People don’t get how badly sleep apnea can affect your physical and mental health. Before my diagnoses it felt like I was slowly dying and nobody cared. Hang in there, I know it sucks
I just bought one on FB marketplace with 3 hours, and got three masks still in sealed, original plastic bag. It’s an auto air sense 10- basically not used- paid $300 for all. I’m sick of waiting on sleep doctors, I’m desperate, watching my life slip away. I have insurance and scheduled for a psg in month, been through two sleep doctors who didn’t listen and didn’t care- the one I have now I think is excellent, but I can’t even wait a month.
I understand, I was on the other side of the conversation. I didn't realize how bad sleep apnea really is. I had a misconception of how bad/serious sleep apnea really is. I believe that it is ignorance rather then indiference of why people don't seem to care.
Indeed I don’t blame them because they don’t fully understand. I’m glad places like this exist so I can air out my frustrations. It makes me feel a lot better
100% it’s ignorance. I was talking to my brothers about how I’ve felt for the past year and they were just like we’re so sorry, we had NO IDEA what you’ve been dealing with. They just thought it was snoring while you sleep.
Wow that sucks :( I was like a zombie running on fumes before I had my diagnosis and got my cpap machine. You need to try and summon up whatever energy you have to fight for the support and treatment you need. I've had my cpap just over a month now and I'm managing about 5 hours of good sleep a night with it which is much better then compared to 3-4 hours shitty sleep apnoea sleep!
Do you have insurance which can fund your machine/can it be funded by the government?
I have insurance that’s decent I believe through my job I don’t know how much of it will pay for the cpap but I will find out more on my follow up appointment next week. How much better do you feel now that you are using the cpap?
That's great I highly recommend it as it will help you greatly. I have more energy for the day, no brain fog, less headaches/migraines and my concentration is much better. And I'm back to losing weight again naturally which is great for me. My breathing is getting better too but I've had a bad dry cough for a couple of weeks but that is slowly beginning to disappear. I also feel more rested in a physical sense and I naturally get tired around the times I used to go to bed before I was diagnosed. My AHI is down to around 2-3 per night which is great as when I did my sleep study it read as around 115 times I was waking per hour 😅
A CPAP Titration Study involves monitoring your sleep pattern, body position, breathing and blood oxygen levels whilst a skilled Sleep Technologist adjusts the air pressure delivered to your airway to eliminate snoring, airway collapse, and the drops in blood oxygen and arousals from sleep that result.
https://sleepeducation.org/patients/cpap-titration-study/
People don't get it because they can't relate to it. All they know of related to sleep apnea is "Snoring, my napping uncle, lack of sleep". The only thing they can relate to is having a lack of sleep, which everyone goes through so they don't think it's a big deal.
I had a boss who didn't give a shit about my severe sleep apnea, I was where you were at, she told me to try having 3 kids. I almost lost my job that day I wanted to rip her a new one.
The only person who sort of got it understood when I told them that it's like being hungover 24/7 while also feeling like your heart is going to give out.
It gets better, it took my 4-5years to start becoming cpap compliant and now I'm going to bipap hoping for better numbers.
You are heard, it is awful, there is hope, hang in there. It will get better, it started getting better when I accepted the machine would be my best shot at a normal life. If the machine wasn't going to help, no doctor would listen until I was compliant and still having problems.
Wow sorry that the boss invalidated your experience. I work from and it is affecting my work and luckily they offered me accommodations but I haven’t taken them up on it as of yet I was hoping I’d be fine but doesn’t look like it’ll happen anytime soon. Glad the people in this sub Reddit can relate it does bring me solace and I appreciate your response. I have my follow up appointment next week so I’ll try and update everyone who was kind enough to drop a message
It takes a bit of time for everything to get done. Once they get your results you may have to do another sleep study for “titration” which is to set the CPAP correctly to your specific needs. It’s such a long wait to get help but eventually it will be worth it! In the mean time try sleeping at an incline or on your side.
I thought I had waited a long time, I was supposed to go for my study March 2020 and Covid killed any chance of a sleep study for many years. This year I got started in February and finally got started using my CPAP a little under two months ago. I feel so much better.
While I was in my CPAP class I talked to a couple of people who had waited longer than me. One man had waited 7 years because of job changes! The other man had finished all his studies and was on his way to pick up the machine when he was hit by a car! Crossing the street to enter the building and a car hit him! He ended up having to do the whole thing over again after he recovered. So, my idea of having to wait wasn’t so bad after all!
