Sleep Apnea 

I too have sleep apnea and severe RLS! I was severely wounded in Vietnam in 1968 with a severe head injury from a Claymore mine to my head, face and scalp. Thank GOG I looked down and saw it first and turned away. Myself and my new guy were hit and thrown well over 20 feet by the explosion and my other friend was killed as well as the new guy. I picked him up while he was still alive and carried him a ways when I was shot through my right forearm with a compound fracture of my Ulna bone, I tried to move us again and I was shot again in the top of my right femur shattering it in 16 pieces. It was then that my friend also died. After a two year hospital stay in Walson.Army Hospital in Ft Dix, NJ I was finally released from my military service. My wish to become a cop was nearly over but intense self getting in shape get me to where I wanted to be. After 28 years as a cop in NY in finally retired. But now at 72, my old wounds have came to haunt me with a vengeance! I’ve been living in severe pain since I was wounded at 18 years old and now it’s nearly unbearable. Now I also have RLS and sleep apnea. They did a sleep study at the VA and told me I needed a CPAP MACHINE, which the VA readily supplied. I’m now 100% Combat Wounded disabled and get 100% medical treatment and care at our local VA here in Syracuse, NY. I am very grateful for all of it and have no regrets, since out of my Fire team, I alone survived. But you are completely correct doctor, saying how difficult it is to make someone else understand your pain and it’s levels. I have great difficulty dealing with all the Red Tape with the Government over all the opioid problems. But just looking at my well documented injuries, in the service of my country, why should I have to nearly beg for relief. I think myself and y wife of 54 years have given enough to my Country and the Communities that I served than to have to nearly beg for help because their blind eye policies!!! Thank you for listening doctor.

My bro spent 30 yrs in the air force. Had a heart attach which tge doctors told him it's from Apnea and he needed CPAP. My hubby of 48 yrs has limb girdle and scapuloperoneal muscular dystrophy from 18 yrs is age. I was completely exhausted as his last 5 yrs, I'd be up at night with him, 8 to 12x. When he passed in 8/2020. I had my dr do a bunch if blood work as after 8 months of his passing, I had to lay down between 10 and 11 am as I was exhausted. Blood work was fine. Begged for sleep study. Got it. I have the smallest airways the doc had seen and severe apnea, 8/2021. Because of the CPAP Nachine recall, I did not get a machine till 12/2?2021. 7 masks later we finally got it aa right as we could. brain fog is gone! Blessings, julie

I have just discovered your videos recently, specifically looking into gabapentin (which I have never taken). Now I am listening to the apnea presentation and have a hard time understanding why people resist them. Some 20 years ago I went to the doctor after months of awaking with dull, foggy headaches whereupon she prescribed a sleep study. I immediately had it, showing a reduced O2 level of 82%. I fortunately was contacted by a very helpful CPAP rep who brought it out and set me up with it. The VERY FIRST NIGHT it went on, I fell asleep easily and awoke with no headache. I use it always, even if I nap. It goes with me on trips, short or long. Yet I have a sister, brother and a few nieces and nephews who have had sleep studies which show the need for it and still refuse to use it on a helpful basis or not at all. WHY??? Thank you for a very thorough and easily understood presentation. A small aside: I realized when I dreamed they were no longer stressful or frightening dreams - a result verified by my representative. Again, thank you. Paula Baum

I have severe sleep apnea, have had for 35years. Best talk I ever heard. You covered ALL the bases.

I have sleep apnea. 36 x an hour . I use the cpap religiously . I desensitized in the beginning . The results are night and day . I am finally me again . Thank God I pushed hard for treatment and a big thankyou to my husband for buying me the stupidly expensive machine in nz .

I am a 71-year-old woman and I’ve been using a mandibular device for my sleep apnea for two years and it has done the trick! Luckily, my insurance was willing to let me go this route instead of starting with a CPAP. If people knew they were other options out there, possibly it might make some more likely to try other things before CPAP. These videos are wonderful I just found your channel and I’m so happy to subscribe. Thank you.

