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

Working with Sleep Apnea? Has anyone gone back to their normal routines?
#21
RE: Working with Sleep Apnea? Has anyone gone back to their normal routines?
@CHanlon that post was so inspirational to me - it shows we all have different worrying symptoms and that the change with CPAP therapy is life changing across a broad range of people with worrying symptoms because of their airways collapsing at night and the lack of O2 to our vital organs.
Post Reply Post Reply
#22
RE: Working with Sleep Apnea? Has anyone gone back to their normal routines?
[quote='Stiffdoc' pid='140537' dateline='1448591628']
Your husband will be fine, once his treatment starts and his sleep deprivation gets under control. I am a doctor, have has sleep apnea for 29 years, and used a CPAP for 10 years. I held the highest level in State government for my specialty for 18+ years, have travelled the world with my machine, and the apnea never interfered with my work as long as I used my machine faithfully.

My only caution is NOT the apnea; it's regarding the overall stress of a high pressure job. Adequate sleep is vital, but so is blood pressure control, and general care for his health. It is true that stress DOES kill; addressing the apnea is one part of overall health. When I decided to retire recently, a massive amount of chronic stress left my shoulders, and it probably extended my life. Be mindful of both of your lives, and the unintended consequences of an "important" job.

Good luck, and don't worry. You're both on the right path.


I would add stress and anxiety can be caused or exacerbated by sleep apnea as it can put you in more or less constant flight of fight mode do to constant jolts of adrenalin your body provides to keep you alive.

[Image: XrgA2v1.jpg]

I use my PAP machine nightly and I feel great!
Updated: Philips Respironics System One (60 Series)
RemStar BiPAP Auto with Bi-FlexModel 760P -
Rise Time x3 Fixed Bi-Level EPAP 9.0 IPAP 11.5 (cmH2O)
Post Reply Post Reply
#23
RE: Working with Sleep Apnea? Has anyone gone back to their normal routines?
You will experience a couple of postives if not more, he will feel better and you will get a better sleep as you adjust.
I did not want to have a Cpap at first until vacation time in Mexico yrs back and every one was upset with my snoring.(I taped my self snoring with a voice actived sensor- not nice what I remember)
So sometimes we swallow our pride(sometimes for the good) as we change in life and age, we change physically as we get older.
Best to allWink
Post Reply Post Reply
#24
RE: Working with Sleep Apnea? Has anyone gone back to their normal routines?
HorseLady:

I'm relatively new to CPAP therapy having been diagnosed with moderate apnea (AHI of 23) in March of this year. Maybe I am just lucky but getting adjusted to the therapy was pretty much a non-event for me. I did have issues with mask leaks and a wicked sore on the bridge of my nose but through trial and error I was able to find a mask that fits my needs perfectly.

I'm a bit older than your husband (just turned 64) but share the burden of a high pressure career with many demands. So far the CPAP regimen hasn't been life changing for me but I am sleeping better and no longer burden my wife with wall rattling snoring.

Contrary to what others have posted I see no reason to not let your insurance handle the CPAP claims. If it is indeed robust your husband should get a machine and supplies that meet his needs. I mean, that's what insurance is for. If for some reason he is not satisfied, then he can elect to proceed out of pocket. I have no issues with my DME, they provided a data capable machine with heated humidifier and heated hose right off the bat. Replacement supplies are offered on a routine basis that is compliant with my insurance carriers (Aetna) published guidelines.

In any event, good luck to your husband and I'm hoping his transition to CPAP therapy is non-eventful.

Regards,

HDK
Post Reply Post Reply
#25
RE: Working with Sleep Apnea? Has anyone gone back to their normal routines?
I had untreated apnea symptoms for many years. (AHI 84 at time of sleep study.) I had a terrible time staying awake during the day. I made VERY frequent stops when driving to avoid driving while sleeping.

I have been on treatment for a little over six months. All of my symptoms are gone. I generally sleep through the night. My wife also gets much better sleep due to lack of snoring. My dog used to get up and leave the room when she noticed that I was turning over to start sleeping. She couldn't stand my snoring.

It took a month or so for the symptoms to start going away completely. I forced myself to stick with xPAP to avoid the downside.

I now even look forward to sleeping with the "breathing machine". It makes my life so much better. BTW, I am just about 65 and work a pretty intense nine hour per day job. It is almost easy now that I am treating my apnea!

