StokerPoker

I know that all of us clydes have a higher risk for many health problems. One of mine that is partially related to my clydeness is sleep apnea. (although it runs in the family so even if I lose the weight it probably won's solve it.) Over the last few years I've spent a lot of time trying to take care of my health as a whole, meaning physical and mental. In the process of getting my overall health back in order after years of neglect I have spent countless hours in Dr.'s offices and hospitals. I had surgery a year and a half ago to reconstruct the septum in my nose and they basically took a roto-rooter to my nose and opened up the airway. Insurance covered this completely. I left the hospital a few hours later and was sore and couldn't breath through my nose for a week. since then I have had allergy problems year round. That surgery did not help my sleep apnea and actually has caused more harm than good. The Doctor sent me to a sleep clinic in December for a sleep study to see how often I stopped breathing in my sleep, how long I stopped breathing, what my oxygen levels dropped to and basically to see how hard my body was trying to kill itself. I returned to the sleep clinic February 7th for another sleep study, but this time using a CPAP (constant positive air pressure) machine. They told me my insurance would cover the machine and I would have it 3 weeks from that day. (would be tomorrow) I get a call from the medical equipment supplier this afternoon and she asks "which would you like to hear first, the good news, or the bad news?" I told her I'd be hearing both anyway, so start with the one she wanted to. She told me my machine was in and she could deliver it Monday. But the bad news is, I have to pay a COD of $304.71. I was quite shocked by this and asked why. Apparently I have a 50% co-pay for durable medical equipment. I guess it's my fault for not digging up the packet I got when I got this insurance through my employer almost 3 years ago, but when someone tells me something is covered under my insurance, I figure it's completely covered, or I'd have to pay my $40 perscription co-pay or something like that. I'm not saying that it isn't worth the $304, but it came as a shock. I can't put a price on my health, and for all the parts of my life that will get better, it's a bargain at 4 times the pric. It's just a shock. I should have checked up on it myself before, but I didn't.
and now on to some questions.
Does anyone here have sleep apnea, or know anyone with it?
do you/they have a CPAP machine?
do you/they actually use it?
have you noticed significant benefits in your quality of life?
any weight loss that you believe is helpd by your treatment? (sleep apnea is said to cause weight gain, so I would think treating it would slow, stop or possibly undo some of it.)
and if anyone has anything else to add feel free.

thanks for reading this exceptionally long post

Hardheadmandca

I have Sleep Apnea and a couple related sleep disorders.
I have been using a CPAP nightly since about 1999.
I moved from DC to Fresno, CA last Summer, and recently had a new sleep study done. As a result of that I got a new, more modern, CPAP. I like it very much.

Using a CPAP has had no effect on my weight loss or gain. It does make my family happier as I am no longer shaking the house with my snoring. That, by itself, makes it all worthwhile.

I am getting more sleep, and I am excercising more, but that is more based on my committment to the Team in Training than the CPAP - well, at least the excercising.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

BTW, you should contact your insurance directly and see if there are other options than COD available. I pay 10% for mine, but it is spread out over 9 months, then I own it.

Brian

centexwoody 

I'm eligible for a new machine every 3 years. Got the 'new' smaller version 2 weeks ago and works fine. BTW, my co-pay is around $ 275 but it's worth every penny.

Diagnosed 3 years ago - A sleep study recorded 30 apnic incidents an hour...

oh, yes

every day of the year - even overseas, with the right plug, the motor adjusts automatically to changes in voltage. The only 5 days a year I don't use it is an annual backpacking trip with old friends.

Definitely: as noted, no more snoring & my favorite wife appreciates that A LOT. Also was suffering some erectile dysfunction and after using the CPAP for a week, no more issues at all Evidently the persistent exhaustion from apnea can affect us in different ways.

no weight gain or loss that I've noticed - with better sleep I'm more motivated to exercise anyway

Getting used to the mask is a PITA. The masks come in S, M, L and the L is too short for my face (I use a full-face mask). Other than that the difference in energy, ability to stay awake all day, the lack of snoring, better sex all add up to a higher quality of life. I guess I won't die of an apnic incident in the middle of the night which is some comfort to those who love me...[/QUOTE]

jaxgtr

I have sleep apnea in a major way, in fact my score was an off the scale 103. They rolled a crash cart into the room and stopped my test midway to put me on the CPAP. The tech was so spooked that he called the doctor at 2 in the morning during the test and I had my CPAP unit in 2 days after my sleep study. The doc gave me one to use until my insurance got me one. I guess I was lucky as I did not have any out of pocket expense. I don't know if my score has improved with my weight loss, but on my last visit, my doctor said he was going to have me take another sleep test once I hit 100 lbs loss to see if the pressure needs to be adjusted.

