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Cher
Member
08-18-2004
| Thursday, February 03, 2005 - 8:44 am
I saw this folder and had to write my story - For about the past three years I had been tired falling a sleep at my desk not being able to drive very far, and I never dreamed like I use too. Then I went to my doctor again swearing it was my Thyroid not working again, they did a blood test and he said it was fine. At that time he said he wanted me to go through the sleep clinic in Corvallis and I said no. About a year later still tired I went back again and finally said okay - made the appt at the hospital in Corvallis and went to spend the night. Hooked up with all the wires and knowing your being watched makes it hard to sleep but I did sleep. Then they had me come back about two weeks later for a test again this time with the mask and wires on. I slept like a baby and actually went into Rem sleep. My first visit to the sleep clinic showed my sleep being distured every 2 minutes. So now I am wearing a mask every night, it even goes with me on my trips from home - I love it! I dream and feel like I can think again. I didn't realize how much my life was a mess. They have had to up my air supply once so far. It started at 8 and is now at 10 and they said it can go to 20 I guess. I have found out through talking to people and looking at websites sleep apnea is serious - people have heart problems, strokes etc. I always said that is going to be the worst thing to have to wear that mask to bed but it has saved me. And I will probably never quit wearing it.
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Kady
Member
07-30-2000
| Thursday, February 03, 2005 - 9:16 am
I am so glad I started this thread. It gives me so much comfort to know I am not the only one with this problem. I have worn my full face mask for 2 nights now and boy is it so much more comfortable. I just don't like the initial feeling I get when I first put it on. At first it feels like I'm gonna smother but then that feeling goes away. I never knew how sleep deprived I was until I got my machine. Now I can make it through the day without napping. I am also waking up in a good mood everyday. 
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Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Thursday, February 03, 2005 - 9:18 am
i remember my regular doctor telling me, when i was telling him my symptoms, "well, it's probably the Fibro, or the arthritis, not sleep apnea. and you know the machines are expensive that you have to wear to bed, there's not much else that can be done," etc. etc. when i went to the sleep doctor for the first oxygen test, he said nonononono, there was so much more. i remember coming home from the 2nd appointment, right before the sleep study, and he said he definitely saw a problem, that the oxygen meter was showing i wasn't getting oxygen 1,000 times a night, and that he wanted me into the sleep study within the week, so they could figure out a CPAP, and crying, knowing that at last we figured out a problem. i'd been having trouble for 10 years on sleeping. my husband just said "i told you, you were snoring bad". well snoring bad, and sleep apnea are two different things. my case can not be corrected by surgery, but i feel my CPAP is a lifesaver.
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Cher
Member
08-18-2004
| Thursday, February 03, 2005 - 9:43 am
Kady - Also the first two weeks of wearing my mask I would wake up and find it on the floor next to my bed - the doctors said that would pass and it sure did - I never take it off. I am suppose to even nap with it and I don't, but when I do fall asleep without it I do wake up with a headache. I am glad you started this thread too!
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Kristylovesbb
Member
09-14-2000
| Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 5:31 am
My test was performed in the hospital in an elegant room with beautiful furniture. Didn't help my sleep one bit, coulda just put me in a pine box for all it mattered. Results were sleep apnea, stopped breathing several times per hour and restless leg syndrome. The tech said I kicked violently app. 32 times per hour. Now I cannot, for the life of me, figure that one out when it takes a good five minutes for me to get up from a chair due to arthritis.LOL
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Cathie
Member
08-16-2000
| Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 11:26 am
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea 15 years ago. My symptoms were mainly daytime sleepiness that began to get dangerous when I would almost fall asleep waiting at red lights. They originally tested me for narcolepsy, but the tests surprised us with a sleep apnea diagnosis. It made sense, though, why I was so sleepy during the day, I never slept soundly at night. I had obstructive disruptions every two minutes, and also had the restless leg thing going on. I met with an ear, nose and throat doc who told me what would be involved in the surgery, but that it was not guaranteed to fix the problem. I opted for the CPAP and couldn't have been happier with the results. I have used one faithfully for the past 15 years, with a new machine every few years, and repeat sleep studies to check the pressure needed every 5 years or so. I am so used to it that I cannot fall asleep well without it, I guess you could say it is my pacifier. One common symptom of untreated sleep apnea is a feeling of paralysis when waking up. It happens when you awaken fully during a period of apnea and your brain is awake a little before your breathing and body movements resume. It is horribly scarey when you don't know what's causing it, kind of like dreaming that you have been buried alive. Now if I take a nap without the CPAP and have that feeling I automatically know that, "oh yeah, this is just that darn apnea again and all I have to do is take a breath." I couldn't live without my CPAP. Literally!
