Sleep apnea?

[big4life]

Has anyone here been diagnosed with it, or suspect they may have it?

I'm beginning to think that maybe I have it. I'm a loud snorer, or so I've been told. I am almost always very sleepy when I wake up, and don't feel like I have a restful sleep. Here lately I have woke up in the middle of the night gasping for air, several times. (Not a good feeling.)

 

[EnderJE]

Has anyone here been diagnosed with it, or suspect they may have it?

I'm beginning to think that maybe I have it. I'm a loud snorer, or so I've been told. I am almost always very sleepy when I wake up, and don't feel like I have a restful sleep. Here lately I have woke up in the middle of the night gasping for air, several times. (Not a good feeling.)

Go. Doctor. Now.

Uncle died in sleep because of it.

 

[PICK3]

get some of those strips that open on your nasal passages. (breathe right?)

 

[big4life]

Go. Doctor. Now.

Uncle died in sleep because of it.

Sorry about your uncle.

I'm going to talk to my doctor about it, but everything that I have read about it says there is not really a treatment for it. There is a mask that you wear over your nose while you sleep that forces air through the nasal passages during sleep to prevent the throat from collapsing during sleep and obstructing the airway. The other treatment is behavioral changes, sleeping on your side instead of your back, avoiding alcohol or sleeping pills, etc..

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

hey. glad i saw this. im a boarded sleep specialist. if you pm me your email i'll send you some information.

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

Sorry about your uncle.

I'm going to talk to my doctor about it, but everything that I have read about it says there is not really a treatment for it. There is a mask that you wear over your nose while you sleep that forces air through the nasal passages during sleep to prevent the throat from collapsing during sleep and obstructing the airway. The other treatment is behavioral changes, sleeping on your side instead of your back, avoiding alcohol or sleeping pills, etc..

the mask is actually called CPAP or BIPAP. it introduces positive pressure to force your airway to stay open. sometimes it can take quite a lot. this is by far the best route to go for most people. it will take some getting used to, and the excessive daytime sleepiness doesnt go away immediately (although amazing improvements can be seen usually the day after you use it the first time), but with the positive lifestyle changes (being more active, and happier) along with the physiological benefits) that can accompany getting better sleep, its well worth going in just for the diagnostic side of the sleep study.

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

get some of those strips that open on your nasal passages. (breathe right?)

waste of time for most people.

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

Here lately I have woke up in the middle of the night gasping for air, several times. (Not a good feeling.)

your left ventricle hates you because of this. symptoms consistent with sleep apnea would be pounding heartbeats, sweating, feeling warmer than usual, headaches, grogginess, excessive daytime sleepiness, and hallucinations (usually upon going to sleep and waking up)

 

[Raptorex]

hey. glad i saw this. im a boarded sleep specialist. if you pm me your email i'll send you some information.

I have the same symptoms, can you send me also...much appreciated.

 

[The_Ghost]

I am pretty sure I have it. I have almost all the systems and awake every hour from my gasps.

JP can you send me some info on what you have.

Its about time I get this looked since I have a kid on the way.

 

[Raptorex]

Serious question, have you guys done much ephedra?

 

[biteme]

It's because we're all too big. Just one of the prices that we have to pay. The bigger you neck is, the more likely you are to have it.

 

[BrothaBill]

never mind

 

[big4life]

Serious question, have you guys done much ephedra?

Nope, not recently. Several years ago I use to dring a sports drink that had ephedra in it, but I quit because of the way it made me feel.

 

[The_Ghost]

It's because we're all too big. Just one of the prices that we have to pay. The bigger you neck is, the more likely you are to have it.

That is the case for some but I have been this way for over 10 years if not longer, long before I was this size.

I honestly don't know the last time I slept through the night without waking up almost hourly, sometimes every half hour.

 

[Raptorex]

It's because we're all too big. Just one of the prices that we have to pay. The bigger you neck is, the more likely you are to have it.

