Hi @butts505. Congratulations on starting to feel better, and welcome to MyApnea.Org! Sleep apnea contributes to so many other health problems, and it sounds like you are on the road to improvements. Persistence is key with treatment, and please feel free to post your questions and share your experiences here on the forums. We look forward to hearing about how you're doing, and thanks for contributing!
Hi Simon. Welcome to MyApnea.Org, and I am glad to hear your sleep apnea is finally being treated. There are many physicians out there who don't know much about sleep disorders, so finding a good sleep physician can greatly contribute to your success. 3 nights of treatment is excellent progress, but remember that you have probably not slept well for all of the years you were undiagnosed. It might take some time for you to adjust to the mask and the airflow from the machine. Hopefully, as your body adjusts to treatment, you will start to realize deeper sleep and the benefits that come with that--including more energy. Keep up the good work, wear your treatment nightly, and let us know how you are doing!
Hi @VersatileMagentaLlama0669. Both OSA and CSA are generally caused by underlying conditions. For CSA, there are many people whose CSA does not respond to CPAP, and BiPAP can be a good alternative. It might take your body some time to adjust to treatment before the central apneas resolve. Dr. Redline (SusanR on the forum) discusses this a bit under the Central/Mixed Apnea topic here on the forum. Give BiPAP some time and see how you do. If BiPAP doesn't correct the problem, there are other treatments your sleep physician might choose to try. As for your concern about an underlying condition, the causes of CSA can vary. In fact, some medications can cause central apnea. I encourage you to talk to your physician. Ask questions. Tell him or her about your concerns. Maybe that will help relieve some of your worry! Welcome to MyApnea.Org, and keep us posted on how you are doing!
Hi- I am Renee and would like to give a better introduction of myself at a later time. Currently I am too exhausted from, years of....... At this point I have Central Apnea, having arrived at one more diagnosis in my lifetime for which there are no "answers". Believe I read on person's response on here...given the choice between her previous diagnosis with cancer and her diagnosis with CA, she would choose cancer again anytime.
It is so disheartening to go through hundreds of pages on NIH research activities and see less than a dozen, if that many studies looking at this condition.
Restorative rest is so critical... why are they ignoring CA? Collaborative research design will provide important trends and overwhelming concerns in a more timely fashion. This initiative gives new hope to many patients who have felt, and many times been, unheard. Thank you for stepping up.
Thanks, @CharmingTanSparrow4349! We're glad you found MyApnea.Org and are lending your voice to so many others who have joined the community looking for answers. Together, we hope to make a difference in the lives of people living with sleep apnea and to help drive research in areas our members find important. We hope you will complete the surveys, spread the word to others about MyApnea.Org, and maybe even consider proposing a research question. Welcome!
Hello DanM- Already busy working on a few proposals. I truly wish I were able to become more involved. I am disabled and each day is full of surprises... i am hoping one day the surprise will be that I have discovered a way to stitch all my broken pieces into a contributing member of society again. MyApnea.org. is giving me one more piece to build with ... Thank You.
I have had a diagnosis of sleep Apnoea for the last 10 years, but only recently retested and initiated CPAP. Had a wonderful 2 nights to begin with. No problems adjusting to the nasal mask, but from the 3rd day have had constant rhinitis and sneezing. Truly awful since then. After about 3 weeks of this, with no relief from nasal decongestants, saline sprays and oils I am now on a course or antibiotics. The constant runny nose, etc made my sinuses feel like cotton wool. Antibiotics have helped, as has a nasal cortisone spray. I swapped over to a full face mask at the worst of my symptoms for a few nights. Have also cranked up the humidifier to 8 and temperature to 30deg Celsius in effort to overcome this nasal discomfort. Now I have so much gas in my stomach in the morning it is painful to move around when I get out of bed. I'm determined to stick with CPAP, as I really need the rest and am having blood pressure issues. It's been 4 weeks now & I just wonder if anyone else has had issues like this and been able to overcome them? I am hoping someone will tell me there is light at the end of the tunnel
Hi @AmicableOcherGoose9739. I'm sorry to hear you have had such a terrible time with your sinuses since starting treatment. As a technologist, I have worked with many patients who suffer from sinusitis and allergy issues and have shared experiences with me that sound similar to yours. Maybe some members will share their stories here. I have terrible sinus and allergy problems and use medication (including a steroid spray) to manage my symptoms, and I have developed infections in the past. In my case, the infections were unrelated to my CPAP treatment, but CPAP can be very uncomfortable while trying to manage these problems. There have been nights--thankfully very few--that I was not able to use my treatment due to severe congestion or discomfort, and I had to wait until the medications resolved the worst of it. Is it possible that the timing of treatment happened to coincide with the development of an infection and that the two are not related? In my case, there was light at the end of the tunnel, and I rarely have issues wearing my CPAP. I try to keep my sinuses clean by using saline rinse, especially during allergy season, along with my medication. This seems to reduce my symptoms. It is important to follow the manufacturer's instructions for keeping your mask(s), humidifier and CPAP tubing clean to help reduce the risk of irritation or infection as well. Hopefully, your sinus issues continue to improve and treatment gets easier for you. Please keep us posted, and thanks for posting on the forum!
I'm a 67 year old grandmother, only slightly overweight. No diagnosed family history of apnea.
Just had my first split night sleep study three days ago. Their cutoff for putting me on CPAP was 20, and they did put me on it, so I know I "flunked" although the tech would not answer my questions. I now have to wait a month before my PCP gets the report. Am really bummed, I want to get on with this and start feeling better!
