Sleep Apnea - My Wake Up Call

[ajzepp]

 

I didn't really keep track but I thought it was only around 10X/hr...which I thought was a lot.

 

Hmmm....we may need a second opinion since your count was so off. Please have moo at my place no later than 8pm this Friday.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Deep REM is very effected. When you are waking up all the time you don't really get good solid REM the way you should.

 

You still dream though. At least I do.

 

As for your third question, I am proud to say I woke up with a case of morning stickness today.

 

Crap! I was hoping your answers would be the opposite for #2 and #3... That means I can have it (apnea)... Even know my wife says that I don't appear to stop breathing when I snore.

 

I always did snore though, even when I as thin as a rail... Same with high blood pressure (since a teenage believe it or not!)... One doesn't want to hear me after I drink!

[GoodBye]

Hmmm....we may need a second opinion since your count was so off. Please have moo at my place no later than 8pm this Friday.

Your snoring is what kept me from hearing your breathing. Duh....

[Booster4324]

How many did you count?

 

We need to clarify, is that with or without the pillow over his face to muffle the snoring.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Your snoring is what kept me from hearing your breathing. Duh....

 

Can that be possible? I know he said his breathing stopped on average over once a minute. Snoring and not breathing? Kinda like choking... Can't make a sound not breathing. Snoring means they are getting some air, right? What I am saying is that I knew a guy that would snore so incredibly loud and then all of a sudden it would get dead quite for what seemed like an eternity... Then the snore would come right back. It would scare the crap out of me. I was on pins and needles, I thought at any moment I would be doing CPR. I know most of the time one can't really tell if somebody is breathing during sleep, you just assume they are. When somebody goes from a high dB snore to dead quite... It sounds like trouble.

 

 

Anyway... When are they gonna come up with a built into the body AED (automatic electronic defibrillator)... How cool would that be, walking (or sleeping ) around with a "battery back up" in one's chest!

 

Somebody keels over/out, the AED kicks in, dials 911 and sends out the coords to locate you.

[stuckincincy]

As many times as I've asked, Lana has steadfastly refused to pee on me.

 

Is Annie Sprinkle still alive?

[GoodBye]

Okay, AJ, here's your diet from now on... 15 Foods that help drop pounds

 

[LeviF]

There's a special diet that works for EVERYBODY. It's called the 600 calorie/day diet.

 

I'm kidding of course...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it's actually called the anorexia diet.

[ajzepp]

Thought I would give a quick update on my progress...

 

So I ended up taking the bipap machine home last week. My machine has a "ramp up" feature where it starts out low and gradually increases the pressure until it hits the prescribed amount. Well, once I got the mask on correctly to where there were no leaks, I fired it up on night #1 and looked forward to my first restful sleep in some time. I sat there the first few mins, lying on my back, the experience being not nearly as bad as I thought. That lasted another 20 mins or so until the machine started getting close to the pressures that the MD ordered. All of a sudden it was so much air slamming into my face that the mask was literally moving around and making fart-like noises as the pockets of air seeped out the sides. While I did appreciate the nostalgia this created of the last time Lana and I were sleeping in the same bed, it wasn't really helping me get any rest. I called the respiratory therapist who calibrated the machine and told him what was up.

 

The next day the Respiratory guy said he was going to call the sleep center for me and get an order for new settings. I was somewhat hopeful but by the time Monday came around I had tried the bipap a couple more times with the same result. It was almost as if this stupid machine was making it MORE difficult to sleep than it was before. So anyway, yesterday I take my machine over to the RT guy (finally), and he says "it's now on an auto setting and it will give you what you need during the night." He told me to bring it back in a week and they would download the info off the little chip/card thing that was installed inside.

 

Well, last night I went to bed around 3am. There was football on the NFL network, my sheets were clean, and the air was nice and cool. I looked over at the evil bipap machine wondering if it would cooperate with me tonight or whether I would be in for yet another night of face farting. I put on the mask, turned onto my side, gave the dogs a little pat on the head goodnight, and...the next thing I know it's 10:00am!! Holy crap, it worked! The mask was still on, I hadn't gotten up even once during the night, and I slept continuously for over 6 hrs. I noticed I didn't have a headache....didn't feel groggy...and I didn't really have that overwhelming desire to another ten mins of sleep before getting up. I really couldn't believe it!

 

So, tonight will be night #2. Hopefully I'll have similar success because I return to work on Tuesday (after taking a few days off to get adjusted to this thing) and I can't be allowing face farts to keep me up all night anymore. If last night was any indication, those are a thing of the past.

 

Finally on the right track!

[BuffaloBill]

 

Finally on the right track!

 

 

Glad to hear that you are getting some rest. Face farts = :lol:

[ajzepp]

Glad to hear that you are getting some rest. Face farts = :lol:

 

 

Thanks! lol

[The Dean]

Thought I would give a quick update on my progress...