I never had it and my neck has grown 3 sizes in the past 5 years...makes sense.

 

[big4life]

Here is a site that I found on it.

http://www.sleepapnea.org/

 

[Raptorex]

Thanks, this gasping shit freaks me out and my girl...I think it could be anxiety too? you have any?

 

[The_Ghost]

Thanks, this gasping shit freaks me out and my girl...I think it could be anxiety too? you have any?

not me.

 

[Raptorex]

how about PHs

 

[big4life]

Thanks, this gasping shit freaks me out and my girl...I think it could be anxiety too? you have any?

Nope, not me.

I'm not sure what causes it, but it does freak me out.

 

[Raptorex]

Nope, not me.

I'm not sure what causes it, but it does freak me out.

at first, I thought she was suffocating me with a pillow...but I figured it out when it happened when I was alone

 

[Raptorex]

Ok, this disturbs me now...

http://www.wisinfo.com/dailytribune/wrdtlocal/289227479149587.shtml

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

4/5 people who snore have obstructive sleep apnea. having a neck of even a normal size puts you at risk sometimes. waking up not feeling rested is a hallmark symptom of sleep apnea.

when you fall asleep, its difficult for your body to maintain adequate respiratory flow anyways. if you dont breathe as deeply or at least perfuse enough air as your body needs, you suffer an increase in CO2 and your oxygen level desaturates, sometimes significantly. this leads your body to wake you up, or an ''arousal''. that can happen (especially if you snore) every 20 or 30 seconds depending on a lot of other things.

from that you dont get good sleep because... you have to wake yourself up to start breathing again, which causes your sleep to be fragmented... that leads to you not getting enough REM sleep (think of it as mental restoration) because during REM sleep your body inhibits descending motor commands almost entirely (think of if we could generate movements in response to our dreams, yikes.) so we're at even more of a disadvantage to trying to breathe adequately. lack of REM sleep will lead to a decrease in your ability to be mentally sharp, because one of the first things you starve when your oxygen desaturates is your brain.


just as bad as the part about REM sleep is the other really deep stage of sleep is usually fragmented when apnea is present. SWS or slow wave sleep is actually your deepest sleep. its the only time when released GH will have any real effects, because thyroid stimulating hormone is inhibited. this allows GH to signal your body to burn fat, build muscle, and build bone (thats a pretty big simplification, but thats actually pretty accurate). in patients with apena, the fragmentation of sleep can result in a decrease or even absence of this SWS. this will lead to decreased ability to recover, and a lack of energy.


here's the kicker....

its really hard on your heart (especially left ventricle) to stop breathing and start again. when yhou stop bgreathing and your oxygen dips, your heart works harder to compensate. over time this can lead to Left ventricle Hypertrophy ( a really big left ventricle with a thin wall so it cant contract hard, leading to blood pooling in your ventricle, clotting, or just inadequate oxygenation to the rest of your body)

it will cause your blood pressure to go up, your cortisol to go through the roof, and have terribly detrimental effects on your life. youll be tired all the time, not want to trudge on, and really its hard for your body to recover from anything because of the fragmentation of your sleep, no rest, and the fact that youre not getting enough SWS.

along with that comes a huge rise in cortisol, anxiety, and eventually heart failure.

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

I am pretty sure I have it. I have almost all the systems and awake every hour from my gasps.

JP can you send me some info on what you have.

Its about time I get this looked since I have a kid on the way.

yeah bro, im putting it up on the web. will you pm me your email, ill send you a history evaluation that may help me advise you.

 

[Raptorex]

4/5 people who snore have obstructive sleep apnea. having a neck of even a normal size puts you at risk sometimes. waking up not feeling rested is a hallmark symptom of sleep apnea.
...
along with that comes a huge rise in cortisol, anxiety, and eventually heart failure.

Thanks JP, I'm going to take it more seriously now. Much appreciated.

 

[big4life]

Thanks Juicedpigtails for all the information and help.

