Sleep Apnea??
Question:
Jo – Thanks for sharing your story. I think it is a very good story to tell those who share your initial hostility to CPAPs. The change in attitude from resistance and hostility to not just acceptance but very positive feelings towards CPAPs should help others overcome their initial resistance. While it is wonderful for those who quickly embrace CPAPs, there are many more who have an extended period of adjustment before they are successful CPAP users. Kent Taylor
Response:
Charles L. Perrin wondered: >> thank you..yea..my doctor is on vacation..and her releif >> said to me those cpap machines are horrible..why don’t >> you just loose weight! > Well, has this doctor ever BEEN on a CPAP machine?
Even if this doctor had tried CPAP, did he need it to sleep at night? That’s the real question. Unless you know the difference between feeling absolutely terrible and being able to sleep peacefully through the night for the first time in YEARS, then claiming an effective therapy option is ‘terrible’ is nothing less then negligence. Regards, =jbf= John B. Fisher
Response:
On Thu, 24 Jun 1999 21:44:51 GMT, sitt…@home.com (cherry blossom) wrote: >thank you..yea..my doctor is on vacation..and her releif said to me >those cpap machines are horrible..why don’t you just loose weight!
Well, has this doctor ever BEEN on a CPAP machine?
Response:
>ohh man..i really thought i would be flamed for that one..;) >thank you..yea..my doctor is on vacation..and her releif said to me >those cpap machines are horrible..why don’t you just loose weight!
C.B. Grab this doc and have him/her stuffed and preserved….this is a valuable dinosaur ! Seriously though, I am realizing every day just how good a choice I made with my PCP (OK I got lucky). The comments made to you are, in my opinion, bordering on criminal negligence. Tell me..what doctor would send a patient away who arrived with a severed artery pouring blood everywhere. OK….so thats dramatic, but he/she can SEE that condition clearly. Your doctor is blind, ignorance is very effective blindfold. If you have apnea then he’s ignoring just as serious a condition as the artery…it just takes a bit longer. If you have the energy, try to educate…take along some of the good posts in here. Personally I fear you may have a tough time with that route. I’d take the path of least resistance and find a "later model" than the Tyrranosaurus Rex (how DO you spell that ? !). Good Luck…get tough..demand the correct help form the correct professionals. Trevor
Response:
On Fri, 25 Jun 1999 00:53:41 GMT, clper…@swbell.net (Charles L. Perrin) wrote: >>thank you..yea..my doctor is on vacation..and her releif said to me >>those cpap machines are horrible..why don’t you just loose weight! >Well, has this doctor ever BEEN on a CPAP machine?
no..cause he clearly lacks oxygin to the brain!..;) ———————————————— I decided to hook my brake lights up to my gas pedal
Response:
On 25 Jun 1999 02:48:03 GMT, tp…@aol.com (TPoun) wrote: >Seriously though, I am realizing every day just how good a choice I made with >my PCP (OK I got lucky). The comments made to you are, in my opinion, >bordering on criminal negligence.
he was very opinionated..so..i will wait till my doctor returns from vacation..he should not have mentioned his personal opinion on the machine either.. >Good Luck…get tough..demand the correct help form the correct professionals.
yes i think i am going to tell my regular doctor that sher needs to find adequate fill ins,what if he was the one to receive the initial report on my apnea?..it would not have gone any further i am sure i pity his regular patience..;( thanks c.b ———————————————— I decided to hook my brake lights up to my gas pedal
Response:
On Sat, 26 Jun 1999 22:30:00 GMT, sitt…@home.com (cherry blossom) wrote: >yes i think i am going to tell my regular doctor that sher needs to >find adequate fill ins,what if he was the one to receive the initial >report on my apnea?..it would not have gone any further i am sure >i pity his regular patience..;(
I remember one of my doctors who had a fill-in twice. This guy always wanted to seem to double my BP medication. I never got one to get things under control until I went to a cardiologist…. for whom it was relatively trivial!
