Hello Guest, Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.

or Create an Account


New Posts   Today's Posts

Need help - can't sleep on back
#1
Need help - can't sleep on back
Hi im new here.I believe I have sleep apnea but I have been to three sleep studies so far and I couldn't go to sleep. The problem is I cant sleep on my back.When I lay on my back and try to sleep I will stop breathing.I told the technition at the sleep study this and they told me that I had to try.I went to the doctor two weeks ago because I woke up in the middle of the night with a pounding headache that wouldn't go away.He believes im having migraine headaches.I think its because of sleep apnea.I bought a used cpap machine but im scared to use it because I don't know what pressure I should be at.But I also don't want to have a heart attack or stroke because of the sleep apnea that isn't being treated.
Post Reply Post Reply
#2
RE: Need help
(05-01-2013, 01:09 PM)djward123 Wrote: Hi im new here.I believe I have sleep apnea but I have been to three sleep studies so far and I couldn't go to sleep. The problem is I cant sleep on my back.When I lay on my back and try to sleep I will stop breathing.I told the technition at the sleep study this and they told me that I had to try.I went to the doctor two weeks ago because I woke up in the middle of the night with a pounding headache that wouldn't go away.He believes im having migraine headaches.I think its because of sleep apnea.I bought a used cpap machine but im scared to use it because I don't know what pressure I should be at.But I also don't want to have a heart attack or stroke because of the sleep apnea that isn't being treated.

You need to give more information. What kind of equipment. Is your doctor a sleep specialist?

Muddpa
Post Reply Post Reply
#3
RE: Need help
Hi djward123,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I'm sorry that you had problems at your sleep studies.
It's odd that they told you that you only had to sleep on your back, at my sleep studies, the techs there discouraged me from sleeping on my back.
Exactly what kind of machine do you have?
Hang in there for more suggestions and best of luck to you
trish6hundred
Post Reply Post Reply
#4
RE: Need help
The doctors that ordered the sleep studies were not sleep specialists.
My machine is a Goodknight 318
Post Reply Post Reply
#5
RE: Need help
Tom did a sleep study, and they did not make him sleep on his back. That's bizarre. Is the doctor doing the study board certified? Also, many times there are multiple problems preventing you from sleeping, so you may need help with migranes (if you have them) along with help for your apnea. However, as you said, treating your apnea might also cure your other problems. We are hoping that treating Tom's Cheynne-Stokes, helps his other health problems with the heart, high blood pressure, frequent urination, etc.

About the pressure of your CPAP machine, I would definitely call your doctor's office or even take the machine into your doctor's office for them to set. I think the DME should have preprogrammed your machine according to your prescription. Maybe give the DME a call and ask them to program your machine.

Best of luck.
Ginny
Post Reply Post Reply
#6
RE: Need help
(05-01-2013, 01:09 PM)djward123 Wrote: I have been to three sleep studies so far and I couldn't go to sleep. The problem is I cant sleep on my back.When I lay on my back and try to sleep I will stop breathing. I told the technition at the sleep study this and they told me that I had to try.

Hi djward123, welcome to the forum!

It is normal for the sleep tech to try to get us to sleep in the supine position (flat on back) because that usually makes obstructive sleep apneas worse, and they don't want to miss it if you really have it. The standard recommendation is that some time must or should be spent sleeping on your back. In you case, I suspect the tech should've waived the requirement.

I suggest you look for (ask for) a "home titration" which I think works something like this: a tech sets you up with an Automatic self-titrating PAP machine (APAP machine such as the ResMed AutoSet) to use at your home for a week or longer, and the health care provider looks at your data and sends a report to the doctor. If you have insurance I think you should be able to get it covered, since it is usually cheaper than an overnight sleep study.


(05-01-2013, 01:09 PM)djward123 Wrote: I went to the doctor two weeks ago because I woke up in the middle of the night with a pounding headache that wouldn't go away.He believes im having migraine headaches.I think its because of sleep apnea.I bought a used cpap machine but im scared to use it because I don't know what pressure I should be at.But I also don't want to have a heart attack or stroke because of the sleep apnea that isn't being treated.

(05-01-2013, 01:32 PM)djward123 Wrote: My machine is a Goodknight 318

I think you should not be self-treating unless you have a fully data-capable APAP machine such as the ResMed S9 AutoSet or Philips Respironics System One equivalent and will be using software (ResScan for ResMed machines and SleepyHead for a few other machines) to look at the data. Used machines are available from Supplier #2 and others on the Supplier List. Supplier #2 has a Respiratory Therapist on staff who may be able to help you. (A link to Supplier List is located at top of most Apnea Board pages).

