OT: sleep study

PROBES?
My, they ARE getting kinky now.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 08, 2023 5:17 pm

PROBES?
My, they ARE getting kinky now.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 08, 2023 5:17 pm

PROBES?

My understanding is that's only required for absolutely definitive documentation of UARS, which only aliens believe in now.

Although, according to one source, we should all be prepared to answer some questions about probing:

"Probing questions asked by the patient-physician regarding poor sleep, sleep position, obesity, hypertension, morning headaches, or orofacial pain are also necessary identifiers."--https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564402/

RogerSC wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 03, 2023 2:13 am

Yes, my wife just got a sleep study in the local sleep lab a few months ago.

What helped me get through my sleep studies was using Ambien...my sleep doctor told me that it doesn't affect the data to any appreciable degree, and it allowed me to sleep in the lab with all the probes and everything *smile*.

I just had an in-lab sleep study in Northern California - Kaiser, Martinez facility.

Regarding Ambien - were you taking it ahead of time (that is, were you accustomed to it?). I've tried a variety of sleep meds over time, and none have really worked but Ambien has never been offered. My sleep study (last night!) was a real disaster in that I only slept the minimum 2 hours in the 8 hour period, thanks to all the probes and general discomfort, so I need to go back for the therapeutic phase. I'm wondering if I should ask for a few ambien ahead of time to see if it works for me.

Go for it.
Hopefully, your doc will realize that better/longer sleep can show more accurate results.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 08, 2023 11:08 pm

Go for it.
Hopefully, your doc will realize that better/longer sleep can show more accurate results.

It seems like Ambien is unusually controversial with doctors. I've been prescribed several different sleep meds over the past 10 years, and no doc has ever gone the ambien route. For me, every sleep med I've tried (as well as marijuana!) simply makes me have wild mental excursions where I toss and turn, but never sleep. Maybe I'll push for ambien in particular.

When I had my sleep study done, the doctor at the sleep clinic prescribed Ambien for me to use during g the study.

Okie bipap wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 09, 2023 11:01 am

When I had my sleep study done, the doctor at the sleep clinic prescribed Ambien for me to use during g the study.

Was this done 'on the fly', on the night of the test, or previously arranged? Did you ask for it or was it volunteered? When I showed up for my sleep study, I was greeted by the clinician / technician (don't recall her official title but clearly not a doctor), and that's the only person I ever saw.

I asked about it before my first study They prescribed two pills, one for each night since knew I would need a titration study.

Steerpike58 wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 08, 2023 10:55 pm

RogerSC wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 03, 2023 2:13 am

Yes, my wife just got a sleep study in the local sleep lab a few months ago.

What helped me get through my sleep studies was using Ambien...my sleep doctor told me that it doesn't affect the data to any appreciable degree, and it allowed me to sleep in the lab with all the probes and everything *smile*.

I just had an in-lab sleep study in Northern California - Kaiser, Martinez facility.

Regarding Ambien - were you taking it ahead of time (that is, were you accustomed to it?). I've tried a variety of sleep meds over time, and none have really worked but Ambien has never been offered. My sleep study (last night!) was a real disaster in that I only slept the minimum 2 hours in the 8 hour period, thanks to all the probes and general discomfort, so I need to go back for the therapeutic phase. I'm wondering if I should ask for a few ambien ahead of time to see if it works for me.

I took Ambien for a week after my first sleep study, to get used to sleeping with all the CPAP gear, being a light sleeper. It was fine, worked well for the purpose. First night after I stopped Ambien the sleep was a little light, but as normal after that as I've ever slept with CPAP *smile*. So when I took it during my second sleep study, yes, I had taken it before for a week, a few years earlier *smile*. Anyways, for me during a sleep study, it lets me get enough sleep so that they can get their data...they had to wake me a couple of times to roll over and sleep on my back (I'm a side sleeper) so that they could get that data, but I went right back to sleep.

Much better and less stressful than my first sleep study where I was barely able to get enough sleep so that they had enough data that allowed a prescription. Out of the 7 hour night, I got 3 hours of sleep, after lying awake for 4 hours or so. Terrible. There were various reasons why I couldn't get to sleep, but they're pretty boring *smile*.

RogerSC wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 12, 2023 12:40 pm

Steerpike58 wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 08, 2023 10:55 pm

RogerSC wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 03, 2023 2:13 am

Yes, my wife just got a sleep study in the local sleep lab a few months ago.

What helped me get through my sleep studies was using Ambien...my sleep doctor told me that it doesn't affect the data to any appreciable degree, and it allowed me to sleep in the lab with all the probes and everything *smile*.

I just had an in-lab sleep study in Northern California - Kaiser, Martinez facility.

Regarding Ambien - were you taking it ahead of time (that is, were you accustomed to it?). I've tried a variety of sleep meds over time, and none have really worked but Ambien has never been offered. My sleep study (last night!) was a real disaster in that I only slept the minimum 2 hours in the 8 hour period, thanks to all the probes and general discomfort, so I need to go back for the therapeutic phase. I'm wondering if I should ask for a few ambien ahead of time to see if it works for me.

I took Ambien for a week after my first sleep study, to get used to sleeping with all the CPAP gear, being a light sleeper. It was fine, worked well for the purpose. First night after I stopped Ambien the sleep was a little light, but as normal after that as I've ever slept with CPAP *smile*. So when I took it during my second sleep study, yes, I had taken it before for a week, a few years earlier *smile*. Anyways, for me during a sleep study, it lets me get enough sleep so that they can get their data...they had to wake me a couple of times to roll over and sleep on my back (I'm a side sleeper) so that they could get that data, but I went right back to sleep.

