My Life and Sleep Apnea

A few weeks ago I posted a message that I received from a friend on Facebook. He wrote about his problems with the UCPP operation and his use of the cpap. I recently received another very informative message from him about his blood pressure and why his heart has suffered from long term sleep apnea. I may have to consider using the cpap again. “I am going to give you some news that may help motivate you, it did me. I was having what I thought was heart problems and kept thinking that it was gall bladder. Through a series of test they found my gall bladder was doing fine. I was getting to the point of worrying about wife, kids and me not making it long term for them. I went in for a reaction to prilosec that caused a rash and my blood pressure that day was 190/130. I have never been over 140/90 my entire life, that I knew of. They did labs and other to find out why I am still so tired while taking testosterin injects and taking provigil for sleeping apnea and being able to stay...

Each sleep apnea patient has their cpap setting determined usually at the sleep clinic. Its there they adjust the air pressure coming out of the cpap machine through the hose and into your mouth or nose (depending on which type of mask you have). The pressure ranges from 4 cm h20 to 20 cm h20. I know that doesn’t tell very much. But 4 cm h20 is on the low end of the scale whereas 20 cm h20 is the most powerful. This is all measured by the cpap manometer. On cpap machines, like other sleep apnea breathing machines, the air pressure is ramped up. Which means that when you first put the mask on the pressure is slight and over a period of time it gradually becomes full strength. This makes the breathing adjustment a little easier. Can you adjust the volume of air pressure at home? I was told no because the pressure has to be set by a technician who is familiar with the machine. Usually your doctor will send someone to your house and show you how to run the machine and they will set th...

There is a lot written about sleep apnea’s overweight patients and how the majority of sleep apnea patients are overweight and that’s probably true. But sleep apnea might also be the cause of weight gain. Recently I came across something called the Krebs cycle , the technical name is tricarboxylic acid cycle, but we will call it the Krebs cycle. It is a chemical reaction in cells that use oxygen in the respiratory process. The Krebs cycle produces a rich energy compound called Adenosine triphosphate or ATP which in turn gives cell the energy from the breakdown of glucose and the oxidation of fats. So the Krebs cycle is very important to the well being of man. Unfortunately sleep apnea can disrupt this cycle and the metabolic rate. Lack of sleep interrupts the Krebs cycle causing the body to sense a disruption in the storage of energy in the cells. This in turn slows the body’s metabolism and the fat remains where it is at. Feel Free to comment and please subscribe to my RSS Feed ...

Many researchers believe that there is a connection between sleep apnea and acid reflux . I don’t doubt there is because of so many people who have both conditions. Check any sleep apnea forum and you will find many posts on acid reflux. I’ve had both for years and it makes it miserable trying to sleep. What happens to increase the acid reflux in sleep apnea patients? Sleep apnea sufferers breathe harder than most people when they sleep. This hard breathing increases the air pressure in the throat which in turn brings up the acid in the esophagus. The problems that occur, if this continues, can be serious. Besides damaging the lining of the esophagus, it can also lead to esophageal cancer among other things. It is bad enough to have to wake up with the taste of vomit in your throat but add the fact that serious consequences can occur makes this quite a problem. I take medications each evening before I go to bed to stop the acid reflux but sometimes even that isn’t enough to stop ...

I've never had any luck with the cpap. I don't know if I didn't give it a long enough time to work or whatever. Recently I have considered the Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) surgery . On Facebook I received this reply from Andrew about his experiences with the surgery and the CPAP. Now I not so sure about the surgery. "there is something to be said for the CPAP. I was in my late 20's when I tried it and failed. I chose the surgery and had about three weeks of torture with my throat. When that healed I went from a loud snore to a wheeze and that irritated my wife even more....needless to say the surgery did not work. What I was not told was your tissue in your throat that they remove will scar up and build back scare tissue restricting your air way just like pre surgery. 13 years later I am worse with scare tissue and having to force myself to use the CPAP with varying results. I do not have a good answer but would say avoid the surgery, the mouthpieces that d...

I have noticed in the past 6 months that my fingers and toes have been swollen and sore especially when I wake up in the morning. At first I thought that it my sodium level was too high and that was causing the swelling, but now I am beginning to wonder. It seems that there is a connection between sleep apnea and gout . Sleep apnea patients receive less oxygen while sleeping than most people. Not only is the brain deprived of oxygen so are other parts of the body. In the bloodstream lack of oxygen causes the buildup of uric acid, which forms monosodium urate, which is a type of salt crystal. These salt crystals form around joints which produces swelling and painful inflammation. This also explains why most gout attacks happen at night. There is one thing that makes me skeptical about all this, is that I have had sleep apnea for many years and just now I am getting the gout. I am definitely going to get at least one Doctor’s opinion on this. Feel free to comment and please subscr...

Of all the health related tests that you can experience the overnight sleep study (polysomnogram) could be one of the strangest that you will ever experience. Unlike other tests you will need to be completely asleep in order for the test to produce the proper results. That is difficult in itself considering the reason that you are having the test is that you have a hard time going to sleep. In an earlier post I wrote about one of my experiences with sleep studies. Today I will generally go over what to expect on the first overnight sleep study. Before you show up to the hospital or where ever the test is taking place instructions will be given to you. On the day of the study you are instructed not to take any naps. That makes sense because you need to be very, very tired at the onset of the sleep study and definitely no caffeine. No caffeine can be difficult if you are hooked on coffee or soft drinks. The test usually starts around nine o’clock in the evening. You probably won’t be the...