Has anyone had any experience with this? Either has it or has had family members that have had it?

My wife has been telling me that I stop breathing sometimes at night...and I'm tired pretty much all day long. I never wake up refreshed in the morning, and I can tell that my concentration hasn't been up to snuff over the past couple months...all of which are symptons of sleep apnea.

Any experiences? It seems like the two big fixes for this are either using a CPAP machine at night or having surgery. I have an appointment with a sleep specialist next week, but I'm just wondering what I'm in store for if I indeed have it.

10/5/2007 11:15:47 AM

I have heard the CPAP machine is good but takes some getting used to, and you have to sleep on your back or side, and you have to remember to use it. Surgery works but is very risky. I know this is what killed Reggie White. It can get progressively worse. The doctors will know the best treatment plans.

10/5/2007 11:19:57 AM

As the girlfriend of someone who had the surgery, I HIGHLY suggest doing it. You could hear my boyfriend snoring when you were on a different level of the house before he had it fixed, and now I can actually sleep in the same bed as him.

10/5/2007 11:22:42 AM

yeah....i know it can potentially be a serious thing, which is why I'm getting checked out asap.

^apparently ive just started snoring recently, but its not bad enough to wake her up every night. im more worried about the whole not breathing thing...and being tired all the time.

[Edited on October 5, 2007 at 11:23 AM. Reason : k]

10/5/2007 11:22:46 AM

try the cpap machine

everyone i know that has tried it has had great success once they get over the initial hump of getting used to it

just know that your partner will have to get used to the noise that the machine makes when it runs

10/5/2007 11:24:33 AM

ex's dad had one of the machines mentioned and it made a huge difference for him.. def get it checked out

10/5/2007 11:25:16 AM

at first when i was researching things, i wasnt too happy with having to wear something like that at night.

but if it actually lets me get a good night's sleep, then im all for it.

10/5/2007 11:31:31 AM

I refused to use the machine so i just get stimulants during the day from my doctor to make up my shitty sleep

10/5/2007 11:53:46 AM

do you have to monitor your vitals more often?

since a lot of the problems associated with apnea, like high blood presure and cardiovascular issues, come from lack of oxygen, i wouldnt think that stimulants would help that.

what was your reasoning behind refusing the machine?

10/5/2007 11:57:28 AM

I went to a neurologist for this issue and actually went through with the surgery. I had mild sleep apnea with no snoring but i was experiencing excessive drowsiness during the day. It got so bad that i fell asleep at the wheel and totalled my car around a telephone pole but slept through the accident. The cops who reported woke me up. Another danger of sleep apnea is that if you drink heavily there is a higher likelihood of dying while asleep because of a lack of oxygen intake and your brain's slower response time due to the hindering affects alcohol has on it's response time. If you have any questions about it I can try to help as I went through 2 different sleep studies and spoke with a few doctors about it as well. I do sleep much better than before and I can actually remember having dreams now which I cannot say that I really enjoyed at first. Dreams are crazy if you just start having them all of a sudden.

10/5/2007 12:22:17 PM

thanks for the info. i rarely dream anymore (atleast that i can remember).

which type of surgery did you have?

10/5/2007 12:32:16 PM

One of the main causes of sleep apnea is being overweight.
If you're overweight, lose some weight first. If that doesn't work, time to see professional help.

10/5/2007 12:39:02 PM

im not overweight, but i agree....that would be a top priority if i was.

10/5/2007 12:39:58 PM

Note that I'm not talking about "obese" -- as little as 10-15 pounds can do it.

10/5/2007 12:46:47 PM

agreed...im in good shape though. i work out quite a bit and eat healthy. i was overweight back in school, but then i lost 50 lbs. my only real vice is alcohol, which i know can can complicate things so im cutting down on it.



i appreciate the advice, but im not really looking for any. ive done plenty of research and understand the potential causes and results. im more looking for experiences and how things have changed in people's lives because of it.



[Edited on October 5, 2007 at 12:53 PM. Reason : d]

[Edited on October 5, 2007 at 12:54 PM. Reason : d]

10/5/2007 12:49:35 PM

ah ha- this reminds me

my pops back home did an overnight sleep apnea test like 2 days ago. i'll call him up this evening and report back any info.