However, for your future reference in case you keep the Goodknight 318 as a back-up machine or sell it, the information below was copied from another forum. You might want to print out the instructions and tape it to the bottom of the machine.

Take care,
--- Vaughn



How do I change the air pressure on a GoodKnight 318?
by ... on Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:35 pm

Does anyone have instructions on how to hage the air pressure setting on a GoodKnight 318?


Re: How do I change the air pressure on a GoodKnight 318?
by ... on Sat Jun 30, 2012 7:48 pm

At the back of the machine, there is a little screw, next to the 3-dip switches. Use a small screwdrivers to rotate it, counter clockwise to increase the pressure, the opposite direction to reduce it.
The Advisory Member group provides advice and suggestions to Apnea Board administrators and staff on matters concerning Apnea Board operation and administrative policies.  Membership in the Advisory Member group should not be understood as in any way implying medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
Post Reply Post Reply
#7
RE: Need help
YOU SAID:

"When I lay on my back and try to sleep I will stop breathing."

THAT SEEMS SERIOUS: I said I have trouble sleeping on my back and it was suggested I might have orthopnea, this can be serious problem and you need to talk with a doctor:

Here is one post:

"Rich,

Janknitz mentioned "Orthopnea." Is this what you are referring to above as "Don't think it would have been missed?" It simply means breathing trouble while lying flat which gets better when you raise your head with pillows or a recliner, etc. There are many causes, but the vast majority of them are related to the heart -- chf, cardiomyopathy, pericardial effusion, etc. and also problems with the lungs - pleural effusions, pulmonary edema (what you can get with left sided heart failure), and fluid overload. (There are other causes as well.) If you had CABG or valve replacement surgery recently, and your problems breathing while lying flat started AFTER your surgery, which is what it appears you are saying, you absolutely should call your cardiologist right away and let him or her know you are having this problem as it likely represents a post-op complication of your surgery. Also, having heart surgery can certainly change your pressure needs on XPAP, so once you get squared away, it may be time for another titration. I am not an expert on OSA by any means, but I worked as a cardiac nurse for well over a decade. Call your cardiologist is my best advice to you.

Blessings,

Kate "


There are home test systems, they only cover part of the full testing done at a sleep study, mainly the home test can watch your shoring, monitor you chest for breathing, monitor you pulse and O2 sats.

I did one from a Dentist for free, and it showed enough to get me to go for a full sleep study.

I believe Supplier #2 can rent you a home study kit.

I do feel after all of this I might have done as well to skip my second sleep study and just got on my machine.

With sleepyhead I have been tracking my sleep daily.

BUT I also found out my Doctor was right, once I got use to the machine I ended up resetting to my Doctors settings before I really started getting good results.

Rich
Post Reply Post Reply
#8
RE: Need help
If you can swing it, try sleeping with a data logging pulse oximeter.
That will be like a wristwatch you can wear at night. A Contac CMS50-F for example.
Every morning you load the data collected into a free program and you can print out the graphs
and hand those to the docs. It will SHOW if you are having any major issues while you sleep, (since we suspect already)

Good luck!
"With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable." - Thomas Foxwell Buxton

Cool
Post Reply Post Reply
#9
RE: Need help - can't sleep on back
When i did my sleep study they wanted me to sleep on my back and i did. They said if you really wanna fail a sleep study sleep on your back. After first 2 hrs they decided cpap time...

1st hour i quit breathing 55 times.

In Rem i quit 160 times in that 2nd hr..

My pressure is set at 15....
Post Reply Post Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
Question I'm back, tired, and hopeless. But is Bilevel the answer ?? weuw 83 4,975 03-23-2024, 08:16 AM
Last Post: Sleeprider
  [Treatment] Request for Sleep Data review compared to Sleep Study thesingingchef 2 165 03-14-2024, 05:14 PM
Last Post: thesingingchef
  adding sleep report (Wondering whether changing sleep position can "cure" apnea) NewlyDiagnosed 1 208 02-26-2024, 10:19 PM
Last Post: BoxcarPete
  Wake and can't get back to sleep hydra 11 522 02-23-2024, 12:05 PM
Last Post: Lucid
  [Symptoms] Help my symptoms got better at first but then they came back after a month LordofthStrings 14 934 02-22-2024, 03:28 PM
Last Post: LordofthStrings
  Side sleeper vs. Back sleeper readings Bob Cali 4 402 02-21-2024, 09:54 PM
Last Post: PaulaO2
  Help figuring out why symptoms are back Jess2117 1 294 02-21-2024, 06:39 PM
Last Post: MikeR20


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

Apnea Board is an educational web site designed to empower Sleep Apnea patients.