Sleep Apnea Support Group

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. People with sleep apnea partially awaken as they struggle to breathe, but in the morning they may not be aware of sleep disturbances.

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Danielle-Chenier 08/22/2015

Hi, I am new to the whole Sleep Apnea diagnosis and I'm a little scared.

It all started in June when I had a very minor procedure necessitating anesthesia. It was superficial anesthesia but, as I'm very sensitive to it, I slept soundly. In the recovery room, they had to wake me up as I stopped breathing constantly, to the point that I needed Oxygen.Since then, I've been very afraid of going to sleep and not waking up :(

So, my doctor sent me for a sleep test. I took the home test in early July and, 2 weeks ago, got a call from the sleep clinic that they had a prescription for a CPAP. I'm going to get set up for the trial on Thursday. I will get my results at the same time.

Now, I have a few questions:

1) I'm a mouth breather when I sleep. Is that what is causing the Sleep Apnea? If it is, would a simple chin strap be enough?

2) How reliable is the home test? I've been reading on-line and saw that some don't find it is that reliable and that it doesn't provide enough information.

3) Because I'm a mouth breather, does it mean that I will automatically require a full face mask?

Thanks for any feedback.

Tez62 08/22/2015

Hi Danielle and welcome, to answer your questions, the mouth breather is not causing the SA, it maybe a sign that you have it but not causing it. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, it is caused by your throat collapsing when you sleep and you then stop breathing for 10 secs or more then wake up, so a chin strap may help you breathe through your nose but you will still stop breathing.
A home test isn't as reliable as a overnight sleep study where you are monitored but it's a good guide. If you have SA you have it, it's just the severity that differs.
Ask what your AHI was at your study, that determines the severity. When you go for your tritation, your next sleep study they will check everything again.
You may need a full face mask or you may not, try all 3 types of masks and see what works for you. You will have to keep your mouth shut at night so if you can do that without a FFM you can use a nasal mask or nasal prongs. I'm a mouth breather and prefer the FFM.
Just a couple of things, adsk more questions here and when you see your specialist, stay positive you will have SA for the rest of your life but the treatment CPAP will make sure you have a long and good quality of live and make sure you stick with it you have to use your CPAP everytime you go to sleep, good luck and keep us updated :)

Tez62 08/22/2015

I had a look in your profile the PE and Fibro may have been caused by the SA, hopefully being diagnosed may help further problems. My sister has Fibro and SA and finds the CPAP is helping the Fibro.

Danielle-Chenier 08/23/2015

Thanks for the input, Tez. When I was in the hospital for the PE, they didn't say anything about SA, but they did say I was a mouth breather and that the minute I fell asleep, I wouldn't get any of the O2 I was on. My PE was idiopathic, so the SA may have been the trigger.

I will ask tons of questions when I go for my tritation, you can be assured of that!

Tez62 08/23/2015

Danielle, write all your questions down before you go so you don't forget anything, one thing I would ask is if you need a BiPap or CPAP. If you are getting a CPAP, get an Auto, they are a bit more expensive but you can change the settings and read the data off your CPAP to see how you are going Daily, weekly or monthly. Don't let them give you a cheap CPAP.

jester18 08/26/2015

I'm fairly new here too. I'm also a mouth breather. My doctor encouraged me to use a nasal mask with a chin strap but I hated it. I often have a stuffy nose so I would feel like I was suffocating. I would wake up and my mask would be on the floor with no memory of taking it off. I switched to a full face mask a month ago and now I'm doing well, wearing the mask all night, every night. I'm just now starting to feel the benefits of therapy. I'm less sleepy during the day, stay up later in the evening, and my wife no longer pokes me with her finger in the middle of the night to make sure I'm still alive. Be patient, stick with it and good luck!

Danielle-Chenier 08/29/2015

I now have a CPAP for a try out and, though I had hard time adjusting to the headgear and the nasal mask the first time, I had a really good sleep last night.

I also got my results and my AHI is 22.9, which puts me in the moderate margin. However, the results are bit worrisome as I had 71 events of OSA, 68 events of Central Apnea, 2 event of mixed apnea and lots of events hypopnea. The Central Apnea concerns me the most since, from my research, I could have a serious co-morbid condition.

I would appreciate any input, thank you.

Tez62 08/31/2015

Danielle, there are 3 types of SA, Obstructive, Centeral and Complex, Complex is a mixture of Obstructive and Centerals which sounds like what you have. In most cases a BiPap is used rather than a CPAP, thats why I suggested you ask about it. I have Complex as well but use a CPAP with adjusting settings. My Specialist explains it to me that if my Obstructives get fixed it may help my Centeral and it does, but my Centrals are low anyway.
Depending on the brand and model CPAP or BiPap you get, you can get free software to see what your doing every second of the night. Make sure you ask for a data capable machine.

karonwoods 10/12/2015

Face mask are suggested in CPA treatment.

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