I am really desperate...I am so tired that I can barely function.  Each day seems to be worse than the next.  I posted in this forum a couple of days ago with my test results but I haven't had any replies. I'm new to posting so I'm wondering if I did something wrong.  I would appreciate hearing from anyone about whether my extreme fatigue could possibly be caused by the number of arousals.  316 seems a lot to me. Thank you so much.

Hi sleepjean

I feel for you. I was get migrains and high blood pressure, tired , frustrated, and depressed. I now have my c pap and feeling a little better every day.
I really dont know anything about the test results.
Hang in there. Hope everything works out.
keep us posted.


_________________
Lora

Thanks, sleepylora. I hope I didn't sound too harsh. I really don't mean to, I'm just so frustrated right now...waiting for my CPAP and hoping that it will give me some relief. I appreciate your reply. I'll definitely keep you updated and I hope you'll feel much better soon. How long have you had your CPAP?  Take care.

Hey sleepyjean

Sounds like you have had it thru the ringer with everything. I dont know much but, I can tell you that I have had my cpap machine for a month and a couple days now and stick with this support group. On monday nights you might come online and get your answer that you are looking for. I love my cpap machine and will enourage anyone to use theirs. I sleep alot better and dont have any problems with it except for knocking it off during the night. But I am getting better with it.
Good luck With it!!! one other thing is that someone is always online check the chat rooms and see if some one is in ther


                                                          Sincerely Yours
                                                               south9490

Hi Jean,

Did your sleep doctor not speak with you?  Any good sleep doctor will follow up with you 1-2 weeks after your study to go over the results with you and prescribe a CPAP if that is indicated.  Then, they should follow up with you a month after beginning CPAP therapy to see how it is going and annually thereafter, or if you are having problems.

Here is the part of the sleep study that is important.

This lead to an overall apnea-hypopnea index of 16 events per hour, which is moderately elevated. This is slightly worse in the supine position.  Additionally there were 170 respiratory event related arousals with a central respiratory disturbance index that was also moderately elevated at 29 events per hour.  When the patient was awake and breathing in the room air, the total oxygen saturation was 98%. During sleep it was 87%.

The apnea-hyponea index (AHI) is one of the values to grade the severity of apnea.  Here are the values:

5-15   AHI=Mild apnea
15-30 AHI=Moderate apnea
>30    AHI=Severe apnea

Which is why your study says that your AHI of 16 events per hour is moderately elevated.  Supine means on your back.  Therefore you had apneas/hypopneas in all sleeping positions but they were "slightly worse" on your back.

Central respiratory disturbances are not due to physical blockages, as in Obstructive Sleep Apnea, but are due to your brain forgetting to tell you to breath.

Normal oxygen saturation is 95-99%, your average value when you were awake was 98%.  When you were sleeping, the average O2 sat. was 87%.  O2 sat. decreases when you are not breathing, for example, during apneas (total obstructions) and hypopneas (partial obstruction).

You are feeling bad for several reasons.  Your sleep is disrupted, your oxygen levels are suboptimal when you are asleep.  During each apneic event several physiological changes occur that mess with your body including, your blood pressure goes up, your carbon dixode level goes up, your O2 goes down.

I hope I've answered your questions!  You will feel better once you get your CPAP!  Keep us posted!

Vicki


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

Hello
I have been on my c pap for about 2 weeks. I have not had a migraine since, and my blood pressure is still a little high and i am on medication for that. I would like for u to read my post when i was going through a rough time.
http://www.apneasupport.org/viewtopic.php?t=1810&highlight=
take care.