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Cher
Member
08-18-2004
| Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 1:32 pm
Cathie - I totally have to agree - I cannot live without mine either it goes with me on trips etc. I am finally feeling alive again! 
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Kady
Member
07-30-2000
| Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 3:39 pm
Did the CPAP stop ya'lls snoring? Hubby says I am still snoring pretty bad and still won't sleep with me. I am getting used to having the bed to myself now. Well me and my kitty and doesn't hog the bed!!
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Cathie
Member
08-16-2000
| Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 4:21 pm
Kady, my snoring stopped when I started using the CPAP. The only time my hubby has reported me snoring is if the mask comes off or if I don't have it "sealed" properly and there is an air leak. I have never used the full face mask, just the device with nasal pillows, and I can usually tell fairly quickly if I have a leak anywhere. Once the problem was a miniscule hole in one of the pillows, I couldn't see it but could feel the air escaping. You might check your tubing for holes, esp. if your cat is fond of playing with it.
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Myjohnhenry
Member
01-02-2002
| Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 11:42 pm
I don't snore with the CPAP on. I had my sleep study because of ongoing drowsiness/low level of energy during the day...never feeling rested...and I also had a couple of really scary (for my teen and I both) major episodes of apnea where I woke up working hard to breath which led to me actually vomitting. I am bummed now though because I was actually getting into a good routine and to the point of not taking it off during the night and then I got sick and couldn't use it...now I am back to taking it off after about 3 hours or so of sleep. Grrrrrr. I usually wake up sometime after taking it off, but have a hard time rousing myself enough to put it back on.
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Cher
Member
08-18-2004
| Wednesday, February 09, 2005 - 8:18 am
Kady, I snored bad before I got the CPAP - we my sister and I and the kids took a week trip and I kept her up all week before I got the machine then this last October we went to Disneyland and I had my CPAP and she said I was as quiet as a mouse. I won't ever be without it. If I take a nap in the afternoon without it I wake up tired and have a headache they said I should have it on at nap time too but that is a tough one.
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Frogichik
Member
06-11-2002
| Tuesday, June 14, 2005 - 2:17 pm
I recently was diagnosed with sleep apnea. Apparently I stop breathing about 154 times an hours and I have not yet gotten the mask. I am not really looking forward to it. I had hoped it would be only temporary, that once I lost weight it might go away. I think I may be naive in my assumption. Also every doctor says my tonsils are huge, do you think if they were removed that the apnea would stop? I really need to do research on this. But in the meantime, if anyone knows of sleep apnea that has been "cured" I would appreciate the info!
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Cher
Member
08-18-2004
| Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 8:20 am
Frog: My sleep doctor told me if I lost weight it would probably take care of the sleep apnea - there is so much different information out there. Some say it is a weight problem others say it can be inherited. My tonsils have been gone since age 5. I am probably 75 pounds overweight though very tall so I carry it well thank goodness. I will tell you that once I got my machine it was a night and day difference, before I hadn't been sleeping at all and now I sleep and dream both. Good luck with your mask and if you have any other questions let me know.
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Serate
Member
08-21-2001
| Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 9:37 am
Frogichik my husband was also told that if he lost weight it might help his sleep apnea tremendously. [He hasn't lost weight even with the diagnosis of Diabetes II last year]. With my husband he had the sleep apnea way before he gained the extra weight. Once he was diagnosed with it we realized the symptoms had been going on for at least 4 years - he was 80 pounds lighter then. Just last month it was officially linked to his PTSD being the cause of the sleep apnea. He's been diagnosed with PTSD since '95, but it stems from his being in Iraq back in 90-91.
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Frogichik
Member
06-11-2002
| Thursday, June 16, 2005 - 2:10 pm
Thanks, guys I appreciate the info.
