Sleep Apnea (not sure of spelling)

[jean2579]

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.

[jean2579]

Next week.

[siggie-reported-by-alarmists]

Does he have high blood pressure?....

[i-once-was-bump]

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.

[*elizabeths-mum*]

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. 😄

[jean2579]

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.

[happyroo_bunji]

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@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.

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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

[b3llag1na]

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.

[nevillesdaughter]

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.

[happyroo_bunji]

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@b3llag1na wrote:

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

 

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

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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 

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Well done!

[jean2579]

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.