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Posted by John Reynolds on March 07, 1998 at 12:22:56:In Reply to: Sleep Apena???????? Maybe?? posted by Karen on March 03, 1998 at 23:41:51:
The prescription for my apnea was a CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) machine set at a prescribed pressure. It required a night in the sleep study lab at the hospital in order to first positively diagnose Obstructive sleep apnea vs. Central sleep apnea then to determine the pressure needed to prevent apnea's. I now wear a mask that is hooked to a machine every night that blows air into my nose so that my throat doesn't close up and prevent my breathing when I sleep. Yes it is a hassle and I wish I didn't have to wear it but compared to the sleepiness I felt it is a BREEZE! I was diagnosed with 15 episodes an hour which means I had my sleep disturbed about every 4 minutes. One thing I noticed is that once I started sleeping again I dreamt a lot because apnea steals a persons REM sleep and I had a dream deficit to make up.
It really sounds like you should consult with a doctor familiar with sleep disorders like my pulmonologist. I first went to a ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor and he said that I probably had OSA given the extra long palate that I had but he couldn't order a sleep study for me. If your doctor trys to tell you that apnea is not serious he is giving you bad advice and you should find someone more knowledgeable about sleep disorders. Good luck and let us know what you found out and how your treatment goes.
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