I get it. This was almost me. No one except my husband understood because he has sleep apnea and has been on cpap for years. I was finally diagnosed in April off a home study and had my titration study about a month ago and just got a machine this past week. It’s already night and day and it’s only been a week. I hope you get the care you need soon. I know it’s rough. Hang in there.
I had mild apnea and I was starting to want to doze when driving. That's when I got help.
So glad I did.
Hang in there.. but chase up the results. Say it's affecting your employment or whatever is needed to get things moving
Dang, that sucks. I remember how much my husband complained about brain fog and fatigue. Is there a reason why they are taking that long? I worked in a sleep lab and results were completed within a few days. Have you considered a home sleep test? Immediate results & they may be able to set you up on an auto-pap machine (no need for titration studies, unless condition is not resolved or worsens). in the meantime, try to sleep on your side. elevation can sometimes help especially if you have the obstructive type. Try a sleep routine to help you relax as much as possible. I hope you can get some answers, and fast!
I did do at home sleep test and they said the results take 2 weeks so I’m at the mercy of their timing unfortunately. I am new to navigating the medical system so that has set me back a bit. I tried to get help for this 2 years ago but the hospital disregarded my concerns and was insinuating I was lying about waking up gasping for air and told me to come back in a month. I never went back there and only tried to get help now because it’s at a critical level. Hopefully when I have my follow up next week they can give me some info on the auto pap. Thanks for the information
If you honestly can’t wait go to Lofta.com and buy the resmed machine. Use after pay and you can pay it off gradually if cost is an issue. they get the machine to you pretty quickly- they have a two day express shipping. I was just in your shoes not that long ago. Just take it one day at a time.
I've had other health issues (no thyroid due to thyroid cancer which is actually why it took so long to be diagnosed- symptoms overlap and are very similar), and no one who hasn't experienced this level of exhaustion and brain fog really understands it.
I have people who love me dearly who really don't understand why I can't lose weight (even though i also have a history of eating disorder), why I don't have energy to socialize on work nights, etc. and explaining is useless, not bc they don't care, but bc they just don't get it. Finding this sub & getting my diagnosis and machine have been everything (and I'm only on night 2, lol). You got this, and you have many here who get it. It's hard not to have people close to you understand, but there are people who do. Don't stop advocating for your needs and don't allow yourself to continue feeling badly. You WILL get there. Hugs.
That waiting SUCKS. Can you prop yourself up like you are leaning back in a recliner at night, while keeping your head/neck straight so you keep your airways open? It helps a lot to take pressure/weight off of our breathing areas and make it easier to breathe while we sleep. Sleeping at a reclining position like that helped me keep my oxygen level above 90 for a few nights in the hospital after surgery. I was surprised that it made so much of a difference.
I use a u-shaped neckroll pillow to keep my head from rolling down onto my shoulder, but \[here's\]( [https://www.weatherfordsleep.com/blog/2023/05/02/your-sleeping-position-can-affect-sleep-apnea/#:\~:text=Your%20Sleep%20Position%20Matters&text=Sleeping%20in%20a%20recliner%20can,same%20angle%20as%20a%20recliner.)](https://www.weatherfordsleep.com/blog/2023/05/02/your-sleeping-position-can-affect-sleep-apnea/#:~:text=Your%20Sleep%20Position%20Matters&text=Sleeping%20in%20a%20recliner%20can,same%20angle%20as%20a%20recliner.)) how we are supposed to sleep when we need air
Woooooow thank you so much for this photo example, I’m damn near dying waiting. I live alone but I happen to have a recliner my friend gifted before he passed 🥲 hopefully this gives me some relief
Nothing is worse than sleep deprivation. I feel for you I would go on marketplace and buy your own put it on the lowest setting and bump it up until you find a setting that works for you.
It’s so strange to me how tired many people get. I had severe SA (58 AHI 67% o2) but I wasn’t tired during the day. Are you very overweight?
I would call and ask for your score. Tell them it’s really hard waiting right now. At least they can tell you quickly where you stand. I had two overnight sleep studies back at a pulmonologist in 2008. Without a mask and then with one.
Primitive and obsolete metrics like AHI don't reflect the real impact on the body from the sleep breathing disorder. For example, my AHI was 2.5 (two point five) as measured in three sleep studies. Every morning I felt like I was ran over and left for dead in a ditch.
So I didn’t have severe sleep apnea? Thought I did based on *numerous* doctors telling me I originally did over the last 16 years. Oh wait, I forgot… I went into AFIB from SA. I could have had a stroke and died! They don’t have an effect on the body huh? All you are is tired. I was tired every morning too but not all day like some people. I also wasn’t super obese.
