[Sitke]

Saw my Dr yesterday and she is having me tested for sleep apnea.

Talked before about the constant waking up, the shaking right before I'm asleep, should have mentioned to the Dr months ago when I'm woken suddenly in the night and stand up and walk, my breathing is "off" it feels like deep heavy breaths and feel dizzy/lightheaded.

Dr says because I'm not overweight this is not a factor.

Do have neck problems, shoulder/arm...

Has anyone been diagnosed with sleep apnea after concussion and how is the test performed?

Thank you

[Mark in Idaho]

There is a take home test and a sleep clinic test. The take home uses a sensor strapped around your chest with a microphone to listen to your breathing and a pulse-ox meter on your finger. It records your breathing, ox level and snoring.

The clinic does the same plus adds more sensors to your head and a IR camera to watch your movements.

I had the shaking just before falling asleep. I take gabapentin to stop it. Otherwise, often it would wake me up.

What did you mean "Dr says because I'm not overweight this is not a factor.
" ? What is not a factor ?

[Sitke]

Hi Mark and thank you for your reply.

Dr mentioned that sleep apnea is often seen in obese people but because I'm not overweight this, if I do have sleep apnea, is not the cause (??)

How did your shaking feel just before falling asleep?

Mine always happens as I'm almost asleep, and it feels like the nerves or something shaking inside of me. Was your shaking visible or just felt like it's inside you?

[Mark in Idaho]

There are plenty of people who are not overweight who have sleep apnea. Your doc was just adding confusing information. You can still have sleep apnea.

There are two kinds of sleep apnea. The most common is Obstructive Sleep Apnea. This is where tissue in the throat falls into the airway obstructing good breathing. This is often treated with a CPAP device. Sometimes, laser surgery can cause the tissue to tighten up.

The other kind is Central Sleep Apnea. This is where the brain, due to neurological injury or dysfunction, stops telling the diaphragm to pull a breath. It is very rare but can be devastating to those who suffer from it. There are not many ways to treat it successfully. Most sleep specialists are not very helpful with CSA.

My shaking would be as simple as a jerking arm to a whole body jerk. It would happen just as I was drifting off to sleep. I rarely experience this any more.

[SarahSmile0205]

my mother is 5'5 and 120 and has sleep apnea

[BarbJ]

So in June, 2013 I was tested at the Kelowna Sleep Clinic for sleep apnea years after a vehicle accident that left me with Post Concussive Syndrome. The neurologist there told me that the rates of sleep apnea in TBI and PCS patients is exponentially higher than the general population. Since I have been on my CPAP machine life has been SO much better.



Saw my Dr yesterday and she is having me tested for sleep apnea.

Talked before about the constant waking up, the shaking right before I'm asleep, should have mentioned to the Dr months ago when I'm woken suddenly in the night and stand up and walk, my breathing is "off" it feels like deep heavy breaths and feel dizzy/lightheaded.

Dr says because I'm not overweight this is not a factor.

Do have neck problems, shoulder/arm...

Has anyone been diagnosed with sleep apnea after concussion and how is the test performed?

Thank you [/QUOTE]

[yogikat]

My husband has both types of sleep apnea and he experiences the leg jerks from time to time, although I am not aware that he has ever had a brain injury. He had to take the sleep tests twice, since they could not get him to sleep long enough to evaluate him the first time. He is now on the CPAP and after getting used to it, he seems to be sleeping much better.

[Kitt]

Welcome BarbJ .