old hose head, new to forum

[Lulabelle]

I came to this forum a couple of weeks ago, while looking for a new Resmed MFFS2. I have been in my own little world feeling like the only cpap user on the planet. Wow does it feel good to know I am not the only one. I guess I have a few curious questions after years of making up my own rules. Does every new person give their history? If so I will try to give a brief background.

I knew I snored, but when I shared a house on the beach with only partial walls between the bedrooms with my sisters and aunts in a mock Ya-Ya sisterhood retreat, they all said I sounded like I was choking when I slept. (My ya-ya name I was given was Marchioness of Very High Maintenance) I was soon signed up for 2 sleep studies a week apart. I arrived at the first with my 4 pillows and large wedge. (Yep, high maintenance) Before being diagnosed I slept practically sitting upright to help me breathe. Of course they wouldn’t let me use all the pillows that I brought They also insisted that I try to sleep on my back even after I told them I sleep on my side period. Sure enough two hours into the study the girl woke me up and helped me into a mask. I had my equipment in hand before the second sleep study I don’t know all my fancy AHI statistics, but I can vividly remember the graph the sleep doc used, he showed me a normal graph with thin blue hash marks that indicated each sleep disturbance per minute. Then he showed me mine which was solid blue for the two hours before they put the mask on. He said this indicated 120+ incidents per hour. When I asked for a copy of my records, I was told they belonged to the doc. Now, after reading this forum, I know I am entitled to a copy. I also never gave it a thought to try different masks or machines. I just learned to adjust to the ones I was assigned. Wow, you guys have opened my eyes.

To conclude my long story and finally get to the question, the doc told me to never sleep on my back ever again, and that I should sew a tube sock to the back of each of my nightgowns and place three tennis balls in the sock to make sure I will wake if I try to sleep on my back. I casually scoped the doc for horns, but he acted like he was totally sane and that he didn’t just suggest something ludicrous. Has any one else been told to do something like this?

[idahogal]

Hello, and welcome. As for your question, I have never heard of a doctor telling you not to sleep on your back. I do know that with apnea the worst position for you is on your back and the best one for you is on your side. I would maybe assume this is why your doctor suggested this. I think sewing tube socks and tennis balls to your nightgowns are a little extreme not to mention what that has to look and feel like

[brasshopper]

There have been other doctors who have told their patients to do the tennis ball trick - and, in fact, the panel that was trying to decide whether to recommend that mouth devices for apnea go OTC or not joked about that and about only using FDA approved tennis balls.

Before CPAP, tennis balls (and, in extreme cases, tracheotomy) were the only available therapies - as was sitting up. Now we have oral appliabces, CPAP, multi-level CPAP and many other things. I'm also a CPAP old timer - can't remember exactly what year I started but I think I am up around 20 years now.

Me? I sleep on my back - I have pain issues and with rare exceptions it is the only comfortable position. And my last sleep study told me to replicate my home position - and supplied me a wedge - I ended up not using it - the wedge was too much different from "pile of pillows with top layer memory foam."

Remind me to tell you about the "postage stamp treatment for impotence" that was common before viagra.

You talk to people and they tell you, "Oh, so and so had a stroke in his 20's, and died - and he had horrible choking fits in his sleep - he would pause breathing for more than 20 seconds." I'm glad we live in a time where this syndrome can be treated.

[idahogal]

Brasshopper,

Very interesting. I had never heard of such a thing. Now I have to know about the pre viagra postage stamp thing..you have me curious now.

[Lulabelle]

I never did the tennis ball thing, and I definitely want to hear about the postage stamps.

[oldgearhead]

Since you 'never sleep on your back', the tennis ball story means nothing. However, you didn't share your titrated pressure. What is it?

BTW - You have one of the very best masks for side sleeping.

[steview]

I think they used to place some postage stamps around the man's "apparatus" before he went to sleep. If they had broken up by morning, it meant things were still functioning OK.

Steve

[Guest]

everyone is a bit different, but I agree with your doc, if your OSA is so severe and you had to sleep sitting up in the past, maybe your doc is right. Tennis balls in a sock pinned to the back of a night shirt have been found to keep you from sleeping on your back.

PSG's have shown you have fewer events sleeping on your side or stomach. In a sleep lab they don't allow you to sleep on your stomach or side or at least not very long as they cannot get a severe "read" on your case, they always want you on your back.

Since the supine position is where you have the most events, they treat you for this worst case severity. so if your tongue is falling into the back of your throat and blocking the airway they have to apply cpap treatment that eliminates that condition. It may result in a much higher pressure than the position you normally sleep in such as the side or stomach.

if your titrated pressure is high then maybe you would consider an autopap which would adjust the pressure for the way/position you sleep in.