 

So I ended up taking the bipap machine home last week. My machine has a "ramp up" feature where it starts out low and gradually increases the pressure until it hits the prescribed amount. Well, once I got the mask on correctly to where there were no leaks, I fired it up on night #1 and looked forward to my first restful sleep in some time. I sat there the first few mins, lying on my back, the experience being not nearly as bad as I thought. That lasted another 20 mins or so until the machine started getting close to the pressures that the MD ordered. All of a sudden it was so much air slamming into my face that the mask was literally moving around and making fart-like noises as the pockets of air seeped out the sides. While I did appreciate the nostalgia this created of the last time Lana and I were sleeping in the same bed, it wasn't really helping me get any rest. I called the respiratory therapist who calibrated the machine and told him what was up.

 

The next day the Respiratory guy said he was going to call the sleep center for me and get an order for new settings. I was somewhat hopeful but by the time Monday came around I had tried the bipap a couple more times with the same result. It was almost as if this stupid machine was making it MORE difficult to sleep than it was before. So anyway, yesterday I take my machine over to the RT guy (finally), and he says "it's now on an auto setting and it will give you what you need during the night." He told me to bring it back in a week and they would download the info off the little chip/card thing that was installed inside.

 

Well, last night I went to bed around 3am. There was football on the NFL network, my sheets were clean, and the air was nice and cool. I looked over at the evil bipap machine wondering if it would cooperate with me tonight or whether I would be in for yet another night of face farting. I put on the mask, turned onto my side, gave the dogs a little pat on the head goodnight, and...the next thing I know it's 10:00am!! Holy crap, it worked! The mask was still on, I hadn't gotten up even once during the night, and I slept continuously for over 6 hrs. I noticed I didn't have a headache....didn't feel groggy...and I didn't really have that overwhelming desire to another ten mins of sleep before getting up. I really couldn't believe it!

 

So, tonight will be night #2. Hopefully I'll have similar success because I return to work on Tuesday (after taking a few days off to get adjusted to this thing) and I can't be allowing face farts to keep me up all night anymore. If last night was any indication, those are a thing of the past.

 

Finally on the right track!

 

 

Good luck. It sounds like you are on the right tract with people who give a damn, and are willing to try new settings, etc.

 

My experience (which may not be yours) is it gets better, with the occasional really bad, rip the mask off to sleep, nights, As long as the good nights outnumber the bad, and you rip the mask off fewer and fewer nights (over time) you are in good shape. Years after I got used to it, there were still the occasional nights I had to take the thing off. Don't let that discourage you.

[ajzepp]

Good luck. It sounds like you are on the right tract with people who give a damn, and are willing to try new settings, etc.

 

My experience (which may not be yours) is it gets better, with the occasional really bad, rip the mask off to sleep, nights, As long as the good nights outnumber the bad, and you rip the mask off fewer and fewer nights (over time) you are in good shape. Years after I got used to it, there were still the occasional nights I had to take the thing off. Don't let that discourage you.

 

 

I definitely understand where you're coming from, dean lol...I can't imagine ever getting so comfortable with the darth vader look that I have success every night; I can certainly see myself ripping the damn thing off quite often!

 

When I first met with the RT, he was telling me to make sure it's not too tight, but what I've found is that I'm better off having it fit pretty snugly, cause otherwise it'll shift and I'll set myself up for the face farts again. Last night I pulled the top straps tighter and it stayed put even when I was lying on my side. I think I didn't realize just how crappy I had been feeling in the morning, cause waking up feeling the way I did today was almost like a new experience for me. I tell you what the biggest pain in the ass is is having to clean the damn mask and water reservoir every damn day....small price to pay, though, I keep telling myself.

[The Dean]

I definitely understand where you're coming from, dean lol...I can't imagine ever getting so comfortable with the darth vader look that I have success every night; I can certainly see myself ripping the damn thing off quite often!

 

When I first met with the RT, he was telling me to make sure it's not too tight, but what I've found is that I'm better off having it fit pretty snugly, cause otherwise it'll shift and I'll set myself up for the face farts again. Last night I pulled the top straps tighter and it stayed put even when I was lying on my side. I think I didn't realize just how crappy I had been feeling in the morning, cause waking up feeling the way I did today was almost like a new experience for me. I tell you what the biggest pain in the ass is is having to clean the damn mask and water reservoir every damn day....small price to pay, though, I keep telling myself.

 

 

Face farts?

 

The two things that really made a difference for me were, CPAP (pressure relief on exhale) and a mask with nasal pillows. As you have a BiPap, you are covered with the pressure relief, I think. But if you find you lose the seal on the mask from sleeping on your side, you may want to give the nasal pillows a shot. I sleep on my side and would always knock the mask from fitting tightly. Too tight sucks, too. For me, nasal pillows was the answer.

[Booster4324]

Face farts?

 

He and Lana are back together?

[Jim in Anchorage]

OK aside from the fact that two posters on here need to get a room, the thing that stuck me about this sleep disorder is why don't I and a Billion others have it? Would not a simple surgery fix it?It sounds like a obstruction of the nasal passages. If you have it, and the dentist puts a rubber dam in your mouth for two hours can you breathe through your nose?

