New to all of this - would appreciate some help

[mmacdonald]

Hi everyone,

My wife and I think she might have sleep apnea, as she has some of the symptoms (at least we think they're symptoms - we read them on Wikipedia).

Even though we think she might have it, my wife refuses to get diagnosed - largely, I think, out of fear of having to use a CPAP machine.

My wife has had panic attacks in the past, and she also feels claustrophobic easily. So the idea of sleeping with a mask on her face completely freaks her out.

I have a question that has probably been asked on this forum many times before, but I'll ask again anyway: is there a "natural" cure for sleep apnea, or any kind of natural treatment that reduces its severity? The reason I ask is that my wife has always been into yoga and Asian-type remedies, so I think she'd get diagnosed if she know there was a natural alternative to CPAP.

Thanks very much for your help,

Mark MacDonald

[looking4zzzz]

Mark, I don't know of any natural remedies...maybe someone else will come on and give you some suggestions. Please encourage your wife to get tested though. There are many different types of masks, and some, like the nasal pillows are not remotely "mask-like." They don't cover up the nose, or mouth, and you can wear glasses, read or watch tv, etc. with them. Also, a lot of people find aromatherapy (a natural remedy) eases their tension about wearing a mask, should the nasal pillows not work out for your wife. I know there are many people on this forum who have overcome panic attacks and claustrophobia, who can offer encouragement to your wife. Welcome to the forum...I hope we see your wife on soon.

[ozij]

Hi Mark,
Please tell your wife that her panic and claustrophobia may be understandable responses to being choked as she sleeps. Before I started therapy I was horrified at the thought of using a mask with nasal pillows. There was no way I was going to put on something like that - I felt choked just looking at it. The point is that with the maks on your face you have air coming it, making everything much easier - nots something you see in the pictures - and not something you imagine - unless you have experienced scubba diving..

It turned out that for me nasal pillows masks are the best solution. I did say NO!!! when the RT/DME suggested my first nasal pillows mask - but luckily enough I agreed to "just try it".

I know of no natural remedie to sleep apnea. And I can think of quite a number of things that are far less natural that having pressurized air blowing in at you.

Come to think of it, loosing a valuable supply of oxygen every night is one of them.

I'm not saying getting used to the therapy is easy, or fun. But life is really much better once the therapy works. And chances are, you wife will be less anxious once she no longer suffers throught a nightly struggle to breathe.

O.

[Tcamillemars]

I was terrified at the thought of "being on a machine when I slept." I started cpap therapy kicking and screaming and it does take some getting used to. It took my body about a month to feel the difference but the difference is worth it. I have more energy, my cognition is better and of course, I don't wake up constantly all night. A cpap machine gives you air, and helps you breath more easily when you sleep. Nothing is more natural than breathing. You can set the machine to start at a low pressure while you are falling asleep. Now I won't sleep without it. It makes such a difference that I don't want to waste the opportunity to get a decent night's sleep. I even bought a hose cover and put travel stickers on my machine so it doesn't feel like medical equipment. Be patient with yourself, because it does get easier, and I'm so claustrophobic I take the stairs instead of the elevator.

[sleepydoll]

The fact of "not knowing" is the hardest part...and not wanting to face the possibility of having OSA is a normal reaction ( I ignored myself for several years... ).
But our health depends greatly on the diagnosis, and I'm so glad to have faced it all.
I've had an operation done called UPPP....which helped a bit....got a very expensive dental device done...which helped a bit...but nothing really helped in the long run.
Cpap was my last hope, so I finally got brave enough to handle the outcome. And you know what? Even if, just like " Tcamillemars", I started it kicking and screaming and crying, now I wouldn,t be a single night without CPAP.
The seriousness of it all just sunk in and the acceptance came along.
Now-a-days, the breathing apparatus are so much easier to get used to, basically because even if they are calles masks, most are more like nasal prongs.
The study is the only way to see, first of all, if there is sleep apnea or not. Why not just start with this, and then take it from there?
You could just discuss the results, and then see the possibilities....

