I have to get a CPAP machine....

17 years ago

Went for my test results today...I have some type of asthma...got an inhaler for that.And I have to get a CPAP machine.He said I "wake up" every minute.I never,,never get into a deep sleep. I totally wake up once an hour.I quit breathing every couple mins and my heart stops,He told me this will kill me some night,my heart won;t start back up if I don't get treatment.He told me that with the type of sleep apnea I have (narcolepsy something or other)I probably fall asleep any time I sit down,but I told him I don't.He said I think you're lying to me.I'm not lying...i don't do that.I AM very tired all the time though.He told me that in all the years of being a pulmanary DR...my two tests(breathing and sleep) are two of the worst he's seen.Said I'm a very strong person because I can still function,said I shouldn't even be functioning,working or even thinking straight,But the good news is it's treatable.And he told me if I get the by-pass done,it will all go away.Most of it's caused by my weight.I am getting more and more depressed as I go...Geesh! All I wanted was to lose weight! It's just snowballing by unbelievable proportions! He told me I'm so used to feeling bad that I really don't realize it and I will be amazed by the difference on down the line.Oh and my lung re-inflated.At least I'm out of that pain.

Maybe this is why I have 'eye-bags" ...I never sleep...

Oh well...on to my Sleep Study again on Friday night...

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Comments (10)

caflowerluver
17 years ago
I have had one of those machines for years. It took awhile to get use to, but now I can't sleep without it. I think it does help to get a good nights sleep so I am not so tired during the day.
Have fun at the Sleep Study.
Clare
Lindsey_CA
17 years ago
The second part of your sleep study (Friday night), you'll be sleeping with a CPAP. You'll feel a whole lot better Saturday morning!

My husband and I both have to use a CPAP. We've had them for a little over two years now, I guess. Like Clare just said, neither one of us can sleep without it. Hubs has sleep apnea and I have an "upper airway obstruction." We have identical machines, but with different settings (his is set to a higher flow rate than mine).

When we have to fly anywhere, the CPAP machines do not count as carry-on luggage because it's a necessary medical device. The security folks will make you take it out so they can inspect it, but it's fast and never a problem.

When I got the results of my sleep study, the doc told me that she was amazed that I could function; because she said that I never got any REM sleep. And then she said, "you're seriously sleep deprived!"
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I have sleep apnea and am using a CPAP machine. Most doctors aren't versed in sleep medicine, however, a pulminologist is. A pulminologist is trained to read sleep study data and determine the proper therapeutic levels. There are a number of variations available. The treatment depends on the specific problems causing obstruction and their location. There are three types of sleep apnea, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea, mixed sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder in which complete or partial obstruction of the airway during sleep causes loud snoring, oxyhemoglobin desaturations and frequent arousals. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by repetitive upper airway obstruction during sleep as a result of narrowing of the respiratory passages. Central sleep apnea is a sleep breathing disorder that occurs when the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate respirations. Conditions that can cause central sleep apnea include bulbar poliomyelitis, encephalitis affecting the brainstem, and neurodegenerative illnesses. A sleep test, called polysomnography is done to diagnose sleep apnea. Confirmation of the diagnosis requires making measurements while the person sleeps. There are different types of machines - some that have automatically adjustable air pressure or air pressures that are different when you breathe in than when you breathe out. There are also APAP or AutoPAP or AutoCPAP machines. These machines fine tune the amount of pressure delivered to the patient to the minimum required to maintain an unobstructed airway on a breath-by-breath basis by measuring the resistance in the patient's breathing, thereby giving the patient the precise pressure required at a given moment and avoiding the compromise of fixed pressure. There are also bBi-level pressure devices. You may or may not need humidification whether it be heated or passive. Some people need the ramp feature, others don't. Some people need to use a chin strap, others don't. There are also a variety of masks - all based on a theraputic determination. There are full face masks, nasal pillows, masks that just cover the nose, etc. The point of all of this is that there are way too many variables to monkey around and guess at what "might" work. CPAP therapy involves more than just strapping on a mask and experimenting. Different types of sleep apnea require a different course of treatment and the only definitive way to determine what one needs is to have a sleep study. Randomly guessing or experimenting and getting it wrong can be just as deadly as not using CPAP once it has been properly diagnosed. A diabetic would no sooner experiment with how much insulin they need by "trial & error." CPAP therapy should be viewed the same.
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They can turn you down if you are going from group coverage to private coverage. We had the same thing happen to us with my DH and his kidney stones. We had group coverage. When my DH left the job we had to get private insurance. They did not cover his stones at all, nor the medication for them. We have group coverage again now, but anything that we were treated for in the last 12 months will not be covered. It is considered a pre-existing condition. If he can go 12 months with NO treatment they will cover. The good news is that they will cover his meds now. That alone is saving us close to $100. I am so sorry you are having to deal with this Clare. Prayers will continue that he finds something else quick and you will be taken care of. Trish
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patti43
17 years ago
DH has had a CPAP for 15 years. It took him a while to get used to it. He'd yank it off in his sleep and for a while refused to use it. He finally gave it another go and now he can't even take a nap without using it. He sleeps so much better and I don't have to worry when he stops breathing. That's pretty scary for your bedmate! Also, it's quiet now--he used to sound like a freight train!!

