I'm 18 years old and just started college about 3 weeks ago.

I have been snoring since I was about 13 and it's progressively worsened. I've had nose/allergy problems since I was a youngster and it's all created a lot of problems for me. I had a sleep study to try to determine where my headaches, sinus infections, and fatigue were coming from. I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and on average I stop breathing 25 to 27 times per hour. I couldn't believe it was THAT bad. I mean, it could be a heck of a lot worse but for an 18 year old it's pretty shocking.

I have deviated septum, TMJ, and chronic sinus infections. About a year and a half ago I had a septoplasty in hopes that straightening my deviated septum would cure the snoring. It didn't and about 6 months later I went back to snoring horribly and getting sinus infections and having horrible allergy problems.

I do not want a CPAP machine. Honestly that would be the most embarrassing thing ever, even though snoring right now is. I wake up and my throat BURNS my nose is completely obstructed and I feel like !@#!. I feel horrible because I think i'm keeping my roommate up but she's too nice to say anything.

I need suggestions of what to do and what works! This is killing my self esteem and I don't want it to ruin my relationship with my new roomies.

Thanks!



Last edited by illeism on Sun Sep 07, 2008 12:50 pm; edited 1 time in total

Take it from me.  My dad had this for years and part of the reason I was not diagnosed was my doctor, but another part of me did not want to wear the CPAP.  It got so bad that the day my CPAP arrived, I was the happiest I had ever been.  I knew my life was on a better track.  I remember calling everyone and telling them.  It is a change to start wearing one, but you most likely will feel better.  It may take some time to get used to it, so don't measure your success on the first few weeks or the first month.  OSA will start doing damage to your body, so take it seriously.

illeism wrote:

I do not want a CPAP machine. Honestly that would be the most embarrassing thing ever, even though snoring right now is.

Please don't let thoughts of embarrassment get in the way of your health.

If your friends have trouble with you using CPAP equipment then that is completely their problem.

Your issue is to do everything you can to get your health back on track... if that means using a CPAP then so be it.

Quote:

I do not want a CPAP machine. Honestly that would be the most embarrassing thing ever, even though snoring right now is.

Yeah, snoring is embarrasing............death is extremely inconvenient, and the effects of a stroke are hilarious............I think you need to wake up and smell the coffee.........prioritise things in your life. You have moderate sleep apnoea (at the high end of moderate), at least CPAP will allow you live with it. At this stage you don't even know what CPAP is like.

Quote:

I wake up and my throat BURNS my nose is completely obstructed and I feel like !@#!. I feel horrible because I think i'm keeping my roommate up but she's too nice to say anything.

Selfish of you. Maybe if she was a little less 'nice', you might just go and do something.

 

Quote:

This is killing my self esteem and I don't want it to ruin my relationship with my new roomies.

Self esteem is the least of your worries. You are at a high risk of stroke, while you sleep. Follow up on CPAP and see about getting your sinus problem dealt with. There is an excellent sticky at the top of the page on 'irrigation'. It should help you.

Daniel.


_________________
The untreated Sleep Apnoea sufferer died quietly in his sleep.......
Unlike his three passengers who died screaming !!!!!!

(Anon)

People of any age and any weight can have sleep apnea.  I probably had sleep apnea when I was in my early teens, and I wasn't overweight when I was diagnosed.  I dearly wish that I had been able to start using CPAP when I was 18, but nobody knew anything about sleep apnea then.

Your snoring is probably disturbing tour roommates, CPAP will stop your snoring and probably make their life easier.  Don't worry about their accepting your machine; they will probably be very glad for it because it will stop your snoring, and the normal reaction when people see a CPAP machine is either indifference or curiosity.

illeism wrote:

I wake up and my throat BURNS my nose is completely obstructed and I feel like !@#!.
Thanks!

As long as your getting things checked out you might want to see if you have acid reflux also. I have it
and I have exactly these symptons.

Smokey wrote:

illeism wrote:

I wake up and my throat BURNS my nose is completely obstructed and I feel like !@#!.
Thanks!

As long as your getting things checked out you might want to see if you have acid reflux also. I have it
and I have exactly these symptons.

I am convinced that there is a relationship between apnea and reflux.  I had developed a pretty serious problem with acid reflux and when I went on the cpap, it went away.  On evenings that I do not use the cpap, it comes back


_________________
Chris from Raleigh

The relationship between reflux and OSA has been known and documented for awhile.  What is not clear is what comes first, if apnea causes GERD or if GERD exacerbates OSA.  There are explanations for either scenario and it probably becomes a vicious cycle where it doesn't matter which came first.

Illeism, I know it is really shocking to be told you have this.  You are lucky that you have been diagnosed so early in your disorder.  As you now know, there is no typical apnea patient.  There are thousand of people misdiagnosed because their doctors don't think they have the "look" of an apnea patient. Read the nearby thread "Anger and Vengeance".

And that you were diagnosed at the beginning of college if fantastic.  You may have avoided the major effects of memory and concentration problems from untreated apnea.  Here are some of the other effects.  Note that one of them is impotence.  Special women in your life might appreciate your new stamina.

The effects of untreated sleep apnea are severe and systemic.  Some of them are; increased risk of heart attack and stroke, increased blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, nocturia (because the increased pressure in the right heart ventricle makes the body think there is too much blood volume so urine is produced), headaches, fatigue (duh), memory and concentration problems, weight gain (sleep deprivation causes weight gain for several physiological reasons, one being the alteration of the hormones leptin and ghrelin), apnea induced seizures, there is a link to diabetes, there is a link to GERD, night sweats, depression, anxiety (each apneic event is a true suffocation and elicits the "Fright or Flight" adrenalin response), Fibromyalgia-like symptoms, impotence, relationship and job issues, car accidents, etc.

