Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!

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thunderbrick

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Re: Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!
« Reply #20 on: 8 Jan 2018, 02:51 am »
That is what I have heard from ever single person BEFORE they lost their weight. You don't understand, I have tried everything, all of the other people that have lost weight are different than me blah, blah, blah.

Step one is to be brutally honest with yourself but most people can't. How many calories are going in vs. how many are being burned up?

+1! 

Tubeburner

Re: Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!
« Reply #21 on: 8 Jan 2018, 03:54 am »
I have had sleep apnea for 15 years. I was so bad I would fall asleep driving. My first sleep study had me on oxygen within a hour into the test and a mask. When I left the test, I felt like a million bucks. I was severely deprived of oxygen when I slept. I no longer feel tired and I can't sleep without the Cpap machine. With the added energy, it is easier to loose weight. I use a nasal mask that is less cumbersome. Realize, some people die from sleep apnea, usually from the stress on the heart. My brother laid down one day without his Cpap and never woke up.

konut

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Re: Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!
« Reply #22 on: 8 Jan 2018, 11:39 am »
I probably have apnea. I'd wake up with headaches. I bought this air purifier and I no longer wake up with headaches. Just throwing this out there. 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sharp-air-purifier-white/4399000.p?skuId=4399000

andolink

Re: Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!
« Reply #23 on: 8 Jan 2018, 12:18 pm »
I probably have apnea. I'd wake up with headaches. I bought this air purifier and I no longer wake up with headaches. Just throwing this out there. 

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sharp-air-purifier-white/4399000.p?skuId=4399000

If an air purifier rid you of your symptoms, then sleep apnea was not the cause of those symptoms.  Pure air does nothing to fix sleep apnea.  I know this because I am a registered sleep technologist with 17 yrs. in the field.

JLM

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Re: Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!
« Reply #24 on: 8 Jan 2018, 01:52 pm »
Have had 6 overnight studies at a sleep center over the course of 25 years (should repeat every 5 years).  31 electrodes, infrared camera, professionally monitored.  They've come a long way in evaluating the results.  I also have cardiac concerns: leaky heart valve, enlarged aorta, and slow heart rate at rest.  So having 'events' during the night is not good for me.  Also now married to a registered sleep tech with over 20 years of experience, so doomed to wear a CPAP.

Did lose 50 pounds 8 years ago when I become type 2 diabetic and went without the CPAP for a couple of years, but then put half of that back on, so back onto the CPAP again.  Have tried various masks to avoid leaks.  Using CPAP allows me to get by with one hour per night less sleep and I pop right out of bed at 5AM. 

Falling asleep too easily could be fatal (such as while driving)!  That's why commercial truckers are required to have routine sleep studies done.  And don't forget that Reggie White (former NFL defensive lineman) died of sleep apnea. 

Lots more folks use CPAP than you realize.  Just look for small bags (roughly 12" x 12" x 6" bags) at the airport.

Try going to the professional who will give the best answer.  By that I mean the answer that makes the most sense to you in your situation.  Surgeons will recommend surgery, very very painful with no guarantees of success.  Dentists will have you put something in your mouth, a cheaper/low impact approach if it works for you.  Those chin straps you see on TV won't stop snoring through your nose, which wouldn't eliminate the problems for your sleep partner.  Unfortunately most obstructed sleep apnea is due to excess fat in the throat, which is combination with relaxed muscles during sleep blocks the airway, which no nasal surgery, mouth piece, or chin strap can help. 

Note that there is a great deal of scams out there relating to this.  Ineffective studies is just the tip of the iceberg, which Medicare continues to go after for fraud.  Unqualified centers/staff is another problem.  (My mom had a study done at a 20 bed hospital where they had her sleep on a stretcher - ridiculous.)  Those home studies can only be used as a first screening and not a definitive diagnostic.  Cut happy surgeons are some of the worst.  Most general practitioners don't know or do anything about sleep apnea.  I like my GP but have to ask for the next study.  My wife works at a Veteran's Hospital where they take all this very seriously.  They have all the vets come in every 6 months, with their machines, to follow-up.