Response:
On Sun, 27 Jun 1999 00:28:13 GMT, clper…@swbell.net (Charles L. Perrin) wrote: >I remember one of my doctors who had a fill-in twice. This guy always >wanted to seem to double my BP medication. >I never got one to get things under control until I went to a >cardiologist…. for whom it was relatively trivial!
you have heart issues?…i have p.a.t heart palpatations..i wonder if i need to inform my cardiologist? and i seemed to have developed asthma also. did you consult with your cardiologist about your apnea? thanks cb ———————————————— I decided to hook my brake lights up to my gas pedal
Response:
On Sun, 27 Jun 1999 00:16:59 GMT, hlh_NOS…@excite.com wrote: >Seriously, either senario may happen. Excess weight tends to make >apnea worse, but losing weight doesn’t necessarily fix it.
weird..you know i had this problem before about 3 years ago..but the sleep clinic did not give me any results,so i forgot all about it. but i was alot thinner then..maybe my weight makes it worse? >The true scientist revises his beliefs to fit the evidence. >The true believer revises the evidence to fit his beliefs.
i like this..;) cb ———————————————— I decided to hook my brake lights up to my gas pedal
Response:
On Sun, 27 Jun 1999 15:54:32 GMT, sitt…@home.com (cherry blossom) wrote: >did you consult with your cardiologist about your apnea?
He found out about it after the fact… when I went on CPAP, the med combination that worked well before CPAP gave me troubles with fluid accumulation (edema) afterwards. His comment was, "Even though the CPAP makes fluid collect around your ankles, don’t you DARE stop using it!" Although, once we learned which combinations worked on my BP, it got very easy to treat. I haven’t been in to see him for a while… I’ve got a new (IMHO, very good) internist and she’s taking care of it. I’ve sent two of my co-workers to her and both of them really like her. (One of them is very fussy about doctors… and Charlotte is probably more "high maintenance" than I am!)
Response:
CPAP causes edema? I didn’t know that. I first began having a blood pressure problem after about five years on CPAP. Several years after that I began having an edema problem as well. My regular doctor has been treating these issues. He seems totally ignorant about sleep disorders (although I think he is an excellent doctor overall). Should I seek a doctor who knows about sleep apnea to treat my BP and edema issues? Kent Taylor (Mongo) Charles L. Perrin wrote in message <377f7078.2637…@news.swbell.net>…
|On Sun, 27 Jun 1999 15:54:32 GMT, sitt…@home.com (cherry blossom) |wrote: | |>did you consult with your cardiologist about your apnea? | |He found out about it after the fact… when I went on CPAP, the med |combination that worked well before CPAP gave me troubles with fluid |accumulation (edema) afterwards. His comment was, "Even though the |CPAP makes fluid collect around your ankles, don’t you DARE stop using |it!" | |Although, once we learned which combinations worked on my BP, it got |very easy to treat. I haven’t been in to see him for a while… I’ve |got a new (IMHO, very good) internist and she’s taking care of it. |I’ve sent two of my co-workers to her and both of them really like |her. (One of them is very fussy about doctors… and Charlotte is |probably more "high maintenance" than I am!) |
Response:
On Sun, 27 Jun 1999 17:53:43 -0400, "Mongo" <email…@stny.rr.com> wrote: >CPAP causes edema? I didn’t know that. I first began having a blood >pressure problem after about five years on CPAP. Several years after >that I began having an edema problem as well.
My case is a bit different: I was set up on BP medication with undiagnosed sleep apnea. When I got my sleep apnea under control with CPAP, I didn’t have the nightly cardiac gymnastics and diuretic hormone from apneic events. So, the meds that used to work great then caused edema. >Should I seek a doctor who knows about sleep apnea to >treat my BP and edema issues?
BP/edema isn’t rocket science. However, if your primary isn’t getting it under control (or the side effects of the meds are intolerable) a cardiologist may be just the ticket. Mine sure helped me out (although he DID miss the sleep apnea, despite what was in retrospect a textbook case… he did rule out a number of other causes).
