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Permalink Reply by Trish McKenzie on January 26, 2010 at 11:29am

I'm new on here...came across this site after a scary report yesterday from my doc. My husband has told me that I've been having periods of not breathing through the night. I've noticed similar episodes with him. I started researching sleep apnea, and found that I was experiencing many of the symptoms/signs: ie: snoring, daytime sleepiness/fatigue, frequent SEVERE headaches, often in the morning, etc. so I made an appt. with my Doctor. She had me do an at-home overnight pulse oximetry test last Thursday, and I called yesterday to get the results. The nurse told me that I had 461 apneac episodes through the night, with 6 of those lasting longer than 3 minutes. She said she didn't want to scare me (which immediately scared me!) and told me that this was pretty significant. She also said my average high O2 sat. was 95% and my average low was 85%. I'm not entirely sure what these numbers mean, but I'm definitely concerned. They sent a referral to a pulmonologist, who is supposed to call me and make an appt., and they also ordered overnight oxygen, which I went to pick up last night. I did not really notice a difference in the way I feel other than losing sleep over being scared...

Is pure O2 a common treatment for sleep apnea? Anyone know what those numbers mean? I'm definitely anxious to learn more about my "diagnosis", treatment, etc. and looking forward to feeling better.

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Permalink Reply by susan mccord on January 26, 2010 at 1:11pm

Hi Trish--welcome to SleepGuide! This is THE place to be for info and support.

No, as far as I know, O2 is NOT a primary treatment for sleep apnea. Sounds like they Rx'd O2 as a way of increasing your oxygen supply while you're waiting for the pulmonologist to make treatment recs.

If I were you, knowing what I know now after 7 months of treatment (which is certainly not everything!), I'd think your lab team is making an unusually-intense effort to keep you as safe as possible until you can be fitted with a cpap or bi-pap machine. That's basically a machine that sends pressurized air and heated humidity (not O2, room air) into your throat to keep it open. The air is delivered via a mask you'll wear either over your nose OR over your nose and mouth, whichever works for you. People commonly have to try out several masks to find the one they like best.

That's a GOOD sign, that the lab team is being so pro-active in doing everything possible to help you till you see your pulmonologist. Pure oxygen won't treat sleep apnea in the long run, but it does raise the level of O2 in your body which is helpful for now.

Trish, there's not one single apnea patient on this site who doesn't understand EXACTLY how you're feeling--the fear and anxiety and confusion about being diagnosed with apnea. We've ALL been through it, just as you're experiencing now. So rest in the knowledge you're not alone with these reactions.

You'll learn a lot about all this on SG. You'll also probably get different opinions or recommendations of what you can do or should do from time to time. This is a Forum and everyone has a voice, which now includes YOU!!!

I'm really glad to see you jumping in right away with questions and concerns. You'll make a lot of cyber-friends on here, all of whom know pretty much what you're feeling no matter what it is. So the more open and honest you're able to be, the better-quality of support you'll receive.

There are many people on SleepGuide who are very knowledgeable about the ins and outs of apnea treatment, including professionals who donate their time to be of assistance to us when needed. You may experience people asking you many questions, some of which will be over your head at the moment. Feel free to say that you're overwhelmed with info--if you are--and to say you need either a simpler explanation OR that it's too much information for you at the moment. Most of us work hard to be helpful and supportive, and to not overwhelm new folks with details.

I'm so glad to have you here!! You're gonna be a GREAT addition to this Forum. Just remember there's no such thing as a stupid or inappropriate question. I guarantee people on SG will have information for you, so don't hesitate about that.

You might want to check out the New Members Group--you'll find the way into that via "Groups" at the top of your page. There you'll also find other groups that may or may not be of immediate interest to you. Just trust your gut to know what you need to know right now.

If what you need, primarily, is support and reassurance, ask for that. Levels of need vary a great deal at different times in this process.

Take good care of YOU, do the best you can to begin to trust that you're gonna be okay with treatment. Try to rest as much as you can. Not easy right now, I know. Take good care of YOU and please let us know how this process if unfolding for you.

Susan McCord :-)

Trish McKenzie said:

I'm new on here...came across this site after a scary report yesterday from my doc. My husband has told me that I've been having periods of not breathing through the night. I've noticed similar episodes with him. I started researching sleep apnea, and found that I was experiencing many of the symptoms/signs: ie: snoring, daytime sleepiness/fatigue, frequent SEVERE headaches, often in the morning, etc. so I made an appt. with my Doctor. She had me do an at-home overnight pulse oximetry test last Thursday, and I called yesterday to get the results. The nurse told me that I had 461 apneac episodes through the night, with 6 of those lasting longer than 3 minutes. She said she didn't want to scare me (which immediately scared me!) and told me that this was pretty significant. She also said my average high O2 sat. was 95% and my average low was 85%. I'm not entirely sure what these numbers mean, but I'm definitely concerned. They sent a referral to a pulmonologist, who is supposed to call me and make an appt., and they also ordered overnight oxygen, which I went to pick up last night. I did not really notice a difference in the way I feel other than losing sleep over being scared...

Is pure O2 a common treatment for sleep apnea? Anyone know what those numbers mean? I'm definitely anxious to learn more about my "diagnosis", treatment, etc. and looking forward to feeling better.

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Permalink Reply by susan mccord on January 26, 2010 at 2:16pm

x

susan mccord said:

Hi Trish--welcome to SleepGuide! This is THE place to be for info and support.

No, as far as I know, O2 is NOT a primary treatment for sleep apnea. Sounds like they Rx'd O2 as a way of increasing your oxygen supply while you're waiting for the pulmonologist to make treatment recs.

