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Permalink Reply by Terry Vella on November 7, 2011 at 7:08pm

Mary, I believe my sleep apnea and lack of oxygen caused my depression, I was also getting 'the fog' throughout the day and starting to forget things. I still don't know what the long term affects of lack of oxygen in the past is going to cause me in the future.

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Permalink Reply by Patricia Jokerst on November 9, 2011 at 12:43pm

Apneas are apneas, they cause a Patient to arouse, whether you remember or not, they are disruptive and will play havoc on your heart! 

Sprays do not work, and are the biggest gimmics.  If  you are truely worried of your health, and love your boyfriend and he loves you!  Then he should not care about whether or not you have to wear CPAP, he would encourage you to!

 

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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on November 9, 2011 at 10:29pm

You are right Mary. The ox would only show desats or a trend of desats. A negative reading for desats combined with the weight loss would justify going without PAP. If fatigue returns then we know that something else is going on such as RERAs or UARS. Im just saying that the oximeter test would be cheaper. The BEST way to fnd out would be a PSG.

Mary Z said:

Rock, I thought a pulse ox would just tell you if you had desats which is not a bad thing to know.  I still had significant apneas without desaturating during six sleep studies and two overnight pulse ox tests.

I hadn't realized how much of a problem the machine could be for dating folks, and even married couples.

 

Maria, have you tried just sleeping without the machine?

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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on November 10, 2011 at 9:31am

I agree with that, Rock.  My opinions about O2 desats come from my personal experience of never having desats (tested 8 times) and still having a significant AHI and symptoms. If her symptoms did not return  (and I believe she had a doc's permission)  watching for desats would make sense since you can't watch AHI without using the machine.

I think going without the machine is worth a try. I just wish there were an easier way for dating couples to deal with CPAP.  I think much of the stigma is imagined, but CPAP is rather intrusive, not like having a medicine closet full of pills and medical issues that are not obvious.

 

I'm obviously very lucky to have been in a good relationship before CPAP.

 

And Mike, good joke below!  Sounds to me like celibacy is not an option in this case. Or preferred not to be an option. LOL.

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Permalink Reply by Mike on November 10, 2011 at 9:35am

Yes or remain celibate now.

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Permalink Reply by Jeffrey Donaldson on March 16, 2012 at 9:44am

Maria, I now how you feel, but your health is to important to try something like that. Your new boyfriend will have to get used to it. I went through the same feelings when I met a woman who eventially became my wife, so I know what you are going through. She did get used to it and she eventually had to go for a sleep study and now we both have c-pap.

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Permalink Reply by Mike on March 16, 2012 at 9:53am

You're both lucky.  I try to stay in shape and work out.  Most of the girls I dated are also in shape and althletic.  They stress how they want their guys to be healthy and not have physical problems.  Consequently I hid my physical ailments from former girlfriends.  I can't wait for the day when they can have a good surgical success rate and I can stop using the CPAP machine, which I hate.

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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on March 17, 2012 at 11:41am

I think your girfriend would prefer that you take care of your sleep apnea with relatively simple means than have a stroke, heart attack, be prone to diabetes, to name a few consequences of untreated OSA.  Try a dental device, or Provent.  Do you snore?  That can be a deal breaker in a relationship.  I prefer a man who takes care of his health to a boy who hides a simple health problem from me.  By the way research is constantly underway to free us from the machine- hang in there.

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Permalink Reply by Mike on March 17, 2012 at 11:46am

I snore, have a CPAP and did get diabetes about 8 years ago.  I have severe sleep apnea so I can't use a dental device or provent.  I've snored loudly my whole life which led me to get tested in the first place.  Most women would prefer to not get involved with men with health problems in the first place (which is why I don't have a girlfriend).  As I said I try to eat right and work out every day.  I was just blessed with bad genes.

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Permalink Reply by 99 on March 17, 2012 at 12:53pm

you need more than lose weight

you need body tone

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Permalink Reply by Mike on March 17, 2012 at 1:02pm

I have good body tone (especially for my age).  I snored since I was a kid.  (Of course no one knew anything about sleep apnea during those days).

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Permalink Reply by Mike on March 20, 2012 at 7:09am

Bump

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