Edited August 29, 2010 by Jim in Anchorage

[The Dean]

OK aside from the fact that two posters on here need to get a room, the thing that stuck me about this sleep disorder is why don't I and a Billion others have it? Would not a simple surgery fix it?It sounds like a obstruction of the nasal passages. If you have it, and the dentist puts a rubber dam in your mouth for two hours can you breathe through your nose?

 

Excellent questions. Here are some brief answers:

 

http://www.healthieryou.com/sleepap.html

 

Excerpts:

It has been estimated that as many as 18 million Americans have sleep apnea. Four percent of middle-aged men and 2 percent of middle-aged women have sleep apnea...

 

Certain mechanical and structural problems in the airway cause the interruptions in breathing during sleep. In some people, apnea occurs when the throat muscles and tongue relax during sleep and partially block the opening of the airway. When the muscles of the soft palate at the base of the tongue and the uvula (the small fleshy tissue hanging from the center of the back of the throat) relax and sag, the airway becomes blocked, making breathing labored and noisy and even stopping it altogether. Sleep apnea also can occur in obese people when an excess amount of tissue in the airway causes it to be narrowed...

 

...Dental appliances that reposition the lower jaw and the tongue have been helpful to some patients with mild sleep apnea or who snore but do not have apnea. Possible side effects include damage to teeth, soft tissues, and the jaw joint. A dentist or orthodontist is often the one to fit the patient with such a device.

 

...Some patients with sleep apnea may need surgery. Although several surgical procedures are used to increase the size of the airway, none of them is completely successful or without risks. More than one procedure may need to be tried before the patient realizes any benefits.

 

Some of the more common procedures include removal of adenoids and tonsils (especially in children), nasal polyps or other growths, or other tissue in the airway and correction of structural deformities. Younger patients seem to benefit from these surgical procedures more than older patients. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a procedure used to remove excess tissue at the back of the throat (tonsils, uvula, and part of the soft palate). The success of this technique may range from 30 to 50 percent. The long-term side effects and benefits are not known, and it is difficult to predict which patients will do well with this procedure.

 

It should also be mentioned that dental appliances and surgery are expensive and rarely covered by health insurance. Typically you have to have tried a CPAP/APAP/BiPAP before they will even consider surgery.

[Jim in Anchorage]

Excellent questions. Here are some brief answers:

 

http://www.healthieryou.com/sleepap.html

 

Excerpts:

 

 

It should also be mentioned that dental appliances and surgery are expensive and rarely covered by health insurance. Typically you have to have tried a CPAP/APAP/BiPAP before they will even consider surgery.

You know,having read that,I am certain I knew two guys who had a sleeping disorder. I would marvel at their ability to fall asleep anywhere, anytime instantly. Just thought it was the way they where,but now I wonder. In fact one of them was Joe perfect lifestyle,never smoked or drank,ate all the right foods,considered running up and down a 4000 hill a light workout.

But he always had a problem with high BP and it always puzzled me.

[ajzepp]

You know,having read that,I am certain I knew two guys who had a sleeping disorder. I would marvel at their ability to fall asleep anywhere, anytime instantly. Just thought it was the way they where,but now I wonder. In fact one of them was Joe perfect lifestyle,never smoked or drank,ate all the right foods,considered running up and down a 4000 hill a light workout.

But he always had a problem with high BP and it always puzzled me.

 

With regard to the BP, there is often a cause you can point to, but many cases are idiopathic in the sense that the MD has no clue why an individual would have hypertension. Sometimes all you can do is treat the symptoms when there is no observable cause to put a finger on.

 

As for my sleep disorder, mine was most certainly related to a back injury, which led to a more limited and sedentary lifestyle, which led to weight gain, which led to a greater likelihood of obstruction when the tissues in my mouth relaxed, which led to (obstructive) sleep apnea. Chances are, when I get back down to my goal weight of 210 my symptoms will be greatly reduced, but I have a ways to go yet.

 

Face farts?

 

The two things that really made a difference for me were, CPAP (pressure relief on exhale) and a mask with nasal pillows. As you have a BiPap, you are covered with the pressure relief, I think. But if you find you lose the seal on the mask from sleeping on your side, you may want to give the nasal pillows a shot. I sleep on my side and would always knock the mask from fitting tightly. Too tight sucks, too. For me, nasal pillows was the answer.

 

 

I seem to be waking up almost in the exact same position I went to sleep in (on my side), which is something that never happened before. So far the mask seems to be staying put as long as I sort of prop the pillow appropriately, but if that changes I'm definitely going to look into the nasal pillows. One of my coworkers uses that too, and she loves it.

[The Dean]

How is everything working out?

 

I finally managed to acquire a replacement CPAP, and the last two nights have been the first two nights of decent sleep I have had in two years or so. After some initial difficulty finding a comfortable spot on the pillow, I slept through the night with no problems. I will have to look into one of those prop pillows, I guess.