The good news is that you've caught it in time and it's easily treatable.

Lol999

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Re: Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!
« Reply #25 on: 5 Feb 2018, 08:33 am »
I had the sleep apnea surgery years ago and it didn't work. All that happens now due to the removal of my uvula is I choke easily on the slightest crumb.
Also, after having it done a different ent consultant informed me " if you have a neck measurement over 17" then it doesn't work". Mines 18-19".

I'm cpap intolerant as in I STILL stop breathing with the machine on, it just inflates my cheeks!

I had a mouth guard for a while, a lightweight one but it wore out. A second trip to the orthodontic department presented me with one that would wrangle Lecter and was blocked by my tongue dropping forward so I essentially suffocated.

I'm currently losing weight AGAIN, I'm 6'3" and 276 lbs, need to get down to about 220.

Tired of being permanantly tired.

Tyson

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Re: Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!
« Reply #26 on: 5 Feb 2018, 04:48 pm »
I've known several people with weight related sleep apnea.  They've all had very good success dealing with both conditions by following the Wheat Belly diet.  I strongly recommend it, it does work very well:

https://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/dp/1609614798

The main advantage of this diet is that it reduces hunger - so you lose weight without feeling like your starving all the time.  It also reduces bloat and puffiness pretty quickly.  You'll see results within just a few weeks. 

roscoeiii

Re: Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!
« Reply #27 on: 5 Feb 2018, 05:01 pm »
I had the sleep apnea surgery years ago and it didn't work. All that happens now due to the removal of my uvula is I choke easily on the slightest crumb.
Also, after having it done a different ent consultant informed me " if you have a neck measurement over 17" then it doesn't work". Mines 18-19".

I'm cpap intolerant as in I STILL stop breathing with the machine on, it just inflates my cheeks!

I had a mouth guard for a while, a lightweight one but it wore out. A second trip to the orthodontic department presented me with one that would wrangle Lecter and was blocked by my tongue dropping forward so I essentially suffocated.

I'm currently losing weight AGAIN, I'm 6'3" and 276 lbs, need to get down to about 220.

Tired of being permanantly tired.

I've been using the Good Morning Snore Solution (https://goodmorningsnoresolution.com/), which is available over the counter and is an alternative to a mouth guard or CPAP. Simple device that applies suction to your tongue and pulls it forward. Good return policy too (90 days IIRC).

Tracking my snoring with the awesome SnoreLab app, I can see drastic reduction in my snoring levels when using it.

Going to the sleep lab tomorrow to get an official diagnosis of whether I have apnea or not...

Lol999

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Re: Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!
« Reply #28 on: 5 Feb 2018, 05:11 pm »
Looks good, unfortunately I'm a mouth breather  :duh:

Syrah

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Re: Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!
« Reply #29 on: 16 Mar 2018, 02:42 pm »
On the weight loss topic, I'll throw one thing out there.  I saw a dietitian who monitored what I ate.  I eat very healthy foods, quinoa, salmon, vegetables, etc.  What struck me is when you actually weigh and measure what you eat, you realize that portions are the elephant in the room.  No one makes money telling you to just eat less though.  But consider spending a week writing down not just what you eat, but how much of it.  Then you can find all sorts of online calculators that tell you (based on your age, activity, etc.) how many grams of carbs, fats and protein you ought to be consuming in an average day.  Odds are, if you're like me, the problem was simply that you were WAY over.  Just because olive oil is good for you - you can still get fat from it.

rockadanny

Re: Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!
« Reply #30 on: 23 Mar 2018, 01:07 pm »
Quote
I've been using the Good Morning Snore Solution

roscoeiii - What did your Dr. think about this tongue device and how effective was it for you?
Did you use it during your test?

I've used a CPAP for years and HATE it! If I can find an effective alternative device I will try it.
I just ordered something similar from Zen Sleep.

Letitroll98

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Re: Sleep Apnea / I think I have it/ yikes!!
« Reply #31 on: 23 Mar 2018, 01:15 pm »
My doctor, okay, one of my doctors, just ordered a sleep study for me.  I'll schedule it for next month.