How old were you when

[JohnBFisher]

I was about 34 when I was diagnosed. I am now 53. So, I used xPAP therapy almost 20 years now. Obstructive Sleep Apnea runs in my family. My grandfather almost certainly had it. But they did not have a method to treat it then. He died fairly young due to cardiac complications from untreated OSA. My mother was diagnosed after I was. And I've continued to struggle with my therapy - due to additional problems with my brain stem. That's why I'm now on an AVS unit, due to a gradual but eventually signfiicant number of central apneas. Even during my very first sleep study I had a much higher than normal number of central apneas. During my next to last sleep study I had six times the number of central apneas as I did obstructive apneas. My last sleep study was with an ASV unit, which completely eliminated my apnea events!

[montana user]

34 and am now 35. Just short of 1 year on it! 3 years as sleep tech. Ignored sleep apnea signs and symptoms for 2 of those 3 years.( isn't that horrible. I gave all the signs and symptoms to people but ignore my own!)

[Marietjie]

Using a Cpap is just like using a pillow to sleep only it will help you to avoid other health problems later in life.

...
SO TRUE

[montana user]

The first time was really more than awful if you want the whole story. I was sent to a newly formed sleep lab. There was a room in the bowels of a small town hospital where there was a bed..with no top sheet..and a trained man who was totally thrown off his instrucstion every time I asked a question. Really, he had a speech .......and if I asked anything he got rattled. I asked him who made the bed....he did..why. No top sheet.......oh, sorry.. After several hours of non sleep, I asked to use the rest room. he assured me I only snored I did not have any apnea. I assured him I had not yet been asleep and I could snore fully awake in a movie theatre. Again, blank looks. Eventually I fell asleep and he rushed in and got me hooked up..sent me home the next am. Several weeks later I was in my regular Dr.'s office for unrelated problem and asked if the study results had come back. Well, gosh, he would check. He came back in the room smiling. Yes you have Sleep apnea and just go over the hospital supply office and get a machine. I foudn out my machine pressure was set at 8 and how to clean it. That was it. The RT had no clue what to do with ill fitting masks issues. When my eyes got all puffy she was sure I was having an allergy to soemthign else and it just could not be the mask.

2nd sleep study was done by a Dr. who had recently switched from him first profession of being a psychiatrist. English is not his native language. he was convinced my waking up issues were due to PILM and put me on ..Vitamin A? Can't remember. I went back for a recheck, blood levels were up and he said, " Loose weight. I am done with you. go back back to your regular Dr. for followup." My regular Dr. had sent me to the sleep clinic after admitting he knewe nothing about OSA...so what did I do?
Nothing for 8 years. Just turned on my machine, and turned it off when I woke up. DME never questioned a lack of current prescription over 8 years, just continued to sell me a new mask every 6 months.

When I went back last February to the sleep clinic with teh foreign Dr., he yelled at me..wanting to know where I ahd been for 8 years and why had I not come in for followup. I told him he told me he was done with me. He was indignant and said he never treated his patients that way.
I had actually asked to be sent to a different sleep lab, but was told that slee Dr. get upset when we the patient switch clinics..


So, yes, I have had absolutely unbelievalby bad treatment and that is why I am only now getting this treatment figured out. On my own.

Ever been to Montana? Come see me and I will get you a good sleep test, answer your questions ( and if I can't, I will get you the answer)and will have your results in 3-4 days. Not weeks, days! It angers me when I see how many people have had bad experiences in the sleep lab and/or with the doctor. I'm sorry you have been through this hell!

[MoneyGal]

Diagnosed at 41. Symptomatic for at least 5 years prior. I'm coming up on one year of treatment.

[DJ_Boxer]

I was 31 when I was first diagnosed: 6 months ago in July 2009, and got my machine on August 10th. I had my meeting with my sleep doctor on a Wednesday, went to the local hospital which was also in their service on Saturday, had follow-up appointment next Wednesday and then that Saturday my Titration where I was prescribed a pressure of 11cm but recently because I am unable to fall asleep with 11cm with/with-out C-Flex I now use APAP with A-Flex 2. I no longer have those night sweats and those Bed-GERD symptoms. I don't know how long I had OSA but looking back through most of my life I see I had it for awhile(didn't know about SDB). I found this forum and that my machine that I was given was a good one because of full-data and Auto capability.
I got my sister and her friend to get a PSG now I just have to convince my folks to get one.
DJ

[SleepyT]

i was 49 when i was diagnosed. probably had it for a year and half before that...

[cflame1]

36... in 2006. That was before the first study... done for a doc that didn't know anything about OSA and didn't want to learn, EVEN after she was diagnosed with it herself. Have since found a sleep doc that I can respect... and had a few other studies in a place that was decent.

I'd figured that I'd had issues with it for 6+ years at the point of the first study... was bad enough that I was only sleeping for 2 hour stretches at a time.

[JohnBFisher]

... a doc that didn't know anything about OSA and didn't want to learn, EVEN after she was diagnosed with it herself. ...

You know. For every doctor that graduates at least half finish in the bottom half of their class. And some finish last!

As you did, we need to find doctors (and other healthcare workers) who will help us manage our health and not blame us when the don't know, don't care, don't want to know. We're the ones with the vested interest.

[bearded_two]

I am 53 now. I was 38 when I started on CPAP, but I had severe sleep apnea since my early teens (possibly earlier). While I was in junior high school and high school my mom took me to a great many doctors for what turned out to be sleep apnea -- but sleep apnea hadn't been invented yet. You are very fortunate that you have been diagnosed and are being treated while you are young.

[nakedjaxx]

...

[montana user]

CPAP became the choice in treating OSA in the 1980'S. So it has not been that long when you compare it to an EKG monitor and other medical machines.

[Guest]

13 years ago at 63. Should have been 30 years before that. Who knew???

[dwsupt]

48- but have had symptoms probably 5 years. Finally gavae in when my wife also went on one.(age 50) and syptomatic for over 20 years.

[RipVW]

July 2006, age 54.