FOR LINDA TON

Linda, I hope you get this. Your email keeps comming back. In response to your questions about astham and BIPAP Thanks for writing. DO you use any inhalers? Your symptoms sound like both Asthma and Sleep Apnea to me. If you have been prescribed any inhalers both emergency and preventitive make sure you are using them. If you don't have any, ask your doctor if he thinks they could help. I take COMBIVENT and ADVAIR daily. This help me a lot. I also sleep with my BIPAP religiously. I don't lay down that I don't put it on. Just keep using it you will get used to it and it will become your best friend. As you lose weight the shortness of breath should get better. If you have inhalers, when you get up, before getting out of bed take a puff. Sometimes as soon as I get up i need to grab my Combivent or ALBUTEROL (rescue inhaler), My symptoms are identical to yours. THough I have never been on a vent. I have had asthma for years and have had sleep apena for about many years . Oh I also take a tablet for asthma daily called SINGULAR. Having the shortness of breath is one of the main reasons I hope to have surgery. That and my out of control diabetes. OH one more thing. Do you have a nebulizer at home. If you do, set it up by your bed and use it as soon as you start feeling tight, this could save you an ER visit. Oh and yet another thing. When you start to feel short of breath. Breath in through your nose and slowly out through your mouth with your lips making small "O" (pursed). Your exhale should be longer then your inhale. This slows down the breathing a lot. Ask your doctor if there is "PULMONARY REHAB" available to you. I learned a lot going to that. Please stay in contact. Hope some of this helps if nothing else to let you know you are not alone. Hugs Vicki in Indy