"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

[5K Qs]

I've thought about having a sleep study done seems I'm always tired and need a nap. That could just be life at 63.

Randy, starting 2 years ago, my energy level dropped significantly, and I've had trouble doing my job the way I used to do it ever since then. The docs are still trying to figure out what's up. I occasionally suggest that it may just be age catching up with me, but the docs don't think so. They found out my thyroid production was too low, and medication has fixed that, but I still fall asleep at my desk. I was sent to a sleep clinic and diagnosed with mild sleep apnea (averaged 12 "events" per hour during the sleep study), so I've been using a CPAP every night since early October, but I'm still lacking energy and falling asleep if I'm not physically active. (The loss of energy coincided with quitting smoking, but I'm not about to start smoking again! )

I never knew that I wasn't sleeping well until my wife made me go take a sleep test several years ago. Turns out I stopped breathing about 64 times per hour, and I needed 18 cm of pressure! I couldn't believe how much better I felt after my first night on the CPAP.
...

... Like I said, I thought I was sleeping fine because I wasn't conscious of being awake. Really, I was waking myself up once every minute from hypoxia. A couple weeks on CPAP and I felt like a new man.
...

...
It takes a little while to get used to it, but then it becomes natural to use it. If you need it, it will make a huge improvement in how you feel (and your health). Get the sleep study.

...
How long did it take you guys to get used to wearing it? Im really hoping it works.

Congrats, TH and John; those are quite the testimonials! :thumbup: All my life, I've waked up about every 1.5-2 hrs throughout the night, checked the clock, and immediately gone back to sleep until the next wake-up. And I always felt well-rested until the last couple of years. Unfortunately, the sleep professionals are still trying to get me to benefit from the CPAP. Like John, I've been using the "full face mask", and it took me less than a week to get used to it; I think I get to sleep much quicker now than I ever did. But I'm still averaging over 8 "events" per hour (with a LOT of night-to-night variation, from 4 up to 16) after 5 months of regular use of the CPAP; doc told me I should be consistently under 5 at least. The pressure is up to 15 cm now, and they want me to try a new mask type to see if that might help.

Brett, It took me a long time to start getting used to it. Over a month before I could sleep more than 4 hrs. My best advice would be to check out Apnea board forum. In my opinion, the only way to get effective treatment in cpap therapy, is to empower yourself to find the answers and optimize your treatment. Doctors and sleeptechs just do not have the time* to invest in a patient that it takes to get optimal results.
Check out Apnea board BEFORE you get issued a cpap machine!! Or Pm me!

*trying to be kind here

Thanks for sharing some of your less-than-optimal CPAP experience, Ramrod. :thumbup: It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one for whom it hasn't been an immediate life-changer! Each morning I get my breakfast ready and then visit BF and my CPAP data site to see what's happened overnight. BF usually cheers me up, but my AHI disappoints me most mornings. Pretty impressive technology, though, that lets my CPAP send out data to wherever, and I can get a report online almost immediately after getting up!

- GT

 

[Old Engineer]

This guy snores louder than me.

Our Molly snored pretty loud too . She looked very much like your guy Bob . Best Dog that we have ever had .

Had

 

[SVTFreak]

I've got a 8 month pregnant wife that'll give any of you (and that boxer) a chainsawing run for the money on snoring. And I'll never tell her I said that. Lol

 

[r redden]

I've got a 8 month pregnant wife that'll give any of you (and that boxer) a chainsawing run for the money on snoring. And I'll never tell her I said that. Lol

Joey somethings are way better left alone. I hope everything goes well for Mom and Baby we'll be praying for them both and for you in this last month.