Response:
On Wed, 23 Jun 1999 21:10:16 -0400, "John B. Fisher" <john_b_fis…@bellsouth.net> wrote: >It’s a good question to ask. All too often doctors assume the weight came >first. Then of course, loosing the weight should be a simple matter. Yeah, >RIGHT! Loss of extra weight requires extra energy that an apneic does not >have.
ohh man..i really thought i would be flamed for that one..;) thank you..yea..my doctor is on vacation..and her releif said to me those cpap machines are horrible..why don’t you just loose weight! like that was the only reason i have sleep apnea? he did not impress me. >> and why the frequency in urination? >Let me quote Kevin C. Welch on this: >stimulates and causes an over abundant secretion of atrial naturetic factor. >This hormone is a "diuretic" and is most likely a cause of the desire to >urinate frequently during the night.
thank you very much..i thought i had diabetes or some horrid thing i was tested before..i assumed they made a mistake..cause i am on the bog soooo much! c.b ———————————————— I decided to hook my brake lights up to my gas pedal
Response:
This is my first time ever posting to a NG so please excuse any mistakes and what not. I just want to ask anyone if they have sleep apnea and if so how did they find out? I am begining to suspet that I have it but am unsure what to do about it. I’ve find myself being absolutely exhausted everyday all day, I lackmotivation and energy, and a couple of times as I was drifting off to sleep I’ve found myself jerking awake gasping for breath because for some reason or another I’ve stopped breathing. Thanks for taking the time to read this and any advise woud be helpful. Thanks
Response:
The common symptoms are as follows…remember not all of the symptoms have to be present this is just a list of common symptoms. 1. Loud snoring 2. Stoppages in breathing while sleeping 3. Excessive daytime sleepiness 4. A Large neck > 17 inches 5. Frequent nightime urination 6. Abnormally large weight gains The first three are the most common. Of course the only way to tfind out for sure is to get a sleep study from a qualified Doctor. = = = = = For information and humor re: A Tracheostomy and the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea please visit http://members.aol.com/citylinc/osa/index.htm = = = = = A great sleep forum http://www.sleepedu.net/forums/apnea/apneainf.html
Response:
I got referred to an ENT (ears, nose and throat specialist by my doctor) and the ENT referred me for a sleep study to determine if I have sleep apnea. I also was tired. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Fyn…@webtv.net wrote: > This is my first time ever posting to a NG so please excuse any mistakes > and what not. > I just want to ask anyone if they have sleep apnea and if so how did > they find out? I am begining to suspet that I have it but am unsure what > to do about it. I’ve find myself being absolutely exhausted everyday all > day, I lackmotivation and energy, and a couple of times as I was > drifting off to sleep I’ve found myself jerking awake gasping for breath > because for some reason or another I’ve stopped breathing. > Thanks for taking the time to read this and any advise woud be helpful. > Thanks
Response:
Welcome. We all made our first post some time or another. The first time that I couldn’t breath at night because something blocked my exhale scared the living daylights out of me. It took a while to get back to sleep. I found that it happened when I was lying on my back, so I tried to sleep on my side. I also started to ask some questions. I found out that my heavy snoring, tiredness during the day, and drowsyness for the first hour after I woke up might be indications of sleep apnea. I had no doctor, but got one just to talk sleep apnea. He sent me home with a pulse/ox machine. The indications were that I might have sleep apnea because my blood/ox level dropped to 80 a few times during the night. After a visit to a sleep specialist and a sleep study, it was confirmed that I have obstructive sleep apnea. Only a doctor can diagnose what the problem might be. It took me 6 months before I went to a GP to try to find out what might be wrong. Don’t wait that long. Bob This is my first time ever posting to a NG so please excuse any mistakes and what not. I just want to ask anyone if they have sleep apnea and if so how did they find out? I am begining to suspet that I have it but am unsure what to do about it. I’ve find myself being absolutely exhausted everyday all day, I lackmotivation and energy, and a couple of times as I was drifting off to sleep I’ve found myself jerking awake gasping for breath because for some reason or another I’ve stopped breathing. Thanks for taking the time to read this and any advise woud be helpful. Thanks
Response:
On Mon, 21 Jun 1999 17:26:30 -0400 (EDT), Fyn…@webtv.net wrote: >I just want to ask anyone if they have sleep apnea and if so how did >they find out?
