Relationship between consumption of alcohol and sleep apnea

1. I am not ‘whining’ about using the machine. I am using it regularly in the meantime (NIGHTLY). It’s been annoying but slowly getting used to it.

2. All I want is proper support, proper diagnosis and honesty, I agree I very well may need the mask and I am using it, but the fact that my doctor and this sleep clinic have been ignoring many of my concerns annoys me. Hence the reason I wanted further testing etc. I’ve been mislead multiple times (“just buy the machine you’re in denial man. Your AHI will only drop maybe from 52 to like the high 40s at the very most”) and other comments. And when I asked about how I’m having trouble tolerate CPAP, barely any help from the sleep clinic. I felt more like a customer than a living being which is not a nice thing. I’ve spoken to another RT there and she’s been a lot better and patient though.

3. No need to be negative on here. This is supposed to be a support page. Not a page to call people names or attack people. Including attacking other people who have posted in this thread. Attacking Pugsy regarding comments made and opinions is not cool, and demeaning me isn’t either. I have tons of friends who I am sure have sleep apnea and don’t want to deal with it. I am actually taking steps to deal with it, so at least give me that courtesy. Thanks.

You have certainly not been well treated by the "system." One way to take charge of your treatment is to download the amazing Oscar software:

https://www.sleepfiles.com/OSCAR/

You will need a laptop or desktop, an SD card in your machine, and a way to read the SD card. (If you don't have an SD slot in your computer, you can buy a plug-in reader for cheap.)

This software will give all of us -- including you! -- a lot of insight into what is going on during the night. You will be able to see what kinds of respiratory events you are having and when you are having them. The information may allow members of the forum to make suggestions to you about optimizing your settings. We would aim to help you get your AHI down to below 2 (good) or 1 (excellent).

Does this sound like something you might try?

Many of us have been frustrated by the "system"--which is broken, yeah, we know.
The thing many of us have learned is that it is easier to change what we do,
than correct the blunders of others.
Way easier.
Self-reliance takes the power away from those too lazy, greedy or stupid to help US.

Thanks for your reply the both of you.

The good side of this is that my CPAP appears to be working. My AHI has been hovering below 2 the last several days (1.2, 2.2, 1.6) so I am happy with that. Unfortunately last night, I put the mask on, went to bed, woke up 9 hours later and found it on the floor, it said I only used it for an hour. Damn it! It’s honestly been getting easier to wear it. Just minor things like this going on. I’ve been able to wear it way more and actually sleep with it than I was when I started a month ago.

I’m not really a huge fan of looking at my sleep stats to be honest, especially with that app and getting an SD card for it. I feel like I’d obsess over it and probably worry more about it. I’ve been getting to a point now where my AHI when wearing CPAP appears be be low and the CPAP place has been monitoring my average. I’m kind of a hypochondriac so me seeing all these doctors anyways is not fun

I’m also looking forward to the next week or 2. I managed to get a referral to see an ENT next week as well as see the sleep physician who scored my tests (he specializes in lung medicine and sleep medicine). His office assistant was really helpful and she said he is very thorough and competent in making sure his patients get a proper diagnosis and ensure any underlying issues are treated, as well as indicating CPAP when needed. She said especially if I do a sleep lab study, they can see exactly when my apnea happens, see if it’s related to position etc and suggest any types of treatment needed. My guess they’ll try to treat any of my underlying issues first, but regardless depending on how bad my sleep apnea is I most likely see myself having to use CPAP anyways. At least I will feel more committed knowing I am treating it and did everything to make sure I am getting the best care.

Yeah, alcohol really messed with my sleep apnea too. Whenever I had more than a drink or two, I’d wake up feeling completely unrested, and my AHI spiked noticeably on those nights. It makes sense because alcohol basically relaxes your throat muscles more than usual, which just worsens any obstructions during sleep. Back sleeping definitely made it worse for me too, combo of the two was brutal.

After I quit drinking, my sleep quality improved a lot, but it took a while to adjust fully. I’ve been in post-Abbeycare sobriety for a bit now, and it’s wild how much better I breathe and sleep without alcohol in the mix.

I'm just the opposite.

Without fail, if I have a few drinks during the day, I'm not talking about getting drunk either, maybe four or five beers over a four-to-five-hour time frame, my AHI's are always lower than normal, sometimes considerably.

My normal average is around 3 and if I have a few drinks the average is 1 or below.

YMMV