Help- question-sleep apnea test

I have severe fatigue, fibromyalgia & other problems. I know without a doubt i have sleep apnea. I wake up multiple times through the night gasping for air. A friend recorded how loud I snore at night and how I'm struggling to breathe and how I stop breathing. It is in my throat.. It is really bad. I also have a hard time swallowing . Years ago I had a sleep apnea test and due to me sleeping in a foreign place I was only able to sleep for an hour to an hour and a half. They told me I don't have sleep apnea and I wasn't able to get a CPAP. I tried my husband's and it helped a lot but had to stop using it because the pressure was so much that it made my chest go up and down too much and caused my chest muscles to hurt really bad. I think if I had a CPAP with a smaller amount of pressure going into my lungs I wouldn't have this problem. My insurance wouldn't pay for me to go back. Now they are finally letting me get another sleep apnea test and I'm worried to death they are going to say I don't have sleep apnea again which is totally ridiculous. Is there anyway that when I wake up -one of my many times of waking up- I could cause my symptoms to seem more severe? They say not to take medicine that makes you sleepy. Would this cause my symptoms to seem more severe? I need a CPAP so bad. Thank you for your time and help

You need to sleep during the test. Plain and simple.

Do whatever is necessary, including Ambien, tranqs, etc.

Until you do get started on cpap do whatever you can to not sleep on your back if you do it - that provokes more apneas, more snores, and keeps your mouth open, all of which are bad for you.

I know you are desperate to get relief, but you really don't want this disease. You want relief, but not sleep apnea. You don't want to wear a mask the rest of your life. I'm sorry to say that you appear to have the sleep apnea symptoms. Take whatever medication you need for the test. Medication can skew the results of the test. Many folks have taken medicine for sleep tests. As far as breathing and your chest hurting, there are bipaps that will help you breath without pain. Educate yourself here and blessings to you. Work thru all your issues here.

Sheriff

You sound just like me, before my test. I was getting 2 hours of sleep a night. For me the person giving the test was also the same person that was going to write the report. Talk with them while they are setting up the wires. They will not "fudge" the data, but if something gets boarder line and they have to make a judgment call, they can call it your way.

They told me that they want the test as close to "home" conditions as possible, but they really have no idea what your "home" conditions are. Decide how you want to take the test before you go in and just tell them that yes this is how you sleep at home. Sleeping pills, not propping you head up, what ever you want to highlight the issue you are having.

I knew that I had breathing problems when sleeping at home, if I would just relax and sleep they would see my apnea. So I just did my best at relaxing and sleeping without worry about finding apnea.

"sleeping in a foreign place " how do you do sleeping on vacation? Visiting family? Before you go in think of some place, any place else you could be. Relax and do your best to "be there", the apnea will happen-it always does.

We have all been where you are. We made it (sleeping 7 hours a night now on CPAP) and you can too!

Sheriff Buford wrote:I know you are desperate to get relief, but you really don't want this disease. You want relief, but not sleep apnea. You don't want to wear a mask the rest of your life. I'm sorry to say that you appear to have the sleep apnea symptoms.

Sheriff, I wish you'd quit painting such doom and gloom pictures for newbies, you've done it numerous times.

the treatment for sleep apnea doesn't have to be nearly as bad as you make it out. there are many people who are quite happy to put on a mask of some sort and breath lightly pressurized air all night long, and feel enormously better during the day.

of course we'd all rather be in the prime of health and not suffer from any chronic medical issues, but sleep apnea, and it's treatment, is far far far from the worst of them, and I'd much rather have it than many other ailments, if I had a choice.

I can't see how your telling someone "you don't want to wear a mask for the rest of your life" can be, in ANY way, helpful.