This is a strange topic, but I know that there are so many people on XOC with various expertise.

I had a sleep study a couple weeks ago and they have come back to tall me that I need both a CPAP machine and supplemental oxygen. I guess stopping breathing and oxygen deprivation are both problems.

Anyone have a similar condition and what benefits did you see after you started treatment. Have you had any success with alternative treatments?

I figure this is what is finally going to force me to get in shape. I'll have to get out of the truck and walk occaisionally.

I thought my existing shape, that of a pear, was perfectly natural given GOD created the pear, and why would me being a similar shape be bad......

I open up for real comments and others.....

Todd

We had a patient come in asking about a procedure called "Pillar Procedure" it is fairly new, and not sure what insurance would cover.

Other than that I have not heard of any alternatives.

We do have a lot of people that just dont want to wear their C-Pap mask at night, because it is uncomfortable. But I guess being comfortable is more important then breathing.

Here is a link to pillar procedure:

http://www.pillarprocedure.com/?OVRAW=pillar%20procedure&OVKEY=pillar%20procedure&OVMTC=standard

It's good you're getting treatment. Sleep apnea can lead to many other problems down the road, from mild to severe.

CPAP and O2 are the most common forms of treatment that are prescribed for this condition, but unfortunately, some 50% of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients give up on it simply because they don't want to sleep wearing that mask all of the time.

There are surgical options, but do your homework. The most common surgery is fairly invasive, requires a good amount of time to heal, during which time you are more prone to experiencing complications.

There is a new surgical treatment coming down the road, though. One of my clients is a sleep diagnostics/surgery center led by some of the field's longest standing specialists. They are announcing a new, minimally invasive surgical procedure that uses a device using radio waves to "sculpt" the tissue of the airway to create an optimal passageway. As these procedures are performed over time, patients use CPAP during the course of treatmen but are gradually weaned off the device as their condition improves. Ultimately, they no longer require CPAP once the tissues causing the blockages have been repaired.

The docs are presenting this technique at the World Congress on Sleep Apnea taking place at the end of September, so after that the news will start filtering its way out to sleep specialists.

Sorry for the long post. I've spent a great deal of time lately writing about this stuff, so if there's anyway I can offer more info, let me know.

Yeah, I suffer when I was younge..............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Sorry about your narcolepsy, dude.

yeah, your problem is a totally differnt thing...

Weird response, but I just read an article about taking Didgeridoo lessons to strengthen the palate and throat muscles to overcome sleep apnea and its symptoms. Plus you can tell people you play Didgeridoo, and how cool would that be? Go figure.

Do you have a 4x4? If you did this never would have happened.

Sorry, couldn't resist. The main thing I've read about apnea is to lose weight. I've been meaning to try that...

Sure.

For sleep apnea.

You know how I know goofiefoot's gay?

hey man just get a body lift on your truck, that seems to solve a lot of problems

i went to my parents house at the end of the summer..a mini family reunion...

seems like every male in my family over 30 has sleep apnea.

most of them use the cpap, and can't live without it. my dad hates it, and ended up getting a custom mouthpiece which keeps his throat from closing up.

and he lost some weight.

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I felt claustrophobic with the CPAP on. At about the same time I went to an allergy specialist due to a very thorough GP family doctor. I turned out that I was allergic to our dogs who both slept on the bed and had free rein throughout the house. I was also allergic to down and we slept with a down duvet. My wife did an extremely extensive cleaning of our house, the dogs are mostly outside and can't go in our bedrooms or upstairs; we have special sheets and pillow cases that keep out allergens. I use an inhaler called that I use every morning and have learned to do "nasal lavages". I also use Nasonex once a day. It might sound like a lot to do but it sure beats having that thing strapped on my face.
Since then, I have rarely had sleep apnea. Usually only when I have an allergic response to something. I'm no doctor but you might want to check that allergy angle out first. Make sure you see a specialist. Get a referral from your family doctor. It sure made a difference for me.

I'm sorry, I accidentally hit the wrong button before I was finished. The inhaler is called: Advair

ok since brent is away.. Shouldn't this be in the club house...