Not sure how long this has been going on, my little sis is a respiratory therapist who has been urging me for years to get checked. She wears earplugs whenever I travel and sleep in the same room with her.
I had back surgery a couple of months ago, and while in the hospital, every time I would fall asleep the pulse oximeter would alarm. They, too, questioned me about OSA. And my husband and mom have heard me snoring, even through closed doors. And I am so tired of the morning headaches. So, it is about time to deal with this.
I was wearing my Fitbit during the PSG, and the rudimentary graphs there show a marked difference between the two halves of the night.
Thanks for this forum, I am enjoying the reading while I wait for therapy.
Welcome, @OmaLaura! We're happy to have you as a MyApnea.Org member, and we invite you to complete the surveys and continue to share your experiences here on the forum. Congratulations on taking the first steps toward better sleep and better health! Keep us posted on how things progress if you like, and we welcome any questions or feedback you have!
All the best- Dan
Hi I'am 47 years old. A year and one month I was told I had Mild OBSA. I had a sleep study which didn't go so well. I couldn't get to sleep. I have been going through a lot. I fall asleep while I read and watch t.v. I am glad I found this site, maybe I can get more support. Thank you for letting me join.
Hi @ImpartialLavenderGoldfinch7002. Welcome to MyApnea.Org! We hope you enjoy the site, participate in surveys, engage in the forum and find support among the sleep community here! Are you currently receiving any treatment for your sleep apnea? If so, and you are concerned about falling asleep with reading and watching t.v., it might be worth a conversation with your physician to make sure your treatment is appropriate.
Well I have been on the hose for 6 years and went for a sleep study on a dare from my girlfriend who had completed the study previously. She had a follow up meeting with her doctor and mentioned that she thought I was an extreme candidate and should complete a study. I agreed knowing I had a problem and after the first hour of my sleep study I woke to a crash cart entering my room and was placed on oxygen. I had Apnea events 34 times in the first hour and my oxygen level had fallen to 25% and was considered a critical case. After I was placed on oxygen and a cpap, I can say I never slept so well in many years. I woke the following day with the clearest mind I can remember and did not realize it was due to the oxygen from the sleep study. I was so disappointed when I started using the machine expecting the same effects thinking it was the CPAP that gave me the clear mind. Because of my results in the study, I was supplied with a CPAP the following day. My machine was a Respironics REMstarPro "M" series set on a level of "10" and can honestly say I have never had such deep sleep in my life. I was able to actually dream again which I was not able to do waking every few minutes for a breath of air before starting use of the CPAP. My machine also ran on 12 volts and could easily be used on my boat and on car trips which made it very handy since im the adventurous type. Unfortunately, My original machine wore out and was stopping in the middle of the night. I told my GP doctor and he told me I could not get a new machine without a new sleep study. I had my old prescription but it was old and my insurance wanted a new study. I went 6 weeks for my appointment still using my faulty machine. After my study, It was found I had 31 events of Apnea on average per hour and my study was completed in 1 night. (The studies now are usually 2 nights) I expected a new machine to be ordered but was told I had to wait 6 weeks before the study would be approved. After 2 weeks of phone calls, I finally explained the legal situation they were in because my current machine was creating a life threatening condition. The following day I was supplied with a new CPAP and I can say after 2 months, I HATE IT! First of all it is not a constant pressure as I have been use to as a "10" level and instead fluctuates between 8 and 14??? very annoying and here I sit at 4am sleepless. I asked if it can be adjusted to a constant pressure and was told it was not possible. I also found the new machine is 24 volt so I have to use an inverter when not at home to use the machine traveling. Another wonderful feature is the WIFI that is built in to give real time information to the doctor... geez. In closing I am living waterfront and thinking on seeing if this new CPAP floats. I think I am going to return it and go shopping for a machine like I had. One thing I found is after 6 yrs on a CPAP it is very difficult to be off of one and end up with a sore throat for days if I do. Im done whining now. Guess for now Im truly "Hosed"
Hi @IntelligentSpringGreenStork2803. It sounds like you have had an unfortunate experience with your old CPAP machine. So sorry to hear that! It is not uncommon, after so many years on treatment, for an insurance company to request a new sleep study before paying for a new machine. Over the years, treatment requirements can change, and CPAP pressures often need to be adjusted. Depending on a patient's diagnosis, sometimes the treatment mode might need to change. There are many modes of treatment--CPAP, APAP, BiPAP and ASV are examples. Do you know if you were given an APAP machine that is adjusting between 8 cm and 14 cm? Or were you given a BiPAP machine with pressures of 8 cm (expiratory or EPAP) and 14 cm (inspiratory or IPAP)? As for the WiFi, most insurance providers now require that treatment is monitored for a period of time if they are covering the cost of the machine and supplies. This helps prevent paying for machines that patients are not using. As for adjusting to the new machine, have you attempted to wear it while awake and not when you are ready to sleep? I often recommend that patients try wearing their machine during the day or in the evenings while watching TV or reading. Practicing with the machine in a situation like this can sometimes help you adjust to the way your new treatment feels. It may also help prevent frustration of trying to adjust when you are tired and ready to go to sleep. As for the voltage of the machine, have you discussed your preferences with your home care company and told them about your adventurous nature? It might be possible for them to provide a machine that has the features you want.
Please keep us posted on your progress, and best of luck as you continue to adjust to treatment. Feel free to post any questions or information you think might be helpful to other members of the MyApnea.Org community!
So this site is specifically for those who use a pap device for their apnea? I tried it and it was unsuccessful for several reasons. I decided to get fit for a night guard for sleep apnea and have a couple of questions. Can you direct me to a website or forum that is for sleep apnea mouth guards?
