Sleep Apnea Support/Questions Thread

[awsmith4]

Originally Posted by ahc4353

No experience with those Albert sorry.

So your sleep study doctor said lose some weight and all will be ok?

That and get my broken nose fixed, until then I was looking for a cheap fix so I don't have to sleep in the yard

[awsmith4]

Originally Posted by awsmith4

That and get my broken nose fixed, until then I was looking for a cheap fix so I don't have to sleep in the yard

Let me clarify, I have a small fracture on the inner part of my nose that has been there for years. When I quit smoking cigarettes 3.5 years ago I gained close to 50lbs and that is apparently the leading cause of my snoring and the break just adds to the noise.

My name is Mert, and today is 3 weeks post-op for tonsillectomy, reshaping the soft palette, fixing a deviated septum and reducing the turbinate glands in my sinuses. In my sleep study I was found to have 124 apnea events per hour, so my breathing interrupted twice a minute, and my oxygen was down at about 82. I am quite claustrophobic, so pretty much couldn't sleep in any mask...and the cpap had to be turned up so high I panicked because I felt I couldn't exhale, so that led to surgery. Well, that and the fact that my tonsils were 3 and 4 times larger than normal.

As of right now, only three weeks in and still not fully recovered from surgery, I am not snoring, my sinuses are clear and I am actually dreaming again (I couldn't remember the last dream I had before surgery). I would say that the first two weeks were the most miserable thing in my entire life, and I have a history of kidney stones, so I know a little something about being miserable. If you can live with the cpap, do so, cause tonsillectomy and the soft palette reshaping is about the worst thing an adult can go through and not be life threatening, imho.

I am looking forward to this weekend, my first cigar in about 4 weeks!

Originally Posted by awsmith4

Let me clarify, I have a small fracture on the inner part of my nose that has been there for years. When I quit smoking cigarettes 3.5 years ago I gained close to 50lbs and that is apparently the leading cause of my snoring and the break just adds to the noise.

So to clarify, you have not had a study and you are only going on Doc Albert's diagnosis. Correct?

[jkim05]

I went to a medical conference years ago and one of the sessions was on sleep disorders. At the time sleep apnea seemed like one of the strangest problems I'd ever heard of and never thought it would affect anyone I knew. Turns out it's a lot more common than I thought; my dad just had his sleep study last night. I'll let you guys know how it went once I find out and if there's any questions he has.

[awsmith4]

Originally Posted by ahc4353

So to clarify, you have not had a study and you are only going on Doc Albert's diagnosis. Correct?

Went to the Doc he just sent me to an ENT and the ENT looked me over and gave me that diagnosis. I asked both about a sleep study and neither thought it necessary. Just going on my doctors diagnosis

Originally Posted by awsmith4

Went to the Doc he just sent me to an ENT and the ENT looked me over and gave me that diagnosis. I asked both about a sleep study and neither thought it necessary. Just going on my doctors diagnosis

Do me a personal favor, ask your lovely wife to watch you sleep for an hour or so. If she says you stop breathing AT ALL, EVEN ONCE get a new doctor. K?

[kelmac07]

Al...yeah go figure! Every one says they notice the difference with the CPAP machine right away. Doctor says I may not notice it, but I am getting better sleep. So gotta take the doctors word and continue to use the CPAP. Wife enjoys sleeping without her Ipod. Funny thing is, now I notice her snoring...LOL!!

[awsmith4]

Originally Posted by ahc4353

Do me a personal favor, ask your lovely wife to watch you sleep for an hour or so. If she says you stop breathing AT ALL, EVEN ONCE get a new doctor. K?

Will do, I really did try to get a study done. I may just get a new doc and insist anyways. I almost left anyways after that SOB said I might need to stop smoking cigars and drinking bourbon

Originally Posted by ggainey

I used to wake up in the the night gasping for breath. It was almost like I was dreaming and in the dream I would know I needed to breathe, and finally wake up and just be gasping for breath.

I have that EXACT same thing happen to me fairly regularly..think I'm choking and wake up in a panic,
I have it whether I've had an alchoholic drink or not and I'm a fairly fit-ish guy, 32yr old, 5' 7" (nearly 5' 8"!) and 137lbs.

Did you ever go to the docs about it?

Originally Posted by dentonparrots

I have that EXACT same thing happen to me fairly regularly..think I'm choking and wake up in a panic,
I have it whether I've had an alchoholic drink or not and I'm a fairly fit-ish guy, 32yr old, 5' 7" (nearly 5' 8"!) and 137lbs.

Did you ever go to the docs about it?

I'm not a doctor but I bet you have it. Get a study done soon and prove me wrong please.

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by LordOfWu

My name is Mert, and today is 3 weeks post-op for tonsillectomy, reshaping the soft palette, fixing a deviated septum and reducing the turbinate glands in my sinuses. In my sleep study I was found to have 124 apnea events per hour, so my breathing interrupted twice a minute, and my oxygen was down at about 82. I am quite claustrophobic, so pretty much couldn't sleep in any mask...and the cpap had to be turned up so high I panicked because I felt I couldn't exhale, so that led to surgery. Well, that and the fact that my tonsils were 3 and 4 times larger than normal.

As of right now, only three weeks in and still not fully recovered from surgery, I am not snoring, my sinuses are clear and I am actually dreaming again (I couldn't remember the last dream I had before surgery). I would say that the first two weeks were the most miserable thing in my entire life, and I have a history of kidney stones, so I know a little something about being miserable. If you can live with the cpap, do so, cause tonsillectomy and the soft palette reshaping is about the worst thing an adult can go through and not be life threatening, imho.