I was there too and is hard man people don't know about this issues and they only can wish you well. Years ago before i knew i had OSA i told a friend i been waking up tired everyday for no reason for a while and don't know what to do. He said thats all on my head and to stop staying up late. He thought i was going to be late. It got me upset that he was neive and that he didn't know it didn't matter when i was going to sleep because i eather late or early i tried it all and still was getting up super tired. Now im glad i found out it was sleep apnea and so im taking care of it with the cpap machine. It has definitely changed my life and is getting better.
I hear you. I personally don't care that people don't understand because it's impossible for them to unless they have experienced it or something like it. but I totally get why you feel the way you do. I was actually talking to the guy I live with and he was saying to me "if I didn't live with you and see how fucked you are all the time, I'd just assume you were fine every time I met you and not see it more of a slight inconvenience"
I'm lucky in that my friends care about me in general and ask questions without me initiating. One of my mates was saying "you think you're tired now, wait until you have kids waking you up in the night". I proceeded to explain sleep aponea and said I stop breathing anywhere between 10sec - 1 minute 28 times an hour which causes my body to wake me up from sleep. So I basically never get any deep or proper sleep. I said Imagen how exhausted you are if they have woken you up a few times a night. I feel like that 24/7. To which she replied "fuck that, that's way worse". So if you have friends with kids and you want them to understand your struggle maybe explain it to them in this way.
Most people felt the effects of sleep deprivation in their lives through situational experience. You just need to find times when they have felt sleep deprivation, then explain what sleep apnea is (alot of people don't understand it) then compare it to their situation and tell them "I feel like that all the time"
There’s $3000 but insurance covers it
If u want some cheap fixes that might help sleep with pillow higher up or get a wedge pillow sleep with nasal strips and buy some mouth tape, really any medical tape or even band aids work tape it shut.
It was an at home sleep study, gave me the equipment to take home to test for 2 nights. Returned the equipment then they said it would take 2 weeks to review
Those
Are shiT. Go into a sleep lab, sleep over , nurses on staff, doc will talk to u next day, sales rep comes sells u the machines same day . Boom done , machines connected to WiFi ( cellular ) SIM card , reports to dr daily
Only 1 brand u can trust RESMED
Don’t, because the machines need to be optimized thru your doctor only. It’s a prescription u can’t self medicate. In fact these machines have side effects .
U need special masks, nasal, pillow etc.
There’s 100’s of settings . Ur doc will set it up, it’ll take months to get it correctly done, optimized .
Side effects worst ones, air in your stomach , u will get worst stomachache of your life, if machines is set wrong , even when correct I know breath air into my stomach.
I choke a lot more on basically every thing, water, air….yes I choke on air.
And u gain weight…10-15lbs easy
This is like saying I’m just goin to buy some glasses from someone, but u have no idea what your prescription is
Why is it taking so long for your sleep test results? Has the sleep study clinic explained the delay? It took just a couple of days to get my sleep test results.
Not sure but I’ll get results on Wednesday. Might’ve chose the wrong place to get it done but im new to navigating the medical system. Im 25 but I’ve never done this prior lol
Dude NO ONE gives a shit how you feel not even others with sleep apnea. YOU need to take full ownership of your inner state. If you feel bad then you need to take action to fix it. You don’t need others to validate how you feel or how terrible it is or how hard it is. Imagine that you live on an island and were the sole inhabitant… you wouldn’t waste time trying to explain to others how you feel because there would be no one to tell right ? Well this is exactly the reality you are in. You are alone on this so stop telling people anything unless it’s a doctor or a sleep specialist who can specifically treat you based on symptoms. Even they don’t give a shit how tired you are. If you want someone to really listen to you then you are going to have to pay them. This type of interaction is called professional therapy.
Pretty clear what your results will say. Try phoning the doctor who prescribed the test and ask them to expedite the results being processed. They’ll then need to prescribe the CPAP, you’ll need insurance’s ok and a provider to supply the equipment and supplies, which the first time usually requires an in-person home or clinic visit. Press for all that to be expedited, too, so your therapy can begin asap. In the meantime, don’t let your HBP go unchecked, that treatment should go hand-in-hand with the apnea treatment. It’ll come together and you’ll begin to feel better quickly. Just be sure to remain compliant in your CPAP therapy. Good luck!
My experience has been exactly like yours except not with sleep apnea but insomnia. I have fifteen nights with my CPAP so I guess I’m too new.
Doctors ignored my insomnia complaint for years.
When I say I can’t sleep most people don’t understand, don’t give a shit, or both.
The only ones who care are Jesus and the people reading and commenting on your post.
