Sleep Apnea - CPAP users

Arg

How did some of you get diagnosed with this in the first place if you don't mind me asking?

gettingready

Took me 5 years to get a diagnosis as various GP's were trying to tell me I MUST be depressed:

always tired
always sleepy
lack of concentration
lack of memory
ready to fall asleep anytime anywhere (especially meetings/on train etc when not directly involved in anything)
not sleeping well

I was never depressed...this was undiagnosed for 5 years...finally ENT doctor suspected Sleep Apnea from my symptoms and referred me to my first sleep clinic. They gave me a little thing to keep on my finger overnight for 2 nights to measure oxygen levels while I asleep and my reading were diabolically high (iea the apneas during my "sleep" and my oxygen levels dead low) - the consultant there could not believe I funcion at all never mind hold a full time job....

It went from there....

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

savemoney wrote: »

I got my cpap machine on Monday as mo evaluating it. Monday night took if off by 4am couldn't stand it on. Tuesday faired better until around 6am when I got congested and couldn't breathe well through my nose and its difficult through your mouth when using cpap as you get back draft

I have sleep apnoea mild 8 times an hour based on a nights sleep. I am sure though that some of the problem is my sinuses I often get headaches and congested especially at night. Tried off shelve stuff, sprays, olba oil etc and I get stuff on prescription but it doesn't work. I sometimes get pain top of my nose I keep telling doctors but nothing is helping. I have had this years now. Even had a scan on my head but that was for tinnitus asked them to see if any problems in my nose, but they couldn't find anything

My blood pressure has also gone up in recent times

One of the things I did was to investigate saline neti pots. The ENT had no objection, so I did, following the safety instructions carefully.

An acquired skill, but surprisingly effective after a few days.

Obviously isn't a treatment for BP, though.

savemoney

Its taken me what seems donkeys years at least 10 years I kept complaining of sleep problems and issues with my nose ever since I had a Op in mid 80's although I only had sleep problems early 2000/02

Luckily a GP (locum) said it could be this after taken various antibiotics I was referred to a specialist unit in another city.

gettingready I get back to you on what cpap machine I have later. I had about 4 hours tops with the cpap machine last night

Arg wrote: »

How did some of you get diagnosed with this in the first place if you don't mind me asking?

Violetta_2

Arg wrote: »

How did some of you get diagnosed with this in the first place if you don't mind me asking?

By accident, I had been complaining to Dr's for years -they said everyone's tired, spent a few week's in hospital for unrelated stuff, nurses kept waking me to see if I was ok as my oxygen stat thingy kept going off, they thought it must be playing up, not that my levels were actually dropping, was at a follow up appointment & mentioned this and a few other things & it was finally picked up- I stopped breathing 113 times an hour & the chart stopped measuring how low my oxygen levels got at 70%. Dr's & sleep clinics usually start with a questionnaire called the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Try it & see how you get on, if you suspect you do have sleep apnoea don't let your GP fob you off like mines did for years.

gettingready

Well, seen a technician today and was given a nose only mask to try on - will see.

Got 3 (THREE) full face masks and every single one of them is leaking air within less than an hour - that prevents me sleeping at all.

Will see how I get on with the nose only one - although, as I am a mouth/nose breather... do not have much hope.. sigh

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

In my case, I was referred to ENT with recurrent tonsillitis as an adult.

During that, I said I snored very badly and they did a rubbish pulse oximetry test borrowed from the emphysema clinic which showed nothing, they then basically told me it was all in my head.

I saw a locum from the nearest large teaching hospital for that results appointment. My boyfriend came with me that time, as he had an appointment the same day with a different department. The locum started off telling me that, according to the notes, there was nothing wrong, and as tonsils weren't that important to the NHS, I'd be fine.

He spoke up and did a very clear impersonation of what I sounded like at night.


That locum arranged a referral to the teaching hospital within a fortnight, where their proper machines recorded OSA.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

gettingready wrote: »

Well, seen a technician today and was given a nose only mask to try on - will see.

Got 3 (THREE) full face masks and every single one of them is leaking air within less than an hour - that prevents me sleeping at all.

Will see how I get on with the nose only one - although, as I am a mouth/nose breather... do not have much hope.. sigh

They're more comfortable. I used the full face masks until they suggested trying it despite breathing through my mouth.

After the first few moments of getting a bit panicky - I was used to breathing through my mouth and to keep it closed was alien to me - I would lay there just breathing quietly for short periods. Soon enough, I fell asleep and, although I would initially still open my mouth as I slept, I decreased the number of times and didn't need a chinstrap within a week.

gettingready

Keeping MY mouth closed is alien to me too

On a serious note though - the air leaks always start by the eyes and the nose mask is the same near eyes as the full face mask - if you know what I mean, covers the same area there so..

Off to bed now, will report tomorrow

savemoney

The cpap machine I have is made by Resmed. I look like this not sure of model

http://www.resmed.com/uk/products/s9_escape/s9-escape.html?nc=patients

Mask is full face Quattro fx

http://www.resmed.com/uk/products/quattro_fx/quattro-fx.html?nc=patients

I haven't had any leaks but I dont like the full face mask. Had machine since Monday and only used it around 5 hours for Mon, Tues, Wed night. I might have to get just a nose mask again