Head Spinning

[KentuckyHoser]

Hi! Since this is my first post here, it's probably easy to see that I'm new. ...and boy is my head spinning. I'll start with a little about myself:

I'm a 33 year old male that's struggled with panic disorder and difficult to treat bi-polar disorder most of my adult life. I've worked as much as I can to just make ends meet, but my illnesses make it difficult and I've never had health insurance. Lack of insurance has not helped me get the care I need to become a more productive member of society that can hold down a job for longer than a few months and work more than 30 hours a week when working.

Enter the ACA, Medicaid, and finally a really caring PCP.

Well, last week after a question and answer session that lasted about half an hour with him, he announced that he wanted me to have a sleep study done. He was convinced that I have OSA and that it's the reason my mental illnesses have been so resistant to treatment. He says that getting enough sleep and good restorative sleep is paramount to treatment for illnesses like mine. I'd never even heard of Sleep Apnea, let alone thought it could be a contributing factor to my struggles.

Had the second part of my sleep study on Sunday. The sleep clinic was great. From what little I managed to research, I asked for an A-PAP and a Nuance Pro (I used a Swift FX for my study with good results, but the cushions hurt my nose a little). The order is for an A-PAP with heated humidifier with a pressure range of 8-12 and a Nuance Pro. The study revealed an AHI of 57 and an average pressure of 10, however my doctor suspects a higher AHI might be more to the truth because they never saw me on my back. I tossed and turned (like I always do) from side to side, but never slept on my back. I haven't been able to for years without waking up choking, but I had no idea why.

They faxed my order to a local DME yesterday and I have an appt. tomorrow at 1:00 to pick it up. This is all happening so quickly that my head is spinning. Help me! I don't know what to ask or what to say or anything. I'm in this state of being overwhelmed and confused mingled with a sense of cautious hope that maybe I finally might be able to get everything I need to get myself to a state of really being well and able to be self sufficient and a productive member of society again with more than part-time and temporary jobs.

If you've managed to read this far, thanks for your time. Any advice or input is greatly appreciated.

[Bill44133]

Welcome to the forum. I am glad the ACA is working for you. It is good to know that people with pre-exsisting conditions
can finally get taken care of.

To help you understand what is going on with you, I would recommend you take a few moments and view this video:
http://www.resmed.com/us/multimedia/und ... 40x380.swf

It helped me to understand what was wrong and was able to show my family to put it all in perspective. Your Doctor is
correct that if you are not sleeping then you can't be well.

Lots of helpful people here don't be afraid to ask questions.


I wish you good luck!

[BobHale]

KentuckyHoser,

Welcome to the forum!
In my opinion the most important factor is success is attitude. Look for solutions to the issues as they arise. All too many people starting the xPAP journey pile up reasons they cannot continue. Decide now that this is going to help you and that you will find it possible to make the adjustments that becoming a hoser will require.

Another is patience. I felt better soon after starting however real progress took 4 to 6 months. I'm now 3 years into xPAP and while my sleep issues could be better, I will never voluntarily return to how it was before.

Bob Hale

[DeadlySleep]

I finally might be able to get everything I need to get myself to a state of really being well and able to be self sufficient and a productive member of society again

Yep.

You probably are not bipolar.

Dipshit doctors and counselors don't recognize effects of severe sleep deprivation, oxygen desats and apneas. So they just throw a label on you and they picked bipolar for your label.

33? You have a lot of good years to enjoy.

[KentuckyHoser]

I finally might be able to get everything I need to get myself to a state of really being well and able to be self sufficient and a productive member of society again

Yep.

You probably are not bipolar.

Dipshit doctors and counselors don't recognize effects of severe sleep deprivation, oxygen desats and apneas. So they just throw a label on you and they picked bipolar for your label.

33? You have a lot of good years to enjoy.

I'm going to be one unhappy camper if this turns out to be true. Not unhappy that I'm not bi-polar, but unhappy that I've been lithium toxic twice over the years. Thank the Powers that Be that both times it was caught before there was any lasting damage. It could have been bad.

[HerbM]

I know your head is spinning with all the info you want to take in so let me keep this simple.

Then people here are really knowledgeable, kind, and caring. Relax as much as you are able. Learn what you can.

(I am a newbie too so not giving myself compliments just the regulars.)

There is much to learn but you don't have to learn it ALL before your next appointment.

However, there is much that is important to learn sooner or later, and this is a great resource for learning it.

I received a lot of advice about my first visit to pick up my machine and my mask -- that is probably the type of info you want to concentrate on first since that will be with you for months or even years.

Good luck!

This forum will definitely try to help; they have really helped me a lot in just a week or so.

[KentuckyHoser]

Yeah, my biggest question right now is if there's anything in particular I need to ask at my appointment tomorrow when I'll be introduced to my new bed partner. I didn't expect authorization from Medicaid so quickly and I'm feeling a little under prepared.