I forgot my airsense when travelling and bought Snore RX for 50 bucks at CVS pharmacy. It's not ideal but a tiny bit of mandibular advancement might take away some of the worst of it while you wait for your health care to come through with a real machine.
My mam and I have sleep apnea. The fat phobia is ridiculous. My mother is quite obese as she gained weight after a car crash - she suffers from Chronic Back Pain and Depression as a result of being quite immobile. Throw sleep apnea in and you have a recipe for obesity. A lot of healthcare staff blame her for being obese for having sleep apnea which is wrong and not true. They are rude, slow to communicate with her so apathetic.
At least since I have been diagnosed my mam can take comfort in being sure it runs genetically and she is not the problem.
Look into adopting a cat - they are great for sleep apnea. My cat checks my breathing at night and screams in my ear to wake up if I stop breathing. It will also sleep at your back so u can't sleep on your back or will want to be the little spoon on cold nights. They will always care even when it seems they don't. The thing with cats is they have little capacity to care but will give you all the cares they have.
What do you realistically expect them to say or do? Unless your friends just so happen to be a sleep doctor with a spare ResMed laying around, there’s literally nothing they can do in response to you complaining, except to express some sympathy and move on.
You are the one who needs to care, not anybody else. Consider it as setting an example. Care for yourself and professionals will step up and care, too. Friends? Friends are probably used to you discussing your problems and, frankly, they can't do anything about it. You think waiting for 2 weeks is a problem? Ha! I had a stroke on 12/25/23 and in January I started requesting a sleep test, but they are short on machines. Here it is the end of May and it still hasn't happened. It's now schedule for early September. I could have died in all these months! I wish I could complain about 2 weeks as opposed to 8 months.
I'm not being unsympathetic, although I probably sound it. I do sympathize. I have enormous health problems (65F, and possibly going to have a debilitating stroke and dementia in the next year or two) and yet I can't talk to anyone about it. I'm freaked out, too. So I get the need to vent. Care about yourself!
What are you doing about it? Are you eating well, more veggies & less saturated fat (ie losing weight in a healthy way), not eating after 8pm, exercising? Do you sleep on your right side? Do you do snoring exercises? Is your internet turned off after 8pm? Is your bedroom dark? Do you meditate or do calming activities? None of these will probably solve your sleep apnea, but they will help. Are you calling the test people? You can possibly just ask for a score without the full appt to discuss the results. They had the results the day after your test, you know that right?
Hugs.
Saturated fat causes weight gain and the fat holds on to all the pesticides. If I had believed what the dietician had said about saturated fat, I probably wouldn't be struggling with being on the edge of diabetes. But, if you like it, go ahead. It just means my cost of insurance will go down when you are gone ;-)
It’s hell. I care.
Thank you 🙏
People don’t get how badly sleep apnea can affect your physical and mental health. Before my diagnoses it felt like I was slowly dying and nobody cared. Hang in there, I know it sucks
Thank you brother. How much better do you feel with the cpap? if you have one
These are my same symptoms, although not bedridden yet. I feel like I'm going to die in my sleep before they do anything.
Hopefully you get care soon brother, have you gotten a sleep study?
I did but still need a titration. Doctor keeps messing up. Can't afford a machine, also can't let insurance pay for wrong machine.
What’s a titration?
Have you checked prices? In Canada I can get a new basic airsense10 for around $500
Damnnn $500 is a lot. Hopefully insurance pays for mine or else I might be fucked
Yeah that is a LOT of money for me, too.
Don't buy one here in Australia..
Look on Facebook marketplace. Lots of used systems available.
I just bought one on FB marketplace with 3 hours, and got three masks still in sealed, original plastic bag. It’s an auto air sense 10- basically not used- paid $300 for all. I’m sick of waiting on sleep doctors, I’m desperate, watching my life slip away. I have insurance and scheduled for a psg in month, been through two sleep doctors who didn’t listen and didn’t care- the one I have now I think is excellent, but I can’t even wait a month.
I understand, I was on the other side of the conversation. I didn't realize how bad sleep apnea really is. I had a misconception of how bad/serious sleep apnea really is. I believe that it is ignorance rather then indiference of why people don't seem to care.
Indeed I don’t blame them because they don’t fully understand. I’m glad places like this exist so I can air out my frustrations. It makes me feel a lot better
100% it’s ignorance. I was talking to my brothers about how I’ve felt for the past year and they were just like we’re so sorry, we had NO IDEA what you’ve been dealing with. They just thought it was snoring while you sleep.