The following site has a good description of of the causes and treatments for sleep apnea: http://www.mayohealth.org/mayo/9803/htm/apnea.htm#apnea Of particular interest for someone unsure about whether or not they have sleep apnea are the sound files that allow you to listen to a person with sleep apnea and one with sleep hyponea. I have to thank my medical equipment supplier for this MAYO Clinic URL. He told me about it today. Mike Hogan
Response:
Try This Survey http://www.newtechpub.com/phantom/question/quiz.html I took me a long time to realise, i actual found a book about snoring at a book sale. i lived alone I did not know how bad the snoring was untill I took my nephew camping with me and he taped me on his cassette recorder. Regards Warren <Fyn…@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:8916-376EAE06-71@newsd-623.iap.bryant.webtv.net… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> This is my first time ever posting to a NG so please excuse any mistakes > and what not. > I just want to ask anyone if they have sleep apnea and if so how did > they find out? I am begining to suspet that I have it but am unsure what > to do about it. I’ve find myself being absolutely exhausted everyday all > day, I lackmotivation and energy, and a couple of times as I was > drifting off to sleep I’ve found myself jerking awake gasping for breath > because for some reason or another I’ve stopped breathing. > Thanks for taking the time to read this and any advise woud be helpful. > Thanks
Response:
On Mon, 21 Jun 1999 17:26:30 -0400 (EDT), Fyn…@webtv.net wrote: >I just want to ask anyone if they have sleep apnea and if so how did >they find out?
In my case, I was home for a vacation trip on late July 1998 and my Mom was listening to me sleep. We have friend of the family that also has sleep apnea. She essentially diagnosed it, all the sleep lab did was confirm her suspicions. Some people have discussed videotaping themselves sleeping to see if they snore and stop breathing.
Response:
Good post! Kent, if you haven’t added this to your list, it would be worthwhile for new folks. Regards, =jbf= John B. Fisher
Response:
Thanks, Mike and John! I have added it to the list as B13 and re-posted the list as a reply elsewhere. Kent Taylor (Mongo) John B. Fisher wrote in message …
|Good post! | |Kent, if you haven’t added this to your list, it would be worthwhile for new |folks. | | |Regards, |=jbf= | |John B. Fisher | |
Response:
cherry blossom wondered: > excuse me for sounding naive..but does the weight come > first? then the apnea? … or the apnea causes the weight?
Excellent question. I suspect the answer differs from person to person. In my case, I started to get more stress, slept more poorly, and it led to increased weight. I simply CAN NOT loose it when I am sleeping poorly. > sorry have to ask..
It’s a good question to ask. All too often doctors assume the weight came first. Then of course, loosing the weight should be a simple matter. Yeah, RIGHT! Loss of extra weight requires extra energy that an apneic does not have. > and why the frequency in urination?
