Hi everyone, I was wondering if I could get some opinions about my situation.

Every once in a while, while I'm sleeping, I stop breathing. I'd say a couple time every 2 months or so. The thing is, I don't snore and it happens while I'm sleeping, it feels like I'm drowning and I have to muster all the strenght I can to breathe again, it really scares me. Again, no snoring. Is this sleep apnea? Can I treat this?   I don't want to die

Hey there Scared Guy.... I know where you are comming from on this one, I have recently been diagnosed with sleep apena, now I do snore, enough to wake the dead, but I have had the same problem from time to time.... I would get this checked out if i were you.... the sleep study isnt that bad, its not fun or anything,  but if you wake up at night searching for air I would say its worth looking into

Scared Guy!  Do not put this off for too long.  Get to your Doctor.  This stop breathing thing is not good for your heart.  Bellieve me when I say this for we know what you are dealing with.  I truely hope that your next post will be telling us that you saw your Doctor.  When I thought of not seeing my Granddaughter growing up, I got to the Doctor's office.

I have an 18 year old that has been sick for a year and they can't figure out what.  They say chronic fatigue.  She is ALWAYS tired.
She does not snore and she does not lay on back.  Her dad has sleep apenia.  HE snores and lays on back (or did).  She wakes up in the middle of night, not sure why.  Not noticing grasping for air etc.  What do you all think?

Wondering wrote:

I have an 18 year old that has been sick for a year and they can't figure out what.  They say chronic fatigue.  She is ALWAYS tired.
She does not snore and she does not lay on back.  Her dad has sleep apenia.  HE snores and lays on back (or did).  She wakes up in the middle of night, not sure why.  Not noticing grasping for air etc.  What do you all think?

Although most people with sleep apnea snore, some do not.  And sleep apnea does not happen only when you are sleeping on your back.
I sleep on my side, and I have sleep apnea.  Sleeping on your back can make the apnea worse, but it does not cause the apnea.
And people of all ages can have this condition. And it can run in families.

It may well be wise to have your daughter checked out for sleep apnea, especially if the doctors cannot find other causes.  A sleep study at a sleep lab is very comprehensive.  Even if it turns out she doesn't have sleep apnea, the test may give clues to possible causes, or at least rule out this one.

Good luck.  I sure hope you can find the cause of this fatigue.  If you wish, feel free to tell us how things are going.


Linda

To Scared Guy and Wondering,

The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of this forum gives some description of the different possible symptoms of sleep apnea.
Not everyone experiences the same or all of the symptoms.  I would say if you experience any of them, you ought to consider looking into it.
The following link is to that section and the symptoms of sleep apnea:

Click here for link


Linda

Thank you, Linda, for your reply.  She actually lies on her stomach, not her side.  She woke up again last night, not knowing why.
I think we will check into the sleep test.  Question - she saw a pediatric pulmonary doctor a few months ago, he was the first one who suggested that perhaps we try a sleep test.  He sees kids past 18 - into college years.  He also has his own sleep lab in his office, that special technicians come in to monitor.  It would probably be quicker to get into his than the others around here (I am trying to do everything before a new deductible year).  Do you think he will work as well as an "official" sleep lab?  He has a certain machine for monitoring, but am wondering if he would be as precise -- though I don't think he would be having this done otherwise.  He does have special people come in and do it.

My husband had his done at Mayo and it took two tries as he could not sleep the first night.......

Wondering wrote:

Thank you, Linda, for your reply.  She actually lies on her stomach, not her side.  She woke up again last night, not knowing why.
I think we will check into the sleep test.  Question - she saw a pediatric pulmonary doctor a few months ago, he was the first one who suggested that perhaps we try a sleep test.  He sees kids past 18 - into college years.  He also has his own sleep lab in his office, that special technicians come in to monitor.  It would probably be quicker to get into his than the others around here (I am trying to do everything before a new deductible year).  Do you think he will work as well as an "official" sleep lab?  He has a certain machine for monitoring, but am wondering if he would be as precise -- though I don't think he would be having this done otherwise.  He does have special people come in and do it.

My husband had his done at Mayo and it took two tries as he could not sleep the first night.......

If you are seriously considering having the test done at the doctor's facilities, I suggest asking a lot of questions about their testing.  And be bold, ask how it compares to other sleep labs, ones uaually associated with hospitals.

Ask if they do a full testing using the recording system called a polysomnogram or PSG. This test records:

* Brain activity
* Eye movement
* Muscle activity
* Breathing and heart rate
* How much air moves in and out of your lungs while you are sleeping
* The percent of oxygen in your blood

If they do conduct a full polysomnogram, ask if a sleep study report will be produced and a copy made available, including copies of the graphs.
Will it be a one or two night study?  And I assume it is an overnight study at the office lab?  Typically a sleep study requires two nights.  The first measures everything as you sleep normally.  The second night they test you in the same way but fit you with a mask and cpap therapy to test how the person responds to the treatment, testing at which level of air pressure from the machine is needed to eliminate the episodes of sleep apnea.  For an accurate polysomnogram during the first test, they need for the person to have slept a certain minimum of hours.  Sometimes, if there is sufficient sleep for testing and if the condition seems obvious and severe enough, they will do a split night study, where both studies are done during one night.  

If you believe that their sleep lab does not provide as extensive a study as a major sleep lab, I would go for the major sleep lab.  The Mayo clinic sounds like the way to go, in my opinion, if you are able to do this.    My point is, ask a lot of questions.  You don't want to find out another more complete study is needed.  There may be insurance issues involved.  I would be certain first if your insurance covers either study.  

Good luck.  Let us know how things go.


Linda

Thank you for your input, Linda.  I will call and ask these questions and talk to the insurance company.  I will let you know how it goes and where we wind up.

Wondering wrote:

Thank you for your input, Linda.  I will call and ask these questions and talk to the insurance company.  I will let you know how it goes and where we wind up.

Sounds like the sleep lab does some extra stuff, like having cameras in the room to monitor movements during sleep,etc.  My husband thinks she will get more accurate results with this one.   So, she has an interview next week with a sleep doctor and a possible test within 24 hours.  These past two weeks, she has tried exercising and it has really played a number on her sleep ability. She stopped doing it, and her sleep is going back to normal - though faitigue still strong . So now she is wondering if she shoud exercise for the test.  We are going to ask the doctor that also.   She is fatigued whether she exercises or not, but exercising seems to make it worse and her ability to sleep worse.

Hi Wondering,

I can assure you, that the Mayo Clinic had a camera too.  Most labs use infared cameras so small you have to know what you are looking for to see it.  Your husband's results were just as accurate.

It sounds like the pulmonary doc. is just fine as long as he is a certified sleep doc. (see link below).  My sleep doctor is a pulmonary doc. too and also has his lab in his office.  He is a great and thorough sleep specialist and I have full confidence in his results.

Doctor and Sleep Lab Certifications

Don't worry too much about the lab being certified, my doc. just got around to it.  Ask yours if his lab is though.

Vicki


_________________
That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

Vicki wrote:

My sleep doctor is a pulmonary doc. too and also has his lab in his office.  

Hmmm...now I'm just wondering.   A heart doctor is a cardiologist.  An internal medicine doctor is an internist.  What is a pulmonary doctor?  A lungologist?   Ha-ha-ha!!!