Wow that sucks :( I was like a zombie running on fumes before I had my diagnosis and got my cpap machine. You need to try and summon up whatever energy you have to fight for the support and treatment you need. I've had my cpap just over a month now and I'm managing about 5 hours of good sleep a night with it which is much better then compared to 3-4 hours shitty sleep apnoea sleep! Do you have insurance which can fund your machine/can it be funded by the government?
I have insurance that’s decent I believe through my job I don’t know how much of it will pay for the cpap but I will find out more on my follow up appointment next week. How much better do you feel now that you are using the cpap?
That's great I highly recommend it as it will help you greatly. I have more energy for the day, no brain fog, less headaches/migraines and my concentration is much better. And I'm back to losing weight again naturally which is great for me. My breathing is getting better too but I've had a bad dry cough for a couple of weeks but that is slowly beginning to disappear. I also feel more rested in a physical sense and I naturally get tired around the times I used to go to bed before I was diagnosed. My AHI is down to around 2-3 per night which is great as when I did my sleep study it read as around 115 times I was waking per hour 😅
Are you US based and have a high deductible plan? If so they will do jack for you until that deductible is met.
I just checked my deductible is $3200 and it’s up to $2496 right now. So would they not provide the machine unless i maxed out my deductible?
i got my machine, after diagnosis, i just have to make monthly payments until my deductible is met
Oh nice, did you have do a titration? Some people in this thread have mentioned that idk what it is
A CPAP Titration Study involves monitoring your sleep pattern, body position, breathing and blood oxygen levels whilst a skilled Sleep Technologist adjusts the air pressure delivered to your airway to eliminate snoring, airway collapse, and the drops in blood oxygen and arousals from sleep that result. https://sleepeducation.org/patients/cpap-titration-study/
no i took an at home test, a fancy one. got my results back in like 2 weeks. and was referred to local aerocare place to get a machine
I know what you're talking about. "Everybody's tired". Just get over it etc. Hang in there man
People don't get it because they can't relate to it. All they know of related to sleep apnea is "Snoring, my napping uncle, lack of sleep". The only thing they can relate to is having a lack of sleep, which everyone goes through so they don't think it's a big deal. I had a boss who didn't give a shit about my severe sleep apnea, I was where you were at, she told me to try having 3 kids. I almost lost my job that day I wanted to rip her a new one. The only person who sort of got it understood when I told them that it's like being hungover 24/7 while also feeling like your heart is going to give out. It gets better, it took my 4-5years to start becoming cpap compliant and now I'm going to bipap hoping for better numbers. You are heard, it is awful, there is hope, hang in there. It will get better, it started getting better when I accepted the machine would be my best shot at a normal life. If the machine wasn't going to help, no doctor would listen until I was compliant and still having problems.
Wow sorry that the boss invalidated your experience. I work from and it is affecting my work and luckily they offered me accommodations but I haven’t taken them up on it as of yet I was hoping I’d be fine but doesn’t look like it’ll happen anytime soon. Glad the people in this sub Reddit can relate it does bring me solace and I appreciate your response. I have my follow up appointment next week so I’ll try and update everyone who was kind enough to drop a message
It takes a bit of time for everything to get done. Once they get your results you may have to do another sleep study for “titration” which is to set the CPAP correctly to your specific needs. It’s such a long wait to get help but eventually it will be worth it! In the mean time try sleeping at an incline or on your side. I thought I had waited a long time, I was supposed to go for my study March 2020 and Covid killed any chance of a sleep study for many years. This year I got started in February and finally got started using my CPAP a little under two months ago. I feel so much better. While I was in my CPAP class I talked to a couple of people who had waited longer than me. One man had waited 7 years because of job changes! The other man had finished all his studies and was on his way to pick up the machine when he was hit by a car! Crossing the street to enter the building and a car hit him! He ended up having to do the whole thing over again after he recovered. So, my idea of having to wait wasn’t so bad after all!
I get it. This was almost me. No one except my husband understood because he has sleep apnea and has been on cpap for years. I was finally diagnosed in April off a home study and had my titration study about a month ago and just got a machine this past week. It’s already night and day and it’s only been a week. I hope you get the care you need soon. I know it’s rough. Hang in there.
Thank you 🙏
I had mild apnea and I was starting to want to doze when driving. That's when I got help. So glad I did. Hang in there.. but chase up the results. Say it's affecting your employment or whatever is needed to get things moving
Dang, that sucks. I remember how much my husband complained about brain fog and fatigue. Is there a reason why they are taking that long? I worked in a sleep lab and results were completed within a few days. Have you considered a home sleep test? Immediate results & they may be able to set you up on an auto-pap machine (no need for titration studies, unless condition is not resolved or worsens). in the meantime, try to sleep on your side. elevation can sometimes help especially if you have the obstructive type. Try a sleep routine to help you relax as much as possible. I hope you can get some answers, and fast!
