newly diagnosed

[Clementine]

Hi all --
I looked briefly for a newcomers' thread and didn't see one. Let me know if I missed it and should move this post.

I'm newly diagnosed with sleep apnea. They told me I wake an average of 30 times an hour. !!!
I sleep in a recliner; upright sleeping seems to work a little better for me.

I went to the sleep clinic for the night of mask-fitting and I flunked.

I went to the dentist and was told of the cost of a mouth appliance --- well over $2,000 and insurance will not cover it.

Now, I'm trying to lose weight.

I'm wondering if anyone has tried the weight loss option, and did it help with the apnea?

[PaulaO2]

Welcome to the forum!

As for weight loss, it works for only a few. It depends on where the weight is and any other factors. Here's this thread:
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...ry-for-OSA

It specifically address lap-band surgery but still about weight loss.

An AHI of 30 is at the top end of "moderate". As if stopping breathing every 2 minutes is "moderate".

Some places for you to check out to further educate yourself:
Acronyms: http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=Acronyms (the bottom of that page has some other references)
Machine choices: http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ne_Choices
Glossary: http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=Glossary

[STL Mark]

Did they tell you what kind of apnea you had? Obstructive, Central, or Complex. The last two are not corrected by weight loss or oral appliances. There is some thought that weight loss may reduce sleep apnea however it usually does not eliminate it. Oral appliances can also stand a chance at reducing it. As can surgery. However xPAP therapy is almost always successful if properly administered.

Possibly you should tell us more about why you didn't do well with the mask and CPAP. For some that have issues it is a matter of trying multiple sizes and types of masks that works. For others it is an anxiety issue that needs to be addressed.

[trish6hundred]

Hi Clementine,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
What Paula said.
Best of luck to you and hang in there for more responses to your post.

[Clementine]

Thank you for the responses!
I do not know what type of apnea I have --- that was not told to me. Would it be on my sleep apnea report? I need to call and get a copy of it as they did not give me anything.

Just guessing -- I think it must be obstructive. I wake myself up almost gasping for air sometimes.

I tried every mask and nosepiece they had at the clinic, and nothing worked. I think the nurse was a little p.o'd with me --- she had told me that she'd never had anyone not find a mask that worked for them. Lucky me.
At the end of the night she let me sleep a few hours unmasked and then sent me home with "see your dentist about a dental appliance."

Which I did --- cost is somewhat prohibitive. And just from the looks of the appliance, OMGosh. I don't think I could have that thing in my mouth.

I probably am claustrophobic. I've had problems in the past with anesthesia and putting a mask over my face --- they hold it up off my face until I finally fall asleep.

Just to add --- I am not heavily overweight. Not obese, anyway. I do have weight to lose. I do have a lot of "tissue" in the throat area. I'm hoping that by losing 10 or 20 lbs, that I might make the apnea less of a problem.

[PollCat]

First contact the sleep center and find out what 'version' of apnea you have and obtain scripts for a machine and headgear. Then find a local DME and go try on various types of headgear/masks etc. I'm reasonably sure you'll be able to find something that you can live with. Before visiting the DME, you could also google cpap masks to see if you can identify some that look interesting - that's how I found the mask I'm currently using.

[Shastzi]

Hi Clementine,

What pollcat and Paula said.
Sounds like you are going to have to find a mask that is comfortable enough to wear all night and
de-sensitize yourself to wearing it. ie: wear it while awake until you can keep it on all day. work up to it slowly by one hour at a time and don't quit.

do the weight loss program anyway but not to help your apnea, do it for the other benefits.
The weight loss might help the apnea little but it's not a sure thing. Any positive results might arise will be too slow to help in the long run.


Get going on the CPAP/APAP as soon as possible before major health complications set in.
Its the machine we all love to hate.
Just DO IT.


Cheers!

[justMongo]

Thank you for the responses!
I do not know what type of apnea I have --- that was not told to me. Would it be on my sleep apnea report? I need to call and get a copy of it as they did not give me anything.

Just guessing -- I think it must be obstructive. I wake myself up almost gasping for air sometimes.

I tried every mask and nosepiece they had at the clinic, and nothing worked. I think the nurse was a little p.o'd with me --- she had told me that she'd never had anyone not find a mask that worked for them. Lucky me.
At the end of the night she let me sleep a few hours unmasked and then sent me home with "see your dentist about a dental appliance."

Which I did --- cost is somewhat prohibitive. And just from the looks of the appliance, OMGosh. I don't think I could have that thing in my mouth.

I probably am claustrophobic. I've had problems in the past with anesthesia and putting a mask over my face --- they hold it up off my face until I finally fall asleep.

Just to add --- I am not heavily overweight. Not obese, anyway. I do have weight to lose. I do have a lot of "tissue" in the throat area. I'm hoping that by losing 10 or 20 lbs, that I might make the apnea less of a problem.

You have a right to have a copy of the Physician's report interpreting your sleep study. Insist upon it.

As with most medicine, there is no better advocate for your care than you. Understanding that report is the key to proper treatment.

[Tez62]

Clementine, welcome, weight loss may reduce the number of apnea's you have but the only real treatment is CPAP. It is a gold standard treatment. My AHI was 30 as well (Servere) sleep apnea, I would be interested in knowing your symptoms if you wish to share. You cant sleep in a recliner the rest of your life and even though it will help because your head is upright, it is not the answer. I assume you know what other associated illness's sleep apnea can cause and weight gain is just one of them. Most people are so tired from sleep apnea they can't or don't want to exercise so they not only can't lose weight, they put it on.
Try the CPAP and see how you go, you may be pleasantly surprised espically when you see some results. We are here to help and support you.

[PaulaO2]

Ah, claustrophobia. There's another member here (or two or three) who have had a lot of problems with it.

Some of the nasal pillows have little contact with the skin, leaving your mouth able to open to relieve the "gotta breathe!" feeling.

They are also very small with many of them not having any kind of headgear but simple straps. You probably could not be able to just jump right in without doing some work first. One thing you can do is try yet more masks and figure out which one you think you can tolerate the longest. Then take it home and start wearing it. Watching television, reading, whatever. Hook it to the machine if you want to just to get used to that, too. Just keep trying it until you get comfortable enough to lay down. If you can't, then try another.

If the tech has never had anyone do this, then she's lying. It is a common problem. Since you were not able to be titrated at the sleep clinic, then tell them that's a perfect reason to let you have an autoPAP.

If you are not morbidly obese, then losing weight will not help much in terms of apnea. It can help in terms of everything else in your life, though!