CPAP Machines & Sleep Apnea

I also just started using my CPap again. I had used one (attempted to) several years ago and was not very successful. Since then I had a retriatation or retritration study and the pressure was set lower. It's helped me use it more effectively and I can tell that it's helping me feel a little better. The funny thing is iI just got off the phone with my best friend, Jane, who had a sleep study and who's mother just had a sleep study. Jane gets her machine tomorrow and her mother does not know if she is going to need one or not. Many people use them now. There is a connection between sleep apnea with heart disease, diabetis and several other problems. Glad you posted this, Teri!

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I also wanted to mention that all the professionals that I talked to, including the pulminary specialist, said that surgery and medications are not as effective as the CPap or BiPap machines, although they do work for some people. I also know from listening to them and reading that losing weight if you are overweight, as well as exercize can improve sleep apnea.

Teri, odd that you posted this yesterday.  I got a phone call from the company that I'm going to get my cpap from to call for an appt to get mine.  about time...I had my titration for it on April 29!!  Goodness gracious...can it take any longer?

Star...hearing that I'll look like I'm from outer space...just what I need to hear!    I'm sure I'm going to be oh so glamarous for my husband. lol

Teri, how many ppl are my age and getting one?  I'm 26...and I haven't talked to anyone yet that has one as young as me. 

 Lil

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_{^{Afterwards, the universe will explode for your pleasure. - Douglas Adams}}

I remember how my Uncle looked that's all--You seem to be young for this no??

My cousin lost weight and was able to stop using his until he gained the weight back--

I hope this works for you I know it seems tohelp alot of people!!

I think more and more people are being tested for this and that they are finding younger people do have this. You certainly do not have to be overweight to have sleep apnea, I thought I'd better say that after rereading what I wrote last night. But for some of us (Kathy waving her hand) who are overweight it can help to lose weight. The sleep lab "people" told me that very young children can have this, too. Really all ages. I think that my 29 y o son has it. He snores so loud and sounds like he stops breathing. It scares me.

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Ironic that this should come up at this time. My wife has just done the sleep study and found to have rather severe sleep apnea. She'll be starting on the C-PAP soon.

I just came from the pulmonologist's office this morning. I'll be having the sleep study in about 2 weeks, then start on the C-PAP. I couldn't talk my way out of it. The pulmonologist is my cardiologist's wife. I didn't know that until halfway thru the appointment. So he had already filled her in on the case and they seem to have jointly decided that I'm gonna do this whether I want to or not.

She told me that the newer style masks or nasal appratuses are much better than the earlier "space alien" things that they used to use. She also said that I'm gonna hate it for the first week or so and that it may take 2-3 months before I notice any significant change in the way I feel.

This seems to be a real popular thing...sorta like PMS was 25 years ago...and chronic fatigue syntrome and carpal tunnel were 10 years ago. I'm not sure that I buy into it 100 percent, but with my wife, my cardiologist and his wife, the pulmonologist all in favor or it....well, it looks like I don't have much choice in the matter. I'll letcha know how it works out both for me and for my wife, Gayle.

In other news, I've filed for Social Security Disability...I thought I had everything taken care of, but I got a packet in the mail today telling me that I need to gather more info and show up for an appointment on 6/10.

I'm also-re-filing for the long-term disability coverage with the Hartford. (AKA: The Heartless.) I'm enjoying being retired...but so far, I can't tell much difference between that an being unemployed....especially since I don't have any income. Gayle (my wife) has been real good about doing the footwork to get some of out medical bills written off so that we don't have to go deeper into debt with those...we have food on the table and the mortgage is paid, so I spose we're ok for the moment.

Just another day in paradise. Speakin of which, it's the first week in June and the highs (in the Salt Lake City area) are in the 60s with 20-30 mph winds and thundershowers in the forecast for the next week. It's been a fairly decent spring...but what's happened to summer? Besides that, the Bonneville Salt Flats are under about 2 feet of water and the winter snow hasn't even begin to melt. It looks like the only kinda racing that we'll be doing this year is in canoes or airboats. Oh, well. That gives me another year to get my race car ready to shoot for 150, rather than 130....assuming my health holds out.

{{{{{hugs to all}}}}}

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Ray

ChevyAsylum.com

I just wrote about my wife and I both being headed for the CPAP treatment. Well, my wife is a bit younger than I am. I'm 57 and she's 38. We've been together for over 10 years and I believe that she's had sleep disturbances (possibly apnea) for all that time. Matter of fact, both of us have had sleep disorders of one sort or another to the point where we've had separate bedrooms for years. Not that we don't enjoy "conjugal visitation rights" :) but we both sure sleep a lot better that way.