There is also the yello lightbulb called " Our Collective Wisdom " at CPAPTALK.COM that you can browse for more information on the subject.
A lot of subjects are demystified, such as:
Sleep Apnea Awareness
Visiting The Sleep Lab
Visiting Your Doctor
Get Started Treating Sleep Apnea
Selecting Your Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment
Selecting Where To Purchase Your CPAP Equipment
Selecting Your CPAP Equipment
Common Equipment Problems
Help For New or Struggling CPAP Users
CPAP Safety, Warnings and Pitfalls
Travel With CPAP
Work Life and Legislation Concerning Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea Activism and Patient Education

Good luck to you both, my thoughts are with you!
D.

[mmacdonald]

Wow, many thanks to everyone for your thoughtful comments and advice. I guess the next step is for my wife to do a sleep test.

Thanks again, and I'll keep you posted.

Mark

[ractar28]

Mark,

Here are some questions to ask yourself, as the answers aren't really any of our business.

1. How old is she?
2. Do you have kids?
3. Does she want to grow old with you?
4. If you have kids, would she like to be around to raise them?
5. If she weren't so freaking tired, would her "awake" life improve?

I'm not trying to be harsh, but the effects of oxygen starvation over a period of time are simply bad. Read Snoredog's post here viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35609&p=306181&hili ... es#p306131 starting with "let me put this in perspective...".

I should be dead by now (I'm 38), and knowing I had a shortened life expectancy, I lived like it. My father and his father both died of heart attacks (age 39 and 49 respectively). My brother is 3 years older than me and is down to 30% heart capacity due to muscle tissue damage from heart attacks -- and he's the thin one (compared to me). I outweigh what my father weighed in his lifetime. BUT... I have a wife and two small daughters and while I didn't used to give a rat's behind when I died, my father left a widow and two young (though older than mine) children for his widow to raise. Having been on the short end of that stick, I've made some changes to try to prolong the amount of time I have with my family and not leave them in the financial and emotional issues my mother was left in. So, this whole issue hits kinda close to home with me.

[mmacdonald]

I completely understand. My wife and I have two young sons, and we both plan to be around for awhile to see them grow up.

Thanks very much for sharing your story.

Mark

[MichelleFL]

Hello Mark and welcome to the board.. May I commend you for being such a caring husband.. I just wanted to share my story with you. I suffer with panic attacks almost every day of my life and of which I finally gave in and started medication... Whole new world has opened to me since starting it and I feel great. But anyhow I have had symptoms of sleep apnea for many, many years now. Over the years and many medical tests later everything came out normal and they put me on this medication or that thinking it was all in my head. I had my whole thyroid out in December of 2007 and things really had gotten worse for me. I was so tired to the point of almost falling asleep at the wheel of my car and had to force myself to stay awake. My panic went through the roof and I cannot sit still for more than a few minutes at a time and I became very dizzy. I found a new doctor who really listened to me and said I want you to go for a sleep study. I was nervous as anything but found out it was not bad at all. They just attach these wires to your head and a nasal prong to my nose to monitor breathing and snoring and also 2 stretchy bands around my chest and stomach to record movement. No pain at all from any of these devices. And if she has severe anxiety attacks you may even be able to work with the sleep center to let you stay with her for the night and when she falls asleep you will have to leave the room as the equipment picks up every sound. I went alone for my sleep study but had my husband come with me for the tiration as it's called on the 2nd study. I had an incident that happened at 10 years of age from an eye surgery and from that moment on I did not like masks either. So on this 2nd sleep study I was really nervous of a mask. My tech suggested I try a nasal pillow type mask and if you click on the picture below you will see what I used. This does not obstruct your view so you can do things such as watch tv and it does not go up your nose as it looks. It sits just infront of the nose and when the machine is turned on sucks itself to your nostrils. You cannot imagine how freaked I was before she turned on that machine of how it would feel. But it was hardly anything and believe me it was actually comfy and I fell right to sleep within 30 minutes.


So please, have her go to the first study where the wires are attached and at least you will have a starting point to see how bad it is. They use a gel to attach the wires with and the only bad thing about it is the goop left in your hair.. But it washes out easily with shampoo..

Read this to her, make her read it.. Get the test done. After my 2nd sleep study I woke so refreshed the next morning with the machine on during the night that now instead of being afraid I am so EXCITED to start this and all anxiety is gone. It makes one feel like a new person.. For some it takes longer than others to feel a difference but, it will happen. Good luck to you both!