Sleep Apnea

[monotreme]

Hi forum members.  Craig and I went to the sleep disorder center at Jefferson Hospital yesterday. They were  very nice doctors who are very knowledgeable in sleep problems.  

They told Craig he has moderate to severe sleep apnea and needs a CPAP immediately.  So it is arriving tomorrow.  It is the size of a laptop computer and has a "smart card" in it that records data during the night while the person is sleeping.  We then take the card to each follow up appt and they will download the information on it.  

Anyway, the sleep doctor was telling me that many problems could be caused by sleep apnea.  Some of the ones she mentioned are: acid reflux,  day time fatigue,  high blood sugar,  memory loss and difficulty focusing,   and loss of ability to multi-task.  

She said there is still lots to teach primary physicians that when they see some of these things in their patients, that they should investigate whether there is sleep apnea or not.  

I, for one, am hoping that it helps Craig sleep again.  He wakes up every hour now and is soaked in sweat.  The doctors think that since his blood oxygen is dropping to 76 percent when he sleeps, that the waking up and sweating is a method for his brain to wake him up to breathe.  I hope they are correct and his frequent wakings will stop.

Elaine

[Lulu54]

My copy of Neurology Now just came in today's mail - you can access it on line.  

www.neurologynow.com - you can also subscribe from this address.  I read the first issue I received from cover to cover and learned a lot about a variety of neurological disorders.  


I love the image the name "hosehead" conjurs for me!

sleep tight,
Lu

[hbananas]

I've had my CPAP for 2 1/2 months, and it has made a world of difference.  I rarely snored, but I was having an apnea/hypopnea/arousal incident about 40 times an hour and getting very little deep sleep.  I was falling asleep at my desk while actually typing on my computer almost daily.  My oxygen saturation got down to 89% at the worst.  Poor Craig, I can't imagine what being in the 70's must be like.

I've seen Dr. Steven Park posting on the apnea forum I mentioned, too.

I have a mask that only touches my face on the forehead, the tube runs down my nose and makes a u-turn to stick the nasal pillows into my nostrils.  I hardly ever get air leaks, and I can sleep on either side or on my stomach, if I wanted to.  All masks have an air vent that constantly blows air away from the wearer's face.  My husband and kitty don't like when it hits them, but they have adapted.

One thing that has made a very important difference to me, is that I have a quick connect adapter on my hose.  The hose has rubber ends that fit very tightly over the connections on the mask and the machine.  The quick connector is simply a stiff tube of plastic that is inserted in one end of the hose so that it just slides on and off either the mask or the machine.  There aren't leaks because of the loosening of the connection, as the pressure just isn't that high. I have mine on my machine end, because it would make my mask connecter stick out too far from the top of my head.  When I have to go to the bathroom in the night, I don't have to remove my mask.  I just slide the hose off the machine, drape it around my neck, take care of business, and get back to bed in almost as little time as it took before CPAP.  And I only wake up to potty once a night instead of the 4-5 times it was before.

I also bought a "hose cozy" after the first night.  It's just a velour tube that's meant to keep the hose warm so the humidifier moisture doesn't condense on the way to you.  My motivation was because the currogated outside of the hose made terrible sounds as it dragged over our headboard whenever I rolled over.

It's great you're getting the sort of machine that is totally data capable.  Mine only measures how many days and hours it has been used.  Is Craig also going to monitor his oxygen saturation at home?  I think you can buy your own monitor without a prescription, and maybe even get insurance to pay for it, since his deprivation is so severe.  You can also buy your own card reader and software to get the info from the card yourself, but it's a few hundred dollars that insurance definitely won't cover.

Welcome to the hosehead community.  I hope Craig notices a difference very soon.

[essdipity]

I sure hope this helps Craig. As someone with sleep issues, I know only too well how much difference getting a decent night's sleep makes.

Zilla uses a CPAP with great success. She can give you a full report.

ess

[Deb61]

I just finished reading an article out of Neurology Today on MS and sleep.  The statistic quoted was that people with MS are two times as likely to suffer from sleep disorders.  It's a worthwhile article to read.  Deb

[Lulu54]

One of my favorite experts here at MedHelp is Dr. Steven Park - he area of expertise is sleep.  You can find him through the expert activity section on the right side of the page.  He is more than willing to answer questions and engage in dialogue. Take a minute and check him out and if you have more questions, he might be able to help. - L

[sllowe]

I've heard so much good come out of these sleep studies.

I've threatened my husband for past couple years with "you are going."

He stops breathing and now that I sleep w/ear plugs, I can't hear it when he does and I know it's dangerous to his heart, brain, etc.

09 is his yr to go and he knows it.

I hope this helps Craig in all of these critical areas.

You didn't say how yours come out? All ok?

-shell

[doni54]

Hi Elaine,

I really hate that Craig has this problem, but it sounds like this treatment might help.  Just getting a good nights sleep should make his days better, huh?

I'll be praying for this to work and for Craig to feel better.

Hugs,
doni

[Fluffysmom]

I think a CPAP machine can make a wonderful difference.  I really hope it helps Craig a lot; he should get better quality sleep, raise his O-sats, help him feel better and more alert.

My friend Judy said that her CPAP made a world of difference.  My roommate got one, but couldn't imagine sleeping with it on, since she tosses and turns, and wouldn't use it.  I tried to tell her that she might toss and turn less, and think better, but she still wouldn't use it.

I'll check out Pastor Dan's website and see if I can find some information to convince her.

Wishing Craig the best of luck with his new machine; hope he gets all the best of the  benefits from it.  

Hugs,

Kathy

[Auspiciousme]

Hello.  My ex-husband had sleep apnea and he had to do a surgery to fix it.  He stopped snoring and felt a lot better.  Sleep apnea is common but still very serious.  I hope he gets help soon.

[monotreme]

I would love for the CPAP to bring back Craig's memory and ability to function better at work.  One day he actually fell asleep at a meeting when they turned down the lights for some kind of presentation.   And I know he is giving lots of people blank looks when they remind him of a meeting at work, that he organized!!!!

My main worry is that he does not snore,  I think the MS is relaxing some of the neck and chest muscles.  The sleep doctors said it may be related to the MS, but they are not sure.  Let's just also say that I think the doctors felt it would be best to take the "not sure" approach when they saw the expression on Craig's face.  

Pastor Dan..thanks for the website.

Elaine

Elaine

[PastorDan]

By the way, I'll just guess there's a forum for Sleep Apnea here on MedHelp, but before I found this place, I found a lot of information at www.cpaptalk.com .

Best wishes.

[biowham]

Elaine, imagine if this would help some issues for him. That would be so great. I know a couple of people who use it...it took a little getting used to, but they're just new people now.

Bio

[Lulu54]

Elaine,
That is some serious oxygen deprivation for Craig if his saturation is dropping to 76%. Oxygen shortage affects everything - lungs, heart, brain, muscles, organs.

Here's hoping you are both pleasantly surprised by the improvement the CPAP breathing machine brings to him.  

Breathe easier,
Lulu

[PastorDan]

I've been on CPAP for about 8 months, and it has been super, for me.  Bandit thinks I look a little strange when he comes to wake me up in the morning, but I sleep way better than before.

[ChunkyMonkeysMommy]

I read that it can also cause high blood pressure. My hubby has the same problem and I have been on him about seeing the doctor for it. He snores like a mad man, too! GEEZ! He has EXTREMELY high blood pressure. He chooses to ignore it, saying there's nothing they can do for it anyway. Let me know what you find out. I'm interested to see what they can do. Good luck to you! :)