POLL: How long do you think you had SA before you 'knew'?

a few years ago I was telling my mother that they had begun to treat some children with OSA by removing adenoids. She gave me a strange look and then told me that twice when I was 4 or 5 years old they took me to the doctor to see about my adenoids because I had trouble breathing when I slept. I was diagnosed and treated when I was 36, so over 30 years.

Thinking back now, I'm convinced that I've suffered from SA my entire life; it's only recently that it's become too severe to ignore. It explains a lot...

I've just joined and this is my first post!

I think I've had it since I was around 13 or 14 years old (around 24 years). That's when I remember starting to snore really loudly, having lots of memory problems and feeling tired frequently. I didn't know that SA was a "thing" until my sleep study.

Sleepy Tiger wrote:I've just joined and this is my first post!

I think I've had it since I was around 13 or 14 years old (around 24 years). That's when I remember starting to snore really loudly, having lots of memory problems and feeling tired frequently. I didn't know that SA was a "thing" until my sleep study.

Welcome, I hope you stick around, a lot of great people and information here.

Thanks! I'm ready to start taking responsibility for my treatment. I spent some time reading the CPAP Wiki last night, so I guess it's on to CPAP Stage 4 for me -- Immersion.

I'm thankful for everyone on here who is a resource for others. I couldn't imagine going through this without help.

The more I think about it, I can remember back as far as grade 4 (which makes me about 9-10), having a lot of trouble concentrating. I remember staring out the window, oblivious to what was going on in the classroom. I think that I've had CSA all that time, since I was a skinny kid. As I got older and heavier then started noticing the OSA. The trouble with being diagnosed as a kid would have been that there were no treatments (I don't think anyway) back then. How long ago was that? Well for my American friends the hint is: there was a Johnson in the Whitehouse (Pearson as PM in Canada).

Anyway I'm not even sure how long the medical community has known about things like OSA/CSA.

I was diagnosed 10 years ago, but I thought I was being scammed. I had a sleep study done, in preparation for a somnoplasty injection that was suppose to get OSA patients off of CPAP, but the same clinic that was promoting somnoplasty tried sending me home with a CPAP machine, and I refused to take it. I also was to much of a gagger for the injection. I finally gave in recently, had another sleep study in order to get a dental appliance, but decided to go with the CPAP machine.

I gained 70 pounds when I quit smoking in 1997 and apnea surged back then. Even when I though I might have it and talked to my doctor he did not refer me to a sleep center. I later referred myself but put my doctors name down anyhow as referral. It wasnt until my brother in law was diagnosed and my wife suggested I get checked out that I did something. Another change for me was last year I would avoid a doctor unless I was seriously ill. Today I fear being unemployed in the next couple of years and being 57, unemployed, and out of insurance scares the hell out of me. My health issues has grown considerably in my 50's so now its get everything checked out before I find myself out of work and insurance.
-Airplane

I think it may have been an on and off thing for me over the years. I remember when I was in my 30's a few times jumping out of bed and doubling over like some one punched me and knocked the wind out of me. Scared me pretty bad at the time, but that was only once in a great while. Then last year when I hit 52 noticed I was WAY to tired feeling and couldn't understand why it would take me 2 hours to wake up every morning before I could deal with the world. Lots of Mood Swings, then the memory issues as well started getting worse, so my doctor suggested a sleep study since everything else was looking very good physically.

I read more about Sleep Apnea, and the more I read realized this HAD to be it. Sure enough not just sleep apnea, but even better still Complex Sleep Apnea! I was kind of bummed but relived as well because at least I had a chance of feeling better in time. Which it is taking time but slowly getting better.

Over 40 years.

I really had no clue until after my brother was diagnosed but given the mildness of my sleep apnea at that time, probably not long. I probably caught it not long after it became a problem. However, if my brother and sister hadn't been diagnosed, I don't know how long it would have taken me before I got diagnosed. Shoot there's no telling how long I went with my apnea getting a lot worse before I realized that something was way off!

ameriken wrote:Just curious how long you might have had the symptoms of sleep apnea before you realized it actually might be sleep apnea.

For me, I think it's been several years. The most significant symptom would be slowing down in energy, and taking longer and longer to wake up. I think that's gone on for 5 or 6 years. But it's been the last couple of years when it really started getting bad and I realized there was something more than just getting older going on. My old doctor was positive it was low-T and treated it. But even after it didn't change how I felt, he still never suspected it. It wasn't until I joined the VA (Veterans Admin) last year that someone got the idea it could be sleep apnea. I thank God and the VA for that.

Airplaneman wrote:I gained 70 pounds when I quit smoking in 1997 and apnea surged back then. Even when I though I might have it and talked to my doctor he did not refer me to a sleep center. I later referred myself but put my doctors name down anyhow as referral. It wasnt until my brother in law was diagnosed and my wife suggested I get checked out that I did something. Another change for me was last year I would avoid a doctor unless I was seriously ill. Today I fear being unemployed in the next couple of years and being 57, unemployed, and out of insurance scares the hell out of me. My health issues has grown considerably in my 50's so now its get everything checked out before I find myself out of work and insurance.
-Airplane

I gained 30 lbs when I quit smoking with electronic cigarettes in spring '09. Demanded a sleep study in Nov '10. Waking up thinking really wierd stuff, how to put a hinge on a tree limb.... peel a door knob.... tired of doc offering me anti-depressants, just brain dead.
I think I have had it all my life. I have never felt "rested" in the morning. Had to drag myself out of bed for school, PT in the military. Never understood people with energy in the morning... They were a PITA.

I had Sleep Apnea one whole lifetime before I knew it. Thank goodness God gave me another go at it... LOL!

I never thought of that. I know I snored in high school. I found out the hard way and I've never been a morning person. But then again, I'm not much of one now, cpap and all.


I gained 30 lbs when I quit smoking with electronic cigarettes in spring '09. Demanded a sleep study in Nov '10. Waking up thinking really wierd stuff, how to put a hinge on a tree limb.... peel a door knob.... tired of doc offering me anti-depressants, just brain dead.
I think I have had it all my life. I have never felt "rested" in the morning. Had to drag myself out of bed for school, PT in the military. Never understood people with energy in the morning... They were a PITA.[/quote]

Perhaps 3 to 4 years but that is just an estimate.

Waking up in the morning with a headache, still not feeling rested and getting
very sleepy behind the wheel on road trips over familiar territory were the first
signs something was not quite right. Getting more sleep would not correct the
issue... in fact would make it worse.

I've had high blood pressure for a long time but the Doc's did not start treating
it with meds until about 6-months prior to my diagnosis. During one consultation
I mentioned about the snoring and gasping while discussing BP issues with the Doc
who did not hesitate to schedule a sleep study.

My numbers and how I feel in the morning have always been good under therapy
however only recently have I nailed down a coupla more items with a new mask
and hose management.

Next will be a 2nd machine.