I know my wife and kids are happier and my energy levels went throught the roof once I got on my cpap and I think I initially lost about 10 to 15 lbs, but I really started losing weight once I started riding after going on my CPAP. I really believe I would not have been able to start riding without the CPAP machine as I did not have the energy to do anything.

My mother in law has it as well and I know my Mom had it, but was not diagnosed. According to my doc, about 70% of the public has some form of Sleep Ap in various forms, many of them are mild and don't know they have it. I use the full face ResMed mask and I found that mask the most comfortable for me. This is a really scary problem and I have told anyone and everyone that will listen to look at the symptoms and if they have any of them they might want to talk to their doctor. A friend of mine kept having issues with heart rate spikes. One minute he is cruising along normal and then the rate jumps to 180. Everyone thought he was having heart issues, but after 18 months of hospital stays and many, many heart doc visits, one specialist mentions in passing about maybe having a sleep test as sleep ap has been known to cause HR issues. It's been 5 years since he went on CPAP and he has not had any issues since.

Tom Stormcrowe

You sound like me! In my first sleep study, my O2 sats were dropping to 54% before I restarted breathing with a huge gasp! I was on a BIPAP at 20/17 cm dual pressure and am now down to 10 cm CPAP. It gets better as you lose weight!

StokerPoker

Wow..so many responses so soon. I'm glad to see all are of you are committed to using the machine. it makes me feel better about all of this.
Hardhead: I contacted my insurance and they confirmed the 50% copay. I'll deal with it. I just got home from opening up a savings account for the first time in years and I still won't have to touch it to pay for the CPAP or the dishwasher I'm surprising my mother with on saturday.

Contex: Luckily I haven't done any rustic camping in a while. I plan on camping a few times this summer so electricity won't be a problem. I agree that the exhaustion can effect us in many ways. Oddly enough I've had problems with ED in the past, and it freaked me out but I thought it was my blood pressure medicine. (could be either I suppose) I have some other problems that have shown up in the last few years such has high blood pressure, a form of bipolar disorder, dizziness and vertigo when I stand up after sitting more than a few minutes...etc. Mine is coming with a mask that just goes into my nose and there is no center strap so I can have my glasses on while wearing it.

Jax: I think the increased energy level will help me want to exercise more. many days all i want to do is sleep, but the more I sleep I get, the worse I feel

Tom: don't even bother trying to sleep on my back anymore cause before I know I'm asleep I catch myself gasping. I'm looking forward to sleeping on my back. hopefully it will quit hurting.

smitty: I'm so REM deprived, my cycles start with REM.

thanks so much guys

jaxgtr

Make sure you talk to the supply company to see about alternatives to the nose delivery method. I tried 4 different mask before I found one that I was ok with. My Mom In Law had the nose system but could not get used to it, so she moved over to a mask and it seems to be working good for her. Give them a week or two to get used to it before trying something else. You will get an initial rubbing effect around your nostrils and basically have to build up a toughining of the skin. Stuffy heads make it difficult but not impossible to get a good air flow. Salt Water into the sinus area to relieve the mucus material will help. If yours comes with a warmer for the water chamber, make sure you know how to reduce or increase the warming level. Mine was set way to warm and created moisture in the tubing and I kept having water build up in my mask, not a good thing.

Finally, make sure you use it every night and welcome back from the sleep deprived. I can not tell you the difference it made in my life. It is night and day. If you have other questions, you can PM me anytime. I went to https://www.cpap-forum.com/forum/ and found copious amounts of info when I first got my CPAP.

