Ottawa Sleep Apnea support group

jskinner · Post by **jskinner** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 4:10 pm

Does anyone know if an apnea support group exists any where in the Ottawa, Ontario region? I contacted the American Sleep Apnea Association but they said there are no A.W.A.K.E. support groups in Ottawa (all though they encouraged me to start one)

They said that the Royal Ottawa Hospital used to have a support group of some type but it appears to be defunked now. I personally wouldn't have anything to do with the ROH myself since they misdiagnosed my apnea and claimed that my sleep problems had psychiatric causes. I needlessly lost two years of my life because of that hospital!

Anyway, does anyone know of such a group in Ottawa?

-James

Oh 2 breathe · Post by **Oh 2 breathe** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:10 am

Hi neighbour! I live about 45 minutes south of Ottawa. I don't know of any groups specific to sleep apnea but I have the number for the Sleep/Wake Disorders of Canada group based in Ottawa: (613) 828-2522. Perhaps they could give you more information from there.

I think we could start our own group. There must be a large population around the Ottawa area to draw from.

I can relate to your comments re: being misdiagnosed within the mental health system. I work as a counsellor in a community mental health program. Because of all the knowledge I have gained from my own life experience with sleep apnea I have been able to alert a number of clients and their doctors when their sleep disorder symptoms were being misdiagnosed as depression. I've referred at least 5 people to sleep labs in the past year alone. In one case, the person had mild sleep apnea and was being treated for depression, but I was concerned the sleep inducing anti-depressant (trazadone) he was taking was causing the person's throat muscles to relax even more, thus worsening his sleep apnea. This had been missed by the sleep lab study which allowed no meds during the study. A further sleep lab test is being ordered to study the person while under the effects of the medication. Unfortunately there are still a lot of underinformed doctors and psychiatrists out there.

frapilu · Post by **frapilu** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 2:01 pm

Yup, we could start one ourselves. ldemmery and I have already met for coffee once. I'll admit that I have a very full schedule so it's hard to plan stuff but so long as we plan far enough ahead, we could manage.

France from the Hunt Club area of Ottawa