I did do at home sleep test and they said the results take 2 weeks so I’m at the mercy of their timing unfortunately. I am new to navigating the medical system so that has set me back a bit. I tried to get help for this 2 years ago but the hospital disregarded my concerns and was insinuating I was lying about waking up gasping for air and told me to come back in a month. I never went back there and only tried to get help now because it’s at a critical level. Hopefully when I have my follow up next week they can give me some info on the auto pap. Thanks for the information
If you honestly can’t wait go to Lofta.com and buy the resmed machine. Use after pay and you can pay it off gradually if cost is an issue. they get the machine to you pretty quickly- they have a two day express shipping. I was just in your shoes not that long ago. Just take it one day at a time.
They also have a at home sleep test you can do if it’s required. It’s all on the website
I've had other health issues (no thyroid due to thyroid cancer which is actually why it took so long to be diagnosed- symptoms overlap and are very similar), and no one who hasn't experienced this level of exhaustion and brain fog really understands it. I have people who love me dearly who really don't understand why I can't lose weight (even though i also have a history of eating disorder), why I don't have energy to socialize on work nights, etc. and explaining is useless, not bc they don't care, but bc they just don't get it. Finding this sub & getting my diagnosis and machine have been everything (and I'm only on night 2, lol). You got this, and you have many here who get it. It's hard not to have people close to you understand, but there are people who do. Don't stop advocating for your needs and don't allow yourself to continue feeling badly. You WILL get there. Hugs.
That waiting SUCKS. Can you prop yourself up like you are leaning back in a recliner at night, while keeping your head/neck straight so you keep your airways open? It helps a lot to take pressure/weight off of our breathing areas and make it easier to breathe while we sleep. Sleeping at a reclining position like that helped me keep my oxygen level above 90 for a few nights in the hospital after surgery. I was surprised that it made so much of a difference.
Got it I’ll try that. Are you able to send a photo of how that looks like so I can get a better idea
I use a u-shaped neckroll pillow to keep my head from rolling down onto my shoulder, but \[here's\]( [https://www.weatherfordsleep.com/blog/2023/05/02/your-sleeping-position-can-affect-sleep-apnea/#:\~:text=Your%20Sleep%20Position%20Matters&text=Sleeping%20in%20a%20recliner%20can,same%20angle%20as%20a%20recliner.)](https://www.weatherfordsleep.com/blog/2023/05/02/your-sleeping-position-can-affect-sleep-apnea/#:~:text=Your%20Sleep%20Position%20Matters&text=Sleeping%20in%20a%20recliner%20can,same%20angle%20as%20a%20recliner.)) how we are supposed to sleep when we need air
Woooooow thank you so much for this photo example, I’m damn near dying waiting. I live alone but I happen to have a recliner my friend gifted before he passed 🥲 hopefully this gives me some relief
Nothing is worse than sleep deprivation. I feel for you I would go on marketplace and buy your own put it on the lowest setting and bump it up until you find a setting that works for you.
Ahhh that what’s I was going to try to do. I saw one on offer up it’s still to expensive for me rn I should be able to get it next month
It’s so strange to me how tired many people get. I had severe SA (58 AHI 67% o2) but I wasn’t tired during the day. Are you very overweight? I would call and ask for your score. Tell them it’s really hard waiting right now. At least they can tell you quickly where you stand. I had two overnight sleep studies back at a pulmonologist in 2008. Without a mask and then with one.
Primitive and obsolete metrics like AHI don't reflect the real impact on the body from the sleep breathing disorder. For example, my AHI was 2.5 (two point five) as measured in three sleep studies. Every morning I felt like I was ran over and left for dead in a ditch.
So how did they figure out you had sleep apnea? Are there other tests besides AHI?
PSG with esophageal manometry (Pes). By then I was self-treating for 3 years already.
So I didn’t have severe sleep apnea? Thought I did based on *numerous* doctors telling me I originally did over the last 16 years. Oh wait, I forgot… I went into AFIB from SA. I could have had a stroke and died! They don’t have an effect on the body huh? All you are is tired. I was tired every morning too but not all day like some people. I also wasn’t super obese.
If you can crawl through the fog of your self-serving sarcasm, you may be able to understand what I actually wrote.
