[Diagnosis] Where to start?

[kibblesandbits]

Hello!

I’m sorry, I’m new to this forum and couldn’t seem to find a way to search and see if anyone has specifically asked this before.

I am a 29 y/o female with a BMI of 19.66. I don’t smoke, I exercise and I try to eat healthy. However, I have a very strong family history of sleep apnea on my mother’s side. In fact, one relative on that side of my family almost died from it. 

In the last year, I’ve been sporadically waking up gasping for air in the middle of the night. Even when I wake myself up, I can feel myself trying to breathe but no air is coming in. Only after an agonizing 10~ seconds does my body finally take in a breath and I can breathe. Always afterwards my heart races like crazy and it feels like I’ve just completed a marathon, my body shakes and I feel like I have to calm myself down before going to sleep again. It usually never happens more than once a night, and lately it’s been happening about once a week. However, aside from those episodes I also wake up with a headache almost every morning and always feel tired even after 10+ hours of sleep. I also grind my teeth severely which is interesting because they say they’ve found a correlation but not necessarily a causation with those two things.

Anyway, I’m self-employed and under-insured. So insurance will not cover a single thing related to sleep apnea, I’ve already checked. My biggest fear is spending thousands upon thousands on a sleep consult, then sleep study, then cpap machine only to find out that I can’t tolerate sleeping with it. Which is a very real possibility. 

I ran across someone’s post on Reddit that directed me to this forum and suggested buying a used cpap machine that can diagnose you. That way you’ll know for sure if you have sleep apnea but you’ll also know if you can tolerate the machine. I have found a Philips Respironics System One machine that’s only been gently used and is selling for $290. Does this seem worth it? You don’t have to tell me that it’s best to get a sleep study, of course I wish I could do all of that. But I just can’t afford it, and I can’t go into debt for something that I may not even be able tolerate in the end. 

If this machine seems like a good bet, where do I start in terms of settings? Does this machine give you detailed reports about your sleep and diagnose you, or are there better machines for that?

Thank you so much for any help you can give, I really appreciate it greatly!

[staceyburke]

I would highly recommend a ResMed autoset if you are going to do this. The Phillips is just not a good machine. You can buy used at Supplier #2 on our supplier list at the top of the site. They give a years warranty and they are a great company.

Check them out before you buy used from other sites like eBay, craig’s list.

Price about 390
I did not need a RX when I bought

[Sleeprider]

Let us know generally where you are in the U.S. and we can try to direct you to an appropriate CPAP with data. I'm certain we can do better than a Philips system One for $290. I just recently bought a Resmed Aircurve 10 Vatuo bilevel for $150 plus shipping. The PRS1 is quite an old machine, and from your description, we don't know what model or how many hours are on the machine. I can tell you it was discontinued 6-7 years ago, and I could find a machine from a reputable vendor with a warranty for that amount. Let us know your general area or zip code and I will look a better deal.

While you don't have the typical physical characteristics for obstructive sleep apnea, we have seen many relatively young fit women that shared your problems. I am certain that with some data we can learn what the nature and severity of your sleep apnea problem is and make some recommendations. In fact, we can try something right away to see if your airway becomes blocked due to body position, or chin-tucking. This wiki article describes this common form of obstructive sleep apnea (positional apnea) http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...onal_Apnea As the article suggests, you can screen whether chin-tucking affects you. The simple way to prove this is to sit comfortably in a chair and relax. As you relax further let your chin drop towards your chest. People prone to this obstruction will sense more airway restriction, a snore or even complete apnea. This happens naturally during sleep, even sleeping on your side in a "fetal" position.

[greatunclebill]

Philips Respironics System One is the name given to a whole line of Cpaps . we need to know the specific model number to help you. the bottom of the machine should have the model number on a sticker.

[kibblesandbits]

Let us know generally where you are in the U.S. and we can try to direct you to an appropriate CPAP with data.  I'm certain we can do better than a Philips system One for $290. I just recently bought a Resmed Aircurve 10 Vatuo bilevel for $150 plus shipping.  The PRS1 is quite an old machine, and from your description, we don't know what model or how many hours are on the machine.  I can tell you it was discontinued 6-7 years ago, and I could find a machine from a reputable vendor with a warranty for that amount.  Let us know your general area or zip code and I will look a better deal.

While you don't have the typical physical characteristics for obstructive sleep apnea, we have seen many relatively young fit women that shared your problems.  I am certain that with some data we can learn what the nature and severity of your sleep apnea problem is and make some recommendations.  In fact, we can try something right away to see if your airway becomes blocked due to body position, or chin-tucking.  This wiki article describes this common form of obstructive sleep apnea. As the article suggests, you can screen whether chin-tucking affects you.  The simple way to prove this is to sit comfortably in a chair and relax. As you relax further let your chin drop towards your chest. People prone to this obstruction will sense more airway restriction, a snore or even complete apnea. This happens naturally during sleep, even sleeping on your side in a "fetal" position.

Thank you for your response! I live in the Indianapolis area. I did try the exercise you suggested and I didn’t seem to notice anything too out of the ordinary happening. I seemed to be able to breathe the entire time even with my chin resting on my chest. I did talk to my family doctor about it, and she did say that family genetics increase your chances for sleep apnea to about 80~% so I don’t know if it’s simply genetics for my case? I’ve looked up everything I could find on causes, and I can’t make sense of it otherwise. For now, I’ve elevated the front portion of my bed with a couple bricks just until I can get set up with a more permanent solution.

[kibblesandbits]

Philips Respironics System One is the name given to a whole line of  Cpaps . we need to know the specific model number to help you.  the bottom of the machine should have the model number on a sticker.

I apologize, it’s listed for sale but the owner has not put the model number. The cpap line is the only name he gave in the description. From the sound of other posts though, I think I will pass on that one.

[staceyburke]

Sleeprider I know you have done this (through craig’s list) for you and helped others. How do you do this if the purchase is from a state many miles away?  How do you make sure your money is just taken and nothing sent?

Maybe a good subject for wiki or a post people could get to.