10/5/2007 12:54:54 PM

My dad has it. He had surgery to remove both his uvula and tonsils. That helped with the snoring, but not much else. The main cause is that he is overweight, but like you said, that's not an issue for you. The last study he did, he stopped breathing somewhere close to 100 times in one hour. He's now on the cpap machine, and it does help quite a bit once you get used to it.

If you do get the machine, the biggest problem is getting used to the facemask. It can be uncomfortable at first, so start wearing it an hour or two a day while you're awake. After seeing sleep apnea's effects on a family member for close to 20 years, I really suggest you do anything and everything you can to get rid of it.

10/5/2007 1:08:27 PM

^sober46an3 I had my throat opening enlarged, my uvula cut off, and my tonsils removed. As for experiences the surgery was alright i just couldnt do the whole wearing a mask while i was sleeping. As for the overweight thing i am a little over 5'10 and weigh 135 so it had nothing to do with weight for me either.

10/5/2007 1:09:02 PM

did your voice change at all? i like my voice.

10/5/2007 1:20:09 PM

how long does your wife say you stop breathing? i snore a shitload, but my gf says i don't stop breathing. i get tired during the day sometimes, but i think that's more because i stay up late and get up early.

10/5/2007 1:50:01 PM

smath u can get your first sleep study paid for by your insurance in most cases if u just go to a doctor first and get referred to one. as for my voice i sounded like a gay retard for a week or so.

10/5/2007 2:11:21 PM

Quote :

"how long does your wife say you stop breathing? i snore a shitload, but my gf says i don't stop breathing. i get tired during the day sometimes, but i think that's more because i stay up late and get up early."

maybe 5-10 seconds or so. she says ill be in mid-breath (sometimes mid-snore) and then ill just stop. then after 5-10 seconds or so ill start breathing again and kind of catch my breath.

i initially thought i wasnt getting enough sleep either....but no matter if i get 5-6 hours, or 8-10 hours, i feel the same way in the morning/next day.

10/5/2007 2:48:02 PM

yeah man check out the sleep study then go from there with your doctor he will help u figure out which option is best for you. the machine has more success than the surgery and is easier to adjust.

10/5/2007 2:48:55 PM

I have sleep apnea and use the CPAP. Once I got used to it, it has been awesome for me and strangely I actually like sleeping with the mask on.

It made a huge difference in my sleep. Before the CPAP I had serious problems getting up in the morning and was fatigued all day no matter how much sleep I got the night before. I also missed appointments and classes because I could not wake up. When using the machine I usually wake up in the morning even before the alarm clock goes off and I feel much better during the day.

[Edited on October 5, 2007 at 3:23 PM. Reason : +]

10/5/2007 3:22:33 PM

i have a CPAP and my only regret is not getting it sooner. I ended up with sleep apnea after 3 concussions. i was tired all day, sick all of the time and then started waking up feeling like i was going to pass out. they monitored my O2 levels one night and noticed they were low and then had me do a sleep study. i am now working 60 hours a week and active all of the time with no problems.

i sleep better with my mask on. my body knows when it goes on it is time to sleep. i am out in under 1 minute. i do not toss and turn when i sleep either, i fall asleep in one spot and wake up in the same one. i have not done the surgery because of all of the potential negatives. the mask takes a week to get used to and then you will want it for even 15 minute naps.

10/5/2007 8:24:11 PM

if ur a big guy. u prob will experience it.

my roomate used to wake up choking all the time from it. i told him to get checked out. enver did

10/5/2007 8:28:23 PM

I have a freind with a cpap. The difference in him before and after is night and day. He is losing weight, happy, energetic, adn funny. Before he was dealing with some serious depression, and always tired. He said the first day post cpap, was like he had "woken up" after years and years.

10/5/2007 8:41:47 PM

yeah the treatments are where its at either way. i didnt hear of many negatives from the surgery i had other than it might not work. i kinda liked having an excuse to eat jello 3 meals a day.

10/5/2007 10:29:07 PM

I too have had the surgery. Best decision I made. To be honest I'm not sure if the surgery itself fixed the issue or the 60lbs I lost as a result of the surgery. I couldn't eat much of anything for the first 10 days which made me drop 15 lbs immediately.