[Julie]

http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/what-y ... me-part-i/

[cherokee74]

Welcome to the world of cpap. I am fairly new too. Been on it for three weeks. I did have mask issues, went through three before found my new bff! I unfortunately had to have two sleep studies! The first study the techs allowed me to fall asleep and stay asleep on my side. The pulmonary specialist was livid to say the least. He said to get a true sleep study you have to sleep on your back at least half the study. So my diagnoses was hindered by a month. :/

Good luck with your new med partner!

[KentuckyHoser]

Thanks for the awesome information so far! That video was really informative and a little terrifying when I think that I could have been living with this for years. The nighttime panic attacks make sense now. As do the nightmares I have from time to time that I'm drowning. Could they both be because I'm not breathing? OMG, scary.



My tech was super sweet and just wrote down and checked whatever I wanted on my order. I think I remember something about a Respironics 60something in regards to the machine? Memory isn't so great to begin with and it was all a little overwhelming. I do know they wrote for the mask to be the Nuance Pro.

[Bill44133]

Thanks for the awesome information so far! That video was really informative and a little terrifying when I think that I could have been living with this for years. The nighttime panic attacks make sense now. As do the nightmares I have from time to time that I'm drowning. Could they both be because I'm not breathing? OMG, scary.



My tech was super sweet and just wrote down and checked whatever I wanted on my order. I think I remember something about a Respironics 60something in regards to the machine? Memory isn't so great to begin with and it was all a little overwhelming. I do know they wrote for the mask to be the Nuance Pro.

Once you start you will be on your way to good health. It is worth every effort that you have to make. Once you get started
be sure to ask questions if there is concerns. You need to be successful with your therapy. You life depends on it.

[HerbM]

While you cannot be sure, it is of course POSSIBLE (reasonably so) that your nighttime panic attacks and waking up feeling as if you are drowning COULD be due to apnea.

Don't assume this is the case, but work with you doctor and this new information to determine the role the apnea is playing. (In other words, keep your meds until you can work it through with the doc.)

You may find it is part of the problem and not the whole thing or perhaps for you OSA will be a happy diagnosis since it is likely so much better than your current diagnoses.

Let it play out.

Don't worry about hearing of the machines get confusing -- I am one of the top computer people anywhere, known for "knowing everything" (isn't true of course) but it took me almost a week to keep the Resmed and the Respironics straight in my head (the two most popular brands), and the model numbers were harder, plus the model numbers are really more "series numbers" and you have to know the particular model to really know which is which.

I chose the ResMed S9 Autoset as my APAP machine due to the data capabilities but the top Respironics APAP has similar capabilities.

The Respironics you chose is likeley this one:
PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto CPAP Machine
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-sys ... chine.html

BUT GET one of the real experts here to tell you the correct one to request -- and hold out for it.

I also believe you will want and should expect a humidifier and heated hose.

The mask is much more of a personal decision and you will likely go through a lot of them over the next years if you remain on APAP therapy. Everybody seems to have a pile of them; they wear out; and insurance pays for new ones every so often even if you don't start buying them on your own.

Naively, I believed that I could pick the "right mask" in the first couple of tries but even before receiving the machine and the included mask, I had already ordered another.

2nd mask came today and already I am pricing the 3rd.

Point is, there are about 3 really good APAP machines, and you won't go far wrong with any of them.

There are dozens or hundreds of masks and they change far more often.

[poorflick]

Personal experience... Cpap doesnt cure a bipolar person. What i mean is if youre truly bipolar you will still have mood swings. Its a chemical imbalance that cpap wont cure. But it will take away other things that make bipolar worse..like being tired all the time.

[kteague]

Hello and welcome. Sounds to me like you have every reason to look forward to a better life in your future. There's been discussion on here in the past of people who were misdiagnosed with mood disorders when their symptoms were actually from sleep apnea. And even if you truly do have bipolar disorder, resolving all the symptoms related to the apnea will hopefully leave you with fewer or at least less severe symptoms from being bipolar. It remains to be seen how things will shake out for you. Just keep in mind as you begin to get therapeutic treatment that the meds that were prescribed for a sleep deprived brain and body may not be the dosage needed for a well rested and oxygenated version of you. Do communicate closely with your doctor about any hints your dosage may need adjusted. May take a while to tweak the treatment and the meds to find your best you. Life may not become perfect, but I'm betting it will be much improved, particularly regarding the nightmares and nighttime panics. Getting rid of both of those made a huge difference in my sleep experience. I don't have to fear, dread or avoid sleep any more. Hope things go well for you going forward.

[KentuckyHoser]

Well, today was a bit of a disappointment. My Medicaid PA didn't come in until like 5 minutes before the DME closed. Now I can't get in to get setup until next Wednesday.

At least that leaves me a little more time to do a little more research and ask a few more questions. So...

Are there any accessories you guys wouldn't want to go without?

I'm getting the Respironics machine that accepts the heated hose but Medicaid won't pay for the hose. Is this something you guys think is necessary?

If I did well during my study with the Swift FX, is the Nuance Pro a good choice? I'm liking the idea of the gel pillows and it not going so far into my nose. I can get the Swift if I want it.