I have obstructed sleep apnea also restless leg syndrome. The sleep doctor said use the bi-pap or I could stroke out within 5 yrs. I’ve also been paralyzed twice but with surgeries and therapy I have some feeling in my legs and can walk around my house with a Walker. Outside the house I have to use a wheelchair. Before I got on a bi-pap I was having daily migraines for well over a year and poor memory. After awhile on the machine the migraines went away. I’m on my 3rd machine. I had to wait a month to get another machine when my last one died. I had to sleep in a recliner so I could sit up more. After a week or so the migraines started coming back. Now that I have a machine again they are settling down.

I have sleep apnea. I have a large stack of masks I have tried. They were so uncomfortable I never got a wink of sleep while wearing any of them. Doctors are so obsessed with wearing masks, but blind as to how to make that happen. I have a suggestion: the masks should be molded. An impression of your face should be made, and a mask should be made from that, so it actually fits. The only suggestions I got from my doctors was to try thousands of dollars worth of masks, and keep cinching them down tighter and tighter till they don't leak. Or try the nasal pillows. Cinch them down, then when they blow your mouth open, wear a strap to cinch your mouth shut. Brilliant. What doctor of any sort would ask an amputee to pick a prosthesis to fit his stump, from a stack? Yet, that is precisely what doctors do with masks. When I suggested molding to a large number of healthcare professionals and hospitals, they all thought it was not a bad idea, but why try something new? Lots of shrugs. They said it was just not practical. Why sell one mask, when you can sell dozens to the same patient?

I’m at 4-8 times an hour, use full face mask, took several models to find a good fit.

How i got Dx with SA, I was having braces put on my teeth and they had to do a 3D scan of my head. The Orthodontist told me that my airway was very small, @ 79% and that I should have a sleep study done. I did and I have SA. I absolutely love my CPAP.

I have the Sleep Apnea and use a CPAP Machine...helps a great deal....

I developed sleep apnea when I was pregnant with my fourth child not detected till she was married. It was amazing to get a full nights sleep. Would not think of not using it. I understand it must be difficult for those that have difficulties but please keep trying

Some individuals have difficulty exhaling against the continuous pressure of the CPAP and experience what feels like a smothering sensation that causes them to pull their mask off during the night. This is especially common in neuromuscular conditions. The BiPAP provides higher pressure for inhaling, lower pressure for exhaling. Once breathing is aligned with the tempo of the machine, the BiPAP may be better tolerated and result in better compliance than the CPAP.

The best thing the VA ever did for me was diagnose severe obstructive sleep apnea - and issued a CPAP machine with periodic replacement of the parts that need it.

Great talk. I have severe damage in the capillaries in my lungs as well as layrngeal spams 4 or 5 times a year that are severe enough I sink down onto floor gasping for air and in a few minutes I am fine but get sent home from work for the rest of day. (These all started after a severe illness put me on a heart lung machine in an Icu for 30 days over 25 years ago) I tried to describe these events to my Dr and that I some times had events at night. He guessed it was asthma because that runs in my family. I was already on inhalers and nasal sprays because of lung and throat damage so there was nothing more to do. Then I went on a vacation with a friend who is an MD, she knew with asthma you have trouble breathing out and my noisy episodes were I could not breath in. Also that I had a lot of trouble while sleeping. So got home, 2 days later had sleep study. 20 minutes after I went to sleep the tech woke me up and put me on a machine. They did not wait for the Dr to fully go though all the things recorded. The next morning I was fitted with a machine and mask. Did not like mask very much, but the amazing improvement in how I felt and the decrease in pain in am was unbelievable. I can not imagine being non compliant. I have tried 8--10 masks over years. Got a new Pulmonologist who ordered a new machine so she can monitor data electronically. When I went to ER unexpectedly and was admitted I called a relative who also has sleep apnea at 2 am and said please go to my house and get my machine and bring it to hospital they did. I just spent $2000 dollars on a solar generator, to go on a trip I needed to have one to run bipap for 5 nights while I went to a meeting that was a 5 day drive away. I am only female in family but there are 6 close male relatives who also have sleep apnea, they lived with others so it was noticed early. The 2 guys with beards use a custom made oral appliance from their dentist who went to a special school for the training needed. Unfortunately I had one brother who thought just sleeping upright in a chair was enough. He died at 52 from sleep apnea. I was so glad you mentioned that it is common to try multiple times to get the right set up for you. I am now 75 and without my machine I know I would have died yrs ago.