Much better and less stressful than my first sleep study where I was barely able to get enough sleep so that they had enough data that allowed a prescription. Out of the 7 hour night, I got 3 hours of sleep, after lying awake for 4 hours or so. Terrible. There were various reasons why I couldn't get to sleep, but they're pretty boring *smile*.

I'm seeing my regular doc this week and I'm going to ask him for some ambien specifically. With every other sleep med I've ever tried, the meds just make me toss and turn, have bizarre thoughts, and don't seem to result in actual sleep, so I need to try the ambien ahead of my next study because I don't want to make the study worse! I've had a few colonoscopies at this point, and one surgery, and I just love the way they say, "I'm going to count down from 10", and then I hear 10, 9, 8 ... GONE!

Steerpike58 wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:03 am

. . . going to ask him for some ambien specifically. With every other sleep med I've ever tried, the meds just make me toss and turn, have bizarre thoughts, . . .

Please be forthcoming with all medical pros about that!

"Individuals who have experienced complex sleep behaviors in the past should not take Ambien or any of the z-drugs and should inform their prescriber."--https://americanaddictioncenters.org/am ... de-effects

lazarus wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:36 am

Steerpike58 wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:03 am

. . . going to ask him for some ambien specifically. With every other sleep med I've ever tried, the meds just make me toss and turn, have bizarre thoughts, . . .

Please be forthcoming with all medical pros about that!

"Individuals who have experienced complex sleep behaviors in the past should not take Ambien or any of the z-drugs and should inform their prescriber."--https://americanaddictioncenters.org/am ... de-effects

Note the complete quote, not referring to complex sleep disturbances in the complex sleep apnea sense, or even having bizarre thoughts:

complex sleep behaviors—such as sleepwalking, sleep-driving, sleep-cooking, and engaging in other activities while not fully awake may occur—and carry a risk (though rare) of serious and potentially fatal injury to oneself or others.

Just to be clear. Never experienced any of the above myself. I usually spend my sleep time in bed, but some people do have these behaviors.

And also note in that context of a history of abnormal behavior with sleep meds can be certain thoughts and feelings. So the nature of the history of . . .

Steerpike58 wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:03 am

bizarre thoughts

. . . with sleep meds or similar medications may, depending on their nature, make them worthy of reporting to a doc, not hiding that negative history, when considering requesting other similar meds, as Steerpike58 said he planned to do. Doctors cannot weigh our requests adequately if not fully informed of what we've experienced in the past.

"More severe symptoms that should be discussed with your doctor, including complex sleep behaviors, suicidal thoughts, and significant next-day impairment. . . . Ambien has many potentially serious side effects that can lead to adverse outcomes and warrant notifying a doctor immediately. These include experiencing complex sleep behaviors, significant next-day impairment, abnormal behavioral changes (e.g., depression and suicidal thoughts and actions), . . . Any abnormal behavior, specifically complex sleep behaviors, suicidal thoughts, or significant next-day impairment should be reported to your doctor as soon as possible.--https://americanaddictioncenters.org/am ... de-effects

Underline attribute added by me.

lazarus wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 16, 2023 2:45 am

And also note in that context of a history of abnormal behavior with sleep meds can be certain thoughts and feelings. So the nature of the history of . . .

Steerpike58 wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 13, 2023 11:03 am

bizarre thoughts

. . . with sleep meds or similar medications may, depending on their nature, make them worthy of reporting to a doc, not hiding that negative history, when considering requesting other similar meds, as Steerpike58 said he planned to do. Doctors cannot weigh our requests adequately if not fully informed of what we've experienced in the past.

Not sure what gave that impression; I've always been very forthcoming with my doctor about the effects of these meds. He seems to show zero interest in my observations, but that's another matter!

To clarify, FWIW, my sleep difficulties include my mind trying to solve 'insoluble' or 'unsolvable' problems (that are also illogical), over and over. I'm semi-conscious, or 'aware', of what I'm doing, but I can't stop it from continuing. To give a simplified example, I may be trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. I know it won't fit, and I know it's a waste of time trying, but nonetheless I keep trying. My semi-conscious self is aware that this is futile, and that it is keeping me awake, but I'm unable to stop my mind from trying ... and trying ... . When I've taken various sleep meds, or marijuana, or CBD, or CBN, or alcohol, they all pretty much accentuate this behavior and just leave me exhausted at the end of the night.

My career has been in high-stress IT roles and I'm a fantastic problem solver; it's what I do best and what I enjoy most. I used to think this 'weird dreams' problem was 'spillover' from my 'day job' because I was always a workaholic, often working till I was utterly exhausted, and that's why I had terrible nights sleep (and I used to drink a lot of coffee and alcohol). But now, I'm retired, and I don't drink (alcohol or coffee!) and my life is really quite stress-free, but this issue of going to bed and having a horrible night, tossing and turning, solving stupid, illogical, insoluble problems, continues. Not all the time, but I can't seem to find a pattern when it does and does not happen.

Update - I did get an Rx for ambien, but only THREE pills total! Two to 'try' ahead of time, and one for the sleep study. I asked for more but - no go.