What would you do?

Ok, as many of you knwo I had my overnight pulse ox back around the 12th...I have still yet to hear from the doctor...I have already talked to the office twice about when he will call the first time they said he will call as soon as he knows the results then when I went to pick up copies of the study and my slepe studies I told them that I hadnt heard from him yet and she said she would send him a reminder to call me...Here it is the 27th and NOTHING...I am kinda irritated that they dont seem to care anymore than thatl. I wanted to talk to him first then see if I could make an appointment with him so he can go over my sleep studies with me and explain why and all abotu the way I was diagnosed as I havnt ever been explained anything besides was told I had OSA and my pressure will be set at 9 after they got the APAP back and read the results from that...

I am not feeling too great lately either, I just have no energy and if I get the chance I take a nap everyday now. Anxiety might play a factor in this I am not sure. I am also having chest pains everyday now, in the center to the left side and down my left arm. Of course I think I am dying of a heart attack but everytime I have ever been to the doc for chest pain its either GERD related (which I just had my med changed again a week ago as the proir med stopped working) or anxiety related. I have had some tests over the past two years and can find nothing heart related besides sinus tach which they say is anxiety related. I JUST WANT TO FEEL BETTER! between the anxiety and sleep apnea whatever is causing this. I go back to my anxiety doctor friday so we will see what he has to say I guess

Anyway, should I just call and make an appointment with the sleep doc? He is the one that ordered the test but I have only seem him that one time. I want to switch to him for good but this is making me second guess him. I dont want to go back to my reg sleep doc. I never had self esteem issues about my weight til going to her and I jsut dont want to deal with her cause of that. I know I am overweight I dont need it thrown in my face everytime I go there

Well, thanks for listening to my little rant here...

Hope everyone had a great holiday, I did besides my car got hit hit and run in a parking lot that is now gonna cost me over $300 to get fixed grrr...I can't win...

Lori, if you read this, I will be writing you soon...
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): APAP

i would go to another doctor...i do not like to here of your chest pains,this could be serious...

MissAmethyst2U wrote: I dont want to go back to my reg sleep doc. I never had self esteem issues about my weight til going to her and I jsut dont want to deal with her cause of that. I know I am overweight I dont need it thrown in my face everytime I go there

What would I do? I would go back and get in touch with your regular sleep doctor immediately. The other Doc obviously isn't following through in getting back to you with your overnight pulse ox results. It would be shortsighted to continue to hang around and wait for him to get back to you and settle for inferior service just because you're trying to avoid seeing your regular sleep doc again because she brought up your weight. The fact that the sleep doc commented on your weight is not a sign of cruelty, but rather a sign that she is a good doctor. It is your doctor's job to discuss your health issues with you. She would be negligent in her responsibility to you as her patient NOT to address your weight. You may not want to hear it (and no one does) but it is her obligation to say it. If you should decide to go back to her, let her know straight away you are very sensitive about your weight. Once she realizes that, she'll know better how to talk to you and help you.

Anxiety disorders can color every aspect of a person's life. It must be nearly impossible to know if what's causing your problems is your sleep apnea or GERD or anxiety. I'm sure you're well aware the chest pains are a very common symptom in anxiety and you wisely got it checked out so you now definitively know the cause. You are obviously committed to treating all of these issues and are continuing to seek solutions. Judging from your posts, you're willing to do a great deal of research to find the answers you need. You've probably already seen this, but here's the ADAA website:

Anxiety Disorders Association of America

With anxiety (as with weight... as with most all things for that matter) it is important to seek not only the solution, but also the cause. Cognitive Behavior Therapy has been shown to be very effective in anxiety sufferers. There are also numerous helpful forums just like cpaptalk (only they deal with anxiety instead of apnea) which might be useful to you. Here are some links:

SeekingOurFreedom

HealingWell.com forum for Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety Disorders Groups

I wish you the best of luck and hope you're feeling better soon!