So important to put this health information out there. Besides snoring during the night, my daughter, a nurse, noted that I would stop breathing and then gasp for air. I now have a CPAP machine. It is so true about the "headache" ( like a faint hangover) when I don't wear it for the entire night. My brain feels foggy and I am less productive the next day. I do need to be re- fitted for my mask as it shifts, air is not going in my nose and I wake up from hearing and feeling the air blowing on my face, counteracting the purpose for wearing it. You explained all this very clearly. Thank you.

This has to be the most informative and well explained sleep apnea video that I have ever seen! No 'doctor-speak' and you didn't intentionally gloss over information. Thank. I'll check out the rest of your videos.

There are actually 3 kinds of sleep apnea. Obstructed, Central and MIXED which is a combination of both. I have mixed sleep apnea. Just started CPAP therapy and it Is difficult to get used to but it's SO WORTH IT!! I've gone from 127 apnea's per hour down to an average of 7 per hour!! Numbers aside, I feel SO MUCH BETTER! After the first visit with my sleep doctor I realized that I had t had a good night's sleep in over 10 YEAR'S!! The chronic brain fog is gone and I don't have to take 2 naps just to have the energy to do the most basic task's and make it until bed time. My husband no longer has to elbow me in the side during the night so I wake up enough to start breathing again. I used to get 2 to 3 migraine headaches per month and haven't had 1 in the 2 months I started on CPAP therapy! YES it's a complete pain getting used to wearing a mask to bed and there's ALOT of trial and error to it but stick with it! If you don't do it for yourself then do it for the people who love you. For the first time in years my family is no longer worried they'll wake up one morning only to find out I died in my sleep!!!

I was tested for sleep apnea and it was positive. Now I wear a CPAP mask. It has worked marvelously for me. I used to fall asleep every afternoon for an hour or two cuz I was just exhausted now I have energy to burn because of the apnea is overcome by CPAP machine.😁

As a CPAP user, I think that a humidifier should be a standard feature on every single machine. I always set my machine on max humidity

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea God I don't know 15 years ago maybe and I did not wear my mask religiously until January of 22 when I found out I had heart failure and I'd had some Strokes mini ones high blood pressure extremely tired for the last 15 years did not have the energy to go go like I used to I'll put that mask on after I found out I had the heart failure and I found energy I hadn't had in 15 years if they tell you to wear it please wear it you'll be here longer for your family and your kids and your loved ones and for yourself

I have sleep apnea and the very first thing that my body does when I wake up in the mornings is, my essential tremors are much worse than normal. Also, if you have any insight on this, when I sneeze it triggers my tremors and makes them worse for about thirty seconds after sneezing. I love you helpful vids doc 👍

I've had OSA going on two decades and have been told I no longer had it when they just didn't like my Medicaid especially when they know I need a new CPAP. All the things you're talking about here I've experienced including insomnia and narcolepsy on top of it. Plus, I have a spinal cord compression that I believe is negatively impacting my brain. Further, I've got this Myalgic Encephalolitis (ME) that brings Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia or maybe they cause my ME. BUT regardless, I've gone from Super Mom & Granny to 24/7 in the bed. I can't express myself the way I need to and I'm completely overwhelmed in every way on every level.

Thank You! I was DX’d with mild sleep apnea many years ago. The pulmonologist offered a CPAP, or as an alternative suggested sleeping on my side. I took the latter. Perhaps I should revisit this! (I am such a light sleeper that I don’t think the machine will work for me).

Very informative! Thank you so much for all of your advice and suggestions.

Thank you, I do have sleep apnea and regularly use my CPAP!

Thank you for an informative video

Thank you for the info. I wish you were my doctor.

Thanks!

I cannot get used to Bipap! It drives me crazy Brain fog all the time…don’t feel rested when i wake up. It’s awful.