_________________
Lora

Thanks so much for your replies. Your information has been very helpful. I didn't get any information from my doctor, only that I had sleep apnea and that another test using a cpap was recommended.  I had to request a copy of my test and I've really been on my own trying to research this problem.  In the meantime I await word about the second test and hope to have my cpap soon.  Never thought I'd be saying "All I want for Christmas is my own CPAP!"  I'm going to keep reading and when I have the results of the titration, I'll post them.  Sleepylora, thanks for directing me to your original post. It sounds as though you experienced all of the same problems that I am having.  But, it seems that your cpap has helped you a lot, so I have hope that I will have the same positive results.  Thanks so much for sharing. I hope to be able to do the same in the near future  

I had my sleep study without cpap on 7/27/05 and didn't get to see my doctor until August 31.  I had the cpap tritration study done on September 9th and got my cpap on October 28th.  I thought that they just didn't care and wanted me to die so they wouldn't have to pay for any more expensive tests etc.  
I know how you feel.  
I also was obstructing 282 times a night.  I felt like I could sleep forever and it wouldn't have been enough.

Doctors are professionals with whom we contract for services.  If the doctor will not answer your questions, find another doctor who will.  I spent over an hour with my "doctor," who is actually a nurse practioner,  discussing the syndrome, the therapy, the equipment, and the expected results.  She actually seemed pleased to be participating in a discussion rather than issuing orders.  

I have been on the machine around 95 nights, and I called her three times the first week with questions that she answered.

Doctors are in competition with other doctors, and there is one who will respond to your needs and questions.

Last edited by sleepyjean on Tue Dec 13, 2005 9:26 pm; edited 1 time in total

I called the sleep clinic last week - they told me they would put a priority on my test so it would be read quicker. The test results get sent to a group of sleep specialists who read them and send a report to my GP.  Okay, now still not having heard anything and feeling worse and worse every day, I called my GP today to see if there was something he could do to move things along. He said he would call the office of the sleep specialists and see what could be done. This afternoon my GP's office assistant called me back to tell me that the sleep specialists have only two doctors to read the tests and that it would be another two weeks before my test would be read and the results sent to my GP.  At this point I don't know what else, if anything, I can do.  From everything I have read, it seems to me that sleep apnea is a serious illness. Why is it not taken seriously by the doctors?  Any suggestions would be most welcome.  Thank you. Jean

Called my GP again this morning.  A member of his office staff called back saying that the doctor is prescribing Ambien for me.  She also asked if i am doing everything that i should be doing - not drinking alcohol in the evening (i don't drink at all), taking a warm bath, having a cup of herbal tea, anything else that would relax me before bedtime. I wanted to scream    I told her that i didn't think she understood - I don't have a difficult time falling asleep - I HAVE SLEEP APNEA.  I STOP BREATHING so don't try to placate me with suggestions as to how i might relax before bedtime. Urrrg! She said that when she called the neurologist's office yesterday to ask whether my sleep study results had been read, they laughed when they heard that the study had only taken place on Dec. 1.  I said well, i'm glad they find it humorous. So, here i am, having Ambien prescribed and that's it.  Does anyone know if this will actually help any of the apnea or arousals?  I am so exhausted that I can barely function.  If you've read this far, thanks    I apologize for ranting, but I am so tired, frustrated, and angry that I just had to let it out.  I am so happy to have found this forum and the wonderful, caring people on it.  Jean

sleepyjean,

That's medical non-care at it's worst. Bad enough that they're slow and misinformed, but to treat your request for results as a joke is appalling.

Ambien is a sedative-hypnotic, usually taken short-term because it is potentially addictive. Sometimes it's given to people the night of their sleep studies so they can get enough sleep that night to get a good titration. It doesn't treat sleep apnea at all. That's the cpap machine's job. Ambien is prescribed for those who have difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep. Its use for people who have sleep apnea is a little controversial because it can relax the muscles of the throat and potentially cause even more obstructive apnea events. But sometimes it's considered worth the trade off if the alternative is little or no sleep at all. Some people who use ambien have indicated that their machine settings are increased to compensate.

I don't understand why your doctor is prescribing Ambien if you don't have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.  Personally, I'd want to know the results of the sleep study before taking it, and then I'd want a good explanation for why I need it.

I second that.  Why on earth are they prescribing Ambien?  That just makes no sense.

I think they're just trying to get me out of their hair.  Well, I've got news for them - I'm not giving up that easily.  I'm not taking the Ambien tonight and I'm calling them again in the morning.