I am a newbie but wanted to offer some info...

[cakmon]

I found this site after having my first sleep study done last month. My journey is no different than many others in the area of Sleep Apnea. But i did have had an interesting journey and want to share. I believe that all humans are basically searching for happiness and want to live relatively afflictions free even though our afflictions can teach us alot about out strength and resolves as spiritual being having a human experience. Proper sleep has been called a restorative phase of the human life and through my journey I believe it has been very elusive at times and but in the end my mind, body and spirit are trying to achieve a sense of balance. This sense of balance is what drove me to be more assertive about my health and finally come to some conclusions about my own health.

For the past 14 years, I have struggled off and on with panic attacks and anxiety. My first episode was very scary and it took me to the emergency room where I was told to take sedatives (I was under high stress) and it would go away. but low and behold it didn't and I struggled for many years with them taking meds and doing it on my own by just sheer determination. I was determined that I could beat it or figure it out with my solutions oriented mind. I struggled mightily and for many years with breath awareness and trying to figure out why at times I felt like I was breathing "correctly". Many days it was even a struggle to get through the day but I did because I have always had this deep down determination to live each moment and have a much fun in life as possible. This wasn't going to shape who I was as a person.

About 10 years ago I had my first Atrial fibrillation episode from a dead sleep. I woke up in the morning with my heart bounding around in my chest. I was taken to the ER they confirmed A-Fib and kept me on meds for a few days until my heart chemically converted and I was released. No explanation other than, "oh it happens to people sometimes". It is not that uncommon. So I was like okay I trust the doctors. Nevermind that fact that for the past 14 years i had frequent mid-night awakenings waking in sweat and racing heart and felt like I couldn't breath. I had explained this to them and they said it was probably my panic disorder. I had been researching all along this time and wasn't completely sure what was going on but I feed my research frenzy everyday and started to track my issues. I tried all the natural herbs, homeopathic, yoga, mediation, stress management and and other alternative natural therapy I could think of. It seemed only SSRI meds seemed to stop the night time awakenings and daytime breathing issues. I was told to take the meds and live my life.

Well about 6 years after the first A-fib episode and 4 years ago I had my second A-fib episode from a dead sleep and I was taken to the hospital and told I would need a pacemaker to fix my problem. I knew "in my heart" that I would not need a pacemaker. (not knocking pacemakers, some people need them). It was just something in me that told me that I was going to be okay. My wife and family tried to convince me that I would be able to live fine with a pacemaker but I did not exhibit the signs of needing a pacemaker other than a heart beating slow at times but also A-fibbing. I was lucky enough to convert back to sinus rythmn with meds again and was sent to a sleep study this time but the evidence was inconclusive at best. I was never really explained the results. I guess they weren't bad enough to warrant any more investigation. Looking back I see that was my opportunity to be more assertive and take my health into my own hands but I did not press the sleep study any more. I was trying to get myself to accept that I had possible A-fib and it would eventually worsen till I needed a procedure done to try and fix it. My research in the area of my health increased and i began studying forums and hospital sites and almost became a online doctor myself. LOL JK. Let me say that I did a ton of research. I was determined to figure something out. Even if it meant meds for a long time. It didn't discourage me from trying other methods and just keeping after it. I have always had a drive to keep myself healthy mentally, spiritually and bodily. get that from my mom and grandfather. They are very solution orientated.

Well fast forward to election night 2008 (November 4th). I was awakened from a nap on the monday the 3rd to another episode of a-fib this time just tachycardia. I was admitted this time and explained that I was taking a nap and I woke up with it. At this time while laying in the bed in the hallway of the hospital (because the beds were all full) it hit me like a ton of bricks. The only thing that really related to all these incidents was sleep. The doctor mentioned a-fib and told me about it in detail and sent me on my way. I went straight to my FP doctor and said i want a sleep study. I did also have daytime sleepiness and took long naps on the weekends that sometimes ended in racing heart. She agreed and I was scheduled for 3 months down the road. Knowing i was on to something I said no way i want an appointment much sooner. So I got assertive and very politely called another sleep lab that could get me in within a week. I went in and was found to have mild sleep apnea with the worst being during REM. 22 times I stopped breathing. And that is mild!!!! I don't think any time you stop breathing is a mild situation. ) Once I heard the words you have mild apnea I did more research on the REM stage of sleep and found the release of certain neurotransmitters, the monoamines (norepinephrine, serotonin and histamine) is completely shut down during REM Sleep. (wikipedia source). I am NOT a DOCTOR or claim to have any other knowledge than my own experience. But I find it interesting that the very neurotransmitters that are alleged to be involved in anxiety and panic disorder are involved in the one sleep I wasn't getting enough of. I also did extensive research on Sleep Apnea and found of course what everyone knows. you stop breathing in the middle of sleep. So I believe my daily breathing episodes are subconsciously linked to not breathing properly during sleep. Again I am not a doctor but this is my experience and that is all I have to go on. And to me using the process of elimination and years of research I have found at least some peace of mind that I indeed have a condition that I can get treatment for. The one thing I can't stress enough is PLEASE be assertive with your health. You are you best friend when it comes to getting healthy. No doctor can tell you how to feel. Go with your heart and how you really feel. IT can pay off dividends by the truck load in the end. Now, I have been a hose head for a little over 2 and a half weeks but have noticed a marked improvement on each aspect of my health. When they said I could go for a second sleep study to try the mask i was like "hell yeah". If I can have a more restorative sleep and feel better day by day. I will do it. I will wear a full suit of armour mask and all if I had too. LOL. Many people I try to explain this too including my own family have just shrugged their shoulders when I tell them how much it can help. (BTW, I am 100% sure that Sleep Apnea runs in my family). they aren't at the stage to be able to accept it. Nothing bad about them and I am not going to push them any more than show them how much better I am for having better sleep. I know I ran on and on, but i can't say enough about the benefits of at least knowing you can do something about daily suffering that occurs because of improper sleep and not I am not a sales rep for CPAP machine. I was lucky enough to have it covered by insurance.

