info on apnea

barbyann · Mar 30, 2008

http://www.cpaptalk.com/

great forum, lots of activity, nice people

PsychNurseWannaBe, BSN, RN · Mar 30, 2008

I went through the fun of a sleep study last night. Before they turned me loose this morning i was told that i have apnea. Of course my next question was jokingly how loud did i snore, to which i was told i do not snore, i just stop breathing. Now i am NOT looking for advice, i will let the sleep doctor handle that when i talk to him on monday, what i am looking for is a good source of info on apnea without snoring. I can find snippets here and there but nothing that i have found really usefull. So i am asking for any good web sites that i can look into to better inform myself for when i do speak with the doctor. Any help is appreciated!:typing

I believe there are 2 types of apnea. Obstructive and unobstructive. Google those and see.

Penny8611 · Mar 30, 2008

http://www.cpaptalk.com/
great forum, lots of activity, nice people

Thank you so much for posting this! My husband recently got a CPAP and has been...less than compliant. :bugeyes:

blueheaven · Mar 30, 2008

I have sleep apnea. People do not always snore. Google it up and educate yourself. I will look up the sites I used and post them here. There are 2 types, obstructive (and you don't have to snore to have it!) and central. Depending on what your sleep eval shows will determine if you need to have a cpap titration study. Titration study is just like a sleep study but you wear a cpap mask and they titrate the amount of pressure needed to keep the airway open (and your O2 sats up).

Sleep apnea causes or contributes to pulmonary hypertension, hypertension, increased incidence of stroke, heart attack.

I can say that since wearing cpap I feel 100% better, my vision is clearer (because I'm not as hypoxic in the am), thought processes are better, no more AM headaches, and I don't fall asleep watching TV @ home.

Good luck and if you do need to use CPAP or one of the other modalities, keep at it!!

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Mar 30, 2008

I have CPAP and am (I hate this word) noncompliant for a number of reasons. Thanks for the link to the forum.........maybe I'll learn some tips and techniques to help me tolerate it better.:kiss

IndySkies · Mar 30, 2008

CPAP is hard. I believe that compliance is very low. What I tell pts is to bey very compliant abotu using it for a week or so and see if they feel any different,(better), during the day after that week of rigorous use.

Usually they will be less tired, more restful...and compliance is better after that

blueheaven · Mar 30, 2008

http://www.sleepapnea.org is the link to american sleep apnea association. They have a lot of information on their site. Also, if some of you are having problems with compliance...try a different mask or cannula system. Different companies equipment fit differently. Now, if they could only make them sexier LOL

I am compliant because I enjoy being awake for life and my sats were dropping to 67%...we've intubated people in my ICU for better sats!!!

donsterRN, ASN, BSN · Mar 30, 2008

Excellent links and responses everyone!

My partner suffers from sleep apnea, and the CPAP has been our savior. Truly.

Please investigate it; it's so worth it!

IVRUS, BSN, RN · Mar 31, 2008

I have CPAP and am (I hate this word) noncompliant for a number of reasons. Thanks for the link to the forum.........maybe I'll learn some tips and techniques to help me tolerate it better.:kiss

I know that a CPAP may be uncomfortable, annoying, and a whole lot of other words which we won't mention here :no:

BUT... As a grandma to 3, Please wear it, or check out NOMASK.com as an alternative to the mask. Personally, I don't know how either apparatus would feel, but I know how it feels to lose someone to this disorder.

My son had sleep apnea since he was a young toddler, but it got better with a T&A, however, at the age of twenty five, he got up at 0600, to get ready for work and fell over from a fatal arrythmia and died within 5 minutes. I was beside myself (especially being a nurse) and conducted research s/p and found out that 1 out of 8 people with untreated sleep apnea will die within 8 years. Please do something so you'll see those precious little ones graduate and get married!

DD

catnip · Apr 6, 2008

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone, i didnt get my full results until friday, typical delay:bugeyes:. The results came back as significant obstructive apnea. Thanks to the posts and the links i was able to find scores of info and i feel fully prepared to fight this head on. Again, thank you to everyone.:bowingpur

espritjolieRN · Apr 6, 2008

My husband was dx'd last year. I'd been harping at him for a couple years to have a sleep study as he had some of the signs including snoring and incredible fatigue. He mentioned it to his doc who said he didn't need it.

He was finally dx'd by a circuitous route. Went to see the doc for a lump in his breast tissue, labs were checked and his testosterone was low. Gave him increasing doses of testosterone for months, it never brought him up to normal. Was sent to an endocrinologist who took one look at him (overweight, especially around his neck) and said, "Do you snore?"

He went through a sleep study next and was dx'd. The sleep apnea was driving down his testosterone levels which then led to the breast lump. He got his CPAP, got his life back - NO MORE DEBILITATING FATIGUE - and his testosterone levels returned to normal with no supplementation.

He loved that CPAP and thanked the endocrinologist repeatedly for giving him his quality of life back. Lost 30 pounds after that and is 10 pounds away from being able to (hopefully) turn the CPAP back in. They'll retest him as soon as he hits his goal weight.