I just wanted to give hope to those of you who may be having problems with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. I am so blessed to have had instant relief from my disorder with the presctiption and use of my Remstar Plus and Comfort Select mask. I was also blessed to have a sleep study that went extremely well and that I have found relief from the first night on. I know this isn't normal and Im not bragging, but to anyone having second thoughts about using a CPAP machine by al means do so! My sleep study was scheduled as a result of a short hospital stay for chest pains. The nurses kept trying to come into my room to check on me and I would hear them enter the room. I was also snoring extremely loud. So loud that no one could stay in the room with me and the nurses could hear it from the hallway with the door closed. I am overweight and asthmatic which only made matters worse. My doctor whom is a godsend read the reports of the charge nurse and other nurses on shift and immediately prescribed a sleep study. At work I would doze off and at night I would toss and turn and I was always tired no matter how late I slept as well as getting up to use the restroom multiple times in the night. The nurse who performed the sleep study said that I had 30 incidents within the first hour than she had ever seen and immediately masked me. Within 5 minutes of using the mask I fell asleep and slept the entire night without tossing turning or getting up to go to the restroom. I was so rested that night and I felt so invigorated that I couldn't wait to talk to my doctor and get my cpap. The only problem I have had so far are a few leaks here and there and I have started to grit or grind my teeth in the night which was alleviated by getting a mouthpiece from my dentist. The rest is history for 2 years now. I am trying to get my insurance to pay for lap band surgery. God has blessed me so much with this CPAP machine and I am praying that my insurance will give in and pay for surgery. Sorry for the rambling but I just had to share this. This is my story and for those of you who think there is no hope for a good night sleep...... There is!!
P.S. I was wondering if anyone else has had problems gritting or grinding their teeth since getting and using CPAP?
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap machine, CPAP
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cpap machine, CPAP
I am so blessed and my story.
Welcome
What a good story for us Lil-John.
Yes you are lucky (but so are all of us who hang in there with whatever CPAP dishes up )
I have a dental guard to deal with grinding but my dentist gave it to me because he capped so many of my upper teeth. He did say most people grind but don't realise it - he sees the story in their teeth (like archeology I guess )
I was hoping to get one Dr Sue's modified dental guards (a dentist in Hawaii we have been discussing here) but none of us who ordered his 'anti-snore' dental guard have had any replies (I am begining to think a shark got him )
So the ans to your Question for me is - nup I was grinding them long before.
Cheers
DSM
Yes you are lucky (but so are all of us who hang in there with whatever CPAP dishes up )
I have a dental guard to deal with grinding but my dentist gave it to me because he capped so many of my upper teeth. He did say most people grind but don't realise it - he sees the story in their teeth (like archeology I guess )
I was hoping to get one Dr Sue's modified dental guards (a dentist in Hawaii we have been discussing here) but none of us who ordered his 'anti-snore' dental guard have had any replies (I am begining to think a shark got him )
So the ans to your Question for me is - nup I was grinding them long before.
Cheers
DSM
xPAP and Quattro std mask (plus a pad-a-cheek anti-leak strap)
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Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
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- Location: Long Island, New York
Lil_Jon writes:
Oh, puleez, brag away!!! Not that any of us would even think for a moment of it as bragging, but that is wonderful that you had such informed and intelligent care that they were able to pick up on what was really going on and fix you up right away.
I think most people, as I'm reading, that have very high/severe OSA seem to notice the improvement far more quickly than others with mild - IF that is the only problem they are having and not a combination of things along with the severe OSA. Maybe the symptoms are so prominent that they react much quicker, or at least the patient feels the relief much faster. I had mild OSA and it took me a little while to feel as wonderfully as I do today. Not THAT long, but not one puff at the mask, like yourself, and voila!
I, as I'm sure anyone else who reads your post, will not find you a braggart, but a very, as you say, blessed man (and a lucky one, to boot). I wish you continued success and hope you are feeling good as new.
I know this isn't normal and Im not bragging, but ...
