YOUR story how old when you first noticed sleeping problems?

[elena88]

Elena, have you ever been evaluated by a gastroenterologist for this issue?


Well, I had a celiac biopsy on new years eve, and I know I dont have a hiatel hernia or anything like that.
Just a tiny throat opening.
My pulmanary doctor calls it " throat architecture"

[SleepingUgly]

Elena, have you ever been evaluated by a gastroenterologist for this issue?


Well, I had a celiac biopsy on new years eve, and I know I dont have a hiatel hernia or anything like that.
Just a tiny throat opening.
My pulmanary doctor calls it " throat architecture"

Does food get stuck in your throat? And did you tell the gastroenterologist about this issue when you had the celiac biopsy?

[elena88]

Does food get stuck in your throat? And did you tell the gastroenterologist about this issue when you had the celiac biopsy?


Yes, everything gets stuck in my throat, food, drinks, pills... but I only choke on something about once a day.... so its not a big deal.

I never mentioned it to a doctor. I really had no occassion to visit a doctor for the last twenty years, just last fall was the first time
I ended up seeing some doctors.. The celiac biopsy was a couple months before I was told I had OSA. It was just dumb luck I got diagnosed,
as I have never been sleepy during the day, never had a headache, and had mountains of energy 24/7.. but as it turns out, that isnt
exactly normal. I learned about the throat stuff from my sleep doctor.

Started to put it all together the last few months.

[SleepingUgly]

Yes, everything gets stuck in my throat, food, drinks, pills... but I only choke on something about once a day.... so its not a big deal.

The sensation of food getting stuck when you swallow it is known as "esophageal dysphasia". This is not normal. Food getting stuck is a problem with your esophagus, not your airway (so is unrelated to OSA). You really should get this evaluated by a gastroenterologist and specifically mention that you have food getting stuck.

[elena88]

I guess they are unrelated, but the opening to my throat is very small and narrow, and that is what is causing my osa, at least that
is what my pulmanary doctor said.. along with the way my jaw is set.

thanks for the tip on the gi doc.. wish I would have mentinoned it when she was rooting around down there last year, just didnt occur to me.

[SleepingUgly]

thanks for the tip on the gi doc.. wish I would have mentinoned it when she was rooting around down there last year, just didnt occur to me.

I know it's no fun seeing doctors, but this is something you really should pursue. OK, 'nuff said.

[Jaylee]

Last July I temporarily lost my sight in one eye and had to stay in the hospital. Because of the eye issue, they had an alarm on my bed in case I fell getting out of bed. Because I did not really sleep, I kept setting the thing off They finally turned it off because I would move so much in my sleep. When I went back to the neurologist, he sent me for the sleep study. I was 31 at the time. Not sure how long I had OSA before then. I think it was normal for me to feel that bad, so I can't really remember a time when I didn't.

[elena88]

I think it was normal for me to feel that bad, so I can't really remember a time when I didn't.


Oh, boy, you probably just hit the nail on the head for a lot of folks!




That was a very interesting story about the alarm on your bed! Probably one of the more unusual ways to discover you had a sleep problem.

[SleepingUgly]

In college I noticed that I had to be more vigilant than others to get plenty of sleep. Others would stay up to all hours, and I would have a cap on how late I could stay up and function the next day. I would say to my doctor, "I'm tired." He'd say, "Do you think you're depressed?" and I'd say, "I think I'm depressed because I'm tired." I don't remember being tired before that, but I don't remember much.

[elena88]

WHY DO SO MANY DOCTORS THINK IF YOU ARE TIRED YOU ARE DEPRESSED?

MY GAWD, THERE HAVE TO BE SO MANY REASONS YOU CAN BE TIRED WITHOUT BEING DEPRESSED..

That just pisses me off..


(and probably proof of poor diagnostic skills )

[TheDuke]

I was diagnosed at age 60 (I am now 80) but in retrospect I believe that I have had sleep disturbances for many years before I was finally diagnosed. I was known as a heavy snorer for maybe 20 years prior to diagnosis, as well as experiencing a lot of nightmares and daytime sleepiness. I do think that the apnea worsened with age - I am perpetually grateful that I finally did become aware of my symptoms and sought a sleep medicine doctor.

TheDuke

[SleepingUgly]

WHY DO SO MANY DOCTORS THINK IF YOU ARE TIRED YOU ARE DEPRESSED?

There is potentially an extremely high cost to not catching depression, so doctors must investigate possible depression.

MY GAWD, THERE HAVE TO BE SO MANY REASONS YOU CAN BE TIRED WITHOUT BEING DEPRESSED..

Yes, but they aren't all potentially lethal.

[Brenpbb11150]

Hello,
When I was in my early twenties my husband always told me I snored so loud I could suck the wall paper off the wall but I never really felt tired in the daytime nor did I seem to have any health problems. Not over weight. As the years went by my husband began to tell me that I would stop breathing sometimes....I still dismissed it as being nothing serious...WELL after i went through menopause and am now 60 boy has my life changed. In the last 5 years I have felt like a train ran over me. I lost my mom, brother,father in a two year period and had a Kidney removed and was sent for sleep study and I am now on Cpap. Its been a rough few years but I am now doing wonderful on Cpap and keeping my ahi down around 3 most of the nites. I have energy again and I feel like I can do so much now and I am getting my life back...OSA is a serious health condition!!!! I am grateful to all the people on the forum who have been so helpful in taking the time to answer my questions.
Thank-You
Bren