Hi everyone - I'm new here, first post.  After years of suffering, I finally started looking into sleep apnea as my issue, and I'm convinced that's what I have.

I'm an overweight male, 41 years old.  Asthma and allergy sufferer.  Married 15 years, and I've always classified myself as a bad sleeper.  Over the years it's gotten worse - my wife now complains about my snoring (she never did before a few years ago).  I'm tired all the time, and seem to have all the symptoms of sleep apnea (short-term memory problems, frequent nighttime urination, occassional night sweats, lethargy).  Most telling, I've woken up numerous times (maybe twice a week that I remember) gasping for air and feeling out of breath, like I had just been running.

I recently had some fillings replaced for the first time since I was a teenager, and noticed that when I had my mouth wide open for the dentist, I couldn't breathe!  He had to work for 20-30 seconds, break so I could breathe, then repeat.  That got me thinking that maybe something similar happens to me at night, which got me looking into sleep apnea.

I spent some time last week reading up on it and reading these forums as a lurker, and made the first step - I set up an appointment with my general practitioner for next Wednesday to start the process.  I don't know if she'll send me for a sleep study, or first refer me to a sleep specialist, but at least I've started persuing this.

Just wanted to say thanks for all the information, and you'll be hearing from me as I go through this process!

As a side question - has anyone ever tried using a video camera to film themselves "sleeping" at night?  Think I'd get any useful information from that?


_________________
--Frank (FJC)

welcome
your asthma may complicate matters, but I hope you can get a sleep study
using a video camera or tape recorder is a good idea, especially if you can show the GP video of any interesting moments
with sleep apnea, there neednt neccessarily be any long periods with no breathing as sometimes the breathing problems can happen on about every third breath
try to find out whether you are allergic to silicone rubber which the masks are all made of

Thanks, saw my doctor last week and she agreed that a sleep study is in order.  She said they (Univ. of Michigan) do them over TWO nights - one night of monitoring to come up with all the details and verify I have it, and a second night where they determine the correct pressure (if I do have sleep apnea).  Both appointments will be scheduled, the second cancelled if not needed.

Good news is that she said people have been getting in/out pretty quickly lately.  Hopefully I'll get an actual appointment scheduled sometime today.


_________________
--Frank (FJC)

FJC wrote:

Thanks, saw my doctor last week and she agreed that a sleep study is in order.  She said they (Univ. of Michigan) do them over TWO nights - one night of monitoring to come up with all the details and verify I have it, and a second night where they determine the correct pressure (if I do have sleep apnea).  Both appointments will be scheduled, the second cancelled if not needed.

Good news is that she said people have been getting in/out pretty quickly lately.  Hopefully I'll get an actual appointment scheduled sometime today.

Frank,

Boy, this is good news.  And it seems you have a very knowlegable doctor which is terrific.  There are many out there who do not understand this condition and will treat you for everything else and not even consider sleep apnea as a possible cause.  So if she's a good doctor, hang on to her!  And it sounds like the sleep lab is pretty responsible, scheduling both parts at the same time.  Yes, please keep us posted as to your progress.   Sleep apnea is a crazy thing.  We don't want to have it, but we're happy when we find there's something that can be done to find relief from its effects.  Keep in touch.


Linda

Thanks Linda!  Yep, she seems like a decent doctor.

Update - just called the sleep center and they had a cancellation for TONIGHT, so I jumped at it.  I go in tonight!  Yipes...  :)  Wish me luck, I've always been VERY particular about my sleeping conditions (sheet/blanket have to be just right, etc), so I'm pretty apprehensive about trying to sleep with electrodes on my head.

Second appt is tentatively scheduled for Oct 20th, but they told me if the diagnosis comes back positive that they can then watch for cancellations for me and likely get me in for the CPAP pressure trials sooner than that.


_________________
--Frank (FJC)

FJC wrote:

Thanks Linda!  Yep, she seems like a decent doctor.