Tom Stormcrowe

Stoker,

The difference you'll feel will be literally unbelievable to mere mortals! I'm not kidding!

centexwoody 

Yup, that's the problem I've had - the bridge of my nose getting so d*mn tender I could hardly stand it. Finally the sleep therapist suggested not having the CPAP 'ramp' on its pressure but go full bore. This helped the mask fill with air and sit onto my face much more comfortably.

+ 1 on the humidifier. My septum is so crooked that one side is 80% blocked and the other 20% so I am an 'open-mouth sleeper'. One of these days I'll have it straightened (maybe). Having the water chamber and humidifier means that now I wake up without feeling like Sherman marched through Georgia across my tongue...

jaxgtr

Yea, I went full steam ahead about 2 weeks into it as it kept moving around and once the mask is full it stay in place pretty good. Good point.

Ray Dockrey

I wanted to chime in here about a better quality of life with the CPAP machine. I don't have Sleep Apnea. My wife does. I watched her go for years with out sleep. I didn't know what was wrong with her. She could sleep ten-twelve hours and still be exhausted. The doctor did every test available and basically told her that there was nothing wrong with her. She was about out of her mind. She thought she was going crazy. i was listening to her sleep one night and realized that she would stop breathing for long periods of time. She also snored real bad but I didn't know any better. After another round of tests she came home crying I told her to tell the doctor to do a sleep test. The Doctor told her that wasn't her problem but we insisted and so they did. Half way through the night they woke her up and put her on the machine. I forget what her numbers were but it was very bad. That was the best night of sleep she had ever had. She got her CPAP machine and her life changed drastically. I live with a different woman now. This was probably ten years ago and I still can't believe the difference. I promise you your life will change.

FarHorizon

I also have sleep apnea. My doctor wants me to use a CPAP. I tried & found the thing so irritating that I couldn't sleep! I had to pay the entire $1,000 out of pocket for the model I got, and then the darned thing broke after less than a year! Under warranty, I got a replacement, and THAT ONE BROKE TOO! The CPAP is a REMSTAR model & I'm PROFOUNDLY unhappy with it. Both the nose mask and the nose/mouth model are IMPOSSIBLE to get a good seal with. The air leaking out around the mask is a continual source of irritation.

So long as I sleep on my side, the apnea isn't too bad, so I'm undecided on whether or not to replace the CPAP. Does anyone have a make (and facemask) that they're pleased with?

airbrake

Hey Stoker, another victim here. I use the mask with the nose pieces. Since I have a beard it's the only way to get a seal. The beard has been there 33 yrs so it has seniority! I use the chin strap to keep my mouth shut(no small job!) and have attached velcro to the sides of it to help steady the mask. The previous posters have pretty much covered everything, but there are a couple of interesting side effects. I used to get up to pee 2-4 times a night. In the 2 yrs with cpap...0. The other thing is dreaming. Every night is like going to the movies! Good luck

dydst

hey stoker poker-

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about a year and a half ago. I used to sleep ten, twelve hours a day and not feel rested. I was put on CPAP, and my life has improved . . . well, dramatically. I'm rested after 8 hours of sleep (maybe nine after a long ride!) I don't take nearly as many naps as I used too, etc.

I use my CPAP machine religiously. I take it when I go out of town, on vacation, I took it to France last summer, it's a necessity. It took several weeks to get used to sleeping with such a cumbersome device, but now it's second nature.

I was extremely lucky -- my insurance covered both the sleep studies (at least over $1500, if I recall) and 100% of my CPAP machine.

It sucks that you are going to have to lay out several hundred dollars for it -- but it's worth it.

AND, after using it for a little while, I promise that you will find that you have more energy to exercise.

Good luck!

StokerPoker

[QUOTE=smittyben][QUOTE=centexwoody]
My septum is so crooked that one side is 80% blocked and the other 20% mine were similar...90% and 20%. the surgery corrected that, but it was hell for a week afterward. and it took 3 weeks to fully regain my sense of smell. I do breathe better when I'm awake now if I use my flonase and take claritin every day.