Let me quote Kevin C. Welch on this: One of the halmarks of OSA is hypoxemia, reduced oxygen in the blood. This has the effect of constricting the pulmonary blood vessels by the fact that when you obstruct, you breathe less. When you breathe less, you exhale less carbon dioxide (hence all the symptoms of hypercapnia — the headaches, etc.). Carbon dioxide is a powerful pulmonary vasculature constrictor. When you constrict the pulmonary vessels, you raise the resistance of these vessels. When you raise the resistance, a.k.a. "afterload," you make it harder for the heart to pump — in this case the right heart which pumps to the lungs. As a result, you get hypertrophy and dilation sometimes. This stimulates and causes an over abundant secretion of atrial naturetic factor. This hormone is a "diuretic" and is most likely a cause of the desire to urinate frequently during the night. It’s a long description, but it matches other descriptions that I’ve seen. Hope that helps explain some of the cause of excessive need to urinate during the night. Regards, =jbf= John B. Fisher
Response:
On 21 Jun 1999 23:10:49 GMT, peacful…@aol.com (PeacfulRvr) wrote: >The common symptoms are as follows…remember not all of the symptoms have to >be present this is just a list of common symptoms. >1. Loud snoring >2. Stoppages in breathing while sleeping >3. Excessive daytime sleepiness >4. A Large neck > 17 inches >5. Frequent nightime urination >6. Abnormally large weight gains
excuse me for sounding naive..but does the weight come first? then the apnea?..or the apnea causes the weight? sorry have to ask.. and why the frequency in urination? thank you ———————————————— I decided to hook my brake lights up to my gas pedal
Response:
<Fyn…@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:8916-376EAE06-71@newsd-623.iap.bryant.webtv.net… > This is my first time ever posting to a NG so please excuse any mistakes > and what not.
No mistakes to excuse that I could see. > I just want to ask anyone if they have sleep apnea and if so how did > they find out?
I first learned that I might have it when my kids told me that I was gasping in my sleep. I had been a loud snorer for several years. When we went camping, it was quite embarrassing for everyone. But then this gasping started being added to the mix and my kids told me about and they said they were kinda scared because they weren’t sure if I would start breathing again sometimes. I read a magazine article shortly thereafter that helped me to learn that this gasping in my sleep was called sleep apnea. That is also where I read the other symptoms and the one symptom that grabbed my attention was that constant fatigued feeling I was experiencing. I couldn’t stay awake during prime-time TV or movies and tended to fall asleep at my computer at work. Then the article said to contact a sleep clinic to find out for sure if you had it. That article stuck in my mind and eventually I did call the sleep clinic and went in for a sleep study. It wasn’t easy. I had a lot of embarrassment and humiliation to overcome. First off, I had to be around strangers and admit that I snored like a lumberjack. I didn’t know of any other women who snored like that. So, it was very embarrassing to me. I had the sleep study done but refused to get the machine at that time. This was in 1991 or 2. I was totally upset about having to use such a machine. I couldn’t afford the $60 a month to rent the thing so that helped me to reject it. Three or four years later I got married again, and moved to Canada, and it was my desire to have my new hubby sleep in the same room with me that led me to getting another study done, and initially I refused again since there hadn’t been any other new invention besides that machine. The ENT that I went to said that I was a good candidate for the laser surgery. At the time I was disappointed but now I’m glad that I didn’t go through that torture after hearing all the reports on this newsgroup how that surgery ended up not helping at all. Ultimately, it was Canada’s Ministry of Transportation that got me back into the sleep lab and forced me to get the machine. When I refused the treatment after the first study with the Canadian lab, the doctor had to report me to the Transportation people. My driving privileges in Ontario were suspended. I couldn’t live without driving so I went through all the hoops that I had to go through and ended up with a machine sitting in my bedroom that I hinted to the doctor in hostility that I wouldn’t use. But the desire to get my hubby in the same room with me overcame my hostility and I started using the machine. It was hard at first but within one week I could see the difference in my mental perspective. It’s been 2 3/4 years since I started using it and I swear by it. I won’t sleep one night without it. I love this rested and more energetic feeling I have now. So, if you think you have apnea, you probably have. The only way to find out is to get it checked out. Look up the sleep clinics in your area, make an appointment, and go discuss your symptoms with the doctor there. Jo