If I were you, knowing what I know now after 7 months of treatment (which is certainly not everything!), I'd think your lab team is making an unusually-intense effort to keep you as safe as possible until you can be fitted with a cpap or bi-pap machine. That's basically a machine that sends pressurized air and heated humidity (not O2, room air) into your throat to keep it open. The air is delivered via a mask you'll wear either over your nose OR over your nose and mouth, whichever works for you. People commonly have to try out several masks to find the one they like best.

That's a GOOD sign, that the lab team is being so pro-active in doing everything possible to help you till you see your pulmonologist. Pure oxygen won't treat sleep apnea in the long run, but it does raise the level of O2 in your body which is helpful for now.

Trish, there's not one single apnea patient on this site who doesn't understand EXACTLY how you're feeling--the fear and anxiety and confusion about being diagnosed with apnea. We've ALL been through it, just as you're experiencing now. So rest in the knowledge you're not alone with these reactions.

You'll learn a lot about all this on SG. You'll also probably get different opinions or recommendations of what you can do or should do from time to time. This is a Forum and everyone has a voice, which now includes YOU!!!

I'm really glad to see you jumping in right away with questions and concerns. You'll make a lot of cyber-friends on here, all of whom know pretty much what you're feeling no matter what it is. So the more open and honest you're able to be, the better-quality of support you'll receive.

There are many people on SleepGuide who are very knowledgeable about the ins and outs of apnea treatment, including professionals who donate their time to be of assistance to us when needed. You may experience people asking you many questions, some of which will be over your head at the moment. Feel free to say that you're overwhelmed with info--if you are--and to say you need either a simpler explanation OR that it's too much information for you at the moment. Most of us work hard to be helpful and supportive, and to not overwhelm new folks with details.

I'm so glad to have you here!! You're gonna be a GREAT addition to this Forum. Just remember there's no such thing as a stupid or inappropriate question. I guarantee people on SG will have information for you, so don't hesitate about that.

You might want to check out the New Members Group--you'll find the way into that via "Groups" at the top of your page. There you'll also find other groups that may or may not be of immediate interest to you. Just trust your gut to know what you need to know right now.

If what you need, primarily, is support and reassurance, ask for that. Levels of need vary a great deal at different times in this process.

Take good care of YOU, do the best you can to begin to trust that you're gonna be okay with treatment. Try to rest as much as you can. Not easy right now, I know. Take good care of YOU and please let us know how this process if unfolding for you.

Susan McCord :-)

Trish McKenzie said:

I'm new on here...came across this site after a scary report yesterday from my doc. My husband has told me that I've been having periods of not breathing through the night. I've noticed similar episodes with him. I started researching sleep apnea, and found that I was experiencing many of the symptoms/signs: ie: snoring, daytime sleepiness/fatigue, frequent SEVERE headaches, often in the morning, etc. so I made an appt. with my Doctor. She had me do an at-home overnight pulse oximetry test last Thursday, and I called yesterday to get the results. The nurse told me that I had 461 apneac episodes through the night, with 6 of those lasting longer than 3 minutes. She said she didn't want to scare me (which immediately scared me!) and told me that this was pretty significant. She also said my average high O2 sat. was 95% and my average low was 85%. I'm not entirely sure what these numbers mean, but I'm definitely concerned. They sent a referral to a pulmonologist, who is supposed to call me and make an appt., and they also ordered overnight oxygen, which I went to pick up last night. I did not really notice a difference in the way I feel other than losing sleep over being scared...

Is pure O2 a common treatment for sleep apnea? Anyone know what those numbers mean? I'm definitely anxious to learn more about my "diagnosis", treatment, etc. and looking forward to feeling better.

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Permalink Reply by CaptSleep73! on January 26, 2010 at 3:41pm

Welcome to SG Trish. There is no need for panic at this time. I would like to explain a few things to you. the parameters fro measuring sleep with an "at home test" is minimal at best. Kind of like liability insurance on your car. At the lab I work at we use these devices as a prescreener for our pts. The reason for this is that there are to many unknowns that can occur during an onmonitored test. These can include Spouse, children, or pets disturbing your sleep. Yes your husband moving can disturb you enough to cause a false reading on one of these test. Not to take anything away from your doc. He/She was correct in that you need some more attention. I would suggest that you talk to someone about doing an in lab sleep study where you can truly and accurately be evaluated. This study should be done in a qualified sleep lab where your problems can be isolated so that the true severity can be determined. As for your oxygen a drop from 95 to 85% is pretty normal with sleep related breathing problems. o2 is not a normal prescription for a Dx based on an in home study. It sounds to me like your doc is being cautious which is not a bad thing. Find a qualified sleep doctor that can better answer your questions. Good luck.

Trish McKenzie said:

I'm new on here...came across this site after a scary report yesterday from my doc. My husband has told me that I've been having periods of not breathing through the night. I've noticed similar episodes with him. I started researching sleep apnea, and found that I was experiencing many of the symptoms/signs: ie: snoring, daytime sleepiness/fatigue, frequent SEVERE headaches, often in the morning, etc. so I made an appt. with my Doctor. She had me do an at-home overnight pulse oximetry test last Thursday, and I called yesterday to get the results. The nurse told me that I had 461 apneac episodes through the night, with 6 of those lasting longer than 3 minutes. She said she didn't want to scare me (which immediately scared me!) and told me that this was pretty significant. She also said my average high O2 sat. was 95% and my average low was 85%. I'm not entirely sure what these numbers mean, but I'm definitely concerned. They sent a referral to a pulmonologist, who is supposed to call me and make an appt., and they also ordered overnight oxygen, which I went to pick up last night. I did not really notice a difference in the way I feel other than losing sleep over being scared...

Is pure O2 a common treatment for sleep apnea? Anyone know what those numbers mean? I'm definitely anxious to learn more about my "diagnosis", treatment, etc. and looking forward to feeling better.

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