Sounds like you are getting the run around and having a similar problem like I am having with my Primary care whom I am not going back too. I am morbidly obese , and many of my health problems are weight related, but I have been shoved in one category and actually been neglected by several doctors in my life because they wan't to blame it all on the weight. Well guess what, I have chronic Epstein Barr and either a primary or secondary immune deficiency possibly due to the epstein barr or my immune system being low then making the EBV virus dangerous to my system cuz I cannot fight it like normal folks.I had to find a specialist who could actually have an open mind after 15 years of
HE**!
I have had to take so much into my own hands finding docs that will treat me with respect, and it is not easy because they see (depression, OCD), and my weight. Well, I had sleep problems before I got heavy. I had infections all the time before I got heavy. I had joint pain before I got heavy and all this was since childhood. Sorry to rant, but you do whatever is necessary and don't let anyone walk on you. You will eventually find docs that care, and if not Fire them I hope you feel better soon.

God bless
Chelle

Neversleeps is very right however and has offered great advice and is well versed on anxiety disorders. I am bitter because I have actually been rudely treated because of my weight by some doctors and have heard blanket statements. It is the doctor's job to bring up your weight in a professional manner. I want a doctor who I can talk to about my weight problem, and who will talk to me but not say well you don't feel good and it is all because of your weight. Also, to assume that I eat lots of candy (yeah in the 90s I actually had a doctor tell me that if I stopped eating M&Ms) then I would lose weight. I hardly ever eat candy, or junk food. I am sedentary and that has been the main cause. I have to work on that and swimming is the best for me because of my back and arthritis. Also, we buy food that is on the cheaper end and that is no good.
A doctor's job is to help you and be truthful. But the truth does not have to be nasty, all inclusive baloney, and leave you feeling frustrated. I guess I have high expectations.

God bless
Chelle

sapphireskye wrote:It is the doctor's job to bring up your weight in a professional manner. A doctor's job is to help you and be truthful. But the truth does not have to be nasty, all inclusive baloney, and leave you feeling frustrated. I guess I have high expectations.

Good point, Chelle. Discussing weight is the doctor's job, but if it is done in a cruel and humiliating manner (like the M&M comment---what a jerk!) it's time to find a new doctor.

Thanks for all the replys, as far as the doc and my weight, my PCP I love her to death adn we discuss my weight and I have no issues with her with dealing with it. I know my sleep doc should bring it up but is there any cause for her jumping oni me while walking from the waiting room to her office and have me in tears before I get to her office? I think not...The way she talked to me that day I never felt so low. The poor guy in the hallway outside her office he was prob a few yrs older than me and just looked liek I feel soooo bad for you right now kinda look. I knwo I am overweight, I kjnow I need to lose weight, everyone in my family is big not that that is an excuse. Yes I could exercise more but with other medical issues I do what I can as I get tired very easily (I thought CPAP was helping great with that for a while) and I jsut don't have any energy whatsoever. I will have weeks I can go and do and have all the energy in the world and turn around the next week and be sooo tired and worn out and just hurt all over and feel ill that it will take me all day to get uptake a shower and get things done. Again, everyone blames this back to anxiety/depression.

I have been in treatment since I was 12 for Anxiety. They have yet to even find the root of it. They are thinking genetics and well the last doc I saw for a while and did EMDR with seems to think it relates back to how my mom treated me when I was younger. I have done the Cognitive Behavior Therapy. I have been hookked to machines and done EMDR and done talking therapy and done anything and everything you can imagine I also got that attacking anxiety and depression program that Lucinda Bassett has out and that worked the best out of all of them that at least got me to the point that I could go out to a store and drive. If you can name an antidepressant or anxiety drug I have taken it. Some worked well for a while while others were a true nightmare with side effects. I go to one of the top docs in my area and he has been the best out of them all but even he has not a clue what to do. I have basically been told it is something I will have to live with.

I wish ppl understood more what its liek to live in a constant fear of just about everything for no reason. No matter how much I tell myself I am fine its just anxiety or that won't hurt me or this or that it doesnt help. Ppl tell me all the time oh stop it or take a pill or this or that. well, damn if it was that easy dont they think I would have done it by now, not like I havnt tried. Prozac worked well for me for my depression but makes my anxiety worse and so about a year ago I came off it and decided I was sick of drugs didnt want them anymore. I do have Ativan to take as needed but that drugs me up soooo much not like I can take it and actually function a 'normal' life.