Response:
My mother has always been a brutal snorer, my father and brother a close second but I always considered myself a mild snorer – - – and then my boyfriend woke me up one night cause he said I had stopped breathing for a little while — And the really weird thing is when he said that I remembered telling my grandmother one time when I was little that I could stop breathing when I slept or go all night with one breathe or something like that. I know I feel like I need 10 hours sleep to feel like most people do on 6-8 but I just figured it was "just one of those things" and I’ve never asked my doctor about it ’cause it sounds so hokey – like a hypochondriac or something Anyway any info or opinions would be welcome. sharon — S.L.Rennie Department of Human Genetics University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, CANADA REN…@BLDGHSC.LAN1.UMANITOBA.CA
Response:
S. Rennie (ren…@bldghsc.lan1.umanitoba) wrote:
:>My mother has always been a brutal snorer, my father and brother a close :>second but I always considered myself a mild snorer – - – and then my :>boyfriend woke me up one night cause he said I had stopped breathing for a :>little while — Sharon, I’m not a doctor, but from what you describe it sounds like there’s a good chance that you suffer from sleep apnoea. At least, enough of a chance that you should get it checked out. Not everyone who snores has apnoea by any means, but the cessation of breathing is usually a very good indicator. By all means, you should pursue it. It is potentially dangerous. In the meantime, be careful of alcohol, sleeping aids, and anything else than can further depress your system. Just like you, I have childhood memories about my sleep problems. Don’t be afraid of sounding like a hypochondriac; apnoea is a perfectly "legitimate" condition and something that you shouldn’t be ashamed to chack into. If you doctor sounds like he doesn’t know anything about it or doesn’t seem like he wants to take you seriously, get another one. Not every doctor is terribly familiar with sleep apnoea by any means. I daresay I’m more familiar with it than some doctors I’ve met (from a "knowledge of the condition and it’s symptoms" standpoint, not from a purely medical/physical standpoint). ———————————————————————- Doug Linder Beware the man of one book. fa…@access.digex.net Proud to be an atheist. ——– It’s not illegal to be a straight, white male…yet. ——–
Response:
In <rennie-0401951628530…@gietz.hgen.umanitoba.ca> ren…@bldghsc.lan1.umanitoba (S. Rennie) writes: >My mother has always been a brutal snorer, my father and brother a close >second but I always considered myself a mild snorer – - – and then my >boyfriend woke me up one night cause he said I had stopped breathing for a >little while — [… >I know I feel like I need 10 hours sleep to feel like most people do on >6-8 but I just figured it was "just one of those things" and I’ve never >asked my doctor about it ’cause it sounds so hokey – like a hypochondriac >or something >Anyway any info or opinions would be welcome.
You should definately ask a doctor about it. Unfortunately, most General M.D.’s don’t know a damn thing about Sleep Apnea, and aren’t inclined to learn. The first thing they will tell you is that it is "impossibly rare" and the second is that "it isn’t something to worry about." Both of these are wrong. It is more common than most people realize, and second, it can be life-threatening in a number of ways. You have had enough of a warning to warrent doing something about it. Go to a sleep specialist or clinic. They will evaluate your reported symptoms, and if you meet the critera, schedule a polysomnogram. Really, that is the only way to find out if OSA is bothering you. If it isn’t you may get a lot more sleep just from the peace of mind it will give you.
Response:
In article <rennie-0401951628530…@gietz.hgen.umanitoba.ca>, ren…@bldghsc.lan1.umanitoba (S. Rennie) writes: |> My mother has always been a brutal snorer, my father and brother a close |> second but I always considered myself a mild snorer – - – and then my |> boyfriend woke me up one night cause he said I had stopped breathing for a |> little while — |> |> And the really weird thing is when he said that I remembered telling my |> grandmother one time when I was little that I could stop breathing when I |> slept or go all night with one breathe or something like that. |> |> I know I feel like I need 10 hours sleep to feel like most people do on |> 6-8 but I just figured it was "just one of those things" and I’ve never |> asked my doctor about it ’cause it sounds so hokey – like a hypochondriac |> or something |> |> Anyway any info or opinions would be welcome. |> sharon This is classic Sleep Apnea symptoms, please get to a sleep doctor and get evaluated. This is important. Good luck. — ======================================================================== Austin Hummel email: h…@empros.com Empros Power System Control – Siemens Energy & Automation, Inc. Phone: (612)-536-4403 ========================================================================