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

Serious question, have you guys done much ephedra?

yeah, and thats could be linked, not for any other reason than how it changes the architecture of your sleep when you come back down from being all amped up.

another thing that stimulants cause is increased arousals (read: awakenings for around 3-10 seconds you dont harldy remember) and decreased REM sleep

 

[The_Ghost]

yeah bro, im putting it up on the web. will you pm me your email, ill send you a history evaluation that may help me advise you.

done bro!!

Thanks!!!!

 

[Raptorex]

yeah, and thats could be linked, not for any other reason than how it changes the architecture of your sleep when you come back down from being all amped up.

another thing that stimulants cause is increased arousals (read: awakenings for around 3-10 seconds you dont harldy remember) and decreased REM sleep

I've tried to wean off them this year and just take green tea tabs to work out...It has reduced the frequency to there my be a relationship in my case...the tribulus takes care of the arousals...Thanks again.

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

Thanks, this gasping shit freaks me out and my girl...I think it could be anxiety too? you have any?

anxiety could very well go hand in hand. the intense sympathetic activation associated with anxiety (think fight or flight response, adrenaline, amped up HR, respiratory rate) is closely related to CRTH (cortisol)... its all closely related (in some people)

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

I've tried to wean off them this year and just take green tea tabs to work out...It has reduced the frequency to there my be a relationship in my case...the tribulus takes care of the arousals...Thanks again.

good for you, although i love ephedra like a brother also.

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

www.mastercraftmojo.com/normal sleep booklet.pdf here's an adobe .pdf outlining normal sleep...

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

It's because we're all too big. Just one of the prices that we have to pay. The bigger you neck is, the more likely you are to have it.

the part about your neck is very true. CPAP and BIPAP both can really help us big guys out.

 

[BrothaBill]

Left ventricular hypertrophy also leads to congestive heart failure, not pleasant. First the muscle thickens, then the next step is expansion of the LV, actin and myosin fibers no longer connect and contractility is lost can never be regained. Heart fails, drown in own fluids, yukky.

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

seriously brothers, take care of yourselves.


brothabill, im sure the clinic you work at sends TONS of people for sleep studies, no? our main arkansas office is based out of a building which houses a cardiology clinic

 

[BrothaBill]

seriously brothers, take care of yourselves.


brothabill, im sure the clinic you work at sends TONS of people for sleep studies, no? our main arkansas office is based out of a building which houses a cardiology clinic

Sure do, but not tons since alot of the patients are management of cardiovascular disease and its more like followup valve issues, heart attacks/coronary heart disease, heart failure, chest pain... so patients are already established and apnea has already been assessed. Thats usually done by the primary care docs in my area. Certainly one of the possibilities considered if LVH is present and their blood pressure is within normal limits or its not some form of cardiomyopathy. Definitely not good for the heart by any means.

 

[The Red Dragon]

I thought apnea only hit obese people
I have apnea like symptoms when I'm under nocturnal anxiety attacks

I thought apnea was also due to the partial pressure of carbon dioxide dropping as a result of hyperventilation or something

Scary shit IMO

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

Sure do, but not tons since alot of the patients are management of cardiovascular disease and its more like followup valve issues, heart attacks/coronary heart disease, heart failure, chest pain... so patients are already established and apnea has already been assessed. Thats usually done by the primary care docs in my area. Certainly one of the possibilities considered if LVH is present and their blood pressure is within normal limits or its not some form of cardiomyopathy. Definitely not good for the heart by any means.

agreed about not being good for the heart. your area sounds more on top of things than where im at. we get mostly people who have failed to head any problems off at the pass and end up with stage 3 CHF before they're referred to come in.


then all i hear about is 1g Na qd diets. its pretty depressing to see the people who have come in 15 years too late, and are already on 5mg coumadin and 40mg lasix. they're just waiting for a thrombus. ive never had anyone need emergency medical attention under my supervision, nor anyone die during the time between their diagnostic and theraputic studies, I know im fortunate for that.