[kteague]

Welcome to the board. I understand your zeal. When my sleep disorders were undiagnosed all I wanted was to understand WHY I felt like I did and what could be done about it. Once diagnosed I wanted to shout, "I KNEW IT!" It's been a learning experience, and part of that education has been how to advocate for myself and not accept non-answers as the final answer.

You're right about the family. You can educate them, but having them see a difference in you over time will be the best persuasion. Sure hope effective cpap treatment helps out your A-Fib. I think I'd want to be followed up by a cardiologist just to be sure there isn't a problem that cpap alone can't fix.

Best wishes as you discover who you can be when your body and mind is rested and not stressed by OSA.

Kathy

[RipVW]

Hello & Welcome, cakmon! Glad you found this forum--SO much useful info and SO many helpful people here!

That's an amazing story!

"You are getting sleepy . . ."

[mindy]

Welcome to the forum!

And good for you for being assertive about your health.

There's an episode of "Mystery Diagnosis" on the Discovery Health channel that sounds a lot like you with the a-fib and tachycardia. It turned out to be sleep apnea and wasn't diagnosed for quite a long time. It's too bad that this is a known problem and yet many are not referred for a sleep study even when having symptoms that are suggestive of sleep apnea.

It sounds like you've got the determination to overcome challenges in adjusting to the treatment. There are lots of good people on this forum who are willing to help us.

Mindy

[Nealbopper]

Welcome to the site from one newbie to another.

Well i can say i never A-Fiibed but i did have very intense anxiety attacks. First let me describe the road i was on. 12 years ago i was involved in a jet ski accident, I got hit by my friend i was riding with. He came right up the front of my jet ski, his ski slid off the curved nose / engine compartment but his momentum made his ski spin and his back corner of the machine came right up and hit me square on the nose, crushing my face. I flew 25 to 30 feet through the air. I was close to shore at jet ski point on the other side of the bridge from Brownies bar on Harsens Island. The people on shore thought i was dead until i came up out of the water gasping for air. I was lucky to be in chest deep water. I just stood there dazed while blood was pooling all around me on top of the water. I tried to get on my jet ski but passed out and people from shore helped me to land.
About two years later, i was a mess. I was sleeping 12 hours a day. Or so i thought. I wasn't sleeping at all. I would come home from work so tired and go straight to bed. I would wake up tired and do it all over again the next day. Weeks, months passed and soon it turned into two years. I was depressed, alone and sick. At work i found myself sleeping at the sight of a computer screen. Coworkers were warning me that falling to sleep on the job was not good! I knew this but couldn't stop it. A new hire at the office said he thought i had sleep apnea and that i should have a sleep study done. I did and I'm happy i did. I was in bad shape when i had that study done. The doctors were very concerned as i was holding my breath a few times a minuet. When you add this up to a whole night of sleep. I could have died at any time. When i got my CPAP and started my sleep therapy, my life slowly changed. I was getting more rest every night but i was still having some episodes. I still wasn't getting a FULL nights sleep and it was starting to effect me. One day at a meeting to talk about sun roofs for our next Jeep, I had to run the meeting. Yeah i was nervous but something else was happening. I broke out into a cold sweat and i had basketball size rings of sweat under my arms on my shirt. I had an anxiety attack right there in the meeting in front of about 12 people. I was so embarrased. I called my doctor to talk about it and decided to have another sleep study done. Well i had to have another septum operation as i was still obstructed. Well countless surgeries to fix the damage and three ceptum operations later, my sleep came back and i have felt so good that i do not need to take naps during the day. Not at all. Hell i cant' remember the last nap i had. I go to bed and i'm out for 7 to 8 hours. Isn't that great news.
If you keep up with your therapy, hopefully you will have the same results i have. Yeah the hose head look sucks but the alternative is something i never wan't to live with again. Hopefully with your treatment you will find your life improving with every nights sleep. Hope you find the sleep you are searching for fellow hose head and don't be a stranger here. This site is a life line. Neal

[rested gal]

Welcome to the board, cakmon! What an interesting (and scary) story you related. Glad you have found your way to "cpap" and to this forum!!

[DoriC]

Hi and Welcome! My husband was diagnosed by several "specialists" as the beginning stages of Alzheimer's because he was so sleepy, disoriented and just plain disinterested in living. After MRI, brain scan,etc, our good old family dr didn't believe the dx because it didn't fit with the man he knew. He was the one who suggested a sleep study, and now after 3 months, I almost have my "honey" back again. BTW, the Dr showed me in his notes from way back in 2005 where he suggested a sleep study and we seemed to have conveniently "forgotten" his recommendation at the time. Good for you!