[Diagnosis] Worried partner asking for help

[yazwayne]

Hi everyone. I have just joined. My partner of 5.5 years has just been diagnosed with obstructive and central sleep apnea. He is waiting for a date for the clinic and has been told he will then have to get a cpap machiene and then go for throat surgery as his tonsils are very large and obstructing his airways. I was the one that pushed him to go to the doc as I was worried about him and finally after a year or so he has had a consultation. My problem is that since Wednesday he is petrified to go to sleep. He is worried he will stop breathing now that all this added pressure and worry is on him. He's trying to find out whether he should nap as he used to when he was tired or whether he should try go to bed for 7 or 8 hours at a time. I'm telling him to sleep when he feels he needs to. But he is so worried he is staying up till all hours with worry and fear. I know that's not good. Can anyone here give a bit of advice to him as to what to do while he is waiting for the clinic. We don't have a date yet.

[Gideon]

Welcome to the forum, you have found the right place.  The forum is full of people that have been there and done that.  They have experience working with very difficult issues with apnea.  It sounds like your partner has Complex / Mixed Apnea which is composed of both Obstructive Apnea and Central Apnea.  Many here are very familiar with this.

It is VERY likely that he has had apnea for many years, a few weeks more won't hurt anything.

Please Read the Mask Primer and New to Apnea? helpful tips to ensure success.  (see my signature)

Keys,  The Mask is very individual and must be tried on.  All faces are different.  You have a Titration study coming up, that is a good opportunity to try several masks.  Take advantage of the opportunity.  Details are in the Mask Primer.

The New to Apnea has a lot of articles in it, the New to CPAP – The Process describes what you are going through.

Any questions please post them here.


Fred

[trish6hundred]

Hi yazwayne,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I wish your partner good luck as he starts his sleep apnea journey.
Bonjour’s post has a lot of links to very informative reading that will get you started, but don’t hesitate to ask more questions.

[yazwayne]

Thanks guys. While we are waiting for his sleep clinic do ye think he should try limit his sleep or go for naps when he feels tired? So should he limit himself to a few naps of an hour or so each and then a nights sleep of 4 hours or his usual 2 hour nap daytime and then normal nighttime hours. He is worried he will cause more damage to himself if he sleeps for 8 or 9 hours a night.

[ajack]

as has been said, a few weeks won't hurt, he has had it for years.
If he has really lost the plot, he could sleep on his stomach or semi upright in a recliner with a $10 soft foam, cervical collar to stop the head falling forward.

[yazwayne]

Thanks a mill. I know it was said that a few weeks won't hurt but he is really worried and searching for definitive answers which I know can't be gotten here and will hopefully be given when we see the next doctor. Thanks again ???

[ajack]

It's all positional therapy till he gets the cpap
https://www.google.com.au/search?rlz=1C1...g-yRYCEoMg

[Gideon]

Positional therapy often helps some, even after you get your machine. On your back is typically the worst, side or stomach are better.

You want a copy of all sleep studies and prescriptions for your records. Start thinking of your Treatment after your sleep study.
To help relieve the anxiety call your DR and see if another sleep center can schedule you sooner.

Therapy targets.
Get a mask that works for you. I suggest trying the least intrusive first and then proceed to the more intrusive. This means try the nasal pillows first. They are the smallest, least intrusive "masks" of all and tend to have fewer leak problems because the area under pressure is smaller than other mask type. These fit on, not in, the nares, the holes in your nose. Next are the nasal masks, these fit over your entire nose, and finally the full face mask. The FFM covers both the mouth and the nose and is typically used for "Mouth Breathers" (there are other solutions for mouth breathing). Again, masks must be tried on, under pressure and preferably in sleeping position.

Next is your machine. First and foremost you want a machine with full data capability. This allows us to see what is happening with your treatment, down to a breath by breath basis if needed. It is not unlikely that you may need an expensive advance bilevel machine called ASV or Adaptive-Servo Ventilation because of the mixed apnea.

[Sleeprider]

Your partner may or may not need the tonsillectomy. I would suggest he try CPAP before making that decision, and this tells me your doctor is most likely an ENT who wants a piece of him. CPAP will work in most cases. If apnea is already confirmed, and insurance does not pay most of the cost, I would ask the doctor for a prescription for auto CPAP and a recommendation for self-titration. You can obtain a Philips Dreamstation Auto CPAP DSX500T11 for about $360 on places like Amazon, so considering that sleep studies can run about $1500, and a CPAP through DME channels another $1500, it might be something to consider, and it can happen this week rather than 3-4 months from now.

We will be glad to help regardless of your decision.

[Hydrangea]

Ditto what Sleeprider said about possibly skipping the tonsillectomy. I have large tonsils, and CPAP has changed my life!!!!!

The damage from sleep is cumulative. That's why several more weeks/months isn't doing much damage.

IF it was SUCH an immediate concern, the dr would have made it so he had a CPAP ASAP.

He'll be ok. Many of us here have slept for decades without knowing we had a problem.