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Herckleperckle
Member
11-20-2003
| Monday, August 15, 2005 - 4:20 am
This came thru in my email this morning. Just thought I'd share. I hadn't read this thread before. So glad for each of you that you have identified your problem and found the CPAP. (My BIL has had his for years now--lifesaver!) Source: Ivanhoe.com Reported August 19, 2005 Easier Treatment for Sleep Apnea ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- According to the National Sleep Foundation, about 18 million Americans have sleep apnea. Detection is key, as people who struggle to breathe during the night may have a shortened lifespan. There is effective treatment, but it's not exactly low-maintenance. Now, an easy alternative is on the medical frontier. "It’s just very uncomfortable," says sleep apnea patient Mitch Weinberg. "I won’t even get in to what it makes you look like." But for those with sleep apnea, CPAPs are their only option. "It’s cumbersome. It’s awkward," says neuroscientist David Carley, Ph.D., of University of Illinois at Chicago Center for Sleep and Ventilatory Disorders in Chicago. "Less than half of our patients really can tolerate using this device every night in the long-run." But the CPAP is the most effective treatment. It allows patients to live longer with a healthier heart, and it keeps them more alert by day. But some doctors say it’s not enough. UCLA neuroscientist Jerome Siegel, Ph.D., from UCLA's Center for Sleep Research, says, "We need better treatments that are easier to tolerate because people don’t like wearing this mask, which is what’s necessary for C-PAP." This doctor duo may have found something better. In their study, every patient taking the antidepressant mirtazapine saw improvement. On average, they had a 50-percent reduction in the number of times they stopped breathing during the night. Dr. Carley says, "This has never been shown before, that a pill could actually improve apnea in 100 percent of the patients." The drug works by manipulating the brain chemical serotonin, which seems to help patients breathe normally during sleep. "We think that we’re at the beginning of a new wave of exploration of new and hopefully more effective drugs that will benefit these patients," Dr. Carley says. Mirtazapine is only FDA approved for treating depression. Larger studies are necessary before the drug could become a viable option for sleep apnea patients. Although the CPAP seems to reduce symptoms better, doctors say compliance is a major issue. If you would like more information, please contact: Sharon Butler Public Affairs University of Illinois at Chicago 601 S. Morgan MC 288 Chicago, IL 60607-7113 (312) 355-2522 sbutler@uic.edu http://www.uic.edu
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Cndeariso
Member
06-28-2004
| Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 1:58 pm
my DH has both obstructive and central. his friends knew it for years before i met him. but, they were just happy that he quit snoring some during the night they didn't tell him. bad move on their part. he had a 1 in 5 chance of dying from it when he was finally tested. he quit breathing 98 times an hour. i'm the one who told him about it after we got married. i used to wake him up all during the night to get him to breath. neither of us was getting much sleep. he had surgery to help with some of it. he had his septum straightened out - his nose had been broken playing baseball as a child. he had his turbinates trimmed - they grow over time due to numerous sinus infections. he has his tonsils removed. he had his palate trimmed. and, since he had this done all at once they had to due a tracheotomy which wasnt' removed until he was completely healed some 6 months later. then after another 6 months he had scar rectification surgery from that - minor in office procedure. having the tracheotomy was what kept him from having the surgery for two years. he was scared to death of having his throat cut. but, after counseling he finally had it done. and, now he will tell you that was the best move he ever made. his surgery was march 2004. he still has some obstructive sleep apnea but is now able to successfully use the CPAP. before surgery it was a no-win situation with it. the central sleep apnea is nothing they can do anything about. that is what Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is. your body just forgets to tell you to breath. the mask my husband wears covers his nose & his mouth so that he doesn't have to worry about the chin strap. it has a nice cushion around it that makes it tolerable. yes, he looks like an alien. but, i would rather have a live funny looking husband than a dead good looking one.
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Cher
Member
08-18-2004
| Tuesday, October 18, 2005 - 2:07 pm
Cndeariso: So true you don't want a dead husband. I was really sick from this also, but since I have my mask I have been doing well. My sleep was interupted every 2 minutes, so it was bad. I am glad your DH is doing well. You take care of yourself too!
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