I also mentioned that it seems that sleep apnea and treatments such as uvulaectomy (I had this done about 6 years ago when I had my tonsils and adenoids removed, a deviated septum corrected and turbinate fold surgery...all at the same time. I was one miserable critter for the next month as things all tried to heal at once) and CPAP devices are very "popular" right now. The pulmonologist told me that sleep apnea occurs in 50 percent of all people over the age of 50. That's a whole lotta folks. I'm assuming that there's a curve that diminishes in direct proportion to age, so I'd make a SWAG that 25 percent of people in their mid-20s would show signs of apnea. I'm not a statistician, but this is my best guess at it.

I hope this treatment works well for you, Lil. Please keep us posted.

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Ray

ChevyAsylum.com

I am wondering if my last episdoe could of been caused by sleep apnea as I snore so loudly hubby gets up and sleeps in the guest room.  My pulmonologist has requested a sleep study 2 years ago but my PPO said sleep apnea and CCRP machines are hog wash.  I asked for this again a few months ago and insurance company said they would check and again but a word from them. )-:  I think sleep apnea can cause and or contribute to heart disease.

I had a totally different type mask only 6 years ago than the ones they have now. They are way more comfortable now. The older ones deterioritated sooner, too. Now there is something new that looks like the apparatus for oxygen, rather than a mask. You can see it toward the bottom of this page: http://www.mrdrugs.com/c_bi_pap.htm I'm thinking that this would be much easier to adjust to for some of us instead of a mask. This is called an Innomed Nasal Aire TM. Whew, what a moutful!!

On a funny note, I have a humidifier with my CPap machine. Sometimes moisture gets into the darned holse and makes a knocking sound. I dreamed the other night that I was getting dressed in my wedding gown and the curtain was up about a quarter of the way. Someone was scratching and tapping on the window. I woke up and found that my machine was making that noise. I was a bit ticked to think that I woke up several hours before I had to, but I did have to chuckle. LOL. Kathy

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Kathy, who could have been at the window in your dream?? lol

Tex Rose, I just found an article re this...hope you are feeling and doing okay?!

Ray, I'm so happy to hear from you!  You are right-it sure does seem that it's a novelty thing, but it's something that has been around for a very very long time, just probably didn't get diagnosed as often.  PMS-Popular?? Yeah, right! lol  You still have a great sense of humor!!

Lil, I'm glad you'll be getting set up soon for this-let us know if it helps with your sleeping!?

Hugs, Teri

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000811.htm

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

Lil, in answer to your question... Hugs, Teri :)

http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/oct2004/nhlbi-07.htm

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

I am not sure who it was. But must have been a peepin' Tom? LOL. My dreams are always odd. Nothing very deep in them either. Hahaha

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 Hugs!

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

Here's a great descriptive article on Sleep Apnea...Hugs, Teri

"Sleep apnea is a temporary interruption of breathing that happens repeatedly during sleep.

Many people think they have sleep apnea because they snore when sleeping. However, snoring is much more common than sleep apnea."

http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_ha/sec3/ch31/ch31e.html

Well, maybe I shouldn't have said that PMS was popular. I'm sure that those (of both genders) who suffer from it wouldn't think it very popular. But about 25 years ago, there was a pretty big upsurge in its diagnosis and "treatment." I use that word only in the very broadest sense of the word. During that time, my first wife decided (or was convinced by those who thought they had some sort of treatment for it) that she suffered from PMS. She used it as a basis for many treatments, hospitalization (mental), and to explain the strange behavior and irrationality that started after our 2nd child was born.

The thing I find interesting is that all of her symptoms continued, even after a hysterectomy...and in the last 5 or 8 years, she's been diagnosed as severely manic-depresive. That's what I tried to tell the doctors way back when, but since I was only the husband.....

Anyway, back on topic, it just seems like there are "diseases du jour" that become overy diagnosed and "treated." Funny thing, since Medicare stopped paying for carpal tunnel syndrome claims, no one seems to get it any more. (I only have this as second-hand information. I wouldn't bet the farm that it's 100 percent accurate.) When I heard the pulmonologist state that 50 percent of all people over the age of 50 have sleep apnea, I was rather...no, make that VERY... surprised. How has the human race survived this long if half of us stop breathing as we sleep? I know...and I'm just poking fun at it. But it seems like a pretty broad statement to make.

I guess both my wife and I are going to try the CPAP and see how it works...but I'm not really convinced that it'll work miracles. But if it does, I'll be happy to eat my words.

