irishpeacock wrote:Pineapple wrote:
On CPAP a month with no relief? Something's wrong - have you told your doctor? Have you tried other masks?
Wulfman wrote:
Get a copy of your sleep study and go over it. There may be some other things in there that is being missed.
My mask is quite comfortable, I haven't had any problems with it. The problem I have is that I got diagnosed at the Stanford clinic in California over summer when I was visiting my parents. I study full time in Scotland, so it's difficult to keep in touch with my doc. I left the day after I got my machine, and didn't get a chance to go over my final study with my doc, they sent it to me in the mail. I'm trying to get into a clinic in Edinburgh, but it's a bit difficult and will take time (getting referred, paperwork, etc). I am concerned because on the study summary I got back it showed that in the 6 hours of sleep I got on the cpap there (and I felt really rested in the morning) I didn't actually get any REM. My first study I did get some, though very little stage 3/4. I think it might have had something to do with anxiety - I already take Lexapro for that. But no REM in that time, even on the Cpap? Has anyone had that? Should I be more concerned?
There's also a good chance that your anxiety will get better once you successfully use the cpap.
As you might already know, REM is important to remembering things, so getting this worked out will help you in school a lot. Do you have the full study with all the graphs and charts? If so you can post it here and get some feedback from some good folks. Then if you get a data capable machine and the software to use it, you can post the results here and get some information.
Most doctors know very little about cpap and the machines, how to get successful treatment, etc. I believe Stanford is an exception, from what I read on this forum anyway. But the Eninburgh doc may not know as much.
I think young people with OSA are way underdiagnosed. That roomate who snores, that guy who falls asleep in class all the time, that student who cannot concentrate or remember things. . . I think a sleep disorder should be considered in all those cases. I'm much older than you, but suspect I had it most of my life. I remember dreams in early childhood that I was drowning and could not breathe. Because I wasn't overweight and was a woman, the first doctor I asked said I didn't have it. This was based on a stereotype, and age is another one of those things. Finally a different doctor sent me to be tested, but I wasted 5 years. You may eventually have more company than you think, once the doctors catch on. . .