I am looking forward to this weekend, my first cigar in about 4 weeks!

Thanks for that story, it is interesting to hear about the other types of treatment available. I weighed the possibility of having the procedure you did, but chickened out after reading stories about how bad it was and how there was no guarantee that it would work completely. Sounds like the pain part of those stories was accurate. Of course, my biggest worry popped up when I read some people complaining of loss of taste due to the clamp they use to hold your tounge down. I couldn't bear the thought of not enjoying my cigars anymore, so CPAP for me! I wish you luck in your recovery. I'd love to hear updates as you progress.

[Nabinger16]

Hi... My name is Trent and I have severe sleep apnea. I now realize I've had sleep apnea since I was a young child. I've always snored excessively and always had trouble staying awake while in school. I had a sleep study done about a year ago which revealed an AHI of 97 in a 4 hour sleep sample. According to the tech, I actually stopped breathing over 400 times for varying durations during the 4 hour sample. My SpO2 dropped to a low of 74%. After the official diagnosis I was placed on CPAP with a relatively low pressure of 8. I had a septoplasty to correct a deviated septum about 7 months ago, and was switched to APAP post surgical.

Now... I would pity the poor fool that would have the grapes to attempt to take my APAP!! I've had 100% compliance since I've been able to tolerate it after the surgery. I use a ResMed Micro Mirage mask with complete success. My AHI is down to 3.4. I haven't fallen asleep while driving since my diagnosis/treatment. I have a ton more energy, and my fiance's absolute favorite... I don't snore!!! I look at my life as before CPAP and after CPAP. Sleep apnea is truly a life altering condition that most people that have it, don't even realize they suffer from it. You don't realize how bad it is until you can experience life without it.

Originally Posted by Nabinger16

Hi... My name is Trent and I have severe sleep apnea. I now realize I've had sleep apnea since I was a young child. I've always snored excessively and always had trouble staying awake while in school. I had a sleep study done about a year ago which revealed an AHI of 97 in a 4 hour sleep sample. According to the tech, I actually stopped breathing over 400 times for varying durations during the 4 hour sample. My SpO2 dropped to a low of 74%. After the official diagnosis I was placed on CPAP with a relatively low pressure of 8. I had a septoplasty to correct a deviated septum about 7 months ago, and was switched to APAP post surgical.

Now... I would pity the poor fool that would have the grapes to attempt to take my APAP!! I've had 100% compliance since I've been able to tolerate it after the surgery. I use a ResMed Micro Mirage mask with complete success. My AHI is down to 3.4. I haven't fallen asleep while driving since my diagnosis/treatment. I have a ton more energy, and my fiance's absolute favorite... I don't snore!!! I look at my life as before CPAP and after CPAP. Sleep apnea is truly a life altering condition that most people that have it, don't even realize they suffer from it. You don't realize how bad it is until you can experience life without it.

Thank you for sharing your success story Trent. Getting treatment really does make a huge impact on your life!

Originally Posted by BigCat

Thanks for that story, it is interesting to hear about the other types of treatment available. I weighed the possibility of having the procedure you did, but chickened out after reading stories about how bad it was and how there was no guarantee that it would work completely. Sounds like the pain part of those stories was accurate. Of course, my biggest worry popped up when I read some people complaining of loss of taste due to the clamp they use to hold your tounge down. I couldn't bear the thought of not enjoying my cigars anymore, so CPAP for me! I wish you luck in your recovery. I'd love to hear updates as you progress.

I haven't noticed a loss of taste, but I didn't have the most refined palette before the surgery either! The pain thing...yep, absolutely as bad as they say...I've had a 7mm kidney stone, and this was pretty much dead even with that! Bottom line is, you gotta do something about it if you have it. Good for you that the CPAP worked, that's clearly the better option!

[BigCat]

Originally Posted by LordOfWu

I haven't noticed a loss of taste, but I didn't have the most refined palette before the surgery either! The pain thing...yep, absolutely as bad as they say...I've had a 7mm kidney stone, and this was pretty much dead even with that! Bottom line is, you gotta do something about it if you have it. Good for you that the CPAP worked, that's clearly the better option!

Well if you are cured and don't have to use CPAP, that is definitely a better option. I'm used to the CPAP now and it helps a lot, but it definitely makes it tough to sleep close to my wife, who is bothered by the exhaust air. It is a little bit of a downside. As you said though, we gotta do something about it.

Enjoy that first cigar!

[eber]

Hello my name is Erik and I probably have sleep apnea,

I am in the process of scheduling a sleep study (getting the doctors referral and all that stuff) I already called the sleep institute and after they get the papers from the Doc. I will be in for a study next week.

[icehog3]

Good luck Erik!

[Cenookie]

Hi, my name is Claude. I've had sleep apnea for a little over 5 yrs now. I don't remember the exact #'s of my last sleep study 3 yrs ago, but I remember they were bad. I started using a CPAP but could not find a mask that was comfortable enough to allow me to sleep thru the night. I would wake up fiddling with the tubes, or develop a leak. I stopped using the CPAP 2 yrs ago as a result of this. I don't think I want to go the surgery route. My problem with the different masks is that I'm a stomach sleeper and could never get comfy on my back. Funny that this post started because I'm scheduled for another sleep study on the 13th, and reading all the posts makes me remember how serious this is. I hope they've come up with new head gear that will address my problem with not being able to sleep on my back. If any one has, or had the problem with head gear, a heads up on what gear you use would appreciated.

[PeteSB75]

I'm generally a side/stomach sleeper. I've been using nasal pillows with no issues for a couple of years now. This is the mask I use.