what to ask my physician re: apnea
Question:
Hi everyone, I have posted here a few times in the past, and frequently read the newsgroup. I am fairly certain that I have sleep apnea, and have finally gotten on an insurance plan. I will have my first appointment with a general physician on Wednesday, and I was hoping that I could get some advice from you. I know for a fact that I stop breathing during sleep and that I snore and am always tired during the day. I want to make certain that I get referred for a sleep study. I know that many of you have mentioned that some doctors tend to overlook sleep disorders. Do you have suggestions for particular questions I might ask? I can’t wait much longer to get the sleep study done. I am so excited that I might actually get treatment for this that I want things to go as smoothly as possible. Thanks so much for all of your help. Reading this newgroup has helped me feel more informed about my condition and about the obstacles I might face in getting treatment. Thanks, Scott Rex – af–And I saw you in my nightmares But I’ll see you in my dreams And I might live a thousand years Before I know what that means. –Neil Young (Barstool Blues) Scott Rex sm…@ucdavis.edu
Response:
It sounds like you have quite a bit of information already. When you tlak to the doc just share your suspicions. Tell him the symptoms you have and the result it has had in your life. If he is a good doc he will listen and do what is appropriate. Good Luck and congrats on the insurance coverage. = = = = = 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:
Scott Rex wrote: > … I know for a fact that I stop breathing during sleep and that I snore > and > am always tired during the day. I want to make certain that I get > referred for a sleep study. … > Do you have suggestions for particular questions I might ask? …
Under the circumstances, after you explain your situation, I recommend you ask for the sleep study itself — I found that to be effective in my case. In particular, you could ask for a "split study" in which half the night they electronically observe your breathing states, and if you have breathing troubles, the other half of the night they hook you up to CPAP to try and find a pressure that helps you significantly. This approach requires just one night of being wired up in the sleep center, instead of two.
Response:
Hi Scott; Tell your GP about your symptoms and ask him/her for a referral to a pulmonary or neurologist who is board certified in sleep disorders. When you have your sleep study, make sure you ask for a copy of the sleep report. Keep asking questions and learn as much as you can. Hope you don’t have sleep apnea, but if you do…….you’ll find lots of help and support here! Good luck to you! Tracy
Response:
Scott Rex <ez055…@dilbert.ucdavis.edu> wrote in message
news:7k3qj6$j2n$1@mark.ucdavis.edu… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi everyone, > I have posted here a few times in the past, and frequently read the > newsgroup. I am fairly certain that I have sleep apnea, and have finally > gotten on an insurance plan. I will have my first appointment with a > general physician on Wednesday, and I was hoping that I could get some > advice from you. > I know for a fact that I stop breathing during sleep and that I snore and > am always tired during the day. I want to make certain that I get > referred for a sleep study. I know that many of you have mentioned that > some doctors tend to overlook sleep disorders. > Do you have suggestions for particular questions I might ask? I can’t > wait much longer to get the sleep study done. I am so excited that I > might actually get treatment for this that I want things to go as smoothly > as possible. > Thanks so much for all of your help. Reading this newgroup has helped me > feel more informed about my condition and about the obstacles I might face > in getting treatment. > Thanks, > Scott Rex > – af–And I saw you in my nightmares > But I’ll see you in my dreams > And I might live a thousand years > Before I know what that means. > –Neil Young (Barstool Blues) > Scott Rex sm…@ucdavis.edu
Response:
Hope you get a sleep study, you are in a better position to what I was, I did not know what I had for a long time and I probably confused ny doctor so I can not really blame him First of I keeped complaining about headaches in morning and i thought they were migranes so was on migrane medication for a long time. I also complained about bad sinus and had test done and was diagnosed with sinusitus, so they thought they had found the problem. I lived by myself and did not know snoring was bad, but a nephew went camping with me and told me how bad I was and taped me on his cassette recorder to prove it, I then bought a book about snoring at a book sale and when reading this i worked out I may have sleep apnea, I then took the book to my doctor and told him I suspected sleep apnea, so he sent me to a sleep specialist. which resulted in diagnosed with a severe case of OSA. So sometimes it is hard for your doctor to work out what you have on the information you give him, but take along and material you have and tell him you thing you have a sleep disorder. I had had many tests over the years for asthma because I was always out of breathe, but they could not find a answer to that untill sleep study. Warren p/s I have sinusitus as well as severe OSA.
Response:
PeacfulRvr <peacful…@aol.com> wrote > It sounds like you have quite a bit of information already. When you tlak to > the doc just share your suspicions. Tell him the symptoms you have and the > result it has had in your life. If he is a good doc he will listen and do what > is appropriate.
Good advice — my physician had no trouble looking straight away into that when I mentioned my suspicions. I’d done a bit of research, of course, but that was the first thing he started looking at, as far as gathering evidence of any problem. Right away, he caught the narrow pharangeal passage, large tongue, etc., and suggested I see a pulmonologist. Two weeks later, I’m in the sleep lab. Now three months later, w/xPAP, I feel like a teenager again! :) — Mister Atoz can process you. Ask how. Remove acronym for "Bend Over, here it Comes Again" to reply to this sender http://www.onlinerock.com/musicians/misteratoz/