BUT, I've heard horror stories about the surgery. Anyone considering it should definately read up.

10/6/2007 1:23:01 AM

i've been told since i was like 5 years old that i snore like a motherfucker and i also have problems sleeping sometimes and feeling like shit during the day...i sleep on my stomach...i think i have sleep apnea

10/6/2007 9:27:07 AM

quit being fat

[Edited on October 6, 2007 at 10:17 AM. Reason : .]

10/6/2007 10:16:42 AM

I am on CPAP as well. It really did change my life.

I kept injuring myself because I would fall asleep standing up and fall down. Banged my head in the shower a few times doing that.

I would fall asleep driving and run off the road, i would sleep at work for hours on end, it was really bad.

My life is totally different now. I have energy, and i actually want to do things.

10/6/2007 11:59:25 AM

damn, maybe this is my problem

10/6/2007 12:48:39 PM

Quote :

"i sleep better with my mask on. my body knows when it goes on it is time to sleep. i am out in under 1 minute. i do not toss and turn when i sleep either, i fall asleep in one spot and wake up in the same one. i have not done the surgery because of all of the potential negatives. the mask takes a week to get used to and then you will want it for even 15 minute naps."

I agree completely. There is no insomnia, as soon as I put the mask on I am out. It is rare that I lay awake more than 2-3 minutes.

10/6/2007 2:03:46 PM

sleep apnea scares me

10/6/2007 2:42:57 PM

did anyone else read that as the CRAP machine?

10/6/2007 2:49:31 PM

^ haha, vans we have at the drug store have CPAP on them, but I always read it as CRAP

10/6/2007 3:38:46 PM

my dad and grandpa use a CPAP machine. No big deal, although the dogs are worried by the mask to start with and growled at my dad like he was a intruder or something. I do think it has helped my grandpa quite a bit. My dad just sleeps in a chair which seems to help him. Both are overweight.

My mom used to wake up and find my dad not breathing, she'd just poke him and go back to sleep. I think this CPAP machine is a very good invention. Hope I don't need one anytime soon.

10/6/2007 10:49:36 PM

i have no idea if i have any kind of sleep apnea but sometimes when im lying in bed before i go to sleep i'll kind of stop breathing and have to make myself start back up...no idea what i do when im sleeping

10/6/2007 11:02:26 PM

My dad snores really bad. I don't know if he has sleep apnea or not. But I can hear him snoring all the way in my room upstairs and my parents room is downstairs. I don't see how my mom can stand it.

10/7/2007 9:59:35 PM

what exactly does a crap machine do? like pump in oxygen so you keep breathing or something?

10/7/2007 10:08:20 PM

GOOGLE

10/7/2007 10:11:14 PM

Quote :

"did anyone else read that as the CRAP machine?"

yes

10/7/2007 10:17:23 PM

Quote :

"what exactly does a crap machine do? like pump in oxygen so you keep breathing or something?"

cpap = constant positive airway pressure

used in people who have some sort of COPD usually

it forces air down your throat to keep positive pressure in your airway so it doesn't collapse, or, in the case of sleep apnea, doesn't get blocked by your epiglottis/various other structures.

10/8/2007 2:00:23 AM

the blockage i had was my jaw would slide back in my sleep as my muscles relaxed and would block off the airway. I kind of want to do another sleep study to see if i still have problems with sleeping.

10/8/2007 2:41:08 AM

is it mainly men who have sleep apnea? I've never heard of a girl having it.

10/8/2007 9:36:31 AM

from what ive read, its mainly seen in overweight older men, but it is not uncommon in women, children, and non-overweight individuals.

10/8/2007 9:37:58 AM

do you always have to stop breathing to have sleep apnea? my gf says that i don't stop breathing, but i do snore a lot, and i have all of the 'risks' for having it.

10/8/2007 9:51:43 AM

i believe so. apnea literally means "without breath".

just because you snore a lot doesnt mean you have sleep apnea. it just so happens that a large number of people who have sleep apnea also snore.

you could a different sleep condition though....im not very well versed in them all.

[Edited on October 8, 2007 at 10:02 AM. Reason : d]

10/8/2007 9:55:16 AM

well i think i'm going to get checked anyway. maybe i do stop breathing but she just can't tell.

10/8/2007 10:09:39 AM