Sleep Apnea Support Group

The basic deal with sleep apnea is that your breathing is stopping when you go to sleep. The treatments depend on what is causing your sleep apnea. If it is too much weight, losing will help, as well as a cpap/etc to keep you breathing.

I have obstructive sleep apnea...my jaw is naturally too far back and that closes off my airway. I use a cpap for now (works wonderfully), one option is a dental appliance (I can't because of TMJ issues), and one I'm trying to get approved by my insurance is MMA surgery (maxilomandibular advancement) to move my jaw forward, creating a permanent solution.

The possible treatments are honestly as diverse as the causes, as the reason for the sleep apnea is what needs to be addressed for proper treatment.

Wow Mystery, I didn't know they could have watched my sleep patterns for a week or more.

I feel ripped off in my care.

I have fibro also.
I've had it for over 20 years.

I started using the cpap machine as of this week.

I am experiencing pain in my lungs off and on.

I was wondering if anyone had this experience.

I am guessing that the cpap machine makes me breath deeper and so it may be opening air channels not normally used by me.

Jessica, not everyone stops breathing. Some people's air flow lowers during sleep or they struggle and wear themsleves out during sleep.

Often people do not achieve REM sleep without one of these machines.

The REM and enough air for whatever your reason for this issue are the 2 most important things to achieve.

animalheadbutts, i understand the data card can record as many nights as you want it to (someone correct me if i'm wrong). i also feel ripped off in my care, as i have probably had OSA for about 20 years or more... and have had many problems in life caused by it. but we are on the right track now, yay!

regarding your chest symptoms - tell your dr asap - it could be anything - a problem with the air you're breathing (dont sit the machine on the floor), a chest infection, CPAP set too high, who knows. i've never read in any CPAP literature about 'lung pain'.

any chest pain is always a red flag symptom. too important to try and self diagnose.

jessicaleigh, losing weight reduces OSA for some people, but i don't think it helps many people to a great extent. and one third of people with OSA are normal weight. while weight is one factor for many people, from what read, the most common one seems to be low muscle tone in the throat. the only way to fix that is CPAP.

you're probably already aware of this, but i wanted to clarify that MMA surgery (maxilomandibular advancement) may not be a permanent solution. it will remove one factor (jaw position) but you won't know until afterwards if that was the only factor involved in your OSA.

any maxillofacial or jaw surgery is a big deal - painful, decent recovery time, risk of complications. given that you could still have OSA after the surgery, if you are doing ok at the moment with CPAP, is it worth it? no offense, just sayin'

the only truly permanent solution is tracheostomy and i sure hope i never need that =( apparently that was the treatment people with extremely severe OSA used before CPAP.

Mystery,
Dang, where did you learn not to sit the machine on the floor?

My bed is on the floor since it has not been set up yet, so of course the machine is on the floor.

That damn SOB Respitory therapists really F'ing angers me.

First he doesn't tell me that boiling the water is better than filtered water and NOW the idiot doesn't tell me NOT to sit it on the floor or carpet.

Yep, I was letting the pain ride to see if it will quit on it's own.

I always wait. LOL

i hear ya, i feel the same way about my lab tech, grrr. its just at the moment i dont have a choice but to use them.

you can use it on the floor, but you need a clean towel underneath it, and a flat surface such as a tray or sheet of wood (if your floor is carpeted). if you put it straight on the floor, it may be picking up dust or particles that either get through the filter or clog the filter, making the machine less effective. i dunno. its just something i read in the manual (which i downloaded from the manufacturer's website).

the reason you need it at the same level or lower than you is to stop water running dow the hose towards you. you should be ok though as it's a few inches below you.

the chest pain may be nothing, but i would still see the dr. we have enough to cope with, without unnecessary symptoms.

take care, feel better soon.

Regarding the data card, since I've been dealing (successfully) with sleep apnea for nearly 14 years, I just see my sleep doctor (pulmonologist) once a year. I just take my card in once a year and he can review my readings over the year.

Also my CPAP has a little window where I can read the information for the past week and month (I guess it reads from the card).

I was hoping to get my pressure increased a little when I saw him in Oct. as my apneas/hypopneas were reading 6.5, but he said with my other lung issues (asthma & pulmonary fibrosis) increassed pressure could make my other lung problems worse, so we stayed at my current setting of 6.(I had started at 9 but was retested a couple of years ago & reset to 6).

Regarding the data card, since I've been dealing (successfully) with sleep apnea for nearly 14 years, I just see my sleep doctor (pulmonologist) once a year. I just take my card in once a year and he can review my readings over the year.

Also my CPAP has a little window where I can read the information for the past week and month (I guess it reads from the card).

I was hoping to get my pressure increased a little when I saw him in Oct. as my apneas/hypopneas were reading 6.5, but he said with my other lung issues (asthma & pulmonary fibrosis) increassed pressure could make my other lung problems worse, so we stayed at my current setting of 6.(I had started at 9 but was retested a couple of years ago & reset to 6).