pdoc wants me to see a sleep specialist about possible sleep apnea
 

Hi,
When I saw my pdoc he expressed concern about my weight gain the past few years.
I told him that I feel crummy most of the time.
He asked a few more questions and then recommended that I make an appointment with a sleep specialist for a consult about a sleep study for apnea. He said that the specialist would know if I am a candidate for the sleep study.

My acupuncturist wants me to go for the consult too.


The specialist is 1.5 hour drive from here and I have not checked to see if he is on my insurance.

I am really depressed about this.


Mari

Make sure you have a sleeping pill for the sleep test!!! That way you are more likely to go back to sleep after the tech from the next room YELLS :eek: in the microphone that you need to readjust your mouth thingy.

I only slept 2-3 hours that long, miserable night.

Don't be depressed -- it might just be the thing that will help you feel better. :)

It does take awhile to get used to the darned contraption.

I am sorry to think about this for you.
what do you think about it?
bizi

Sending you hugs. And hoping you get there and can get this study
done.

My mom and a sister have both had this done.

Donna

I am afraid and anxious
 

Hi,
Considering this new dx feeds into my life long fear of sleep.


On my own a little while ago, I sort of figured that I might have this dx. I didn't ask any docs for help because I don't want it to be true. . . . so I have been dreading thinking about this for a while now.

The neurologist is too far away -- and lots of traffic.


And I do not think that I would agree to the cpap machine treatment anyway.
It freaks me out just to think about the dx and I have been anxious and depressed all day.


But maybe the sleep-study would turn up something else besides/instead of apnea and would give me some information.

I wonder if the Klonopin interferes with sleep.
Maybe I should go off the stuff.
The pdoc and I began a Klonopin taper over the summer but the tdoc noticed that I was becoming anxious. I didn't believe her but agreed to go back up to full dose.


Mari

does your h ubby ever suggest that you have periods of apnea when you sleep or does he notice....you said that you have thought this before.
Alseep study could tell you other things, since you have such a problem with sleep, I wonder if they might be able to help figure this out.
You don't have to do anything.
I have heard that benzo use can cause rebound anxiety....when trying to taper off...jstu like my discontinuing ambien caused rebound insomnia.
now I am on a .5mg klonipin with somewhat success, except it took me 2 hours to fall asleep last night.
I am not increasing my dose of klonipin....

anyway...
you don't have to do anything you don't want to do.
period.
It is your body.
bizi

Bizi,
Thank you. :)

I asked hubby if he ever noticed if I stopped breathing / snoring. He said "no" but he didn't know to watch for it.

I told him to pay a little more attention to whether or not there are breaks in my breathing and to let me know.

I don't think I have rebound anxiety -- but what do I know.

I did just read again on the Internet that tranquilizers can worsen / contribute to sleep apnea. They can also cause a person to grind their teeth.
I think I am going to do the Klonopin taper again. What he and I came up over the summer was modest -- go from 2.5 to 2.0 and stay there for a while -- like a until the next visit in 4 months.


Maybe I can eventually talk myself into the study. I don't have to agree to the treatments.
I appreciate your reminding me of this.

Mari

This could be very true for you
I am sorry that this is adding to your anxiety...I would feel that way too.
((((HUGS))))
bizi

electromagnetic forces
 

Hi Mari,

I wish I could wave a wand and make it all better, even for myself I wish it was that easy. But as my therapist said, "It's the big stuff you have to get through, that's why they call it the big stuff, we all have it, but it's different for each person." I really like my therapist, the new one I am referring to, my current one I like a lot too, not meaning to imply I like one better then the other, but I find their advice very helpful.

I can only advise you like was said above, make sure you have something to help you fall asleep. Even then it's not going to be easy, but you'll do it hopefully. I know that there is something you need the prescription to say so they have permission to 'treat' you should they discover apnea. This will save you from having to have a second sleep study done where they adjut the machine to your optimum level where the apnea is gone and you're breathing soundly. You CAN do this Mari, I had to leave my son overnight to do this and it was so hard emotionally, but that was my experience, maybe you can have a better one. :)

Mari

This is way off base and going to sound odd. But when someone was
talking about grinding teeth. I wondered have you thought about something
like that.

Maybe going to a dentist to see if it could be a need for a mouth guard too.

Donna

I thought you didn't have trouble sleeping during the day?
Bobby

Pam,
It didn't occur to me that they might need to do this study twice! :eek:
At the moment I don't want the machine anyway.
We'll see.


Donna,
I do have a mouth guard from the dentist. It is working to protect my teeth.


Bobby,
I can fall asleep in the day as you say.
I can fall asleep at night too.
But I am fearful of sleeping at night -- so I do not go to bed.
I would rather be exhausted at work than go to bed at night.

M.

doesn't it sound pure psychological then?
bobby

Thanks Bobby
 

Bobby,
I don't know. :confused:


My old tdoc said it was medical.
My old pdoc said it was psychological.
Neither one wanted to own the problem.

When I moved on to a new pdoc, I stopped talking about sleep.


Then with the new tdoc we focused on bed and sleep and have made a tiny bit of progress with going to bed. Last night I went to bed at 3:30 am and fell asleep within 7-8 minutes.
Before the progress I made with her, I would have gone to bed at 6:30 or even 7 or 8 am.


As far as the possible apnea, today I am thinking that the Klonopin is to blame. I'm guessing that a sleep study would reveal this.

Mari

It might not be apnea.
I've had 2 seperate sleep studies because every doctor I see is convinced its apnea.

Its not.

There has to be a missing link somewhere because my mom said I didn't even sleep as a baby. My dad doesn't sleep. My son doesn't sleep. And 2 of my brothers don't sleep.

But its not apnea.

By the way, there are some places that will set the study up in your home vs. having to go in and try to sleep in a strange bed. I didn't opt for this because my insurance was having kittens over it, but it might be an option.

Mari,

I feel for you as I feel the same way about not wanting the machine. I've also been told to have to sleep study done many years ago. I believe it is my sinuses draining thick mucus that closes up my breathing system. I don't mean to sound gross but to me that is better for me personally to think is wrong with me than to worry about what you are worrying about. I sometimes think we know more about our medical problems than the docs do. I've never discussed my theory with a doc which maybe I should. I do grind my teeth also at times but not too often. I never thought that it could be maybe my Ativan that does it. I hardly take mine.

Hugs to you,
befuddled2

didn't sleep as a baby
 

Bobi,
My mom told me that I didn't sleep as a baby.
She kept checking the baby books because it seemed like I was not sleeping enough.

A few years ago when I last spoke to her about not sleeping much, she said something like, "But you never slept!"
And I was a night owl from the time I can remember.

A friend had the sleep study technicians in her home a few times. I feel that that would disrupt hubby's night -- he has some OCD and other anxieties and would not like people in the apt.


M.

Did your mom talk to my mom??
Thats pretty dang close to exactly what my mom says.
When I was right out of highschool I got a job working 5pm to 2am. To date this is the perfect schedule for me. I prefer to be up at night and sleep in the mornings.
Guess I should of thought about that before husband and 4 kids eh? lol. Ah well. :rolleyes:

well I was so over the top last night I didn't sleep at all. Not sure what to think.

I just seem to have those kind of nights. I had good news and then the fact that I had the 4 special needs kids that had died the week before on my mind just kept me up.

So its odd, why is it when you can you do, when you can't you stay up.

LIfe just gives me cherries and cream.

Donna