I have sleep apnea and wear a CPAP. How often should you get a sleep apnea test to see if anything has changed? I would like to see if I need the mask CPAP still, or if I can use a nose mask. My doctor's office seems to just send me different mask that I haven't asked for and wasn't tried on.

I have sleep apnea - originally when tested 30 incidents/hour. I have been using a CPAP for some years now, and have been adjusting it myself since day one. I now have got my average number of incidents per hour down to less than 2 (1 point something- of course it varies within that range), and am using relatively low pressure, with the max set at only 10. I also have COPD, and hook up my O2 concentrator to the CPAP at night. I live at 7k feet above sea level. I have used my CPAP all night, every single night. Is it a bit of bother? You bet! But I use nasal pillows, not a full face mask, and I got used to it quickly.

Since the world of 24 hour service, you need to have people who work overnight who works the third shift. They have to sleep in the daytime.

Listening to this talk made m fall asleep. Then an apnea brought me back. I am not joking around. I have central sleep apnea,maybe 50 times an hour. But machine and hoses and mask do not let me sleep as much as I can without the Cpap hardware all over my face. Ambien and oxycodone let me fall asleep ( chronic pain in lower back due to L3-4-5 vertebrates fusion surgery i2017. Daily pain-in back and right leg increases as the day goes on, so bedtime includes ice packs in towels to lie on, otc ibuprofen “night formulation for sleep”. It all works to some extent.4-5 hours sleep.not a great night sleep, but cpap machine I can get only a couple hours before I rip the mask off in frustration every night. Any ideas? I am 71 male retired and cannot enjoy life in this condition,so if nothing better, dying in my sleep isn’t such a bad way to go. Out under the stars in a public Forrest and let my body go back into Mother Earth, the great compost heap processing everything but my thoughts.3

Great information 👍♥️

Thanks for this. I use an oral appliance instead of a Cpap. Do you have anything on this?

What if someone has a severe anxiety and Pain for a debilitating illness that causes a level 15 on the pain . They can’t walk without a cane or walker. The pain is so bad it can make severe pain. I like patches because they don’t peek and come down. It gives the same amount of medication every you’re. Babies have a ton of . Melatonin. It gets less as you age. When your a kid , you can sleep

Hm

What do you think about an implant

I stop breathing 95 + times an hour for so many reasons I couldn't use the CPAP or bipap and due too rare disease I lost all my teeth during emergency surgery where I died twice and rapid response brought me back to life. That has given me all kinds of things like small face large tongue collapsing face and jaw etc. i also have narcolepsy with cataplexy and I hallucinating and can't stay awake or function most all the time. I have no support or help. My brain isn't working right and I believe I'm having seizures and my blood pressure is so high I'm on huge amounts of meds for that. I've always been very thin now not I'm obese and malnourished. Anemic and severe pain and many other serious diseases I have several autoimmune diseases lupus sjogrens and I'm miserable all the time. I just don't know what to do. Just getting to a doctor is almost impossible. 😢

Have you studied EMDR? Your thoughts?

Hi and thank u...u forgot eyes blood shot red due to no oxygen.

Morning headaches are a huge problem. I have a CPAP machine and I'm sure there is a big air leak. I need to figure it out but for now I've stopped using it. I thing I'm annoying my husband. I've also had a stroke and two subarachnoid hemorrhages and high blood pressure. I've been great using my CPAP machine for years but right now I can't figure out the really loud air leak.

I have it and can't tolerate the machine due to claustrophobia......:(. Does anyone have any ideas? Same for my husband!!

Yes, being told you have a mild case of 5 episodes of not breathing is a problem. What should someone do if they are told this?

My husband couldn't handle the sound of my snoring, then couldn't handle the sound of my cpap. Earplugs hurt his ears. I ended up sleeping on the couch downstairs. Sleep apnea is not healthy for marriage.

Ditti!

I am not a doctor, but " Natural" Melitonin supplement is not good, for KIDS !! I would never give my kids that stuff.... Great Show Dr. !

Can breathing through your mouth stop sleep apnea?

This woman is sooo wrong!