One other thing occurred to me: (I spose I'm feeling like the devil's advocate tonight) One of the things that the pulmonologist mentioned as as an aggravating factor with sleep apnea was allergies. Supposedly that's one reason the air is filtered before it's inhaled. Then she also told me that it might take 3 months before I saw any major results from the CPAP. Doing a little thinking outside the bun, I figgered that if someone is suffering from seasonal allergic reactions....say to certain pollens and stuff of that nature, that 3 month period might just be what an old-school GP once told me was called a "tincture of time." Essentially he was saying that over time, most complaints that people see doctors for (I've read numbers as high as 80 percent) will get better on their own...given enough time. That other 20+ percent is a different story.

However, if a person is suffering from pulmonary distress (including sleep apnea) as the result of seasonal allergies, then the 3 month period might just be enough time for the allergens to decrease in the atmosphere and the symptoms could subside on their own. In my case, allergies have been a life-long, year-long thing. I'm allergic to just about everything, including rocks, it seems. (Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration....but you get the point.) So the seasonal thing wouldn't be quite as applicable to my situation. But it's something to consider. In the meantime, I'll just keep taking antihistamines and blowing my nose.

I'd sure be interested to hear from folks who have had good (or bad) experiences with the CPAP. I'm sure the anecdotal knowledge base will grow dramatically over the next couple of years.

Just a quick cardiac-related note. Being on Cozaar, Coreg, Vytorin and Niaspan for the last 6 weeks or so seem to have done a world of good for my angina. I very rarely have it any more. I've only taken 1 Imdur and zero nitroglycerine in the last week or so. I took the Imdur today, probably as the result of bending over the motor in my truck for an extended period today. So there's some real improvement, cuz about 6 weeks ago, I was taking 5 to 8 nitros per day. And when I had my BP checked at the pulmonologist's last week, it was 112/72. I haven't had a reading that low since I was in my 30s! I'm impressed! Again, before this medication change, the BP was in the 190/100 range.

Best wishes to all,

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Ray

ChevyAsylum.com

Ray, I'm glad your angina has improved so much! I have to say that it does seem sometimes that when new diagnoses come out, it seems like everyone gets that diagnose. Too bad for both your first wife and yourself that she was not diagnosed appropriately. Bipolar can be difficult to diagnose, and even ten years ago. Now it seems like everyone I talk to has been diagnosed with bpd. I wish I knew why this seems to happen. It could be either reason, or some other I guess. Either they had it and could not be diagnosed properly, or the health profession over uses these newer disorders/illnesses, etc. I'm glad you are direct. It helps us all to get some good dialogue going.

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Post Edited (Kathlyn1950) : 6/5/2005 9:27:38 AM (GMT-6)

PS Ray...I moderate the Allergy and Asthma board as well...check it out when you get a chance. I was just talking about this on that forum as well! :)

That's why I miss your posting-your sense of humor and to be direct!
Hugs, Teri :)

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"Because he is he and I am I."......E. V. Lucas

Well, today is the day!  I finally got an appt yesterday with the folks providing my cpap and I'm going at 10am to pick it up.  I told my husband "the alien" moves in tonight!  lol  I'm excited and a little nervous about getting this.  I really hope it helps.  I'd love to be able to sleep through the night and wake up feeling rested...I can't remember the last time that happened. 

Lil

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_{^{Afterwards, the universe will explode for your pleasure. - Douglas Adams}}

Good luck Lil. My friend, Jane, got her CPap yesterday and did pretty well with it for the first night. She got one of those masks that I have talked about that really only go in the nostrils. In a way like the oxygen cannula (?). She slept a solid four hours and she has to get up normally to go to the bathroom several times during hte night. I hope ou do wonderfully! Hugs, Kathy

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Hiya!

That's the kind I got too...just the nose.  I talked to the rep about the fact I breath through my mouth sometimes...especially when my allergies are acting up.  She told me to try the nose one...ppl get used to it a lot easier.  If in a week or two I'm having a lot of trouble, to call her back and she'd see about getting a full face mask.  She gave me a chin strap to keep my mouth closed...as if I wasn't sexy enough, let's add a chin strap!  Woohoo!  I'm one sexy lady now!  I'm really looking forward to trying it.  My uncle has one and said he noticed he felt better after just a few days and it only got better after that.  The rep told me that sleeping four hours on a cpap is better than sleeping the whole night without one...bc now I'll actually be getting restful sleep!  woohoo! 

 Lil

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_{^{Afterwards, the universe will explode for your pleasure. - Douglas Adams}}

LOL> I had a chin strap with m yold one, and I think that's why I got divorced shortly after. JUST KIDDING. lol. But it is quite attractive, especially with the chin strap and head gear thing. I am definitely a mouth breather, but for some reason I dont' seem to do it with the machine. Let us know how it goes. I can't wait to hear about it and that it goes wel for you!

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