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Permalink Reply by nosleepga on December 8, 2009 at 11:15am

I too would like to know how to determine what exactly causes sleep apnea - I was diagnosed 2 years ago and just now have found a mask that works. Just recently I was diagnosed with GERD. Can one cause the other? Also, when I had my original sleep study, I had 0% REM sleep. Any thoughts?

kim smith said:

Amy, Can you tell me if you have had anyone that they could not figure out why they had apnea ? And do you know of a way to help someone that does not go into REM ? Thank you ! Kim

Amy said:

I have been in respiratory and sleep for many years and I can tell you I have picked up machines for many people who no longer needed their CPAP. Some lost weight and corrected their sleep apnea. Some had surgery and that corrected the problem. The one thing they had in common is they all had a baseline sleep study to prove that their sleep apnea did improve.

There is no guarhaentee that loosing weight will correct sleep apnea. It depends on why you have sleep apnea. There is no guarentee that surgery will work or that the change will be permanent either. It is something that is monitored and tested. Work with your doctor and sleep specialist.

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Permalink Reply by Loren Schiewek on December 8, 2009 at 11:55am

I respectfully disagree with the Dr.
Sleep Apnea and other sleep disorders are real and need to be treated.

I have been a home RT, wear CPAP myself and work in the critical care area's of hospitals with more than 20 years experience. I have the vantage point of seeing various age groups who have accepted and struggled with their sleep disorders. It's frustrating to me when it's not taken seriously but has such profound implications to their future health. I've treat patients who think or have thought they didn't need CPAP/BiPAP once diagnosed and prescribed.

So I respond and urge passionately and compassionately to the original post.
I would not advise stopping CPAP once you've been diagnosed OSA and/or OHS.

I would encourage you to consider looking at it from a different perspective. Feel fortunate to have caught it and get have gotten treatment. I know its hard, but the healthiest people with sleep disorders I've encountered are those embraced it.
I know its tempting to think of life without having to deal with PAP equipment.

Many have said that you need to get another sleep study to determine if you don't need it anymore. While I agree with this statement, I ask will you get another sleep study if/when you gain 5,10,15 lbs in the future. I am in my 40's, I know for a fact that my body isn't as robust as it was when I was in my 30's and have a feeling I'm going to loose a little muscle tone in when I reach my 50 and 60's. This is why I am a strong proponent of AutoPAP's (so pressures can change as you change). I am a "lifer" and am investing in both my current and future health by using CPAP.

There are many who have OSA (Obstructive sleep apnea), OHS (Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome) or just UARS (Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome) who have not and may not ever be diagnosed but will suffer from fatigue (at a minimum) and as they get older and ignore their sleep (or lack of it) as being a contributor to many well documented life altering conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, heart attacks and strokes.

The sickest patients who are constantly readmitted to the hospital and frequently intubated (requiring a tube and machine to breathe) are non-compliant to various treatment plans, including CPAP/BiPAP.

Stick in there. I'm glad you found this site and are asking before giving up.
Find a good company and the proper equipment that will help you embrace it while you can still have an impact on your future physical, mental and social health. If there are area's that you struggle with, that might be a good follow up post.

Best wishes

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Permalink Reply by 99 on December 8, 2009 at 11:58am

ricky is a professonal councilor

St. Chris said:

DO NOT DISCONTINUE MEDICAL TREATMENT WITHOUT CONSULTING YOUR PHYSICIAN.

Kim, Ricky is a "doctor" because he has a PhD in Neuropsychology. (A Google search yielded his LinkedIn profile.) That's not a medical degree, and it's definitely not a specialization in pulmonary medicine.

Ricky, cite your "studies" or else your reference is useless.

Can a few of you MDs please respond?

it would be foolish to risk death because that is what we are talking about, you cannot say we have a rerun if i kick the bucket it is to late

good evidence is required based solidedly on facts, not likes or dislikes, and remember these are personal recommendations, nothing to do with facts

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Permalink Reply by Crabby Appleton on December 8, 2009 at 12:02pm

I don't know that I would trust the opinion of a "doctor" that doesn't know how to spell the very things that he/she is supposed to be an "expert" in treating. I don't think "Dr. Ricky" is someone to ever base your life's decisions upon.

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Permalink Reply by Carol on December 8, 2009 at 12:31pm

Cpap has been discontinued on a number of occasions....the most common is weight reduction. This is the most successful and beneficial for the whole person. The second would be surgery on the airway, however, it has a success rate of only 50% and apnea can get worse due to scaring in the ariway which could narrow the air passage more.