Oh, puleez, brag away!!! Not that any of us would even think for a moment of it as bragging, but that is wonderful that you had such informed and intelligent care that they were able to pick up on what was really going on and fix you up right away.
I think most people, as I'm reading, that have very high/severe OSA seem to notice the improvement far more quickly than others with mild - IF that is the only problem they are having and not a combination of things along with the severe OSA. Maybe the symptoms are so prominent that they react much quicker, or at least the patient feels the relief much faster. I had mild OSA and it took me a little while to feel as wonderfully as I do today. Not THAT long, but not one puff at the mask, like yourself, and voila!
I, as I'm sure anyone else who reads your post, will not find you a braggart, but a very, as you say, blessed man (and a lucky one, to boot). I wish you continued success and hope you are feeling good as new.
L o R i
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Janelle
If you are considering lapband surgery that means you must not be losing weight? If you are not losing weight, why not? I found out with me that I wasn't getting stage 3/4 sleep. have you had any other sleep studies since that first one?
Nearly all people begin to lose weight immediately upon using CPAP, but if you've been on it for 2 years and still need the lapband surgery, I think you need to find the cause.
Nearly all people begin to lose weight immediately upon using CPAP, but if you've been on it for 2 years and still need the lapband surgery, I think you need to find the cause.
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Sleepless on LI
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- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
Janelle,
I didn't lose weight, either. I have had to take the intiative to revamp my eating habits and exercise 45 mins. three days a week on a bike. I am stuck now at an 8 lb. weight loss since the beginning of July and haven't cheated a bit. I drink plenty of water and never miss a day of exercise.
Do you think I need to go back for another study just because of the issue of not losing weight? Now I'm concerned. I feel energetic, the only way I could have ever considered exercising, but the weight is NOT coming off easily. I have another 15 lbs. to go and it's not moving at all.
I didn't lose weight, either. I have had to take the intiative to revamp my eating habits and exercise 45 mins. three days a week on a bike. I am stuck now at an 8 lb. weight loss since the beginning of July and haven't cheated a bit. I drink plenty of water and never miss a day of exercise.
Do you think I need to go back for another study just because of the issue of not losing weight? Now I'm concerned. I feel energetic, the only way I could have ever considered exercising, but the weight is NOT coming off easily. I have another 15 lbs. to go and it's not moving at all.
L o R i
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I'mSewTired
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Sat Jul 09, 2005 9:17 am
I have severe and notice ONE bad night. I can tell a difference night by night! I read my auto pap is due here tomorrow, yeah! So, maybe it will help me have only good nights! BAD night last nigt, alergies really mess me up!Sleepless on LI wrote:Lil_Jon writes:
I think most people, as I'm reading, that have very high/severe OSA seem to notice the improvement far more quickly than others with mild - IF that is the only problem they are having and not a combination of things along with the severe OSA. Maybe the symptoms are so prominent that they react much quicker, or at least the patient feels the relief much faster. I had mild OSA and it took me a little while to feel as wonderfully as I do today. Not THAT long, but not one puff at the mask, like yourself, and voila! .
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NeurosurgeryNP
- Posts: 304
- Joined: Sun Jan 30, 2005 6:58 pm
- Location: Long Island, NY
- Contact:
I did very well once on cpap only after three night s- felt normal again. Have not felt that way in years. I though I would loose weight as my energy normalized - but I have actually gained 5 lbs or so - I am going out with my fiance now to dinner often - I used to get home from work, take a 2 hour nap and proceed to go back to bed around 7 PM or so. So, I never went out to dinner with him during the week! Funny how things go - I need to rethink my weight loss - change my habits and types of foods.
Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional. -Jimmy Buffett
Everyone in my family with the exception of one brother (lucky not to have weight problems as well) have thyroid problems and are all overweight. Our med charts read like the dictionary. I get plenty of exercise walking the floor in the call center where I work as a supervisor so that isnt the problem. My heart is in excellent shape according to my doctor and the chest pains were caused by acid reflux which everyone in my family also suffer from. I have tried diets and weight loss programs and the only thing that did work was metabolife which made me jittery but now with the ephedra scare I no longer take it. Dr. says that the lap band will work and is a valid option. I am just waiting and praying that my insurance will give in.
