Large Tonsils and CPAP Machine?

[britneymoore]

ok so i've been snoring ever since i could remember. i recall those joyous times sharing a bedroom with my older sister when we were kids and i would wake up in the middle of the night, being yelled at to turn on my side. i've also always had large tonsils with no sign of infection or illness. i always thought large tonsils were normal until i started to, awkwardly, ask people to let me see theirs and get a comparison. needless to say i was shocked to see that mine are enormous and are more than likely the culprit of why i snore. on top of that, i do notice that i wake up feeling like crap. i have a headache, feel unrested and i just generally feel like i've been hit by a bus.

i have yet to get tested for sleep apnea but given the risk factors and symptoms, i'm guessing i do. if i'm told that i do, indeed, stop breathing during sleep my only question is would a cpap machine even work with my large tonsils being so obstructive? i really, really want surgery to be the last resort but i'm just confused on if a cpap machine would even be able to work around my tonsils. any thoughts or ideas? or better yet, can anyone else relate to my specific situation and was there any success with a cpap machine?

[zonk]

Hi britneymoore, welcome to Apnea Board
This wiki and video explain what happen during sleep when the airways compromised
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...hing_(SDB)

Your symptoms sound almost like mine ... snoring, morning headache, feeling unrested, etc ...
Over 5 years ago, got tested, results came back, severe sleep apnea and been CPAP compliant ever since
As for tonsils, with the right CPAP pressure, the airways remain open and enables us to breathe during sleep, the right pressure will get determined at the titration part of sleep study

CPAP still the golden standard treatment of sleep apnea, anything else is a bandaid
People who had the surgery, still had to go back CPAP after all what they went through and coping with the issues arises from the surgery
Once things are removed, they're removed for good and the surgery is not reversible
Think about it, you've been living like that all these years without the surgery, CPAP can improve the quality of your life
just like anything else, one need motivation and the right frame of mind to succeed
Folks around are extremely helpful and understanding, I hope this is start to a successful journey

[trish6hundred]

Hi britneymoore,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Hang in there for more answers to your questions and good luck to you.

[Dreams of Green]

i really, really want surgery to be the last resort but i'm just confused on if a cpap machine would even be able to work around my tonsils.

If you have apnea it will work, and may well be life changing in the most positive of ways.

[49er]

Hi britneymore,

Welcome to the forum.

I would be asking your doctors whether having large tonsils would interfere with the success of pap therapy. If they do and you're reluctant to have surgery, you could commit to a trial period to see if you obtained the improvement you were looking for with pap therapy before resorting to a tonsillectomy.

Good luck with everything.

49er

[zonk]

Beside CPAP, some life style changes may helps, such as ...
Losing weight, avoiding alcohol before bedtime and avoid sleeping on your back
Central sleep apnea is another sleep disorder during sleep but snoring is not usually associated with this condition, breathing can stop due to the brain not sending signals to the muscles that control breathing. Some people can have mixed apnea, bit of both obstructive and central apnea

[cate1898]

Hi britneymoore and welcome to the forum!

I can't comment on the size of the tonsils affecting SA as I had mine out when I was 3. I did however suffer from the morning headaches associated with SA and that was my reason to seek treatment initially. These headaches were fairly severe and would awake me anytime from 3am onward. They were not my typical migraine or tension headaches that I am sadly also familiar with. I had also been used to waking up groggy thinking that was just normal - at least for me.

So I definitely think it would be wise of you to get checked out as it will definitely benefit your health in the long run.

[Sleepster]

i really, really want surgery to be the last resort but i'm just confused on if a cpap machine would even be able to work around my tonsils. any thoughts or ideas?

Tonsillectomy is a pretty simple and straight forward surgery. At the very least you owe it to yourself to get a referral to a good ENT doctor who can better inform you of your options.

CPAP therapy isn't difficult for those of us lucky enough to be able to tolerate it, but getting there is often a grueling journey.