question about sleep apnea?

Question

I have sleep apnea. I wake up at least 10 times a night (that I know of)when the back of my throat closes up and I cant breath. Im spacey during the day and have a constant headache. Ive been prone to depression/anxiety in the past, and to make matters worse....i freak out when I jerk out of a dead sleep when I cant breath and it starts a panic attack. I called my doctor, but he cant see me for 2 weeks. Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with this until I can make it to my appointment? Im scared.

Answer 1

First of all I am 61 years old I have sleep apnea and until two years ago I did not get any treatment. So you are very lucky that you will be receiving treatment at a much younger age because I feel so very much better now .

I thought I was perfectly A OK until sleep apnea was diagnosed in a most unusual manner.... rather dramatic to me! See I had a real simple operation in a hospital and was under anesthesia when I simply kinda like stopped breathing like they call DEAD LIKE ... thus was discovered formally the fact that I had central sleep apnea! They like told my wife this and my tail was in a SLEEP LAB within the month for a overnight session where I stopped breathing 20 times while I was in what is called the REM level of sleep. There are levels of sleep all the body gets sleep but the brain only sleeps on the last level level six called REM for rapid eye movement because our eyes dart around during this time.

It works like this when our brain takes a brake and goes into this level our body is on automatic. It is operated by the lower brain stem. Now if breathing is blocked of or if it stops the carbon dioxide builds up and the oxygen goes away in the blood in the brain! This triggers the brain to drop out of REM and signal the lungs to gasp for air! Now if a person was out on drugs or alcohol the brain could not signal the lungs and the person would simply not ever breath and DIE! Cause of death sleep apnea! Sleep apnea does not usually wake up a person. Usually it just wakes up your brain a little bit and you do not normally realize it ever happened! Most people just get up in the morning and are tired or have headaches or have to have an afternoon nap! They do not realize what is wrong, this is how my was!

You should look in the phone book for a Sleep Clinic rather than a regular doctor! Your doctor will only send you to one anyway! They will in an overnight session find the exact thing that is happening! There is a fancy name it is called a polysomonograph they measure your breathing, brain pattern, pulse, eye movement, leg movement and they take a movie of you sleeping. That is who you should contact the doctor connected with one of those clinics. You can go to them without a referal!


Everything will be just fine but you do need to go to a Sleep Study

Relax you will be fine I made it for 59 years but they were miserable compaired to how it could of been!

Try to go to a Clinic Directly Please!


APS

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I had sleep apnea pretty much my whole life. People used to tell how loudly I snored and that I stopped breathing when I slept. I just thought they were being jerks. Anyway, I didn't get treated for it til I was 53. O now use a cpap machine and man what a difference. I sleep really well now and most of the time right through the night. I wake each morning not feeling tired and feeling well rested. Get the sleep dtudy and have the doc set you up with a cpap. You will finally sleep well and feel much better.

Answer 4

I am not certain, but Apnea can get worse. So perhaps you had it in a milder form till now. I have never had problems till a couple years ago after surgery I was told that I had a sleep disorder. It turns out that my shallow breathing wakes me up about 26 times an hour (not all the way, just keeps me out of REM sleep). I'm also a Heroic snorer.

Answer 5

my brother in law has sleep apnea. had it for 20 years, and finally in 2003 got the sleep apnea test done. is now on a CPAP machine. it helped him tremendously. hed wake up god knows how many times a night, and fall asleep during the day at inappropriate times. in the night you would hear periods of snoring, followed by (excuxe the expression) dead silence, followed by choking.
please find a doctor that will take you sooner than 2 weeks and talk to them about getting a CPAP machine.
forewarning though, your insurance may not cover the machine

Answer 6

I had my sleep apnea diagnosed by the hospital through their outpatient program in Miami. They had me sleep over night with those damn electrodes all over my head. They did it within a week of my mother calling. Maybe your hospital has the same program.

Other than that, I am not sure if there are any over the counter medications to relieve the symptoms. Maybe they'll just make things worse?

Answer 7

You should be ok for two weeks, But in the mean time, you probably shouldn't take any sleeping pills, medicine that makes you drowsy, or alcohol...they seem to make sleep apnea worse.
Also, try sleeping on your side until your appointment.

Answer 8

Did your doctor say he can't see you for 2 weeks, or was this his receptionist?

If the latter, call back and say this is an EMERGENCY. Sleep apnea is very dangerous. S/he should see you sooner if you stress how bad you are feeling.

Answer 9

Make your doctor see that this is important that you see him. Tell him what is happeneing. My brother has sleep apnea and his doctor made him get this machine to sleep better. Ask your doctor about that.

Answer 10

Insomnia (sleeplessness) is due to stress, dietary and medical
problems. By making small lifestyle changes like having a fixed
daily routine, relaxing and eating properly, insomnia can be
cured. I found the information at http://tinyurl.com/jfzpz useful
for getting sleep.