I had to drop out of school in the 8th grade because of this. I was a straight A/B honor student I have since gotten my GED and am taking online college courses but even now the anxiety and not having the energy to do much is keeping me from getting this done as fast as I need to. I am on disability for this per my docs suggestion as I lost my job back when I was 17 due to anxiety. (I am 22 now) I missed out on soooo much in my teen years and still havnt gotte to do a lot of things other ppl my age did. Dating in a nightmare, I cant really go out on a date and there arent many guys who can put up with me. Can't do movie theaters at all, eating in a resturant is difficult at times, some days I am ok with it. ummm going to the mall I can only handle sometimes, grocery shopping is usually ok, I can do outside things/events pretty well now but thats about it. I even attempted back at the beginning of the year to join the gym and go. HaHa, yeah well, I love the treadmill but with ppl swarming the place and getting my heart rate up from exercising plus fighting anxiety and that would make my asthma act up well that didnt work at all...

I just don;t know anymore, I go to the doctors a lot, my parents and everyone else fuss cause I usually have two doc appts or so a month and they all tell me the same things and that its all anxiety related yet nobody can come up with how to help me. I have just come to the conclusion that it truly is something I will have to live with, I really doint see how someone can function a fulfilling life that way at all but who knows...

Well, now that I have wrote a book, I just want ya'll to understand, I have tried to deal with this and still am continuing to do so. Also to understand that I am not saying my doc shouldnt talk to me about my weight but there is a tasteful way to do so...

Sorry this is so long...

Sapphire and neversleeps,

I just saw your replys about the doc and good and bad comments, my sleep doc brought it up in a bad way, my PCP and I can discuss it well...I too, dont eat hardely any junk food or candy, I actually today bought a small box of candy just to have something sweet around. I might eat one or two pieces a day thats it. I personally don't think that will kill me. Plus I havnt had candy in a while. I try to eat frutis and veggies and surprisingly over the holidays I think I did better than any other year before. I am bad about eating out. I do LOVE salads though and eat a lot of those, I try to not eat fried foods at all. I dont care for them really and I dont like salt so and don't even like to cook with salt. Ummm, not a huge meat or bread person either, I also try not to drink a lot of soda I do however as some ppl have their morning coffee I dont like coffee and I have one can of coke every morning when I get up. The rest of the day I do tea and bottled water, occasional juice which I usually water down and use lots of ice, If we eat out I sometimes have soda though...My doc doesnt see too much wrong with how I eat...I prob dont eat enough really...

I don't know what I have disclosed on this board or not, but your other parts of the posts have moved me to have tears in my eyes. Why? I am 29 and also on disability. I haven't worked in 6 years and won disability from July 2002, but have a medical review coming by Spring and I am scared to death of losing disability. I have physical problems, but also mental health problems too. I have OCD with bad anxiety and Depression. Medicine only helps so much for me. I haven't had all the newfangled therapy but do need to get back into having a therapist. I take medication too. But my fatigue is not only because of my weight or because of my apnea. It is also due to medication and from my immune problems. I really wish I could give you a big hug. I know it wouldn't make it all better, but...
I am afraid and worrying each and every day of my life. I check the clocks like it is going out of style. I am afraid to drive, and when I do if I hit a bump I think I ran something over. I am always afraid of something bad happening. When people tell me to get over it, just deal with it, it is over and done with...I cannot relate to that? I wish I could. Feel free to pm me. I am gonna write you if that is ok. You are not alone.

God bless
Chelle

I wanted to talk to him first then see if I could make an appointment with him so he can go over my sleep studies with me and explain why and all abotu the way I was diagnosed as I havnt ever been explained anything besides was told I had OSA and my pressure will be set at 9 after they got the APAP back and read the results from that...

MissAmethyst,
Basically, I agree with neversleeps and chelle, but your info about the way the sleep doc talked about your weight makes her sound truly non-professional.
Could you get your PCP more involved with your sleep treatment? Can she help you get the pulseox results? I assume she's the one treating your asthma, so your oxygen saturation should interest her anyway.

The way I remember it, you seemed overtitrated at 9 - it was where you had the most events - who was the doc responsible for that study and Rx? I'ld avoid them.

Here's deltadave on your results threads:

deltadave wrote:A couple things kinda stand out.