 

[Ramrodmb]

Randy, starting 2 years ago, my energy level dropped significantly, and I've had trouble doing my job the way I used to do it ever since then. The docs are still trying to figure out what's up. I occasionally suggest that it may just be age catching up with me, but the docs don't think so. They found out my thyroid production was too low, and medication has fixed that, but I still fall asleep at my desk. I was sent to a sleep clinic and diagnosed with mild sleep apnea (averaged 12 "events" per hour during the sleep study), so I've been using a CPAP every night since early October, but I'm still lacking energy and falling asleep if I'm not physically active. (The loss of energy coincided with quitting smoking, but I'm not about to start smoking again! )





Congrats, TH and John; those are quite the testimonials! :thumbup: All my life, I've waked up about every 1.5-2 hrs throughout the night, checked the clock, and immediately gone back to sleep until the next wake-up. And I always felt well-rested until the last couple of years. Unfortunately, the sleep professionals are still trying to get me to benefit from the CPAP. Like John, I've been using the "full face mask", and it took me less than a week to get used to it; I think I get to sleep much quicker now than I ever did. But I'm still averaging over 8 "events" per hour (with a LOT of night-to-night variation, from 4 up to 16) after 5 months of regular use of the CPAP; doc told me I should be consistently under 5 at least. The pressure is up to 15 cm now, and they want me to try a new mask type to see if that might help.


Thanks for sharing some of your less-than-optimal CPAP experience, Ramrod. :thumbup: It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one for whom it hasn't been an immediate life-changer! Each morning I get my breakfast ready and then visit BF and my CPAP data site to see what's happened overnight. BF usually cheers me up, but my AHI disappoints me most mornings. Pretty impressive technology, though, that lets my CPAP send out data to wherever, and I can get a report online almost immediately after getting up!

- GT

Here's to hoping you can feel better too!:thumbup:

 

[SVTFreak]

Joey somethings are way better left alone. I hope everything goes well for Mom and Baby we'll be praying for them both and for you in this last month.

Lol so true! Thanks, Randy. She needs it sometimes. 42 and pregnant leaves a girl a bit tired and aching.

 

[mrknife]

I was trained to read these during my schooling, but yours seem to be a little different from the software im used to seeing. Good on ya for making it work!!

 

[Ramrodmb]

I was trained to read these during my schooling, but yours seem to be a little different from the software im used to seeing. Good on ya for making it work!!

Thanks Jack:thumbup:

 

[Jack Black]

It's been interesting to read this. I hadn't realised that Sleep Apnoea was anything like as common as it appears to be. I only know of one person who has been diagnosed with it, but it could be that we're just behind in diagnosing it. I must say that having looked through the symptoms, I tick ALL the boxes myself, and I'm intending to speak to my doctor about it.

 

[mrknife]

It's been interesting to read this. I hadn't realised that Sleep Apnoea was anything like as common as it appears to be. I only know of one person who has been diagnosed with it, but it could be that we're just behind in diagnosing it. I must say that having looked through the symptoms, I tick ALL the boxes myself, and I'm intending to speak to my doctor about it.

Sleep medicine became a bigger thing in more recent times when folks started to develop more of these issues. Obesity is one of the biggest issues in America (pun intended). With the increase in weight and how it distributes in folks, it can aggravate existing breathing issues. For example some folks are so large, that their neck is large as well. Now when the body is in REM sleep muscle tone decreases, and for these folks they may experience trouble breathing because the weight of the neck is closing the airways. For these folks, thats where the CPAP comes in. It stands for continuous positive airway pressure, basically its keeping the airway open via the machine. This is all well in good for folks with obstructive sleep apnea. But in cases for central sleep apnea, it doesnt much and other avenues are explored.

 

[Ramrodmb]

It's been interesting to read this. I hadn't realised that Sleep Apnoea was anything like as common as it appears to be. I only know of one person who has been diagnosed with it, but it could be that we're just behind in diagnosing it. I must say that having looked through the symptoms, I tick ALL the boxes myself, and I'm intending to speak to my doctor about it.

Jack , it is profound the affect it can have on your brain, cognition, memory, mood and general well being. It is said to affect every organ and in fact every cell in your body negatively. If you check all the boxes, it is almost a given you have it and are being affected by it. The question is how bad and how much. If you are noticing your brain going down the tubes, this may be of some help to you. Best of luck to you going forward. :thumbup:

 

[Ramrodmb]

Sleep medicine became a bigger thing in more recent times when folks started to develop more of these issues. Obesity is one of the biggest issues in America (pun intended). With the increase in weight and how it distributes in folks, it can aggravate existing breathing issues. For example some folks are so large, that their neck is large as well. Now when the body is in REM sleep muscle tone decreases, and for these folks they may experience trouble breathing because the weight of the neck is closing the airways. For these folks, thats where the CPAP comes in. It stands for continuous positive airway pressure, basically its keeping the airway open via the machine. This is all well in good for folks with obstructive sleep apnea. But in cases for central sleep apnea, it doesnt much and other avenues are explored.

