sleep meds, sleep apnea, help finding CPAP machine

February 7, 2008

I finally got a call with my oxymeter test. The first thing the nurse

said was that the good news was that I won't need oxygen at night. What?

I am supposed to have a full hospital or sleep lab sleep study done as

soon as I can. She did say I will most likely need a CPAP. The funny

thing I forgot to tell her is that I actually slept better than usual

that night. I assume if that had not been the case the results would

have been worse? Or does it just mean I did get an accurate result?

Since I sleep so little, and am desperately uncomfortable in strange

surroundings. I have never slept when hospitalized before so don't see

why I would for a sleep study. I honestly think it will be a huge waste

of time, stress, and money/ And then the fight with the insurance

company will start. . I will go see the PA and try to see if anything

can be worked out for a trial of a CPAP without the sleep study, as I

truly don't think a study will do any good if I don't sleep at all

during it. By now I'm at the point I'd go for one, and to hell with the

money, time, stress, but I don't think one will produce any results, so

see no point to it. If a person has such a study, and doesn't sleep at

all, do they still give you a CPAP to try, or just keep on making you

try more studies? My experience is there is nothing in the way of sleep

meds I can be given that would actually produce sleep, and if there was

such a med, wouldn't it mess up the study anyway?

Perhaps I should explore any possibility of getting a CPAP machine

myself, and doing what Val is doing, just trying it out. How is it going

Val?

Last night I was so desperate, I pulled out 3 of the failed sleep

meds in my stash, and seriously considered taking some of all three.

Sanity prevailed, and I looked up effects and interactions first, and

found that all are CNS and respiratory depressants. I ended up taking

nothing, but it made me wonder if that is why sleep meds don't work for me.

If I don't sleep because I stop breathing from sleep apnea, meds that

depress respiration might just make the apnea worse leading to even more

insomnia? After 2 + decades of severe sleep deprivation, I think my body

has trained itself to either not fall asleep at all or to wake me before

I actually stop breathing? Didn't someone say that is possible?

Thinking back, most sleep meds I've tried have led to worse sleep on

the nights I've taken them. That has always been very confusing to me.

Have I stumbled on the reason? Take a sleep med, respirations are

depressed, and my body works even harder to keep me from going to sleep

and stopping breathing?

sol

February 7, 2008

SOl if your insurane wil lcover it, go for the study. Even if you do

nto sleep they may still be able to see apnea and help you set up wiht

the CPAP. It has been a major PIA to find a mask that fits/works for me,

and adjst the machine, and I am still nto happy wiht the results, so go

for the help if they will pay for it!

--

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

February 7, 2008

SOl if your insurane wil lcover it, go for the study. Even if you do

nto sleep they may still be able to see apnea and help you set up wiht

the CPAP. It has been a major PIA to find a mask that fits/works for me,

and adjst the machine, and I am still nto happy wiht the results, so go

for the help if they will pay for it!

--

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

February 7, 2008

SOl if your insurane wil lcover it, go for the study. Even if you do

nto sleep they may still be able to see apnea and help you set up wiht

the CPAP. It has been a major PIA to find a mask that fits/works for me,

and adjst the machine, and I am still nto happy wiht the results, so go

for the help if they will pay for it!

--

Artistic Grooming- Hurricane WV

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/NaturalThyroidHormonesADRENALS/

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/RT3_T3/

February 7, 2008

Sol and all, this may sound silly, but what may be helping me a little

with my sleep (excepting the last 2 days of stress and reduction of

klonpin) is......... a bedtime routine.

I do better if I'm off the computer earlier (HARD!!!!!!!) I don't watch

the news, I eat a snack. Then I turn off the TV, climb into bed with a

children's book.... yes..... I'm reading kiddo " chapter books " about horses,

stables and such.

AND, I got myself one of those noise machines and turn the ocean on for an

hour. I do a little deep breathing with positive affirmations (my faith

practice uses some scriptures) but my therapist taught me to exhale bad and

negative thoughts, and inhale the good ones.

Sounds silly, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm also

taking long soak baths with epsom salts (magnesium)

kc in az

February 7, 2008

Sol and all, this may sound silly, but what may be helping me a little

with my sleep (excepting the last 2 days of stress and reduction of

klonpin) is......... a bedtime routine.

