Anyone Have Sleep Apnea

**spierceisu** · 10-30-2012, 10:14 AM

I was just curious if anyone on here has sleep apnea. I have many of the symptoms including stopping breathing while sleeping and feeling fatigued during the day. I have a consultation with a sleep clinic coming up, but I sometimes wonder if sleep apnea is just a gimmick to sell you a expensive breathing machine. Has anyone had any experience with this? How did it work out for you?

Thanks.

**MNCyGuy** · 10-30-2012, 10:17 AM

Originally Posted by spierceisu

I was just curious if anyone on here has sleep apnea. I have many of the symptoms including stopping breathing while sleeping and feeling fatigued during the day. I have a consultation with a sleep clinic coming up, but I sometimes wonder if sleep apnea is just a gimmick to sell you a expensive breathing machine. Has anyone had any experience with this? How did it work out for you?

Thanks.

I don't have it (at least I've never felt the need to get tested), but both an old roommate and my in-laws ended up getting CPAP machines and swear by them.

**ruxCYtable** · 10-30-2012, 10:26 AM

I have it pretty badly. It is not a gimmick. I tried CPAP for a while but I could not stand it. I would take it off in the middle of the night without even knowing it. I felt like it was pinching my nose shut. I've read that something like 70% of people can't tolerate the CPAP. The 30% who can do swear by them. I'm about ready to give it another shot because now they have a mouth-only version that doesn't have to cover your entire face.

**19210** · 10-30-2012, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by spierceisu

I was just curious if anyone on here has sleep apnea. I have many of the symptoms including stopping breathing while sleeping and feeling fatigued during the day. I have a consultation with a sleep clinic coming up, but I sometimes wonder if sleep apnea is just a gimmick to sell you a expensive breathing machine. Has anyone had any experience with this? How did it work out for you?

Thanks.

I have it as well. I'm like you and don't know if it's a gimmick or not.

Also, I'm curious to know if I lose a little bit of weight would that take care the problem. I know I could stand to lose about 20 lbs and if I just worked on doing that would this resolve the issue all together.

**cyfan964** · 10-30-2012, 10:29 AM

Just paid $3,500 to have a sleep trial done at a sleep clinic. Found out I have restless leg syndrome and snore badly, both of which bring me out of REM sleep. They said I could try a CPAP, but that's not going to help the RLS so I'm pretty much just SOL.

**MNCyGuy** · 10-30-2012, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by 19210

I have it as well. I'm like you and don't know if it's a gimmick or not.

Also, I'm curious to know if I lose a little bit of weight would that take care the problem. I know I could stand to lose about 20 lbs and if I just worked on doing that would this resolve the issue all together.

Again, speaking on the experience of the people I know, my old roommate was not a skinny guy, but I wouldn't say he was heavy enough to blame his issues on weight. My father-in-law actually shed a ton of weight in the last year to deal with some unrelated health issues, but he still needs his CPAP to get restful sleep.

**farminclone** · 10-30-2012, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by cyfan964

Just paid $3,500 to have a sleep trial done at a sleep clinic. Found out I have restless leg syndrome and snore badly, both of which bring me out of REM sleep. They said I could try a CPAP, but that's not going to help the RLS so I'm pretty much just SOL.

My roommate freshman year had RLS. He swore he had sleep apnea but got tested a few times and they always told him it was RLS.

**Cymon** · 10-30-2012, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by spierceisu

I was just curious if anyone on here has sleep apnea. I have many of the symptoms including stopping breathing while sleeping and feeling fatigued during the day. I have a consultation with a sleep clinic coming up, but I sometimes wonder if sleep apnea is just a gimmick to sell you a expensive breathing machine. Has anyone had any experience with this? How did it work out for you?

Thanks.

I have it. I had a sleep study done about a year and a half ago. It runs in my family. Plus I could afford to shed some more weight. (I'm down 20 lbs.) If you can get through the first couple of weeks and get used to the machine, it is the best thing I have ever done. I'm not tired during the day and sleep great at night. I'm to the point that I hate to sleep without it. I rarely even get hung over anymore.

**3TrueFans** · 10-30-2012, 10:41 AM

Also if you get a CPAP machine you can pretend you're Bane.

**CRcyclone6** · 10-30-2012, 10:44 AM

I had it. I did the sleep study. Tried the cpap and that didn't work. Ended up having surgery in 2003 for it. Had soft pallet, uvula, and tonsils all taken out, as well as base of my tongue trimmed. Very painful surgery. It was successful though. I don't snore anymore or stop breathing while sleeping.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**IsUaClone2** · 10-30-2012, 10:59 AM

I have it and I'm sure CPAP saved my life. I had loads of trouble getting a good night's sleep even though I could nod off anytime anywhere. I had fallen asleep at traffic lights and once even while driving a moving car. Fortunately I awoke before I hit anything besides a pot hole.

The CPAP machine changed all that. The key is the mask as much as the machine. There are several different types of masks. The trick is finding the one you can tolerate.

**cyclone13** · 10-30-2012, 12:32 PM

Used to 3 years ago. Had a very severe obstructive sleep anea (I think I woke up 77 times in an hour according to the study). CPAP literally saves my life (and also my career because I felt extremely lethargic).
I thought I was just too tired of work and didn't have enough sleep before my new physician suggested me to have a sleep study.
Down 50 lbs from my worst weight and the nurse suggested me during the equipment check to consult with the doctor. Had a sleep study done 2 months ago and now I don't have to use CPAP anymore and don't snore anymore.

**JRE1975** · 10-30-2012, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by IsUaClone2

I have it and I'm sure CPAP saved my life. I had loads of trouble getting a good night's sleep even though I could nod off anytime anywhere. I had fallen asleep at traffic lights and once even while driving a moving car. Fortunately I awoke before I hit anything besides a pot hole.

The CPAP machine changed all that. The key is the mask as much as the machine. There are several different types of masks. The trick is finding the one you can tolerate.

This +1- I have a bad case and once I found a comfortable mask it has been a life saver. Been using the CPAP for 15 years and I am on my second machine and I also think it saved my life.

**ianoconnor** · 10-30-2012, 01:06 PM

My dad has it, and the CPAP seems to help a lot.

**WeBeJ** · 10-30-2012, 01:08 PM

I have it bad, one of the worst the clinic I went to had ever seen. They said 15 minutes into the study they knew I had it. I stopped breathing over a hundred times before they put the machine on me. Then another 50 before they got the correct cpap pressure correct. If you have it, where the mask. It sucks at first, but i can tell the difference. Also the snoring is gone and my wife is ecstatic. I have the mask that covers my nose and mouth. Couldn't get used to the nose only mask.