talk about with at least some personal experience.

I sleep/nap/doze a lot. I can usually make it through the work day without major problems (although I have fallen asleep at work a few times).

Scott

tater pie · Post by **tater pie** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:04 pm

I got by on sheer will power and refusing to give in to the fatigue although my energy was beginning to run really low. I don't think I would have lasted much longer before something major such as a stroke or heart attack would have happened. I had just about reached the end of my rope. I went to the doctor for a physical and my heart was enlarged and my blood pressure was really high (mostly due to the sleep apnea). I pushed myself really hard. People (mainly my mother-in-law) sometimes thought I was just really lazy because I would get so sleepy during the day. I have probably had sleep apnea for the last 25 years at least and during that time I raised 4 kids, homeschooling all of them through the 12 grade, and run the household pretty much by myself. My husband used to travel about 50 to 60% of the time so everything around the house was pretty much up to me. My youngest child turned 20 last year and joined the Air Force so I decided that mom needed to take time to take care of herself now. Looking back, I don't see how I did it and I certainly don't recommend it to anyone. Take care of yourself. If you don't, nobody will. My second grandchild is due in May and my daughter asked me to be the daytime caregiver for him since she will have to go back to work. I still have a couple of months to get my strength back and am really looking forward to starting the process all over again only this time thanks to cpap treatment, I would have to be doing it in a fog.

tater pie · Post by **tater pie** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:05 pm

P.S. I meant I "won't" have to be doing it in a fog.

SleepyGuy · Post by **SleepyGuy** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:09 pm

If I sleep without my AutoPAP, I will sometimes wake and be aware I had just been snoring. I will also sometimes be aware that my throat had closed up and that I had to try extra hard to breathe. It will feel like the back of my tongue has just popped out of the back of my mouth. This only happens when I am sleeping on my back which I try to avoid.

I was never aware of this before being diagnosed. Now I have a determination to remember as much as possible what I was doing right when I wake up (i.e. position, snoring, etc.).

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 4:29 pm

SleepyGuy,

Exactly what you describe is the reason I finally went and had a sleep study done. Just as I was dosing off I would feel my throat close and begin to snort! My wife and kids would make fun of me and mimick the noise.

melody · Post by **melody** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 4:17 pm

My energy would run out.
I caught everything going around--and was hospitalized for bronchitis and mono in my liver.
I had car accidents.
I had to sleep before trying to cook dinner.
I never wanted to get up in the morning.

Liam1965 · Post by **Liam1965** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 4:34 pm

Odd how many of the symptoms are the same as depression, though, isn't it?

Not the catching everything or car accidents so much, but craving sleep all the time, never wanting to get out of bed in the morning...

I've been coping with them for years, since long before I had trouble sleeping.

Liam, active on his blog, passive in his life.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 4:36 pm

Before Bi-Pap.........2 cups of Coffee and 1 25mg Ephedrine Tablet 3x day just to keep alert enough to function.

I am still not happy with my treatment! It's been five years! I think I need to get some more Ephedrine Tabs!

Mikesus · Post by **Mikesus** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 5:16 pm

Anonymous wrote:Before Bi-Pap.........2 cups of Coffee and 1 25mg Ephedrine Tablet 3x day just to keep alert enough to function.

I am still not happy with my treatment! It's been five years! I think I need to get some more Ephedrine Tabs!

Or maybe a higher pressure? Or you have something else going on?

Taking ephedrine is not a good idea... It has some serious side effects...

Mike who used to take it for asthma...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 8:26 pm

Mike:

This was back in the day that you could get ephedrine tabs at the local GNC under the name Bolt or Dymedidrine 25. The body building mags reccomended it as a pre-workout stimulent. I was 70 pounds lighter then, working out 4-5 days a week and falling asleep constantly.

Once I stopped taking this stuff(It became illegal in my home state) I got so tired....I stopped working out altogether. Five years ago I had my first sleep study. I had OSA eperiencing 42 events per hour. Since starting Bi-PAP I never got the crisp clear rest I got when I was in High School or College. I work up each morning with Brain Fog.

My pulmonologist told me..."Hey you have OSA...no matter what you will never sleep like someone who doesn't!" Pretty Bleak outlook!

I have tried 6 differnt interfaces, two differnt Chin Straps, tried two different DME's and am on my second Bi-Level Machine. I can say that in the past 5 years I have had less than 5 nights of crisp, clear, restfull, restorative sleep. My pulmonologist and DME are really no help, like you said...they treat you like cattle. I am still gaining weight despite decreased food intake, my blood pressure is creeping up!

I think OSA doesn't really bring in the big bucks for DME's...thay make alot more money on folks who need Oxygen and such. OSA IS big money for Pulmonologists as they get 200 bucks for a 10 minute vist and 900 bucks for the 15 minutes it takes to read a sleep study...they are all thieves! Every year you need to visit with them so they renew prescriptions.....as if OSA is something that goes away and one day you won't need to order supplies again.

There has to be a better way to go about getting treatment than this!

rock and roll · Post by **rock and roll** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 8:53 pm

I was like Liam, the snoring and my wife complaining was obvious nut the rest was just like depression. I really never di deal with it. Now I see where I was miserable.

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How did you cope before your CPAP

How did you cope before your CPAP

sdaniels

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