I do better if I'm off the computer earlier (HARD!!!!!!!) I don't watch

the news, I eat a snack. Then I turn off the TV, climb into bed with a

children's book.... yes..... I'm reading kiddo " chapter books " about horses,

stables and such.

AND, I got myself one of those noise machines and turn the ocean on for an

hour. I do a little deep breathing with positive affirmations (my faith

practice uses some scriptures) but my therapist taught me to exhale bad and

negative thoughts, and inhale the good ones.

Sounds silly, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm also

taking long soak baths with epsom salts (magnesium)

kc in az

February 7, 2008

Sol and all, this may sound silly, but what may be helping me a little

with my sleep (excepting the last 2 days of stress and reduction of

klonpin) is......... a bedtime routine.

I do better if I'm off the computer earlier (HARD!!!!!!!) I don't watch

the news, I eat a snack. Then I turn off the TV, climb into bed with a

children's book.... yes..... I'm reading kiddo " chapter books " about horses,

stables and such.

AND, I got myself one of those noise machines and turn the ocean on for an

hour. I do a little deep breathing with positive affirmations (my faith

practice uses some scriptures) but my therapist taught me to exhale bad and

negative thoughts, and inhale the good ones.

Sounds silly, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm also

taking long soak baths with epsom salts (magnesium)

kc in az

February 7, 2008

Thanks for the suggestions, but I have tried all of those, more than

once during the past 2 + decades. So unfortunately all I can say is I've

been there, tried that, didn't work. I have a bedtime routine, use a

white noise machine nightly, etc. etc. It doesn't help me sleep, but

I'm used to the white noise now, and miss it if I turn it off, LOL.

Now that it looks pretty certain I have apnea, and fairly badly,

since the doc thought it wonderful I don't need oxygen at night, I hope

it explains why nothing has ever worked.

sol

kc in az wrote:

> Sol and all, this may sound silly, but what may be helping me a little

> with my sleep (excepting the last 2 days of stress and reduction of

> klonpin) is......... a bedtime routine.

>

February 7, 2008

Thanks for the suggestions, but I have tried all of those, more than

once during the past 2 + decades. So unfortunately all I can say is I've

been there, tried that, didn't work. I have a bedtime routine, use a

white noise machine nightly, etc. etc. It doesn't help me sleep, but

I'm used to the white noise now, and miss it if I turn it off, LOL.

Now that it looks pretty certain I have apnea, and fairly badly,

since the doc thought it wonderful I don't need oxygen at night, I hope

it explains why nothing has ever worked.

sol

kc in az wrote:

> Sol and all, this may sound silly, but what may be helping me a little

> with my sleep (excepting the last 2 days of stress and reduction of

> klonpin) is......... a bedtime routine.

>

February 7, 2008

Thanks for the suggestions, but I have tried all of those, more than

once during the past 2 + decades. So unfortunately all I can say is I've

been there, tried that, didn't work. I have a bedtime routine, use a

white noise machine nightly, etc. etc. It doesn't help me sleep, but

I'm used to the white noise now, and miss it if I turn it off, LOL.

Now that it looks pretty certain I have apnea, and fairly badly,

since the doc thought it wonderful I don't need oxygen at night, I hope

it explains why nothing has ever worked.

sol

kc in az wrote:

> Sol and all, this may sound silly, but what may be helping me a little

> with my sleep (excepting the last 2 days of stress and reduction of

> klonpin) is......... a bedtime routine.

>

February 7, 2008

Guess I'd better check on that, and get moving on this if they will

cover it. My husband is retiring this September and our insurance is

going to get a whole lot worse, as well as a lot more expensive. Might

as well use it while I have it. Even if it is a fight.

sol

wrote:

> SOl if your insurane wil lcover it, go for the study. Even if you do

> nto sleep they may still be able to see apnea and help you set up wiht

> the CPAP. It has been a major PIA to find a mask that fits/works for me,

> and adjst the machine, and I am still nto happy wiht the results, so go

> for the help if they will pay for it!

