topic Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling) in Community Spirit

Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

jean2579 — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 09:40:22 GMT

Does anyone know much about sleep apnea? My Husband has been diagnosed with this and has been booked into a sleep lab for investigation. The doctor was not very forthcoming on causes and possible long term problems.

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

*mrgrizz* — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 09:51:23 GMT

you need to have the sleep study to diagnosed

your husband carries a few kilos?

losing weight is the best cure, especially atound the neck area

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

happyroo_bunji — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 09:54:28 GMT

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea late last year. There isn't a single cause of apnea. Long term problems are increased risk of heart attack, stroke, diabeties. If the apnea is bad enough your husband may be banned from driving.

If you google 'sleep apnea' there is heaps of info out there. Feel free to PM me jean if you like

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

jean2579 — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 09:55:31 GMT

Thanks Mr Grizz. He is overweight due mainly to the cocktail of meds he takes for another illness. He is nearly 70 and finds it very difficult to lose weight.

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

jean2579 — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 09:57:18 GMT

Thanks happyroo I will check google, and thanks for the offer. I am very worried as he keeps falling asleep at odd times. He has not driven since he started to feel unwell.

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

siggie-reported-by-alarmists — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 21:28:36 GMT

They need to measure how many times an hour he stops breathing.

There are appliances (worn in mouth like plates) he can have made to bring his bottom jaw forward to maintain his airway when sleeping. This will stop him snoring, and reduce the number of times he stops breathing.

Fix this, and he might be able to reduce the meds he takes.

All the best,

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

debra9275 — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 21:46:48 GMT

Is he a heavy snorer Jean?

Occasionaly my OH does a big snort in and doesn't breath out again for a few seconds,. but it only happens occasionaly, it always worries me when i notice him do that, but he does have a stent in his heart. So I guess I'm really always on alert

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

happyroo_bunji — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 02:53:43 GMT

@*mrgrizz* wrote:
you need to have the sleep study to diagnosed
your husband carries a few kilos?

losing weight is the best cure, especially atound the neck area

Losing weight will lessen the severity of the apnea but it won't cure it. I know people who lost weight but still have apnea.

There is no cure

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

jean2579 — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 02:59:35 GMT

Thanks Siggie, but the meds he takes are related to a very different illness which he has had for almost 50 years and he can't stop taking. But I am very worried about him and find myself constantly checking to see that he is still breathing.

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

siggie-reported-by-alarmists — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 03:03:00 GMT

When is his sleep test?

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

jean2579 — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 03:10:33 GMT

Next week.

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

siggie-reported-by-alarmists — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 03:14:59 GMT

Does he have high blood pressure?....

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

i-once-was-bump — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 10:06:55 GMT

If the apnea is bad enough your husband may be banned from driving.

So would the person have to be tested by a doctor for the apnea to be considered bad enough to be banned from driving?

I find that interesting because I know someone who refuses point blank to be tested and he is very overweight and a heavy smoker, how he doesn't fall alseep while walking is a miracle.

I'm starting to think he won't agree to being tested because he knows he would most likely lose his drivers licence.

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

*elizabeths-mum* — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 10:16:10 GMT

He might also just think that he wouldn't use a machine at night so no point getting tested.

My husband went through the testing and failed (from his point of view) He was so enjoying telling everyone about how he was going to need a C-pap. 😄

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

jean2579 — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 11:01:15 GMT

My Husband has made the decision himself not to drive until the results of the test are in. He is concerned not only for his own safety but for anyone else on the road. He knows about the night equipment that he will need and is OK with that. He is just desperate to get his life back on an even keel. I also would like to get back into our bed and give up the recliner in the lounge. I don'e like sleeping on my own.

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

happyroo_bunji — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 11:08:31 GMT

@i-once-was-bump wrote:
If the apnea is bad enough your husband may be banned from driving.

So would the person have to be tested by a doctor for the apnea to be considered bad enough to be banned from driving?

I find that interesting because I know someone who refuses point blank to be tested and he is very overweight and a heavy smoker, how he doesn't fall alseep while walking is a miracle.

I'm starting to think he won't agree to being tested because he knows he would most likely lose his drivers licence.

yes they would have to be tested.The ban doesn't have to permanent, if he had apnea and through the use of a cpap machine, he responded well, then they would give back his license.

Hope I'm making sense

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

b3llag1na — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 12:32:21 GMT

I have sleep apnoea and no one EVER told me my driver's licence would be taken from me!!

I have been on a cpap machine for couple of years now, after the initial adjustment I have found it absolutely brilliant.

I no longer fall asleep whenever I sit down, or wake up as tired as I went to bed... and no one complains about my snoring

I have also got heaps more energy, and have actually lost weight

I also had a friend who refused to be tested for sleep apnea as he would have lost his job if diagnosed - he died of a heart attack in his late 40s.

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

nevillesdaughter — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 07:47:24 GMT

My brother-in-law has been through the whole sleep centre diagnosis thingy. As a previous writer suggested, my b-i-l is indeed quite overweight, and a smoker and was found to be stopping breathing frequently at night, which then explained constantly being tired, and suffering badly with headaches.

In his case, the problem was found to be an area of the brain damaged - probably in a massive motorcycle 20 years prior, but the weight and smoking certainly played their part.

He now has to sleep with a mask and machine to make sure he doesn't die in his sleep (even takes it on long-haul o'seas flights and has to be seated near a power point on the plane!). He continues to smoke though, and is still overweight.

Hope this is of some help,

Marina.

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

happyroo_bunji — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 09:19:51 GMT

@b3llag1na wrote:
I have sleep apnoea and no one EVER told me my driver's licence would be taken from me!!

I didn't say it WOULD be taken, only it may.

I have been on a cpap machine for couple of years now, after the initial adjustment I have found it absolutely brilliant.
I no longer fall asleep whenever I sit down, or wake up as tired as I went to bed... and no one complains about my snoring
I have also got heaps more energy, and have actually lost weight

Well done!

Re: Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

jean2579 — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 11:54:28 GMT

Neither of us have ever smoked. OH is certainly overweight, but this is mainly due to a large cocktail of drugs which he takes several times a day. He cannot under any circumstances cease taking these, so it is a it of a vicious cycle re the weight issue. We ae both pretty much at our wits end. Until this thread I did not know that sleep issues affected so many people. The advice here has been wonderful.