Jeff
Sleep is worth the effort.
Post Reply Post Reply
#26
RE: Working with Sleep Apnea? Has anyone gone back to their normal routines?
(12-13-2015, 04:58 PM)foss Wrote: I have been on treatment for a little over six months. All of my symptoms are gone. I generally sleep through the night. My wife also gets much better sleep due to lack of snoring. My dog used to get up and leave the room when she noticed that I was turning over to start sleeping. She couldn't stand my snoring.

Heh, that made me laugh, because it sounds so familiar. No word of a lie, in the first week of my treatment I had my (ex)wife, and both of my kids knock on my door to make sure I was okay - they couldn't hear me snoring. *That* was when they told me that they could usually hear me when they were downstairs watching tv...

Post Reply Post Reply
#27
RE: Working with Sleep Apnea? Has anyone gone back to their normal routines?
(11-25-2015, 10:26 PM)HorseLady Wrote: My husband was just diagnosed with sleep apnea. They are getting him setup for the sleep study in the new week or so.

I'm 54 too. In March of this year, I awoke one night with a start - my heart pounding, head aching, blood pressure through the ceiling. I had no idea what was going on.

I saw my PCP, who ordered a bunch of tests, Physical Therapy to deal with my neck pain, but really didn't have anything to say about why I wasn't sleeping. I basically didn't sleep for about 3 weeks - maybe one or two hours of lousy sleep per night.

I reached out to my friends and family and several of them suggested that it could be sleep apnea, so I mentioned that to my PCP and he set me up with an appointment for an in-home sleep diagnostic test just a few days down the line. I was amazed how many people replied to my post regarding poor sleep - and how many of them were in fact using CPAP. So while I was waking for the study, I dug in and started researching sleep apnea, CPAP, costs, forums, etc. I wanted to be prepared for my eventual meeting with the sleep Dr.

The sleep test revealed that I had severe sleep apnea - AHI of 57 in the diagnostic study, with a low O2 sat of 80%. Once I did some research on the symptoms, I realized that I'd been suffering from sleep apnea for at least 20 years - and like you mentioned, I thought the increased tiredness was just from getting older.

Over the next several months, I repeated the diagnostic study twice more, and did a total of 4 in-home trials with APAP and then BiPAP machines. Along the way, I did get to see the sleep Dr.; learned that my Obamacare health plan didn't cover DME at all, so I'd be on my own; researched various machines and software, and eventually got a written Rx for BiPAP of my choosing, mask of my choosing.

Along the way, I set about to do everything I could to improve my sleep - got a new mattress, eliminated caffeine, improved my diet, started getting more exercise - all of these helped to let me get adequate sleep while I was waiting to see the sleep Dr and get my Rx. I would highly recommend that you and your husband do the same - don't wait, but start doing everything you can even before he gets on a PAP machine,

I've now been on the machine for almost three weeks. I still haven't had that "ah ha" awakening where I feel totally refreshed having slept an entire night through, but I know it's coming, and it will come for your husband too, I'm sure.

Fortunately, you've made a great first step- you found this forum where there are lots of knowledgeable, caring and sharing people who will help you and your husband through the process. Relax, take a deep breath, and get on the path to a healthier life.
Post Reply Post Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Apnea has gotten worse recently, I have no sleep study, can I just buy a cpcp? replayablecontent 12 230 Yesterday, 12:38 PM
Last Post: replayablecontent
  Which is the most normal waveform? SingleH 9 211 03-26-2024, 12:40 PM
Last Post: G. Szabo
  New Machine and settings not working snapperzz 3 94 03-26-2024, 02:10 AM
Last Post: snapperzz
  Collars for positional sleep apnea Jimasripper 17 351 03-25-2024, 10:05 PM
Last Post: Deborah K.
  Invisalign to help sleep apnea and dental extractions as a cause of sleep apnea SingleH 10 613 03-24-2024, 07:00 PM
Last Post: stevew168
  Sleep Apnea or Something Else? RoughriderTR 6 291 03-23-2024, 04:43 PM
Last Post: ButtonNoseBarbie
  New user - is my experience normal? SleeplessGrouch 3 416 03-23-2024, 03:02 PM
Last Post: ButtonNoseBarbie


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

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