>

February 7, 2008

Guess I'd better check on that, and get moving on this if they will

cover it. My husband is retiring this September and our insurance is

going to get a whole lot worse, as well as a lot more expensive. Might

as well use it while I have it. Even if it is a fight.

sol

wrote:

> SOl if your insurane wil lcover it, go for the study. Even if you do

> nto sleep they may still be able to see apnea and help you set up wiht

> the CPAP. It has been a major PIA to find a mask that fits/works for me,

> and adjst the machine, and I am still nto happy wiht the results, so go

> for the help if they will pay for it!

>

February 7, 2008

Guess I'd better check on that, and get moving on this if they will

cover it. My husband is retiring this September and our insurance is

going to get a whole lot worse, as well as a lot more expensive. Might

as well use it while I have it. Even if it is a fight.

sol

wrote:

> SOl if your insurane wil lcover it, go for the study. Even if you do

> nto sleep they may still be able to see apnea and help you set up wiht

> the CPAP. It has been a major PIA to find a mask that fits/works for me,

> and adjst the machine, and I am still nto happy wiht the results, so go

> for the help if they will pay for it!

>

February 7, 2008

Hi Sol,

You do need to sleep so they can verify the SA for your insurance. Ask if you

can take an anti-anxiety or a sleep med or something to help you relax (muscle

relaxant?) to help get throgh the study. I did not sleep at all the first night,

had to go back for a second night and they billed my insurance a SECOND time.

Arrrrggggghhh.

>>>If a person has such a study, and doesn't sleep at

all, do they still give you a CPAP to try, or just keep on making you

try more studies?

February 7, 2008

Hi Sol,

You do need to sleep so they can verify the SA for your insurance. Ask if you

can take an anti-anxiety or a sleep med or something to help you relax (muscle

relaxant?) to help get throgh the study. I did not sleep at all the first night,

had to go back for a second night and they billed my insurance a SECOND time.

Arrrrggggghhh.

>>>If a person has such a study, and doesn't sleep at

all, do they still give you a CPAP to try, or just keep on making you

try more studies?

February 7, 2008

Hi Sol,

You do need to sleep so they can verify the SA for your insurance. Ask if you

can take an anti-anxiety or a sleep med or something to help you relax (muscle

relaxant?) to help get throgh the study. I did not sleep at all the first night,

had to go back for a second night and they billed my insurance a SECOND time.

Arrrrggggghhh.

>>>If a person has such a study, and doesn't sleep at

all, do they still give you a CPAP to try, or just keep on making you

try more studies?

February 7, 2008

Gale wrote:

> You will be waking up all night long.

>

Gale,

I won't recap all my posts on my insomnia over the past 5 months, but

that is exactly what I do. What is annoying, is that even docs I've been

to who said a lot of my problems would heal if I could sleep (and who

kept trying me on different sleep meds--at least 3 doctors) not one ever

suggested sleep apnea or even the most basic test for it. Even the one

now, I had to really press the sleep issue, and I had to insist on the

oxymeter test, which, btw, is free.

sol

February 7, 2008

Gale wrote:

> You will be waking up all night long.

>

Gale,

I won't recap all my posts on my insomnia over the past 5 months, but

that is exactly what I do. What is annoying, is that even docs I've been

to who said a lot of my problems would heal if I could sleep (and who

kept trying me on different sleep meds--at least 3 doctors) not one ever

suggested sleep apnea or even the most basic test for it. Even the one

now, I had to really press the sleep issue, and I had to insist on the

oxymeter test, which, btw, is free.

sol

February 7, 2008

Gale wrote:

> You will be waking up all night long.

>

Gale,

I won't recap all my posts on my insomnia over the past 5 months, but

that is exactly what I do. What is annoying, is that even docs I've been

to who said a lot of my problems would heal if I could sleep (and who

kept trying me on different sleep meds--at least 3 doctors) not one ever

suggested sleep apnea or even the most basic test for it. Even the one

now, I had to really press the sleep issue, and I had to insist on the

oxymeter test, which, btw, is free.

sol

February 7, 2008

GrammyDx2 wrote:

> You do need to sleep so they can verify the SA for your insurance. Ask if you

can take an anti-anxiety or a sleep med or something to help you relax (muscle

relaxant?) to help get throgh the study.

