False diagnosis

snorer · Post by **snorer** » Fri May 04, 2007 4:55 pm

My question is, can someone be mis-diagnosed with sleep apnea? My theory is, the false diagnosis is, because I consistently swallow and the swallowing during the sleep study seems as an obstruction causing a misinterpretation. Can this happen?

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Fri May 04, 2007 5:00 pm

Usually, your oxygen level go down during a sleep study if you have apneas. Did your oxygen level go down?

blarg · Post by **blarg** » Fri May 04, 2007 5:01 pm

Not unless your swallowing causes you to desaturate 4% or more.

Take a look at the results from your sleep study. Look at the duration of your longest apnea. I'd say not possible unless the scoring tech messed up and then the doctor cookie cutter signed it.

Maybe you should post the results from your sleep study?

CheezWiz · Post by **CheezWiz** » Fri May 04, 2007 5:02 pm

snorer wrote:My question is, can someone be mis-diagnosed with sleep apnea? My theory is, the false diagnosis is, because I consistently swallow and the swallowing during the sleep study seems as an obstruction causing a misinterpretation. Can this happen?

Considering the number of probes and monitors I had on during my sleep study, I find your theory hard to swallow. Surely they have taken that possibility into consideration.

snorer · Post by **snorer** » Fri May 04, 2007 5:09 pm

I am still having trouble accepting the fact. My original complaint was snoring. I've been snoring ever since I can remember. The ENT suggested a sleep study. That is when I was told I have it. I still disagree... The machine is not something I can tolerate. I was just given a sleeping pill to aid with tolerating the mask and machine. First night I had it on all night. No change. I never complaine about being tired, still don't and never will. Why treat something that is not effecting me? Thanks for the comments.

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Fri May 04, 2007 5:19 pm

I wondered about some of the results of my first sleep study - I don't swallow a bunch, but I have other issues I thought they "misdiagnosed." I talked to the tech about it during my second study - titration. She was not the tech on my first study, but she'd heard all about me from that tech. He really wanted me back (he thought I was a hoot), but he was off that night.

Anyway, she was probably the MOST INFORMATIVE person I've dealt with (other than this board) during this whole process. I brought up my issues, and she said that they could definitely see what I was doing and not doing, and the censors were sensitive enough to differentiate from one thing to another.

In my particular case, I did not believe that I slept at all. She said she sees TONS of patients who are convinced they are NOT sleeping, when in fact they are. They sleep, awaken, see the clock, sleep again, ditto. They have no memory of the sleeping, just the clock watching. That was my big worry - that they had mixed up my results, because it said I was sleeping way more than I thought I was.

They also recorded me gasping, and being awakened by gasping, and I have no memory of that, either. There was other stuff too, but I don't remember it all right this minute.

Do talk your results over with your doctor, until you feel comfortable about the answers. I'm feeling comfortable with what I've been told right now - but new info could change that. You definitely want to feel like you're being told the truth and trust the info you're getting.

Good luck!
B.

guest-cpaprookie · Post by **guest-cpaprookie** » Fri May 04, 2007 5:31 pm

congratulations for not being "underdiagnosed"

AND it seems that you may be lucky to have caught it early...
most of us wonder around in a daze for 10 years or more
before we come to grips with the apnea....

sleeping pills, at this point are encouraging your
apneas, and i dont know of anyone with at result
after ONE NIGHT of CPAP... its a long road to
proper treatment.

SO... if sleeping with a plastic mask doesnt sound so
macho to you right now, you can wait ten years and
see how macho you feel when you're begging for some
kind of relief.

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Fri May 04, 2007 5:43 pm

snorer wrote:I am still having trouble accepting the fact. My original complaint was snoring. I've been snoring ever since I can remember. The ENT suggested a sleep study. That is when I was told I have it. I still disagree... The machine is not something I can tolerate. I was just given a sleeping pill to aid with tolerating the mask and machine. First night I had it on all night. No change. I never complaine about being tired, still don't and never will. Why treat something that is not effecting me? Thanks for the comments.

Okay, I will play devil's advocate here.

If you refuse to believe the sleep study, if you will not/can not tolerate the machine, if you know you don't have sleep apnea, then what can we say?

When you come out of your "denial" period, maybe we can help you adjust to the machine. Until then, nobody can.

I hope you accept the obvious before you suffer a stroke or heart attack. We would love to help you get through this horrible time -- we've all been there.

JeffH · Post by **JeffH** » Fri May 04, 2007 7:28 pm

Linda3032 wrote:
snorer wrote:I am still having trouble accepting the fact. My original complaint was snoring. I've been snoring ever since I can remember. The ENT suggested a sleep study. That is when I was told I have it. I still disagree... The machine is not something I can tolerate. I was just given a sleeping pill to aid with tolerating the mask and machine. First night I had it on all night. No change. I never complaine about being tired, still don't and never will. Why treat something that is not effecting me? Thanks for the comments.
Okay, I will play devil's advocate here.

If you refuse to believe the sleep study, if you will not/can not tolerate the machine, if you know you don't have sleep apnea, then what can we say?