 

[BrothaBill]

Yeah, thats the sad, an ounce of prevention type of thing. Same with chest pain, I had two patients to assess the same day, both had heart attacks with near identical blockages in the left anterior descending artery the major vessel feeding the LV and both similar in age in their forties. One came in immediately, the other waited a few hours, the one who came in LV heart function was near normal with minimal amount of stunned muscle or hibernating, hardly tell. The one who waited the LV function was severely diminished, mortality and morbity of the second skyrocketing just b/c they waited. Chest pain is not anything to mess with. Same with bp, the number one reason people have congestive heart failure. And so preventable.
The heart gets all baggy. We get the thrombus in apex of the heart/left ventricle usually from a heart attack though, b/c of LV shape and apex is fed by the distal LAD and so any blockage along its length knocks out the apex. Conversely in the CHF patients or atrial fib patients its the atrium clots we see. Ive seen some whoppers. Mainly cuz the ventricle still moves blood forcefully. Atrium however gets baggy and loses contractility sooner, the blood just gets stagnant in there, forms a thrombus on the back wall usually just waiting to break off and shoot up to the brain. So we give them coumadin which does the opposite thing dissolves the clot, but if they have a brain bleed a different form of stroke, its more severe. Quite a pickle at times and unnecessary.CHF is chiefly why they came up with the new lower BP guidelines in 2003.

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

Yeah, thats the sad, an ounce of prevention type of thing. Same with chest pain, I had two patients to assess the same day, both had heart attacks with near identical blockages in the left anterior descending artery the major vessel feeding the LV and both similar in age in their forties. One came in immediately, the other waited a few hours, the one who came in LV heart function was near normal with minimal amount of stunned muscle or hibernating, hardly tell. The one who waited the LV function was severely diminished, mortality and morbity of the second skyrocketing just b/c they waited. Chest pain is not anything to mess with. Same with bp, the number one reason people have congestive heart failure. And so preventable.
The heart gets all baggy. We get the thrombus in apex of the heart/left ventricle usually from a heart attack though, b/c of LV shape and apex is fed by the distal LAD and so any blockage along its length knocks out the apex. Conversely in the CHF patients or atrial fib patients its the atrium clots we see. Ive seen some whoppers. Mainly cuz the ventricle still moves blood forcefully. Atrium however gets baggy and loses contractility sooner, the blood just gets stagnant in there, forms a thrombus on the back wall usually just waiting to break off and shoot up to the brain. So we give them coumadin which does the opposite thing dissolves the clot, but if they have a brain bleed a different form of stroke, its more severe. Quite a pickle at times and unnecessary.CHF is chiefly why they came up with the new lower BP guidelines in 2003.

cardiac a & p isnt my strong suit, but i understand everything youre saying. ive read Dubin (Rapid interp of EKG's) on my own, and ill have a BS in biology in may. i did the sleep boards thing on my own. what exactly do you do?

 

[BrothaBill]

cardiac a & p isnt my strong suit, but i understand everything youre saying. ive read Dubin (Rapid interp of EKG's) on my own, and ill have a BS in biology in may. i did the sleep boards thing on my own. what exactly do you do?

Ive pretty much done it all at with more emphasis at different points of my career on different things. Cath lab, stress, pediatric and neonatal, read holters (24-48 ekgs), echocardiograms, transesophageal echos, you name it and Ive prolly done it. Even done vascular work at the same time, carotids, deep vein thrombus detection y'know cuz of pulmonary embolism and stroke, transcranial doppler etc...peripheral arterial studies usually on diabetics to assess flow in the legs.


Thats cool that you did the sleep study thing, that always interested me when I studied it. I may have some questions for you about that, help me refresh my increasingly forgetful brain lol. But too tired right now, gonna see if I can get some shuteye for awhile. L8ter JP. Anytime you have a question for me, glad to answer it.