Advice to a suspected Apnea person.

I am fairly sure I have sleep apnea. I have not been diagnosed yet but I am fairly sure I have sleep apnea. I have the classic symptoms and I almost never sleep more than a few hours at a time (fitfully). I am waiting for a Dr’s appointment still two weeks away. Any advice as to how to sleep till then. Getting a bit desperate due to lack of sleep. I can no longer drive safely and I am loosing time at work due to my lack of sleep.

I dread going to bed every night. I wake up about every half hour frequently with a panicky adrenlin induced feeling, gasping for air. I often wake up with dizziness nausea and a headache. The dizziness and nausea pass fairly quickly but have a moderately bad headache almost every day. Needless to say that I am dead tiered every day. Hurting my job and making it difficult to deal with people. My poor wife has been dealing with a grouch for the last 4 months. She has been a saint for dealing with me.


I would love any advice I can get about how to sleep until I get to see my Doc. For that matter, any advice would be great. I am dreading a little being on a CPAP machine but at the same time looking forward to sleeping and feeling human again.


Thanks

You poor guy. You really sound like you have correctly diagnosed yourself. Is there any way to plead with whoever you have to to move your study up ASAP? You really sound like you've nailed this diagnosis.

As far as until then? I can only think of two things. Hopefully others will volunteer more information. Number one, avoid sleeping on your back Some people have actually sewn tennis balls into the back of the pajamas to keep from laying on their backs during the night. That position is said to cause one to have the most episodes in certain cases where the throat closes off when you're on your back.

Also, try elevating your pillows in as much an elevation as you can still sleep in. The flatter you are, the worse I believe it will make your condition.

I feel for you and really hope there is some way you can get whoever you need to help you move up your appointment. It takes some time even after your studies to get the machine, so you're perhaps looking at at least another month before you'll be on the therapy if you are first waiting for the PSG in two weeks. Then you will probably have to go back for a second titration part, unless you can get it all done in one night, which in your case sounds like it should be done that way. It all depends on how the lab works. Then the lab will write a report, fax/send it to your doctor who sent you for the PSG and then your doctor writes the script for you to get your machine. Between all that and insurance approval, after your final study can take a couple of weeks, even more.

Please try to get them to move up your testing date. Sounds like you are the classic case of someone who needs to get going on the therapy. Please let us know how you do. In the meantime, keep reading everything you can get your hands on. This site alone is filled with wonderful information on just about everything. I learned 99% of all I know right here after being diagnosed. Best of luck, my friend.

OK, my advise is to get really grumpy and call up and don't take no for an answer. The longer you wait to get tested and on cpap the longer it will take for you to reverse your problem. I have learned that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Sleepless on LI wrote:Also, try elevating your pillows in as much an elevation as you can still sleep in. The flatter you are, the worse I believe it will make your condition.

The general recommendation is to elevate the entire head of the bed, using bricks or boards (2x4) under the legs. Trying to elevate your head will tip it forward, making matters worse.

It wouldn't be fun to leave the bedroom, but if you have a recliner (e.g. La-Z-Boy or similar) try sleeping in that.