When you come out of your "denial" period, maybe we can help you adjust to the machine. Until then, nobody can.

I hope you accept the obvious before you suffer a stroke or heart attack. We would love to help you get through this horrible time -- we've all been there.

What Linda said.

They can prove you have it. You are entitled to your opinion, but not your facts. It will kill you.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Fri May 04, 2007 7:58 pm

Linda3032 wrote:
snorer wrote:I am still having trouble accepting the fact. My original complaint was snoring. I've been snoring ever since I can remember. The ENT suggested a sleep study. That is when I was told I have it. I still disagree... The machine is not something I can tolerate. I was just given a sleeping pill to aid with tolerating the mask and machine. First night I had it on all night. No change. I never complaine about being tired, still don't and never will. Why treat something that is not effecting me? Thanks for the comments.
Okay, I will play devil's advocate here.

If you refuse to believe the sleep study, if you will not/can not tolerate the machine, if you know you don't have sleep apnea, then what can we say?

When you come out of your "denial" period, maybe we can help you adjust to the machine. Until then, nobody can.

I hope you accept the obvious before you suffer a stroke or heart attack. We would love to help you get through this horrible time -- we've all been there.

After the first heart attack, if you surive, maybe reality won't be so hard to deal with, I didn't get that chance, I found the Apnea after heart failure. Jim

But then again I was left to weak to swim DeNile.

BadThad · Post by **BadThad** » Fri May 04, 2007 7:59 pm

[quote="guest-cpaprookie"]congratulations for not being "underdiagnosed"

AND it seems that you may be lucky to have caught it early...
most of us wonder around in a daze for 10 years or more
before we come to grips with the apnea....

sleeping pills, at this point are encouraging your
apneas, and i dont know of anyone with at result
after ONE NIGHT of CPAP... its a long road to
proper treatment.

SO... if sleeping with a plastic mask doesnt sound so
macho to you right now, you can wait ten years and
see how macho you feel when you're begging for some
kind of relief.

Gerald · Post by **Gerald** » Fri May 04, 2007 8:16 pm

In order to keep from denying yourself right into a casket, you need to hang some gauges on yourself to see what's happening.

One of the easiest things you can do is to obtain an economical battery powered Blood Pressure monitor.....and take your BP when you wake up in the middle of the night. I suspect that you'll find it elevated like I did.
Mine was dangerously high at night........and I'd been snoring for years.

Gather as much data on yourself as you can......learn about OSA by reading a book or two on the subject......and keep an open mind.

Even if you mildly convince yourself that CPAP is a good thing, you have to be sure that your sub-conscious is in agreement. If you're not convinced.....all the way down to your toes....that CPAP is necessary to prevent your early demise.....your sub-conscious will subvert your treatment......and you'll become one of those who junks the program....and dies early.

When I realized that I had a problem, I RAN to my doctor.....got a quick sleep test (a horrible experience)......got titrated (another horrible experience)......and hurriedly purchased a system from CPAP.COM.

I applied the Scientific Method........gathered data and was brutally honest with myself......then, my sub-conscious was fully convinced that I had to make CPAP work.....or I was going to die.

Since the last week in September, my mask has stayed on all night....every night.....and you can do the same....but, only if you're convinced of CPAP's value.

If you can, get some CPAP machine software that will allow you to monitor your progress. Become involved with your treatment.....manage your own recovery.

You can do it.

Gerald

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Fri May 04, 2007 8:59 pm

I would rather believe I don't have sleep apnea. Who wouldn't? Many here would love to be in your shoes, and have the opportunity to prevent many years of accumulative damage. Sleep apnea can slowly, silently at first, erode your well being. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security.

Just like years of sun on the skin - all seems well for a very long time, but one day you look in the mirror and the evidence is undeniable.

And who would knowingly allow a cancer to remain in their body just because it had not yet shut down a vital organ? In the realm of cancer, we all know the value of early diagnosis and treatment.

I believe as time goes on we'll begin to hear more and more about early diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea as the means to save lives and quality of life. Count yourself a trailblazer.

Kathy

30daysin20yrslost · Post by **30daysin20yrslost** » Fri May 04, 2007 9:29 pm

After lets say alllllll my life I have snored..(I mean loud manly snores). I never really gave it much thought ..ya know kids, working etc...until i could not take one more pill for ...blood pressure, migraines, stress, sleeping, wake up, mood issues... after changing Dr. ( due to issurance) he did a great check up on me and pretty much linked all my issues to sleep apnea..after test BINGO....Iam now one of the multitudes of Darth Vader sleepers...It did take a while to get used to the whole CPAP thing...But with out it I most likely would have ended up in a BOX...or a dope head...listen to your DR and these fine folks here the testing is not FIXED WRONG or BROKEN....

cpaprookie · Post by **cpaprookie** » Fri May 04, 2007 10:01 pm

cheers 30daysin...

as someone told me they liked my nick yesterday,

i couldn't have thought of one as fitting as yours...

priceless.

False diagnosis

False diagnosis

Re: False diagnosis

Not convinced of diagnosis

Not convinced of diagnosis

Mask

Additional Comments: Equipment isn't correct, S9 ASV w/H5i