I agree with what you said in regards to obesity, although I think it needs mentioned that MANY people are affected by obstructive apnea who are not obese at all, and otherwise generally physically fit.
Regarding central apnea - there are newer machines- (bpap /vpap/ asv) that have more success in mitigating Central apnea events and treating mixed apnea as well, as I'm sure you are aware of. Just thought I would mention it.

 

[screened porch]

Jack , if you are noticing your brain going down the tubes, this may be of some help to you.

Not that we have noticed any signs of that.

 

[Ramrodmb]

Not that we have noticed any signs of that.

I hope it didn't sound like I was implying that.

 

[Pàdruig]

I am a huge believer in sleep medicine. For most of my life I have had chronic headaches, usually a daily occurrence, with actual migraines happening 2-3 times a week. Some years ago, I visited a new doctor (at the prompting of my wife), and she proceeded to conduct a number of tests, even setting me up for a sleep study. At the time, I was a bit bewildered at the idea of a sleep study and I asked the doctor why that was relevant, as I never thought my sleep was all that bad. After a series of questions, I began to realize that my sleep was terrible. I woke up frequently, my wife said I stopped breathing at times, I had horrible acid reflux, and usually woke up with a headache.

Now keep in mind, I am not obese, nor am I overweight and I exercise regularly. After my sleep study was conducted and I was diagnosed with apnea, I was shocked and I asked the doctor if I needed to lose a few lb's (up until that point, I had only experienced folks using some sort of machine as being overweight in some sense). The sleep doctor looked at me and laughed, even came up and patted my stomach. Said that even if I had but a couple pounds to shed, it wouldn't make any difference. My airways get significantly restricted when the tissue relaxes and my oxygen levels were reduced by 80%. The appropriate correction was a CPAP device.

I will never forget the first time I used the machine. I fell asleep on my back, which was never my preferred position due to my acid reflux, I slept non stop for about 9 hours, not waking once. I woke up in the same position I fell asleep in and I felt incredible. That was a life changing moment. Now I rest better, my headaches are reduced by about 90%, and my acid reflux has never come back.

It is amazing. It doesn't matter, young or old, thin or overweight, sleep medicine can have a dramatic impact on your quality of life. If you even have a suspicion, it is worth talking to your doctor about it.

Just my opinion, of course, for whatever its worth.

 

[Jack Black]

Sleep medicine became a bigger thing in more recent times when folks started to develop more of these issues. Obesity is one of the biggest issues in America (pun intended). With the increase in weight and how it distributes in folks, it can aggravate existing breathing issues. For example some folks are so large, that their neck is large as well. Now when the body is in REM sleep muscle tone decreases, and for these folks they may experience trouble breathing because the weight of the neck is closing the airways. For these folks, thats where the CPAP comes in. It stands for continuous positive airway pressure, basically its keeping the airway open via the machine. This is all well in good for folks with obstructive sleep apnea. But in cases for central sleep apnea, it doesnt much and other avenues are explored.

That's interesting. I'm certainly packing more pounds than I'd like, but I don't think I'm THAT overweight :thumbup:

Jack , it is profound the affect it can have on your brain, cognition, memory, mood and general well being. It is said to affect every organ and in fact every cell in your body negatively. If you check all the boxes, it is almost a given you have it and are being affected by it. The question is how bad and how much. If you are noticing your brain going down the tubes, this may be of some help to you. Best of luck to you going forward. :thumbup:

It's something I've never thought of before, but I do snore, wake up frequently in the night, and I feel tired a lot of the time. It's certainly something I think I should get tested for :thumbup:

Not that we have noticed any signs of that.

I hope it didn't sound like I was implying that.

