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+--- Thread: [Symptoms] Sleep Study Results (/Thread-Symptoms-Sleep-Study-Results)
Sleep Study Results - GrooveHustler - 04-19-2016
I am totally new to understanding any of this. I am posting because I don't know how concerned I should be about what I have been told after a sleep study. My wife has always told me I "stop" breathing at night. I have a lot of symptoms that are typically associated with low oxygen levels - shortness of breath, fatigue, memory issues, etc. I My doctor said I should do a sleep study to see if apnea might be the root of my problems. I was called with my results which alarmed me but I don't know if I should be alarmed. I was told that I stopped breathing 267 times during an approximately seven hour sleep session. My oxygen level (which I was told drops during sleep but should remain above 92%) dropped to 65% while I was sleeping. I've been researching on the internet and now I'm concerned because that number seems dangerously low. Am I in danger of something serious happening to me?
RE: Sleep Study Results - FrankNichols - 04-19-2016
Welcome to the forum,
Anyone with Sleep Apnea has a health issue that needs to be treated seriously. Your can would be considered Your numbers amount to a AHI (Apnea index) of around 38 per hour, which would qualify as severe. You Oxygen level of 65% would also be considered severe.
The good news is that depending on the causes it is very treatable. I think the best person to talk to about this is your Sleep Doctor. Be open, ask questions and understand what they say before you leave and leave with a plan on how they are going to work with you to treat this.
Many people on this site have been in your shoes and can help answer questions for you, but I strongly suggest you find a doctor you can talk to and discuss this and feel comfortable with. There is no magic bullet, but there is very effective treatment available.
Good Luck with your therapy.
RE: Sleep Study Results - tmoody - 04-19-2016
You should be relieved that you now have a proper diagnosis and can expect to get treatment for your condition. We don't know the duration of your apneas, but the number it's enough to qualify your condition as severe. And you can expect improvement in your symptoms once you get treatment.
RE: Sleep Study Results - PoolQ - 04-19-2016
Good/bad news. Is something going to happen to you before you get the situation corrected-99% no. Is there any way you should continue without getting this treated-100% NOT A CHANCE. Your O2 is low and nothing to laugh at, but you will not drop soon. I have heard of lower numbers, but not by much.
Great news is that you have discovered it and the treatment works! I have no doubt that you will notice the difference right away.
You will be getting more information. What type of apnea central or obstructive, what was your hypopnea count. Read up on the machines available, do not get stuck with a "brick". review the different types of masks available and read user reviews, figure out what you want to try first.
Read up on insurance requirements so you don't miss something. Do not expect your doctor or the DME to automatically do what will work best for you. Sad, but usually true.
Welcome to the club
RE: Sleep Study Results - eseedhouse - 04-19-2016
(04-19-2016, 08:15 PM)GrooveHustler Wrote: Am I in danger of something serious happening to me?
Well, yes, unless you get on proper treatment pretty quick. It's a matter of probabilities, of course. Having severe sleep apnea, which is what your sleep study says, greatly magnifies the likelihood of serious health issues or sudden death. No one can say when or even if that will happen to you in particular, but the averages are against you unless you get treatment.
You are basically strangling yourself more than 50 times each hour and your oxygen levels go dangerously low. So yeah it's bad, but don't panic.
Sleep apnea CAN be treated effectively with "PAP" (positive airway pressure), which is basically a hose with a blower at the other end that raises the air pressure inside your airway by around 1 or 2 percent compared to the air outside you.
There are various type of PAP machine - CPAP (continuous PAP) Bilevel (high pressure when you breath in and lower when you breath out, APAP (Automatically adjusting PAP) and even a home version of a hospital ventilator. You need and should insist on a machine that gives you full data which you can then read on your computer so you can see how you are doing and where any problems adjusting to the therapy might lie. You can get a program from this site that works for the most commonly sold machines.
Read as much on this board as you can before you see the sleep doctor, and look through the Wiki here (Link at top of the page). Knowledge is your only real defence against ignorant doctors (they are out there) and suppliers of PAP machines.
I'll stop here by repeating that you shouldn't panic, but that you should be very concerned and take positive steps to get properly treated. Don't panic but don't waste any time.
RE: Sleep Study Results - MitchS - 04-19-2016
Welcome to the forum, GroveHustler. You have come to the right place for all things concerning sleep apnea.
Yes, untreated sleep apnea is dangerous and has some serious side effects. However, you have started the process of getting treatment for the disease and treated sleep apnea is manageable. I would try not to worry. You have gone this long without treatment so it is very likely nothing will happen before you start treatments. Fill in the details on your profile as soon as you can so people will know how to help you.
Be sure to get a copy of you sleep study and prescription. They are important for you to have, not only for your records, the details on them will help the experts on the board help you. In the meantime, dig around on the board and don't be afraid to ask questions. That is what we are here for.
RE: Sleep Study Results - trish6hundred - 04-19-2016
Hi GrooveHustler,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
The good thing is that you have started on the road towards getting better sleep by getting your sleep study done.
Just keep reading here on the board and you'll get lots of help and information.
Here is a link to guide you on which machines to get and which ones to avoid: http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=Archangle:Machine_Choices .
Hang in there for more responses to your post and much success to you as you start your sleep apnea journey.
RE: Sleep Study Results - sdb7802 - 04-19-2016
Welcome, GrooveHustler. As someone who suffered many, many years with sleep problems before my diagnosis and treatment, I know what it means to not have a safe, restful night's sleep which most people take for granted. A critical part of your life is going to change for the better. Be patient as you await the tangible benefits that cpap will provide. There may be periods of frustration and adjustment, but relief will come.
Don't hesitate to post your questions and concerns. There are many kind and knowledgeable cpap patients on this forum who welcome the chance to help you with your cpap experience. There are also a few "patients" who may respond to your posts in a snarky and insensitive manner. Most of them are probably joking and just showing off. Ignore them.
Good luck with your treatment.
Steve