another great night of sleep with CPAP.   For someone that normally gets up  no earlier then 10 on a saturday, I woke up at 6:30 and was refreshed and wide awake.   This is incredible.    

        

Yes yes yes!!!  Great progress report!  Keep it going!!!

Would you consider posting your results again, in the Sticky thread titled "Success Stories"?   It's the first sticky in the main Apnea forum.

Blessings,
--pseudonym

I had my first sleep study a couple weeks ago... it was one of the worst nights of sleep I've ever had, with the possible exception of the night after I had surgery for a deviated septum.  I think I got about 2 hours of sleep total, I was about ready to rip all the wires off and walk out after I lay there for what seemed like 5 hours without ever getting any real sleep.  Eventually they removed the tubes from my nose that night and re-adjusted a few things for me and eventually I think I got maybe a couple hours of sleep.

But anyway... that was my first study, with no CPAP... just to see if I had sleep apnea. Prior to that, I never really had any problems falling  asleep during the day and really did not feel like I had any big issues with being tired, etc... My wife had told me I stop breathing at night and on a trip to my doctor to get a flu shot one day, I mentioned that... that's when they started me down the road for a sleep study.

 About a hour ago I spoke with a Doctor about the study...  When he told me I stopped breathing 59 times a hour and that anything more then 30 was considered severe sleep apena, I was quite surprised. Oxygen went down to 88% at times. I thought 59 times a hour sounded horrible... 100+ wow...

 Right now, I do indeed feel very tired... I thought I slept OK last night, but then I was noticeably awake at lest three times last night.

  So, while I've known for a while I probably had sleep apena, the idea of sleeping with a machine blowing air down my nose just never seemed like something I could deal with.  I did not know anything about the related health problems that can come with sleep apnea until about three weeks ago when I first talked with a specialist about sleep apnea.   Based on my relatively productive life without any major problems with my day to day health, I figured at worst I had mild apnea. So... back to my 59 times a hour that I stop breathing... Wow... I was amazed that I had severe sleep apena.

  The good news for me is... I feel like maybe I can deal with CPAP now... If I could get down to a normal level of sleep, I might just actually sleep though the night again  (it's been at least 10 years since I slept a whole night without waking)... and maybe, just maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised by how good I feel the next morning.     I think maybe I'd been fooling myself for some time now, thinking that I wasn't all that tired and/or didn't have a problem with my sleep... I know lately, like the last 6 months... I most definitely feel like I never get enough sleep, even when I go to bed at 10 and don't get up till 7 the next day.

   I've got a second sleep study with CPAP scheduled for April 1st ( I hope that's not just a April fools day joke).  At this point I'm crossing my fingers and toes that I actually sleep during the test... and that maybe someday soon I'll feel like a new man.  

 For what it's worth... I'm 47, 5'11", 200 pounds... With a 4 year old daughter... If I were single and no young child in my life counting on me to be there for her as she grows up, I probably would have never went into see a doctor about sleep  apnea.  

  Hearing about anyone being able to sleep with CPAP is very encouraging...

Good for you getting this all taken care of.   Trust me, my second time at the lab was hard, but I was more relaxed knowing what was in store.  Just keep telling yourself to relax they are there to HELP you. (  I had some help with Nyquil) LOL.    The more relaxed you are, the closer you are to getting this taken care of.  
I had and still have the attitude that I am not perfect, I have apnea and I am taking care of the situation.  From my experience, I sleep sooo much better now.  I don't get up at ALL during the night.   I am saving on water too, LOL.  I would always keep a glass next to my bed and wake up 5 times a night and each time drink water and hit the restroom.  Now I never get up.    

I had no idea I had it either.  I am a child of a very bad apnea father who never got tested.  He was " too macho " for that and ended up with major heart problems on top of other things.   I just know I want to live and live a happy , healthy , rested life.    I am 39 and single.  So I had no clue I had it.  It wasn't until I went away on vacation that I was told by my boyfriend that I stopped breathing and it scared him to death.  He never heard of it.  As soon as I got back , I called my doctor ( who put me on prozac thinking my tiredness and forgetfullness was depression, BOY was he wrong).   I told him I was happy, just tired. LOL.   I tossed the prozac and started CPAP.  I feel GREAT.    I often wonder how many others have it and don't know.  

I wish you the best in your journey and finding the right combination of pressure and masks.  Once you do, you will feel so great.

Ohh I couldn't find the success stories section???????

tiredinOC wrote:

Ohh I couldn't find the success stories section???????

Go to the main ("Sleep Apnea Help!") forum, it is the first Sticky post at the very top (the very first three posts are announcements).

Blessings,
--pseudonym

I thought I'd check back in here...   Last night I had my sleep study where CPAP was used.  

 I had a very good technician I think... she was very helpful in explaining all of thw was going to happen, also how told me not to be shy about asking for any help if I was having problems. First they did a quick test to see if I could tolerate the CPAP at all, before they hooked up all the wires. The want to check to see which of three masks you like and/or want to try, also check to see if their are any leak issues when they increase the pressure.  She said some people can't do it and leave right after that quick test. For me that part of the test was fine and I choose to try the nasal pillow first. I explained that I felt it was going to be hard to get used to breathing out against the pressure, she said they could turn on C-Flex which would help that some.