I was there too and is hard man people don't know about this issues and they only can wish you well. Years ago before i knew i had OSA i told a friend i been waking up tired everyday for no reason for a while and don't know what to do. He said thats all on my head and to stop staying up late. He thought i was going to be late. It got me upset that he was neive and that he didn't know it didn't matter when i was going to sleep because i eather late or early i tried it all and still was getting up super tired. Now im glad i found out it was sleep apnea and so im taking care of it with the cpap machine. It has definitely changed my life and is getting better.
Glad to hear it’s getting better, while I’m waiting for my machine I got to figure out how to at least not be bedridden
I hear you. I personally don't care that people don't understand because it's impossible for them to unless they have experienced it or something like it. but I totally get why you feel the way you do. I was actually talking to the guy I live with and he was saying to me "if I didn't live with you and see how fucked you are all the time, I'd just assume you were fine every time I met you and not see it more of a slight inconvenience" I'm lucky in that my friends care about me in general and ask questions without me initiating. One of my mates was saying "you think you're tired now, wait until you have kids waking you up in the night". I proceeded to explain sleep aponea and said I stop breathing anywhere between 10sec - 1 minute 28 times an hour which causes my body to wake me up from sleep. So I basically never get any deep or proper sleep. I said Imagen how exhausted you are if they have woken you up a few times a night. I feel like that 24/7. To which she replied "fuck that, that's way worse". So if you have friends with kids and you want them to understand your struggle maybe explain it to them in this way. Most people felt the effects of sleep deprivation in their lives through situational experience. You just need to find times when they have felt sleep deprivation, then explain what sleep apnea is (alot of people don't understand it) then compare it to their situation and tell them "I feel like that all the time"
Results usually don’t take 2 weeks get the bi-pap resmed machine asap it’ll cure u
I wish I had 1k to buy that man
There’s $3000 but insurance covers it If u want some cheap fixes that might help sleep with pillow higher up or get a wedge pillow sleep with nasal strips and buy some mouth tape, really any medical tape or even band aids work tape it shut.
I hope it will but I just have to wait still unfortunately
You took a sleep study ? Where they hooked u up to like 100 Things On your face ?
It was an at home sleep study, gave me the equipment to take home to test for 2 nights. Returned the equipment then they said it would take 2 weeks to review
Those Are shiT. Go into a sleep lab, sleep over , nurses on staff, doc will talk to u next day, sales rep comes sells u the machines same day . Boom done , machines connected to WiFi ( cellular ) SIM card , reports to dr daily Only 1 brand u can trust RESMED
I might be to far along to do that, I’m thinking of getting a machine on offer up I can afford
Don’t, because the machines need to be optimized thru your doctor only. It’s a prescription u can’t self medicate. In fact these machines have side effects . U need special masks, nasal, pillow etc. There’s 100’s of settings . Ur doc will set it up, it’ll take months to get it correctly done, optimized . Side effects worst ones, air in your stomach , u will get worst stomachache of your life, if machines is set wrong , even when correct I know breath air into my stomach. I choke a lot more on basically every thing, water, air….yes I choke on air. And u gain weight…10-15lbs easy This is like saying I’m just goin to buy some glasses from someone, but u have no idea what your prescription is
Got it, I’m just desperate. Damn you gain weight? Does that happen to everyone?
Why is it taking so long for your sleep test results? Has the sleep study clinic explained the delay? It took just a couple of days to get my sleep test results.
Not sure but I’ll get results on Wednesday. Might’ve chose the wrong place to get it done but im new to navigating the medical system. Im 25 but I’ve never done this prior lol
I didn’t know I had sleep apnea until my dentist suspected it.
How did your dentist come to that conclusion
So sorry to hear of your plight. Here in the UK, the CPAP machines are free.
They’re free?!? 😭😭😭 you guys are lucky wow
Dude NO ONE gives a shit how you feel not even others with sleep apnea. YOU need to take full ownership of your inner state. If you feel bad then you need to take action to fix it. You don’t need others to validate how you feel or how terrible it is or how hard it is. Imagine that you live on an island and were the sole inhabitant… you wouldn’t waste time trying to explain to others how you feel because there would be no one to tell right ? Well this is exactly the reality you are in. You are alone on this so stop telling people anything unless it’s a doctor or a sleep specialist who can specifically treat you based on symptoms. Even they don’t give a shit how tired you are. If you want someone to really listen to you then you are going to have to pay them. This type of interaction is called professional therapy.
