Any one here use a CPAP machine?

[timcsaw]

I'm glad to see these posts. Sleep apnea is some serious stuff. Mycroft... I'm surprised they let you go thru surgery first, unless it was emergency. Anesthesiologists do NOT like apneic patients... it greatly increases the risk for "problems".

One of the reasons I've avoided the sleep study is because I'm not sure how the clinic will handle my unique sleep "situation".

I have to sleep on my back in a semi-reclined position after taking a fist-full of medications for pain, and I lay on a heating pad until I'm out. Unlike most people, I don't move from that position all night long. I usually eat a few almonds right before I zonk. I put a small bowl of them on my chest to snack from as I get drowsy, and usually set the bowl on the night stand before I go out, but... I have woke up in the morning many times with the bowl and a few almonds in it, in the same exact position it was in before I fell asleep. When I say, I don't move while asleep, I ain't kidding.

I just don't know how the sleep clinic will be able to accommodate my unique sleep requirements. The valuable information in this thread however, has made me realize that I need to do the sleep study regardless, because I know I have some level of sleep apnea... I never realized (until reading this thread), that apnea can have such adverse health affects (heart damage etc.).

Thanks to all for recounting your experiences!

 

[wintermute]

Ah crap. I guess it's good that I'm reading this stuff. My father had sleep apnea. Nothing too bad, and my mom got pretty good at giving him an elbow to start him breathing again. I'm 35. I snore like a banshee. I'm reasonably fit. As far as I know I'm a very heavy sleeper, but during the day, I can fall asleep at will, even if I'm not tired and I run out of juice pretty much every day. Every once in a while I wake in the middle of the night gasping for air. Maybe I should get this checked out...

 

[T. Erdelyi]

One of the reasons I've avoided the sleep study is because I'm not sure how the clinic will handle my unique sleep "situation".

I have to sleep on my back in a semi-reclined position ... I'm out. Unlike most people, I don't move from that position all night long. ...I just don't know how the sleep clinic will be able to accommodate my unique sleep requirements. The valuable information in this thread however, has made me realize that I need to do the sleep study regardless, because I know I have some level of sleep apnea... I never realized (until reading this thread), that apnea can have such adverse health affects (heart damage etc.).

Thanks to all for recounting your experiences!

That's the position ya wind up in, on yer back and elevated at your head, eating while sleepin' is more of a concern, if ya sleep that deeply you could pop an almond in your mouth, fall asleep and if ya cough, ya could inhale a piece of almond and choke.

I make a snack sometimes before bed but I won't lay down till I'm done eatin', I'll sit at the edge of the bed and eat my snack then lay down.

I'm glad I started this thread, seems it's wakin', (no pun intended) a lot of people up to the dangers of sleep apnea.:thumbup:

 

[timcsaw]

That's the position ya wind up in, on yer back and elevated at your head, eating while sleepin' is more of a concern, if ya sleep that deeply you could pop an almond in your mouth, fall asleep and if ya cough, ya could inhale a piece of almond and choke.

I make a snack sometimes before bed but I won't lay down till I'm done eatin', I'll sit at the edge of the bed and eat my snack then lay down.

I'm glad I started this thread, seems it's wakin', (no pun intended) a lot of people up to the dangers of sleep apnea.:thumbup:

I've thought about the eating and possibly asperating... I'm usually fairly upright (only slightly reclined) when I take my meds and the snack along with them. Once they are all down the hatch, I'll recline to my normal sleep position. Sometimes I just forget to move the snack bowl off my chest. Once I recline, I'm done. Weird though to wake up with the bowl in the same place. I do move my arms and legs while sleeping, but never from my position on my back... when I do try to move away from that position, pain will wake me up so I've "learned" to sleep very still.

I wake up often, and I'm sure that some of it is caused by apnea, but some is caused by pain... at any rate, I'm going to have the sleep study done, and I'll let the clinic techs worry about how to get me to sleep. Perhaps they know some good bed-time stories.

 

[mycroftt]

I'm glad to see these posts. Sleep apnea is some serious stuff. Mycroft... I'm surprised they let you go thru surgery first, unless it was emergency. Anesthesiologists do NOT like apneic patients... it greatly increases the risk for "problems".

Yeah, the gallstones were getting lodged low in the bile duct and blocking the pancreatic duct so my amylase and lipase blood levels were elevated but I was feeling healthy and strong after a couple of raging outbreaks of pancreatitis. Also the surgeon was somewhat concerned about the possibility of malignant neoplasms, but I was less concerned about that. The general consensus was to take action before any acute symptoms returned. The anesthesiology group also had the notes from my surgery around 18 months earlier.