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Sleepless on LI
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- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
Lil-Jon,
Far be it from me to tell you what to do, but maybe waiting a couple of months, now that you were unexpectedly diagnosed with this OSA and are starting CPAP therapy, to see if you will lose weight without such heavy-duty surgery? I had some pretty bad years in and out of hospitals as soon as I turned 40. They joke about how as soon as you turn 40, your health deteriorates? Well, it wasn't a joke. It seemed like everything went wrong at once. Since then, I've been pretty lucky, thank goodness. And this diagnosis of OSA is turning out to be a blessing in disguise as it has made me change my entire lifestyle to one that is more healthy.
My profession is a court reporter, which means I hear more medical malpractice cases than I'd like to each year, and I've been doing this now for a little over 25 years. If I told you the horror stories I've heard about people and their hospital admissions, it would curl your hair. That, coupled with my own personal experiences in hospitals make me believe, if you don't absolutely, positively have to be in one, stay away. I was in for what they call a hyperparathyroidectomy, which has absolutely nothing to do with the thyroid, but the parathyroid glands in the neck which control your calcium and phospherous. While in for what should have been a simple two-day stay, I went into shock twice due to the negligence of a resident who tried to act like he knew what he was doing. I could have died twice due to a condition known as tetany where all the muscles of your body, for all intents and purposes, go into shock and become stone-like, the heart being one of your main muscles. If your heart goes along for the ride, you go into cardiac arrest. And it wasn't bad enough they did it to me once, but twice, all due to this resident giving me phospherous when he shouldn't have after my surgery to raise my level, but it caused my calcium to plummet, putting me into shock. That is just the abridged version of one of the many misfortunes I have experienced, not to mention the nightmare stories I've heard in my profession.
So food for thought: Maybe see if the OSA, now that it's being treated, doesn't cause enough of your weight to naturally fall off? You can always go through with the lapband procedure, or even something newer and easier to handle.
Whatever you choose, I wish you the best.
Far be it from me to tell you what to do, but maybe waiting a couple of months, now that you were unexpectedly diagnosed with this OSA and are starting CPAP therapy, to see if you will lose weight without such heavy-duty surgery? I had some pretty bad years in and out of hospitals as soon as I turned 40. They joke about how as soon as you turn 40, your health deteriorates? Well, it wasn't a joke. It seemed like everything went wrong at once. Since then, I've been pretty lucky, thank goodness. And this diagnosis of OSA is turning out to be a blessing in disguise as it has made me change my entire lifestyle to one that is more healthy.
My profession is a court reporter, which means I hear more medical malpractice cases than I'd like to each year, and I've been doing this now for a little over 25 years. If I told you the horror stories I've heard about people and their hospital admissions, it would curl your hair. That, coupled with my own personal experiences in hospitals make me believe, if you don't absolutely, positively have to be in one, stay away. I was in for what they call a hyperparathyroidectomy, which has absolutely nothing to do with the thyroid, but the parathyroid glands in the neck which control your calcium and phospherous. While in for what should have been a simple two-day stay, I went into shock twice due to the negligence of a resident who tried to act like he knew what he was doing. I could have died twice due to a condition known as tetany where all the muscles of your body, for all intents and purposes, go into shock and become stone-like, the heart being one of your main muscles. If your heart goes along for the ride, you go into cardiac arrest. And it wasn't bad enough they did it to me once, but twice, all due to this resident giving me phospherous when he shouldn't have after my surgery to raise my level, but it caused my calcium to plummet, putting me into shock. That is just the abridged version of one of the many misfortunes I have experienced, not to mention the nightmare stories I've heard in my profession.
So food for thought: Maybe see if the OSA, now that it's being treated, doesn't cause enough of your weight to naturally fall off? You can always go through with the lapband procedure, or even something newer and easier to handle.
Whatever you choose, I wish you the best.