Weight gain and sleep apnea go hand-in-hand. There are rare cases where "normal" weight people have it, but for the most part, big people get it. It doesn't necessarily mean obese, but it does mean overweight. Reggie White was a world class athlete, but he was big and he died of sleep apnea or complications stemming from it.

Surgery is a last ditch effort. It may or may not be successful and when I'm going into surgery, I'd like the odds to be in my favor of succeeding and not a 50/50 chance of working.

I wear the CPAP mask and it works if you use it. I am more alert. I dream more. I don't need naps in the middle of the afternoon. My blood pressure is down and my weight is dropping. I don't snore and wake up the whole neighborhood and I don't sound like I'm choking myself at night.

Yeah, it's a pain in the butt to wear and there are nights that I don't wear it because I'm sick or severely congested or I'm just lazy. I motivate myself to wear it because I don't want to die and miss out on the rest of my life especially with my 3 young children.

Interesting link between apnea and weight loss. According to the trainer for the CPAP machine, if you don't hit deep REM sleep, a certain hormone is not produced that helps in weight loss. Kind of see the catch-22?

Good luck and despite how much we may hate it, next to the CPAP machine, losing weight is the best way (and only permanent way) to get rid of sleep apnea.

Hi Shodan, for future reference, if you happen to accidentally add a reply before you're finished, on this BB software you can always click the icon in the icon bar on the post you just made to edit it.

Should it concern me that you label me gay, then post a picture of yourself? Letting you know right now - I'm not interested. Sorry to crush your dreams.

I don't look like Cal . . .

. . . do I?

Does sleep apnea change or go away if you change your sleeping position? I'd think the throat couldn't close up as badly if it weren't pointing at the sky.

At the sleep lab I used to work at, they reccomended sewing a pocket to the back of T-shirt or your pajamas and putting a tennis ball in it. This way, you couldn't sleep on your back; a position that exacerbates the condition for most people.

I went through this also. Screw the CPAP and get the surgery (if they will do it) that F-ing thing is a nightmare. I would rather suffocate in my sleep than spend one more night hooked up to a darth vador mask

I ended up dropping about 50lbs and that seems to have done the trick. I get great sleep now and the CPAP is sitting in the basment where it belongs

There's just one problem with this.

I sleep naked.

Woo doggie!

I've been using a CPAP machine for almost 10 years. I am not overweight (6'-6", 220 lbs.)People ask me if I sleep better and I tell them that my wife sleeps better now that I'm not making all kinds of noise. I tend to hold my breath while I sleep on my belly. My wife says that I hold my breath for over a minute, then squeal slowly while I exhale, gasp for air, then start again.
There are all kinds of CPAP equipment. Your Dr. will prescribe a machine and mask, but don't be afraid to tell them if your not comfortable. I've tried several different masks over the years and never liked the Darth Vader over the whole nose mask. I've found a mask called SNAP made by Tiara that works with "pillows" that expand in your nostril which for me creates a much better seal, is light weight, and doesn't block your vision say if you watch TV in bed. A great place to check out equipment is CPAP Supplies Plus
I had another sleep study about a year ago ( I found out they recommend you have them every 3 years ) and got a new machine. This one is almost silent. Plus I found out that insurance will get you a new mask and tubing every 6 months to a year.
Don't ignore this. When you hold your breath your brain doesn't get enough oxygen so your heart has to work overtime. Only so many ticks in the ticker. Use them wisely.

I appreciate all the information. I will check out the specific CPAP mask information. I used the partial mask during my sleep study, so I have some familiarity with this version. A couple people asked, why I would ask the question on XOC? I said because it represents and enormous cross section of people. Probably the broadest group I could hope to find.

I've been on the oxyen for a couple nights now, and feel a little better. The wife said that I've been much quieter the last two nights. I had to move the concentrator out of the bedroom, it was as noisy for my wife as my snoring.....both could nearly raise the dead. If this all helps both of us sleep, then it is worth it. I have the apnea, she has sleep deprivation due to my snoring.

I've got a couple people locally who have had the surgery with sucess, I guess a week+ of recovery might not be too bad either. I'll see if my issue is the sinus side, or the throat side. I am not a fan of surgery, but if it could solve the problem, I would not have to sleep with an octopus attached to my face.

Again, thanks for the information.