Keep us posted on your progress!

Vicki



Last edited by Vicki on Sun Sep 07, 2008 1:47 am; edited 1 time in total
_________________
That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

YEP! Reflux will cause that throat burning.


_________________
Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity & Micro masks, ResScan 3.4, S8 ResLink, Embla oximeter.

Hi,
I  know cpap doesn't look very pretty...but sometimes looking pretty needs to go to the bottom of the priority list.  cpap IS what works.  Think of how you will no longer have to worry about how loud you may be snoring, and think about how you will feel more rested, more able to concentrate & study and socialize, and not be plagued with headaches when you are awake, if you wear this while you are asleep.  Also think about the health problems you could be preventing by making this sacrifice in the privacy of your bedroom.  Also, another plus is that people say it is easier to loose weight once they have been on cpap a few months because sleep apnea actually causes people to have a hormone change that increases the appetite....so you may be able to get rid of those extra 20 lb that bother you.

It's ok.  You have a health condition.  It is treatable-- and that is great, because some conditions are not.  In addition to improving your physical health it can also improve your college success and your attitude toward life by giving you more energy.  Go for it!  and be grateful you have the opportunity to tackle this issue before it creates more problems.  You are worth it!

You know - that was exactly the way I felt when I was told I should use a CPAP machine  -- that I was WAY to young ( I'm 49).  I couldn't imagine myself laying there looking like I was on my death bed with a ventalator coming out of my mouth, with my young (she's 54) wife laying next to me.  She can't even give me a kiss good night after I put the mask on.

BUT

I came to realize that as %^&*$%'d up as it is,  it is my best chance to live to be a REALLY old man --- so I'm just doing it anyway.  My wife has been great about it, and is actually proud that I'm willing to do it.  Sometimes she laughs at me when she see's me come out of the bathroom with a mask that looks like an elephant, but that's ok - as I can laugh about it now to.

I was REALLY mad about beign stuck in the situation of having sleep apnea, and got pretty depressed about it all, especially when it was so hard to get the mask to fit for the first couple of weeks.  I'm still not happy about it, but I'm finally getting the mask to work for me, and getting 8+ hours of sleep with less than 4 apnea's and hour.  

Now I know that it is all worth it - and will just suck it up and us the damn machine.

Hope my story helps you a bit

Robert


_________________
REMStar Pro M w/ c-flex and heated humidifier
Respironics Optilife nasal pillow (custom chin strap)
Encore View Software
11 cm H20, C-Flex 3, Humidifier 4
SnuggleHose cover (very important anti-condensaton)
CPAP start date: August 18, 2008

wow...I didn't expect so many responses. Thanks so much for all the POSITIVE responses. I'll have to remind you that I AM a self centered, 18 year old and I am concerned about how I appear to my peers.

Forgive me for being so average.

Anyway, I can't believe this is such a serious disorder. The doctor that diagnosed me did NOT explain all the possible side effects down the road. He didn't even ask for a follow up to see if my septoplasty helped me whatsoever. I'm really disappointed now because I feel like I'm walking around with an untreated problem.

The CPAP was suggested by my doctor but he never strongly recommended it. I also remember him saying something about a TAP device. I'm going home sept 20th and I've scheduled a dentist appointment to see if they can fit me for one. I'm going to try that and if it doesn't work I'll take the plunge and buy a CPAP. But I have no idea how I'll manage to get any sleep whatsoever since I can't sleep with anything on my face. But I guess when it comes to health, comfort isn't an option.

I also never even thought about acid reflux. A lot of my family has that. I'm not positive if it's genetic, but if it is that and my sleep apnea might be working together. I do those silent burps a lot, especially when I work out. But I don't pay it enough mind obviously.

RJOKI -- thanks for your story! It really does help. I have the same insecurities.

embryopathy - "it's ok. you have a health condition. it is treatable -- and that is great, because some conditions are not." wow. how could I be so dense? I have an opportunity to take care of myself and change something that could potentially be fatal to me if I don't treat it. Thanks for that. I guess i just try to pretend like i don't have it instead of dealing with it.

VICKI - Thanks for directing me to another thread; that bothers me because I've had these symptoms for SO LONG that there's no telling how long I've had sleep apnea. Thank you for research and help. I will try to keep updated.

Thanks again to everyone else.

Does anyone/has anyone tried the TAP?

I have severe sleep apnea so I have not tried an oral device myself.

Your apnea is on the high side of moderate (severe starts at 30).  TAP is one type of oral device, and oral devices are approved for mild to moderate sleep apnea.  Oral devices can be an effective treatment for sleep apnea, but they only work for some people and they seldom, if ever, work for people with severe apnea.

If you do get an oral device, make sure that you get a follow up sleep study to be certain that it is really working.

A lot of reflux in the family and silent burps when you work out. Yep, VERY suspicious for reflux and OSA along w/your other symptoms. Good luck!


_________________
Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity & Micro masks, ResScan 3.4, S8 ResLink, Embla oximeter.

You may want to get with your doctor and try something like Nexium.  It is a one a day drug that will eliminate the hearburn by cutting down or elimintating the stomach acid in your stomach, thus making it less likly to get into you esophogus (spelling ?).  There is also a over-the-counter drug called oprozole (spelling ?) that does mostly the same thing.  If you have a drug plan, get with your doctor, if not, then the over the counter will cost you less.