Sleep apnea but not syndrome and no advice given!

Drumpot

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, given the cpap (tried two different ones) and wasn’t finding a huge difference in sleep quality after 2 months. I think one or two nights I felt great but generally wasn’t sure it was having an overall positive help.

I went back to the consultant and he said I would know in a week if the machine was helping beacause I would love the machine and be seeing the benefits. He also said he could see from my recordings that the machine was doing it’s job, fixing my apnea so my sleep issues are not the sleep apnea and I needn’t bother use the machine at this stage if it’s not improving my sleep...

The thing is that I’m still having sleep issues and no alternative was recommended. While I am no professional I do feel like my rhespiratory situation (I have post nasal drip aswell) means I don’t rest well at night. I regaularly wake up at night, sometimes to goto toilet , other times just waking up for a few seconds.

My sleep hygiene isn’t perfect but isn’t terrible. I try to not eat much after dinner, if anything, we have no tv in the room and even if I am reading before sleep the issue isn’t resolved (getting to sleep isn’t the problem). I am generally in bed before 12, usually around 11, generally allow for 7-8 hours of sleep. Don’t drink, don’t smoke.

I Am thinking of trying out spectrum therapy but find it hard to believe that it’s a therapy solution as opposed to a physical issue. I’ve been going to CBT for years and no amount of improving /working on sleep hygiene has made much difference. That said, I have an anxious personality and do regularly feel anxiety which could be the big factor (but I have been working on this for years).

I am just curious if anybody else has similar experiences, particularly where the machine wasn’t solving their sleep problems!

I was regularly waking at night to go to the bathroom and since i've had my cpap i haven't once. Were you still waking in the night when you had the cpap on? I'm surprised your consultant said all that to you to be honest - mine was very cautious and explained it would be a very gradual impact and that even at the one month follow up i would be likely to say 'yeah it might be helping a bit'. And so far it's actually quite true. So for yours to say you'd know in a week 100% I feel is very discouraging. Even the guy renting the machine told me I was not to even think about buying a machine from him in 3 months regardless because I wouldn't be used enough to it yet to know anything about anything.

My own consultant did say we would look at other lifestyle factors if the machine didn't help at all e.g. anti histamines, caffeine intake, etc.

I don't understand the part about 'the machine has fixed your apnea so your issue isn't apnea'. It doesn't get fixed by cpap. cpap is just a long term treatment. If your issue was physical e.g. jaw placement and airway restriction, surgery might be a solution. Maybe i have misunderstood.
I am really surprised at what you've said compared to my own experience so far and wonder if it would be worthwhile trying another consultant

Rodin

Drumpot wrote: »

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, given the cpap (tried two different ones) and wasn’t finding a huge difference in sleep quality after 2 months. I think one or two nights I felt great but generally wasn’t sure it was having an overall positive help.

I went back to the consultant and he said I would know in a week if the machine was helping beacause I would love the machine and be seeing the benefits. He also said he could see from my recordings that the machine was doing it’s job, fixing my apnea so my sleep issues are not the sleep apnea and I needn’t bother use the machine at this stage if it’s not improving my sleep...

The thing is that I’m still having sleep issues and no alternative was recommended. While I am no professional I do feel like my rhespiratory situation (I have post nasal drip aswell) means I don’t rest well at night. I regaularly wake up at night, sometimes to goto toilet , other times just waking up for a few seconds.

My sleep hygiene isn’t perfect but isn’t terrible. I try to not eat much after dinner, if anything, we have no tv in the room and even if I am reading before sleep the issue isn’t resolved (getting to sleep isn’t the problem). I am generally in bed before 12, usually around 11, generally allow for 7-8 hours of sleep. Don’t drink, don’t smoke.

I Am thinking of trying out spectrum therapy but find it hard to believe that it’s a therapy solution as opposed to a physical issue. I’ve been going to CBT for years and no amount of improving /working on sleep hygiene has made much difference. That said, I have an anxious personality and do regularly feel anxiety which could be the big factor (but I have been working on this for years).

I am just curious if anybody else has similar experiences, particularly where the machine wasn’t solving their sleep problems!

How much do you weigh?

Drumpot

bluewolf wrote: »

I was regularly waking at night to go to the bathroom and since i've had my cpap i haven't once. Were you still waking in the night when you had the cpap on? I'm surprised your consultant said all that to you to be honest - mine was very cautious and explained it would be a very gradual impact and that even at the one month follow up i would be likely to say 'yeah it might be helping a bit'. And so far it's actually quite true. So for yours to say you'd know in a week 100% I feel is very discouraging. Even the guy renting the machine told me I was not to even think about buying a machine from him in 3 months regardless because I wouldn't be used enough to it yet to know anything about anything.

My own consultant did say we would look at other lifestyle factors if the machine didn't help at all e.g. anti histamines, caffeine intake, etc.

I don't understand the part about 'the machine has fixed your apnea so your issue isn't apnea'. It doesn't get fixed by cpap. cpap is just a long term treatment. If your issue was physical e.g. jaw placement and airway restriction, surgery might be a solution. Maybe i have misunderstood.
I am really surprised at what you've said compared to my own experience so far and wonder if it would be worthwhile trying another consultant

Thanks for your experience. I am going to see my doctor today to as exactly what the consultant said in his notes that warranted going off the machine. Perhaps there was something I missed, if not I will be looking to get back on it.

Rodin wrote: »

How much do you weigh?

Funny you should ask because I had my weight down to its lowest in years and recently have put on a stone. I am prob about 2 stone from ideal weight.

Fathom

Christopher E. Kline, et al, The Effect of Exercise Training on Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Sleep Quality: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Sleep, Volume 34, Issue 12, 1 December 2011, Pages 1631–1640, concluded "Exercise training had moderate treatment efficacy for the reduction of AHI... (and suggested) that exercise may be beneficial for the management of OSA."