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+--- Thread: [Diagnosis] Do I have sleep apnea? (/Thread-Diagnosis-Do-I-have-sleep-apnea)
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Do I have sleep apnea? - Black Pearl - 12-09-2017
Hi all,
I am a 42-year-old woman, 5'2", 108 lbs. I have been experiencing sleep-apnea like symptoms for the past 7 months or so like waking up in the middle of the night choking and coughing, other than that I experience no other symptoms. I don't do this every night but say 7 times a month. I recently went vegan so the incidences have dropped from 10-15 times per month to about 6-7 times. Mainly, it's me coughing in the middle of a nightmare and gasping for breath. I don't feel the need to get up, and most often I try going back to sleep. I must mention I have been suffering from insomnia for the past 4-5 years or so and I have hypothyroidism for which I take 62 mcg of levothyroxine every morning. I have been reading that hypothyroidism sometimes causes coughing and gagging at night. I am confused. I have a sleep study scheduled for January so hopefully I will get a diagnosis that will help me move forward in the right direction.
To those that have sleep apnea, how often do you experience it? Is it an everyday thing or few times a month?
Thank You.
RE: Do I have sleep apnea? - DariaVader - 12-09-2017
If there is any question, I would get a sleep study (good, I see that you are!) I'd also get a complete cardiac workup. Coughing is a reflex when the heart is out of rhythm for some types of arhythmias. Hypothyroidism is correlated with *many* symptoms including arrhythmia, apnea, and insomnia and fatigue.
sleep apneacs can be the last to know... what you "experience" and reality can be very far apart - but generally, yes - its everytime you sleep.
RE: Do I have sleep apnea? - Crimson Nape - 12-09-2017
Hi Black Pearl ! Your description sounds like it could be GERD. When this occurs, how much time has elapsed between eating and bedtime? Also, have you noted the food type consumed prior to this? You might try sleeping in an elevated position to see if this reduces the problem.
Good luck!
RE: Do I have sleep apnea? - Sleep2Snore - 12-09-2017
I see you are having a study done so you will soon know, it does not sound like apnea , but you never know, it might be just the start of it, however, as you have gone vegan you will start to loose a bit of weight, so that will also help (possibly).
There are other things can cause these affects, as mentioned above, also a big change in diet like what you have taken can have gasses and gastric re-flux thing going on. So keep this in mind also, sleep apnea can creep up very slowly, so getting a test done is best, but might not be conclusive if it is mild, so keep this in mind. Wait until you have the sleep study done.
RE: Do I have sleep apnea? - Hojo - 12-09-2017
While I never woke up coughing, but gasping yes. Try sleeping on your side if you don't already, or more inclined.
RE: Do I have sleep apnea? - ajack - 12-09-2017
sounds a bit like asthma
RE: Do I have sleep apnea? - trish6hundred - 12-09-2017
Hi Black Pearl,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Hopefully, your sleep study is schedule soon, so you can find out what's going on.
Good luck to you.
RE: Do I have sleep apnea? - HalfAsleep - 12-09-2017
I got introduced to the possibility that I have sleep apnea because I'd wake up choking, snorting, coughing, maybe 3-4 times per month..... I had a sleep study. Yes, I have apnea; I have waaaaaay more events than had ever woken me up enough for me to note, every night. I had 120 the night of my sleep study. Half of them were over 40 seconds long.
Bear in mind..... regarding the choking/coughing that wakes you up, I wouldn't count on your numerical experience to be accurate. As many on this forum will tell you, it's very easy to whip off the CPAP mask in the night, and have no memory of why/what/where/when: it's just lying magically on your pillow! So, don't trust in your sleep memory.
Plus, there may be no causal relationship whatever between going vegan and a change in your symptoms. a) you may just not know, per the paragraph above, and b) your sleep may be bothered in ways that you have no idea! You may even just be dehydrated, or inclined to sleep with your mouth open, or.......A sleep study is the only way to get to the bottom of it.
In addition to all that, it is important to pay attention to other causes or co-conditions. Several are mentioned by other posters: GERD, post nasal drip, allergy, asthma, dry mouth, what you ate for dinner, caffeine.....
Get a jumpstart on the sleep study info by trying out different ways of orienting your neck, face, and shoulders while you sleep. Organize your pillows different ways, make sure you're hydrated, make sure your head doesn't drop towards your chest, sleep in different positions.....
RE: Do I have sleep apnea? - Walla Walla - 12-09-2017
Pearl,
I don't know if you have Apnea or not. But if you do you'll get a lot of support from here at Apnea Board. We've all been through it and continue to have normal lives. I thought I never had it and thought it was heart burn at night and old age catching up to me during the day.
Well turned out I had it bad and I had it every night. Now I don't have it during the night as long as I'm using my machine to keep me from having it. Bottom line is if you end up finding out you have sleep apnea no big deal. Just treat it and enjoy the benefits of restful sleep.
RE: Do I have sleep apnea? - Sleepster - 12-09-2017
(12-09-2017, 02:50 PM)Black Pearl Wrote: I have a sleep study scheduled for January so hopefully I will get a diagnosis that will help me move forward in the right direction.
That really is the only way to find out.
Quote:To those that have sleep apnea, how often do you experience it? Is it an everyday thing or few times a month?
To be diagnosed with sleep apnea you must experience it at least five times an hour, on average. It will happen all night every night. Usually it just lifts you from a deeper sleep to a more shallow level of sleep, so you never can get down to the deep restorative levels of sleep that you need to be healthy and feel rested. Usually you have no memory of it happening, but there are cases where you do wake up gasping or with your heart beating fast.
Insomnia is one of the symptoms that you do of course notice.
They measure it by calculating the AHI. If it's 5 or more you'll be prescribed a CPAP machine, assuming there are no extenuating medical circumstances. An AHI of 5-15 is considered mild, 15-30 moderate, and above 30 severe.