Oxygen desaturations last about the same time as the respiratory event, maybe a little longer. So we're talking 20 seconds maybe. But in the first study, in the significant desaturation area, the oxygen level is down for maybe 5-10 minutes, and in the second, it's down for the better part of a half hour. For hypopneas, that seems very unlikely. Not impossible, just unlikely. What makes at least the first one possible is that it comes during the REM period, which is where you would expect it to be.

Regardless, I would be checking the signal quality very carefully to make sure it's not artifact.

The CPAP titration is pretty much worthless. There's no REM, or supine REM, to determine worse case scenario. And if we take the first study as being valid, then it becomes critical to examine the CPAP titration during REM.

And the pressures you were examined at seem to represent an overtitration, since all you have is central apneas.

At the end, you took off the CPAP? At Stage 3 sleep, you had no events with no CPAP on?

I see you have a few PLMs in the second study, but not the first. I wonder if they were there, but overlooked. Do you have any symptoms of Restless Legs? (Bad feeling in the legs immediately prior to sleep)

I'd get another CPAP titration.

Hmmm, that's Sandman Melville software, isn't it?
deltadave

Hang in there!
O.

Hey you all to anyone who wrote to me via PM, sorry its taken a while for em to get back to you. I was taken to the ER last night for severe chest pains radiating down in my left arm again, they have been bad the past month especially but have come and gone and well yesterday it was on and off but got severe enough last night I was basicall yin the floor in tears my chest hurt so bad. I went to a brand new hospital and they were great I was rushed to the back had my info and had an wristband on me and had started hooking up an ekg monitor all in about 2 mins. I had two awesome nurses and a great doc. All in all my heart is fine apparentely and again it was chalked up to anxiety. After some tests I was given 4 times the normal dose of an anxiety med that usually knocks me out and well needless to say, I coudln't walk straight out of there when I was discharged. I slept for about 12 hrs got up for about 30 mins and then slept for about prob 5 hrs. Finally the med is wearing off and well I am getting ready to eat dinner and then attempt a shower and walgreens for my med...

As far as the anxiety, the doctor questioned me and again, he would name stuff like different treatments and meds and I have done it all. He is like honestly I have no clue what to tell you. like I told him, the only drugs that work are Xanax (which is what I was given last night) and Ativan both which knock me on my butt. I can't live taking thos eeveryday or I would be a vegtable in bed 24/7. I do go to my doctor friday who deals with my Anxiety and we will see if he can come up with some miracle by then I guess

Well, I am tired, frustrated, and hungry so off to eat to attempt to do something productive...will update and write back to everyone soon...

I hope you are able to get some more help for your anxiety. I am sorry you have been suffering so much dealing with all this. It must be scary having that happen and having to go to the hospital for it.
God bless you and I wish you the best
Chelle

I was getting pains in my chest and left arm - dr. couldn't figure why - I also have acid reflux - the day I stopped taking my Nexium I stopped having pains. Check your medicines.

WOW Puddin, you knwo whats really strange...I REALLY think its the Nexium or it at least makes it worse. I took Nexium once before and stopped due to someone told me the same thing (She overheard me say something abotu the Nexium or something and she said it made her hubby feel like he was having a heart attack) but at the time my anxiety was bad so we never did know if it was the med or Anxiety. I just begged and pleaded with my doc to get Nexium approved for me to take again cause it works sooooo well for my acid reflux and well I have had the pains bad since then but then again I started having them about a month ago bad like this and I just started the Nexium about two weeks ago...I am sooooo confused I take way too many drugs for my age the girl my age at the Pharmacy today I went to pick up a new anxiety/depression drug to take and I always ask to check with the pharmicist about my drugs to make sure I can take them all togehter ya know and well the girl my age asked me what med was it I wanted to know about and I started rattling off like all of themm and she just stood there and was like WOW...let me get her for you...

My insurance is a pain in my butt cause they will only approve Protonix and so my doc has to argue with them if I want anything else. Nexium works great but I am concerned abotu the pain...I go to my Pulmonologist sometime in Jan (cant think of the date offhand) and he has samples of all kinds of Acid reflux meds most of which I have tried I think but maybe I will get him to give me somethign else to try and see if it makes the pain stop as right now i cant be without the meds or the reflux is horrible...

Thanks for pointing this out though I will diff keep it in mind