Update - just called the sleep center and they had a cancellation for TONIGHT, so I jumped at it.  I go in tonight!  Yipes...  :)  Wish me luck, I've always been VERY particular about my sleeping conditions (sheet/blanket have to be just right, etc), so I'm pretty apprehensive about trying to sleep with electrodes on my head.

Second appt is tentatively scheduled for Oct 20th, but they told me if the diagnosis comes back positive that they can then watch for cancellations for me and likely get me in for the CPAP pressure trials sooner than that.

Oh wow, that's wonderful news!!
Amazing  There are places where the waiting list is months, even years!

Just be sure not to try and nap before, so you can be more tired.  Some places let you take your own pillow and whatever clothes you are comfortable with.  Just go with a sense of humor about it.  And be sure to use the bathroom before getting wired.  You can still go (and that's an experience!), but the more time trying to sleep the better.  That's why the two nights.  Sometimes they do a split night study, with both parts in one night, but two nights are preferable.  This way there's a much better chance you will sleep long enough for test results.   Think of it as an experience only a few lucky people get to enjoy.
 

Take care and keep us posted.


Linda

Well, Monday night I had my sleep study.  Wow, quite the experience.  I had read a lot here, so knew pretty much what to expect, but was still pretty surprised at exactly how many wires and devices they taped to my body.

The only thing that put me off a bit was that they told me I needed to sleep on my back.  I *never* sleep on my back - always my side.  Whenever I try to even lay on my back for any period of time, I get a lot of sinus drainage that I can feel going right into my lungs, and I start coughing quite a bit.  They told me I needed to try to sleep on my back anyway, for at least some period of time, before they'd allow me to sleep on my side.

I'm not real sure how accurate the study would be if I did sleep on my back for it, when in real life I sleep on my sides all the time, but I did as asked and started out on my back.  I don't think I slept much that way - maybe a couple of very short dozes - they I gave up and rolled onto my side.  No one told me to change so I guess they accepted it.

The workers were all very nice, the room was as nice as I could have expected (skinny bed, though!).

I didn't sleep well, but I did sleep enough for them to get results.  I was exhausted when I got home and napped a couple of hours yesterday to make up for the lost sleep.

I'll post again when I get the results.  They told me 2-3 weeks for written results to be mailed to me, but my Doctor told me she'd get results emailed to her within a few days.  I'll give her a call on Friday if I don't hear from her before then.


_________________
--Frank (FJC)

Hi Frank-
I was just reading your posts. How interesting, but I agree with Linda, what a good dr... very responsive.  I wonder what it is about sleeping on the back.  Like you, I don't sleep on my back, usually switch side to side.  They told me that I should try to sleep on my back, but if I can't go ahead & sleep what makes me comfortable.  I had to turn on my side.  I received a diagnoses of a "strong" moderate case of sleep apnea.  I wonder if I made it worse or better than actuality since I did not sleep on my back?  I don't know.  

Please post how your results came out or diagnosis.  Best of luck to you.

Mark

I'm a side sleeper also.  I suspect that we train ourselves to sleep on our sides as that opens up the airways better.  As I understand it there are more events if you sleep on your back, so over the years, not being stupid, we have adjusted in such a way to limit the number of events.  Just a theory -- natural selection and all of that!

Good point.  It makes sense tome!

Mark

Well, I just heard back from the doctor's office - I definitely tested positive for sleep apnea!

No details so far other than that (my doctor was out of the office, but another looked at the results and communicated that to me).  They said I could swing by on the way home from work today for a printed copy of the results, so I'll post some more details once I get that.

Next step - the CPAP test thing...


_________________
--Frank (FJC)

I don't want to say "congratulations" that you have a disorder, however, if you are like I was, it is very good to have "an answer".   Keep us posted...good luck.
Mark

mws95 wrote:

I don't want to say "congratulations" that you have a disorder, however, if you are like I was, it is very good to have "an answer".   Keep us posted...good luck.
Mark

I completely agree - I'd rather have this answer and know there's treatment, than just continue to suffer or search.

I picked up my results, but all I've been told is "you have sleep apnea."  I'll post them in the Sleep Studies forum, hopefully someone can help me interpret them.


_________________
--Frank (FJC)