PD Laire said:

CPAP is like the Hotel California -- you can step in any time you like, but you can never leave.

Quite seriously, though, it's a forever thing. I've never heard of anyone going off it.

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Permalink Reply by 99 on December 8, 2009 at 12:58pm

testosterone

to much testosterone in the body is linked to sleep apnea

how do you use it up to reduce the testosterone you already have
that is why it is usually a male thing

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Permalink Reply by Amy on December 8, 2009 at 1:18pm

There are many patient that do not know why they have sleep apnea. Thisis part art and part science that is why having a close relationship with your physician is important. As to why you do not go into REM? There are also many reasons for that. Medications can affect that. Brain issues and sleep apnea can affect that, circadian rhythms can affect that. Again having a doctor especially a sleep specialist is very important.


Remember you always have the ability to change doctors if you are not getting the answers to your questions. That is what a second opinion is for. My concern is that you are not getting your questions answered in a way that you understand.
kim smith said:

Amy, Can you tell me if you have had anyone that they could not figure out why they had apnea ? And do you know of a way to help someone that does not go into REM ? Thank you ! Kim

Amy said:

I have been in respiratory and sleep for many years and I can tell you I have picked up machines for many people who no longer needed their CPAP. Some lost weight and corrected their sleep apnea. Some had surgery and that corrected the problem. The one thing they had in common is they all had a baseline sleep study to prove that their sleep apnea did improve.

There is no guarhaentee that loosing weight will correct sleep apnea. It depends on why you have sleep apnea. There is no guarentee that surgery will work or that the change will be permanent either. It is something that is monitored and tested. Work with your doctor and sleep specialist.

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Permalink Reply by dave foster on December 8, 2009 at 2:48pm

I just talked to the doctor, he says it is possible to get off cpap, BUT... He thinks you must lose weight, and possibly get the operation, clearing out the back of your throat so you have a clear air channel

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Permalink Reply by gerald paul st peter jr on December 8, 2009 at 3:01pm

Hello, I just had my tonsils out, my uvula and part of the palate removed and a stenoplasty done. All at the same time. Ouch. But through it all I am able to sleep without my Cpap!! The Dr. wants a sleep study done in a couple of months but why bother? The one thing I notice is that my mouth and throught are very dry in the am. So am installing a humidifier in room. I am
62 years old and the operation was miserable, endend up in ER and hospital for a day to control nausea, bleeding but through it all i guess it was worth it. Jerry st peter


dave foster said:

I just talked to the doctor, he says it is possible to get off cpap, BUT... He thinks you must lose weight, and possibly get the operation, clearing out the back of your throat so you have a clear air channel

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Permalink Reply by St. Chris on December 8, 2009 at 4:21pm

Gerald, I can sleep comfortably without my CPAP too, but I know for a fact that I'm having apnea incidents during the night. These events impact much more than just your night's sleep: Your body's adjustments to low blood oxygen will deteriorate your cardiopulmonary health (among other things) and can literally kill you in the long term. As I see it, you should follow the doctor's advice and get that sleep study. I hope you're cured! But, just as you'd test any other life-threatening condition before stopping medical treatment, you should test this.

Is your throat dry because you're still breathing through your mouth at night? That, just by itself, would make me get the sleep study, just to be sure the airways are working properly at night.


As for Ricky: I don't mean to trash him. I have high respect for the discipline of neuropsychology, and if his history on LinkedIn is accurate, he's done quite a bit of valuable work. But he's not an expert in the field we discuss here. Always make sure you know what your expert is an expert in.

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Permalink Reply by Melinda Hertel on December 8, 2009 at 5:14pm

Losing weight is definitely not a guarantee that you won't have sleep apnea. I have it and I am not overweight. Weight is not the only cause of OSA, which is why there are other treatments like surgery and dental appliances. In the medical practice I work with we have only seen a couple of people lose weight and come off of CPAP. In some cases weight loss helps improve the apnea/hypopnea index but not eliminate OSA completely. If you lose weight and your overall health improves, the only way to know if you still need CPAP is to have another sleep study.

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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on December 8, 2009 at 5:34pm

I do not even know how to respond to this! Sleep apnea is a misnomer?!

Ricky L. Johansen, Jr. said:

I stopped CPAP, why? Sleep Apnea is a misnomer because the epiglotis (not sure of spelling?) gets in the way of breathing creating the snoring affect; has little to do with air exchange (see studies) and with GERD (Acid Reflux) the only time that issue can cause problems with breathing is if you experience the reflux while asleep (like sleeping on your belly). So yes, you can go off of CPAP. Dr. Ricky L. Johansen, Jr., Ph.D.

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