LOL! :thumbup:

 

[jackknife]

The scooter are gone.

for the very first time since I was 16, I am without two wheel motorized transport. I find it a little shocking, a little sad, but also somewhat liberating.

It was Karen who brought it first, and I had to agree. We were not riding as much as we used to by a long shot. A very long shot. Karen, always a bit ahead of me when it comes to smart thinking, suggested that maybe we were not having the fun we used to have on them, and she was right.

I think this is a latest stage in life, relizing that as a couple of septuagenarians, that not only was whizzing around on two wheels a bit more dangerous than it used to be, but our reflexes and healing ability may be somewhat diminished. And it was true that some of our priorities have changed in recent years, to include more long car trips and other travel. So we sold our Vepsa's. I am a little puzzled by the lack of second guessing the action, and find myself looking forward to not needed rain suits, cold weather gear, helmets, gloves, and armored jackets for cruising the country side as we explore Texas. Toss a duffel bag in the trunk, and a cooler on the back seat, and we're off. We even have a spare tire in case of a flat. If it rains, I'll turn on the windshield wipers.

I guess it's al part of getting older; the desire to do something that you enjoyed for so long, sooner or later comes under the heading of 'been there, done that' and it's time to move on. Maybe we'll get a mini convertible or a Mazda Miata and just put the top down!

 

[mrknife]

right thats where a full night study comes in. its not always clear cut obesity, although sometimes the patient walking into the sleep clinic you can tell right away. central sleep apnea is the tricky one, because that's the brain itself. Also a lot of people develop poor sleep/bed habits that affect their sleep without knowing it. or they may be on certain medications that affect their sleep.

 

[meako]

Snoring is a curse both upon the snorer and anyone who happens to trying to get a kip in nearby- I speak from 30 years experience as a fireman sleeping in rooms with other men.
Ever noticed how a snorer will fall asleep very quickly-eg sitting in a chair watching telly? On night shift I always tried to hit the homo ward before others. I take ages to get to sleep and wake up if a pin drops.
It never worked. They would always mosey in, snuggle down and off they'd go. Within seconds of their eyes shutting they'd be making a noise like a crocodile eating a 6 month dead buffalo in flooding creek.
I dunno -in the end we had a Non Snoring covenant in our boudoir. It was known variously as The fellowship of the ring and The vault of millions. If a new guy or reliever spent the night they would be firmly pointed in the direction of the other rooms.
Then Dags turned up one night. Now Dags is a lovely bloke and a good mate of mine but by the Hammer of Thor the man can snore. He is on another medical level that could provide careers and business opportunities for sleep specialist medicos.
Dags has a big walrus moustache- when he snores it actually whiffles up and down in the breeze created. I know because i watched him one night as I pondered a solution to my being unable to sleep. They could hear him in the room at the end of the corridor. If I could describe the sound of an asthmatic leopard who has been drinking beer all day and smoking roll ups made of the harshest tobacco known to man , whilst inhaling asbestos shavings and working in a spray booth with no respirator it would be close to the noise of dags. But not quite. To accurately describe his snoring I need to add in a bit of harmony-that of a grandaddy Southern Elephant Seal with a bad case of tuberculosis. Now we are approaching the sonic phenomenon known as Dags but somethings missing.... somethiing... wait whats that sound? Yes thats it! a 1.4 kilometre long coal train is heading up the line out of Wollongong being pulled by 4 diesel Locos- 3 of which have broken exhausts.
That horrific symphony is only part of the thrill of having dags in "the vault".
There is the crescendo which all of sudden stops and there is silence...deathly silence... I try to slam my eyes shut and sleep but why isn't he breathing? Breathe damn you BREATHE you need to inhale. The seconds tick by each one lasting a life time untill finally the massive intake of air occurs and a bit of chop smacking. Is he evolving into a sea creature? At least hes alive.
There are other sounds made by men in the depth of the night and at first light- not pleasant usually but some talented individuals can play tunes. Some prodigies will announce the titles of their hit parade- Yellow rose of Texas,Ring of fire, Land of hope and glory -to name but a few.

 

[oldtymer]

Reminds me of the nights in the barracks at boot camp so long ago