sleep apnea question....

I have a question for those of you who like me have undergone the sleep study and was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I have ZERO symptoms of sleep apnea. I am not tired during the day at all, I NEVER take naps, I feel well rested when I wake up in the morning, etc. When I went back to spend the night at the hospital for the second night of the sleep study, I knew as soon as the mask was put on my face that it was going to be something that I was not going to be able to tolerate. I told them that right on the spot but they insisted that I at least give it a try. Since they had already given me a Ambien, I couldn't leave the hospital for at least 7 hours so I attempted to sleep with mask on my face. I woke up several times not being able to catch my breath due to hyperventilating. The technician had to come into the room several times that night to make sure I was OK. So I picked up my very own C-Pap machine and went into this with an open mind. I tried it for a week straight. I made it each night for an average of 20 minutes. I just can't take it. I called the sleep disorder department at the hospital and explained my situation to them. They said that they want me to continue trying to use the C-Pap, they are going to turn the air level down a little and I do mean a little. I don't think it is going to make a bit of difference at all but I will try it. Does anyone know if it will cause a problem with my insurance paying for the surgery if I am unable to use the C-Pap? Has anyone else had problems with being able to sleep using it?

Hi Tina. I was just recently diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea and am waiting to get my c-pap machine for home use. First you should know that sleep apnea is a very dangerous thing and it can kill. So you really need to try to adjust to your machine. There are differant kinds of masks you can try. Unfortunatly I am a "mouth breather" so I will have to use the full mask. I did ok with it the night I wore it all night as long as I tried putting mind over matter. Ofcourse you know its there etc but I just tried to ignore it so to speak. Wasn't easy. I do know they tried the nasal mask first and I felt paniced with it on mostly because I don't breathe alot through my nose. Then the tech asked if I primarly was a mouth breather. When I told her yes she brought me a full face mask and I handled it better. Alot of surgeons have patients bring the c-pap machines with them the day or surgery for their hosp. stay I've been told and you are expected to use it. I'm not sure I helped you much. Just wanted to let you know. Good luck!

I had the sleep study for pre-op testing...sometimes I have felt as if I have had some sleep apnea at my current weight, but never felt I had a problem at a lower weight. Of course the sleep lab called me and wanted me to rtn for another night and be fitted for mask/machine...fortunately I had enough foresight to tell them I wanted to discuss the results with my dr. first. When I went back to see Dr. Wheeler and asked him about the sleep study he said "it's nothing to be concerned about, drop 20-25 lbs and you won't have a problem". I am so glad I waited...I don't think I could stand the mask or the noise, not to mention my husband's tolerance of the thing. For some people it's the greatest thing ever, and they need/depend on it...it just wasn't for me.

Tina, If you were diagnosed with Sleep Apnea then you need to use the CPAP. I know it can be inconvenient but you will eventually become used to it. I have been using one for almost two years now and can't seem to get to sleep without it anymore. The machines have a "ramp" feature on them that will drop the pressure for a period of time while you are falling asleep. Then pressure will then gradually build back up to your prescribed pressure. After you become accustomed to it you won't even need the "ramp" feature. There are several options available for masks and everyone has their preference. I prefer the "nasal pillows." They simply sit on my upper lip and rest at the entry to my nostrils. It is called the Mirage Swift. Also, if you are a mouth breather you don't have to use a full face mask unless you want to. I am a mouth breather and use a chin-strap with my nasal pillows. It simply goes around the bottom of my chin and the straps attach together with velcro on the top of my head. Also, if you continue to have problems breathing with it on, ask your sleep center about a BiPAP machine. It looks the same as a regular CPAP but operates differently. Instead of a constant pressure on inhalation as well as exhalation it lowers when you exhale. For example, if you have a prescribed pressure of 12, it would be that when you inhale but may drop to 7 when you exhale and then back to 12 when you inhale again. They really help some people who are not able to become accustomed to the machine otherwise. Finally, although you may not have any symptoms that you can see now, you will notice a difference in your quality of sleep once you use a CPAP or BiPAP regularly. Regular use of a CPAP/BiPAP has also been shown to lower blood pressure. Good luck, Steve

Tina, My husband and I both have sleep apnea. I had all of the classic symptoms (tired all of the time, needing to take naps, unable to get to sleep easily, unable to say asleep once I got to sleep, etc.), but my husband didn't have any symptoms other than snoring and tossing and turning during the night. He always felt rested and thought he slept well. Bu he went to be tested and, sure enough, he had it. He uses an auto-pap, and I use a bi-pap. His machine adjusts to his breathing and gives him the pressure he needs as he needs it. My machine delivers one pressure when I breathe in and another when I breathe out. We also wear diferent kinds of masks. I breathe through my nose, so I use the nasal pillows. They fit very neatly in my nose and don't block my mouth or cover my face at all. My husband breathes through his mouth, so he has a full mask that covers his mouth and nose. He also has a beard, so he has a mask that covers his chin and provides a good seal around his beard. The more you use the equipment, the more used to it you will become. I didn't have any problem adjusting to mine because I was so tired and needed the help it provided. My first night using it was the best sleep I'd had in months. But my husband fought his and had trouble getting used to it. He finally (after a few weeks) adjusted to it and now sleeps very well with it. As you've already read in other posts, sleep apnea is a killer. We stop breathing while we're asleep. It's worth being uncomfortable for awhile while you get used to the equipment since it has the potential of saving your life. I hope to be able to get off my bi-pap after I lose more weight. My doctor told me that losing even 20 pounds might make a difference for me. I plan to be retested after I've lost around 40 pounds. By then, maybe I won't need to worry about apnea anymore. Good luck with it. Kathy

Tina, I have sleep apnea and have never been able to use the cpap. I went for the second sleep study and didnt even fini**** I stood it as long as I could and ask if they had enough info on it and I left. All they done to me was tell me to try and wear it. I also had to take it the day of surgery, they put it on you after your asleep, so you wont even know it. They came in and put it back on me during recovery, but I was so out of it that I didnt notice a whole lot. I v maybe wore it 20 mins in 4 months since surgery, it smoothers me to death. The only problem Iv had is that the insurance wont pay for it since I cant tolerate it. So Im gonna turn it back in. I dont think I need it anymore since Iv lost over 80 lbs so Im not really worried about it. Just try to use it some before surgery even if its a few mins a night, so that it wont keep you from having surgery. I was worried and asked a similar question pre op. But everything turned out fine and like I said Iv never really used it. So dont stress out over it. Youll be fine. Hope this helps... Good Luck...