After all the wires were connected, nasal pillow on, c-flex on... I tried to fall asleep on my back (which I never do in normal life), after about 30 minutes(where I did come close to falling asleep a couple times) I decided to roll on to my side. Took me probably 20 minutes or less to fall asleep once on my side, by that time it was probably 11:30PM but I'm just guessing at that.  I woke up some time later, I though I'd slept for a fair amount of time, tried to get back to sleep for a while, however my mouth was dry and I felt a little uncomfortable one of my ears had popped and with all the air blowing in my nose, I could not release the pressure in that ear, so I called for help.  I asked and was told it was about 3:30am.   I explained about the dry mouth and popped ear, she explained that's all somewhat common...  She added a heated humidifier and I had suggested I'd like to try a different mask...


Next I tried a nasal mask... after about 20 minutes of that, I decided it was not good for me and that the nasal pillow was better for me then that was, asked again for help again. I decided to ask for the full mask, just to see how I would like that.

Full mask on...  I think I actually fell asleep on my back with this on... did not feel quite as awkward as the smaller nasal mask (a leverage thing I think).   I woke up several times however with this mask on, roll over and went back asleep. No more dry mouth (presumably because of the heated humid air, not so much because the mask). The mask seemed to interfere with my sinuses a bit and all in all did not feel as good as the nasal pillow had back at the start of the night... After lying there for about 20 minutes thinking it was going to be hard to get back to sleep, I sat up and the technician noticed me and said the study was over that she'd be in soon.  (later I learned that this was probably about 5:30AM)

All in all... I feel like I slept almost as good during the test as I do at home lately. That is, I normally wake up about 4 times each night...  So, I really was pretty happy that with the CPAP head gear on and all that for the first time, in a strange place... that I was pleased that I was able to sleep as well as I had and that I got to try all three types of head gear.

 I told the technician that I like the nasal pillow best, but that I was/am concerned that if/when I get severe sinus problems (which I get on a regular basis) that I would not be able to use that type of thing. I really would like to have both the pillow and the full mask available if at all possible. She indicated that kind of thing would be largely up to my insurance and that she would make note that I asked if I could have both...

Before I left I asked what pressure level she had gotten up to during the testing, I was told she had taken me up to 10, but that I was doing pretty well on 8 and that the final setting for my own home gear would be chosen by my Dr.

  So... after all this, I expect that I will be given a unit with C-flex on, heated humidifier, setting of either 8 or 10... and with any luck I will get a nasal pillow and full mask.

I am very satisfied with how well my test went... I did sleep in my own bed for about three hours after I got back home this morning... So, I know for sure last night with the gear on was not the greatest sleep I've ever had, but it was far from the worst night's sleep I've ever had. I hope I'm off to a good start and that soon I'll be sleeping well with CPAP at home. (they told me this could take as much as two weeks for the Dr and DME to get me my own CPAP...

I'm no where that close to tiredinOC, but just wanted to know what anyone thinks is mild / moderate.  A year ago, I'm diagnosed AHI 17, but I'm guessing it'll be a little more this year, I know I'm getting more tire.  My previous sleep specialist keeps insisting it's mild, and recently another ENT doc said I'm borderline on moderate.  why the varying opinions among these specialist.

robneedsleep wrote:

A year ago, I'm diagnosed AHI 17, but I'm guessing it'll be a little more this year, I know I'm getting more tire.  My previous sleep specialist keeps insisting it's mild, and recently another ENT doc said I'm borderline on moderate.

I just got a copy of my sleep study report. My AHI was 17.6, and it is called moderate on my report.


_________________
Respironics Auto M Series, Pressure: 12 cm
Fisher & Paykel Opus 360 Nasal Pillows
My Sleep Blog

Thanks, HeirloomGarndener, really ticks me off when she kept insisting it's only mild.

I am 35, female and overweight.  My husband prompted me to seek treatment for snoring and apnea.  We are both medical professionals, but I didn't realize the danger I was in.  Usual symptoms of snoring, sleepiness, memory lapses and fatigue.  I was getting up to pee 2-4 times a night.  My sleep study was 4 weeks ago:

AHI 97; desats to 73%; sleep efficiency 73%; 0 mins in stages 3, 4 and REM sleep.  My longest apnea event was 34 secs.  Naturally, they split the study and I improved with a full face CPAP mask.  After freaking out, I hounded my DME company to get my CPAP machine as I did NOT want to spend another night in a near death state.  My sleep disorders doc later told me I would eventually have gone into a fatal heart arrythmia and died in my sleep!!!

I have several strikes against me as I have a severely deviated nasal septum and scored very low on the "sniff test."  That is the one where you inhale forcefully through your nose.  I am 95% obstructed.  I have a recessed chin, small palate and small jaw.  Aside from major facial reconstructive surgery that would radically change the way I look, CPAP was the best answer.  My sleep study indicated that my sats dropped from 98 to 93 just lying down.  Pure anatomy issue.

I use a Rspironics REMstar Pro M series with humidity and flex at a pressure of 11.  My mask is a RESMED Mirage Quattro full face mask since I am obviously a mouth breather.  I use it consistently every night, all night long, and wouldn't dare even take a catnap without it.  Immediately I noticed a HUGE difference in the way I felt the following days and did not get up even one time during the night.  I do have a little sore place on the bridge of my nose and have to adjust the mask a couple times per night to reduce leaks, and I am working with the DME people to make sure I am fitting it right.  All in all I am very happy with the situation.  I had told my doc that I want CPAP and I want to get better and he said that I have a shining attitude.

My goal is to feel well enough to exercise, lose weight and maybe not need the CPAP anymore.  However, my doc said that I might always need it because of my anatomy.  Luckily, I do not have hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol issues, or any other health problems.  Even if I need CPAP forever, that will be OK with me, I just want to lose weight anyway.

So, that is my story...count me as another happy CPAPer.