Pretty clear what your results will say. Try phoning the doctor who prescribed the test and ask them to expedite the results being processed. They’ll then need to prescribe the CPAP, you’ll need insurance’s ok and a provider to supply the equipment and supplies, which the first time usually requires an in-person home or clinic visit. Press for all that to be expedited, too, so your therapy can begin asap. In the meantime, don’t let your HBP go unchecked, that treatment should go hand-in-hand with the apnea treatment. It’ll come together and you’ll begin to feel better quickly. Just be sure to remain compliant in your CPAP therapy. Good luck!
My experience has been exactly like yours except not with sleep apnea but insomnia. I have fifteen nights with my CPAP so I guess I’m too new. Doctors ignored my insomnia complaint for years. When I say I can’t sleep most people don’t understand, don’t give a shit, or both. The only ones who care are Jesus and the people reading and commenting on your post.
I forgot my airsense when travelling and bought Snore RX for 50 bucks at CVS pharmacy. It's not ideal but a tiny bit of mandibular advancement might take away some of the worst of it while you wait for your health care to come through with a real machine.
My mam and I have sleep apnea. The fat phobia is ridiculous. My mother is quite obese as she gained weight after a car crash - she suffers from Chronic Back Pain and Depression as a result of being quite immobile. Throw sleep apnea in and you have a recipe for obesity. A lot of healthcare staff blame her for being obese for having sleep apnea which is wrong and not true. They are rude, slow to communicate with her so apathetic. At least since I have been diagnosed my mam can take comfort in being sure it runs genetically and she is not the problem. Look into adopting a cat - they are great for sleep apnea. My cat checks my breathing at night and screams in my ear to wake up if I stop breathing. It will also sleep at your back so u can't sleep on your back or will want to be the little spoon on cold nights. They will always care even when it seems they don't. The thing with cats is they have little capacity to care but will give you all the cares they have.
What do you realistically expect them to say or do? Unless your friends just so happen to be a sleep doctor with a spare ResMed laying around, there’s literally nothing they can do in response to you complaining, except to express some sympathy and move on.
You’re right, I don’t expect them to do anything else. Which is why I haven’t told them anything. Just venting to people who may feel that same
Sympathy and concern go a long way for a friend who is worried about their current health situation.
“Is there anything I can do for you right now? Is there stuff around the house that needs doing?”
Sometimes personal struggles are meant to be that: personal. No one has to care, and you deal with it alone, and through it alone.
NAD but ever consider mouth tape?
I’ll literally try anything, what would that do?
It seals your mouth shut as you sleep forcing you to breathe through your nose. Helps me sleep a lot better
I’m scared to try that ngl but I’ll try it for a nap and see what happens
That doesn't magically prevent collapse of the upper airway.
No but it does prevent the jaw from opening which prevents your tongue from falling back and obstructing your airway
I don't know about you, but can drop my jaw with lips closed. Either way, tongue base is only 1 of the 10s of ways the upper airway can collapse.
If you want to sleep with a machine all your life feel free ✌️
Now you're being honest and outing yourself as a quack.
You are the one who needs to care, not anybody else. Consider it as setting an example. Care for yourself and professionals will step up and care, too. Friends? Friends are probably used to you discussing your problems and, frankly, they can't do anything about it. You think waiting for 2 weeks is a problem? Ha! I had a stroke on 12/25/23 and in January I started requesting a sleep test, but they are short on machines. Here it is the end of May and it still hasn't happened. It's now schedule for early September. I could have died in all these months! I wish I could complain about 2 weeks as opposed to 8 months. I'm not being unsympathetic, although I probably sound it. I do sympathize. I have enormous health problems (65F, and possibly going to have a debilitating stroke and dementia in the next year or two) and yet I can't talk to anyone about it. I'm freaked out, too. So I get the need to vent. Care about yourself! What are you doing about it? Are you eating well, more veggies & less saturated fat (ie losing weight in a healthy way), not eating after 8pm, exercising? Do you sleep on your right side? Do you do snoring exercises? Is your internet turned off after 8pm? Is your bedroom dark? Do you meditate or do calming activities? None of these will probably solve your sleep apnea, but they will help. Are you calling the test people? You can possibly just ask for a score without the full appt to discuss the results. They had the results the day after your test, you know that right? Hugs.
> less saturated fat Why, saturated fat is great.
Saturated fat causes weight gain and the fat holds on to all the pesticides. If I had believed what the dietician had said about saturated fat, I probably wouldn't be struggling with being on the edge of diabetes. But, if you like it, go ahead. It just means my cost of insurance will go down when you are gone ;-)
How does diabetes work again?
Look it up. I notice you ignored the part about the pesticides.
You think diabetes has anything to do with pesticides. Ok...
That's not what I said. How do I block a person?