You will feel so much better once you get some sleep, CR.
sandy_in_ia
17 years ago
I am very happy to hear that your lung reinflated on its own!!! That needle is NOT fun, but I didn't want to say that last time! LOL Hopefully you will not have any more problems with that.

I have used a CPAP for about 7 years now. I LOVE it! Dean calls me Darth Vader! LOL But he was the one that told me how many times I would stop breathing while I was sleeping. I will take you a couple of nights to get used to it, but it will make you feel soooo much better!
tami_ohio
17 years ago
I am happy to hear your news. It's one step closer to your goal. Yes, I believe you will get your bypass done. You may not even be realizing that you are falling asleep when you sit down. Dh's mother had narcalepsy. She would fall asleep mid sentance and wake up several minutes later and finish the sentance as if she had never fallen asleep, and carry on the conversation. The really scary part is that it could even happen when she was driving, tho I don't think it ever did, at least not that I ever heard about.

Now, if DH would just go for a sleep study! I keep telling him he quits breathing. I am getting tired just because I keep listening for him and waking him up.

Tami
LorifromUtah
17 years ago
'It's treatable'
Now THERE'S good news.

A CPAP will make you feel much much better Chubs.
I'm sorry you need one though.
Sucks to get old, don't it?

I think about you a lot and wonder how things are.
My emails to you get bounced back.
I think I have a bad address.
When you get a sec, email me through my KT page.
'Kay?

Lori
OklaMoni
17 years ago
CB, my husband has one, and uses it. Lets him sleep so much better! No more jerking cause he can't breathe.

Moni
Vickey__MN
17 years ago
My DH got one about 3 years or so ago. After he got use to it he wondered why he didn't listen to me years ago and get tested. He feels so much better. he can tell when he doesn't use it. You may feel silly at first, but when you get use to it, it's not anything to feel bad about.

Vickey-MN (and yes I use one too)
janie_ga
17 years ago
My dad had the sleep test and half way through it, the MD woke him up and handed him a C-PAP mask. The MD said his medical liability insurance would not allow him to continue the sleep test! He sent my dad home with a machine and told him not to worry about being approved by the insurance company. My dad is now on his second or third machine and sleeps MUCH better- so does my mom, usually the spouse diagnoses the problem for the patient.

Glad you are giving it a try- there are 6 members of my family who have had to sue them. I figure I got a few years but have resolved myself that it will probably happen.

Janie
barb_from_pa
17 years ago
I'm a CPAPer too

I have to get a CPAP machine....

Comments (10)

caflowerluver

Lindsey_CA

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