StokerPoker

My beard isn't as old as yours, but it's certainly been around a while. the mask I'm getting is a new design and it has the nose piece that goes into my nose. My machine will also have the heated humidifier. I really excited about feeling better. I'm so tired of falling asleep at school or anywhere else that I sit down without some kind of physical activity. That's part of the reason I ride the bike more and drive less. had a couple scary close calls.

HAMMER MAN

I have a sleep disruptive pattern which verges on sleep apena. I have already had one sleep study done and I am in the process of getting another study. I really have no problem going to sleep but seems to be between 1:00 and 2:00 A.m., I seem to start waking up and then it is more or less like I am just resting and aware of everything around me, more than once though I wake-up gasping for air.
This restless type pattern of sleep will go for 4-5 nights or more than it seems one or maybe two nights a week I sleep very soundly or I think I do.
I never feel really rested, I am not over weight and as far as I know no other member in the family has any such problem.

the sleep study that was done was about a year ago, and if I remember right the comments were very restless in bed, did not fully go into the rem sleep pattern and held by breathing for so many seconds, but it was not quite in the sleep apena parameters, thus they labled it sleep disruptive pattern..
I also find i have a tendency to doze off alot at work or if I am not doing anything seem to start nodding off, it does become irritating

kponds

With a good night's sleep your life will be 1000x better in every way.

I had pretty bad apnea (doctor estimated I was getting about about 10% of my eight hours was actual good "sleep time"), but never did a CPAP. I started exercising and eating right and 30-40 lbs later, the apnea was completely gone.

It's absolutely amazing what difference a good night's sleep is. If I had known then what I know now, I would have been on a CPAP in a microsecond.

jaxgtr

I have a Remstar pro 2 machine and it has worked flawlessly. My mask is a ResMed Mirage Activa Nasal Mask. The mask retracts and expands very easy and has a pretty soft contact area. I really like it.

https://www.resmed.com/portal/site/Re...1&vgnPNum=null

N_C

I have sleep apnea as well. I have been using a Resperonics CPAP for over 3 years now. I use the Comfort Select silicon mask, that covers my nose only, not the nasal pillows, but the actual mask. It has been a GOD send. I actually sleep & dream now. Where before I could be in bed for 12 hours & still feel exhausted. Now after 8 hours I automatically wake up.

When I camp or do events like RAGBRAI & there is no electricity available I use a deep cycle marine battery with a power inverter to operate my machine. It lasts for 6 nights, so far, hacve not used it beyond that but I imagine it would go longer before I need to recharge the battery. So it is possible to use your CPAP & camp on bike events with out electricity. For details on my set up pm me & I'll advise you on what I use. The set up I have when I camp has 5 parts to it.

N_C

RESMED has a new one that may work better. I use a Resperonics Comfort Select. 100% silicon with a wide head rest band, 4 adjustable straps.

AGGRO

After our first child I gained 20+ lbs from the not sleeping/eating too much and developed BAD SA. For some reason I also developed horrible stomach acid issues too. Well after being like this for a year and sleeping on the couch etc I got serious back into shape and lost all that extra weight. Both the SA and the stomach issues disappeared at the same time.

So there is hope out there Good luck.

N_C

Yes being over weight contributes to SA. But it is also genetic. I am over weight, no doubt that is part of the reason I have SA. It is also believed my dad has it, he won't get a sleep study to confirm or not & it was thought his dad had it. Of course then I do not think there was studies or treatment for it.

centexwoody 

The state of NJ put out a video about drivers falling asleep on the roads. I was shown this video before my sleep study. Seems that the state had so many mid-afternoon accidents on the freeways that were caused by drivers 'dozing off' behind the wheel, they started to investigate. That was when they discovered how many folks suffer from sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. New Jersey announced that 'dozing off' behind the wheel in the middle of the day would no longer be tolerated as a legitimate excuse for causing an accident. And why they were helping promote sleep studies done to determine sleep dysfunction and getting something done about it.

I've never driven in NJ before or after seeing this video...

StokerPoker

My dad has had it for longer than I can remember and only recently became slightly overweight. He had surgery to remove his soft pallate and surrounding tissues years ago but it didn't help. He did the first sleep study but refused to be fitted for a CPAP. maybe after I use mine for a while he'll learn yet another lesson from his son....