L o R i
Weight loss
Lori, I am sure you have noticed the weight loss occurs in plateaus & men seem able to lose weight quickly compared to women.Sleepless on LI wrote:Janelle,
I didn't lose weight, either. I have had to take the intiative to revamp my eating habits and exercise 45 mins. three days a week on a bike. I am stuck now at an 8 lb. weight loss since the beginning of July and haven't cheated a bit. I drink plenty of water and never miss a day of exercise.
Do you think I need to go back for another study just because of the issue of not losing weight? Now I'm concerned. I feel energetic, the only way I could have ever considered exercising, but the weight is NOT coming off easily. I have another 15 lbs. to go and it's not moving at all.
The main thing here is not to worry about the actual scales, just focus on the bit of exercise & consider that the reward & any weight loss is a bonus. Time will always be in your favour that way.
Cheers
DSM
xPAP and Quattro std mask (plus a pad-a-cheek anti-leak strap)
Lil_Jon, I found myself grinding my teeth as a result of trying to keep my moth shut when I started CPAP.
O.
O.
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And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.
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Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Good advice is compromised by missing data
Forum member Dog Slobber Nov. 2023
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Sleepless on LI
- Posts: 3997
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: Long Island, New York
DSM:
Thanks for the pep talk. You are right about what you say; however, before the diagnosis of OSA and therapy, I tried to lose the 25 lbs. I had on and would get to a plateau and never get passed it. I wasn't exercising at all, though, and I figured now that I am, that wouldn't happen this time. I was now on treatment, hopefully my cortisol levels had come down and I'm exercising. Yet here I am, stuck at 8 lbs.
I am going now to start eating more often in the day, more calcium-rich foods, still avoiding the fats and too many carbs (once a day for me), no processed sugars and drink my water, in the hopes of keeping my metabolism running and burning up fat. I've heard five small meals a day is a good thing. I know my clothes have gone down a size, but it's happening so slowly that I'm starting to feel like it's happening again: Plateau'd and never going down any further.
Well, I won't change the pattern of exercise and eating right, so I guess it doesn't matter anyway. Would just like to be back to my old acceptable weight and be healthy.
Thanks for the pep talk. You are right about what you say; however, before the diagnosis of OSA and therapy, I tried to lose the 25 lbs. I had on and would get to a plateau and never get passed it. I wasn't exercising at all, though, and I figured now that I am, that wouldn't happen this time. I was now on treatment, hopefully my cortisol levels had come down and I'm exercising. Yet here I am, stuck at 8 lbs.
I am going now to start eating more often in the day, more calcium-rich foods, still avoiding the fats and too many carbs (once a day for me), no processed sugars and drink my water, in the hopes of keeping my metabolism running and burning up fat. I've heard five small meals a day is a good thing. I know my clothes have gone down a size, but it's happening so slowly that I'm starting to feel like it's happening again: Plateau'd and never going down any further.
Well, I won't change the pattern of exercise and eating right, so I guess it doesn't matter anyway. Would just like to be back to my old acceptable weight and be healthy.
L o R i
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Guest
Hi Lil John - I had (and am still having) problems with grinding my teeth at night. I suspect I always did it, but for some reason the cpap seems to have compounded the problem. My first few weeks on CPAP, I was biting my tonque in my sleep - i guess from clenching so hard, maybe fighting the air pressure in my mouth. So my tonque was very sore and my teeth ached terribly.
I tried some cheaper mouth guards, then ordered one from the internet that has worked great. Its not so big and bulky but does the trick. Its expensive, but to me was worth it.
Its called the Sleep Right Night Guard - here is one link that has a good price. You can google it and shop around.
http://www.store.yahoo.com/dentalstore/ ... gnigg.html
I tried some cheaper mouth guards, then ordered one from the internet that has worked great. Its not so big and bulky but does the trick. Its expensive, but to me was worth it.
Its called the Sleep Right Night Guard - here is one link that has a good price. You can google it and shop around.
http://www.store.yahoo.com/dentalstore/ ... gnigg.html