> Since those don't work for me at home, where I'm relaxed and comfortable how

on earth would they help in such a situation as a sleep study where I will be

anxious, nervous, and extremely mentally and physically uncomfortable?

>

I guess my thinking is if those things had helped me sleep, ever, I

wouldn't NEED the sleep study, LOL.

> I did not sleep at all the first night, had to go back for a second night and

they billed my insurance a SECOND time. Arrrrggggghhh.

>

That is what I'm afraid of, and since I will have to travel 170 miles to

do the study, it would be a huge problem if I had to do two nights.

Mabye I can get a phone consult with the " sleep guy " they referred me

to, and see what is likely to happen.

I can just see my insurance company paying for two studies, NOT.

sol

February 7, 2008

GrammyDx2 wrote:

> You do need to sleep so they can verify the SA for your insurance. Ask if you

can take an anti-anxiety or a sleep med or something to help you relax (muscle

relaxant?) to help get throgh the study.

> Since those don't work for me at home, where I'm relaxed and comfortable how

on earth would they help in such a situation as a sleep study where I will be

anxious, nervous, and extremely mentally and physically uncomfortable?

>

I guess my thinking is if those things had helped me sleep, ever, I

wouldn't NEED the sleep study, LOL.

> I did not sleep at all the first night, had to go back for a second night and

they billed my insurance a SECOND time. Arrrrggggghhh.

>

That is what I'm afraid of, and since I will have to travel 170 miles to

do the study, it would be a huge problem if I had to do two nights.

Mabye I can get a phone consult with the " sleep guy " they referred me

to, and see what is likely to happen.

I can just see my insurance company paying for two studies, NOT.

sol

February 7, 2008

GrammyDx2 wrote:

> You do need to sleep so they can verify the SA for your insurance. Ask if you

can take an anti-anxiety or a sleep med or something to help you relax (muscle

relaxant?) to help get throgh the study.

> Since those don't work for me at home, where I'm relaxed and comfortable how

on earth would they help in such a situation as a sleep study where I will be

anxious, nervous, and extremely mentally and physically uncomfortable?

>

I guess my thinking is if those things had helped me sleep, ever, I

wouldn't NEED the sleep study, LOL.

> I did not sleep at all the first night, had to go back for a second night and

they billed my insurance a SECOND time. Arrrrggggghhh.

>

That is what I'm afraid of, and since I will have to travel 170 miles to

do the study, it would be a huge problem if I had to do two nights.

Mabye I can get a phone consult with the " sleep guy " they referred me

to, and see what is likely to happen.

I can just see my insurance company paying for two studies, NOT.

sol

February 8, 2008

YOU DO NOT WANT TO GO ON OXYGEN WITH SLEEP APNEA! Carbon dioxide is what your

brain uses to be reminded to breath! If your breathing is depressed anyway and

you go on pure oxygen and are not getting any carbon monoxide, you can forget to

breath and not wake up again.

Yes, if you have been using respiratory depressants as sleep aids your mind may

be keeping you from dieing from them, by keeping you awake. I have a friend with

sleep apnea who needs Pepsi to sleep. Yes, Pepsi! Its the caffeine. It is a

repertory stimulant and its keeping his sleep apnea at bay a little bit. Most of

us, caffeine would keep us from sleeping. It certainly would me, but not him.

I agree with you that your mind is not letting you sleep to avoid dieing. Mine

does that too. It is the reason I had to buy my CPAP machines on line and

up the pressure beyond what the doctors thought I needed. I have learned not to

sleep soundly and that cuts down on the breathing stoppages so the severity of

my problem does not show up in the sleep clinic studies.

People who have sleep apnea that is being made worse by allergies at home, also

don't get fair tests at the sleep clinics. Different environment. Less

allergens. Less sleep apnea.

Check online classified adds. Sometimes people sell CPAP machines. Then go to

EBAY and see if you can buy the and adjust the pressure yourself until

your mind lets you know its the right pressure. It will.

Hensley <>< 8-)

sleep meds, sleep apnea, help finding CPAP machine

Posted by: " sol " solbun@... cat_thump

Thu Feb 7, 2008 11:55 am (PST)