I don't feel I need cpap therapy-anyone else feel this way?

okieyankie wrote:Sharon:
Thanks for your reply. I know it's hard for you to get in to see specialists where you are and I'm not dismissing the need for sleep studies, centers and specialists and please don't get me wrong - I am grateful to be where it is not so difficult or such a lengthy process to see a specialist, but I think there probably does need to be some kind of screening process here before pricey tests or equipment are prescribed.

yup, this is what i'm talking about...here in windsor, we have only one sleep lab...the next is 2 hours away, then the next is two hours from there...the wait list is quite long...once my GP reluctantly made the referral to the sleep doc, his office called me and did quite a lengthy phone screen with me, which qualified me for the initial consult...this consult was an hour long, with much discussion about my symptoms, my bloodwork, previous history, neck measurement /bp, etc... this was all before they would decide whether to book me in for a psg....i've known people who didn't get past the phone screen, or made it to the consult and didn't get past that...the entire process for me, from GP referral to delivery of my cpap was more than six months long

upon reading others posts, if you DO have an autopap, i'm jealous!! i can't get an auto here for love or money; maybe it was supposed to be for titration purposes...if so, there are, as stated above, many knowledgeable people here who can help you...if you still end up not needing therapy, feel free to sell ME that auto!!!

best of luck to you

You ability to do your beloved job may be eventually seriously limited by the results of sleep apnea.

Ojzi:

Thank you for the information. I will study it and explore additional education about this. However, I was a little aggravated at your phraseology in your post, "your ability to do your beloved job". IF it wasn't for my "beloved" job I wouldn't HAVE the insurance to pay the money grubbing doctors and I doubt they would have looked at my sleep issues at all. Pre-cpap I was enjoying 7-8 hours of sleep every night and I cannot think of one incident when I verged on falling asleep at my desk or at a traffic light or in my driveway while waiting for my garage door to go all the way up, which is NOT the case now after indulging myself in the luxury of "a good, refreshing night's sleep with the miracle of cpap".

Thank you all and good luck in your individual therapies.

SP

Sharon:

If I find I do not need the therapy or decide against trying to get used to it after all, I will surely contact you and give you a very good price on my equipment.

I'll be in touch.

Sharon P.

oops. , didn't mean to sound like a gravedigger there!

the way you're feeling now, after your disasterous start on cpap, is the way most of us felt before cpap

i can certainly see how you'd resent going from feeling good to feeling like the walking dead, and all because of a machine that is supposed to eliminate that condition, not cause it!

but seriously, if you are able to get the machine settings right--with help from some of our auto pap gurus--you can get your ahi and see if your osa is mild enough to go without cpap, then the decision is all yours

at 4cm you must feel like you're starving for air! soi'm sure someone will weigh in soon with advice on how to set your apap properly...

okieyankie wrote:

You ability to do your beloved job may be eventually seriously limited by the results of sleep apnea.

Ojzi:

Thank you for the information. I will study it and explore additional education about this. However, I was a little aggravated at your phraseology in your post, "your ability to do your beloved job". IF it wasn't for my "beloved" job I wouldn't HAVE the insurance to pay the money grubbing doctors and I doubt they would have looked at my sleep issues at all. Pre-cpap I was enjoying 7-8 hours of sleep every night and I cannot think of one incident when I verged on falling asleep at my desk or at a traffic light or in my driveway while waiting for my garage door to go all the way up, which is NOT the case now after indulging myself in the luxury of "a good, refreshing night's sleep with the miracle of cpap".

Thank you all and good luck in your individual therapies.

SP

I'm sorry also Ozji. I guess I'm crankier than I realized. I appreciate all of the suggestions and help that you and everyone has given me and I promise I am going to try to work through this and try to stop living in denial. I'll let you know of any progress. I do admit that my less-than-enthusiastic attitude may be a big part of what's holding me back in my progress to date.

Regards,

SP

you ain't old okie, i got ya by two years has your bed partner ever told you about your loud snoring ?
has your partner ever heard you gasping for air while asleep ?.................
alot of us on here have been pushed here,kicking & screaming, by our loved ones that care. denial is a common thing at first. when you start tracking your #'s each morning, things only get better. docs are mearly educated guessers .take control of your health* Good luck ! tim

Deerslayer:

I think part of my resistance stems from the fact that my husband says he has rarely heard me snoring and never has he heard me gasping for breath and he is a very light sleeper so I just have so many doubts about the need for the cpap. We joke about the fact that I was healthier and felt way better before I quit a 40 year smoking habit last August. Now, with all my new medications and machinery I can't seem to get a decent night's sleep using the equipment that is supposed to make me feel so much better. I AM glad I was able to quit smoking, but after gaining 30 lbs. which added to the stress of osteoarthritis in my previously injured knee which led to a knee replacement surgery which opened up this whole can of cpap worms, I'm wondering why I'm NOT feeling a whole bunch better.

SP

Okieyankie,

You don't snore? You don't gasp? Well neither do I.

While these are the symptoms that everyone knows about, not everyone has them. I changed doctors August 2007 because my previous doctor after a year and a half could not explain why my fatigue level suddenly went to debilitating. My new doctor ran about every test he could think of and couldn't find an answer. At Thanksgiving a conversation with my sisters open all of our eyes - sleep disorder. I went into the doctor and requested a sleep study - "you don't snore, you don't gasp, you're not obese - I don't know if I can get them to take a referal on you" My reply was simple "There are sleep disorders other than apnea - and the obvious reason I'm tired all day is I'M NOT SLEEPING"

The sleep center told me he wrote exactly that on the referal - They didn't think I had apnea either. They had to do the overnight sleep study before the insurance would approve any other tests. They sent me a sysmptom questionaire, boy there were alot of things I checked yes on. 2 days after the study I got a near paniced call for the sleep center. "You do have apnea, we need to get you in here for a "CPAP trial". There where so many red flags on your questionaire, I'd have been suprized if you didn't have it"

AHI of 24 - reality check, this means I'm waking every 2 minutes to breath -this does not consitute a good nights sleep. Actually I'm relieved it's apnea, it's treatable and doesn't require adding more meds to my schedual chancing more problems with drug interaction.

Looking back at my medical records, I have been symptomatic for 40 years. I can tell you from my experiance that the symptoms only get worse. Take care of it now. It will be easier adujusting to therapy, and you will see results quicker. BTW you need to get the tiration done. You need to have your machine at the proper settings for the therapy to work.

i hear ya girl. all of us on here have been through the proverbial ringer of ailments. lets see, reumatoid arthritis,c.o.p.d.,o s d ,regurgetating valve. allergies lol, if the medical community hadn't told me,i might feel better about #1 i chewed a pack of redman a day for 30 years(ok, so it's nasty) quit Christmas99 & never looked back=know about the weight deal also,it's an everyday fight but better than the alternative. compared to health issues of many on here & elsewhere, i give thanks everyday. ...why don't you fill in your profile & list your equipment... i am only a greenhorn,but there are a lot of very knowledgeable folks ready to help that can relate. God Bless. tim