[Symptoms] Newbie help - snoring or apnea

[sleepybones]

thank you everyone for the replies. i wish i'd posted on here sooner. 
i've cancelled the order for the S8 machine, and currently trying to secure a purchase of an S9 machine (secondhand), or S10 machine (new). The secondhand ones are few and far between, and the suppliers for the new ones ask for a supporting letter or prescription which i do not yet have to hand...

i've cross referrenced my symptoms with recognised Sleep Apnea symptoms, and i have 15 of 25, and considering all blood tests came back okay (not yet looked at Testosterone but will do), and the O2/Pulse readouts i've had, i'm feeling more confident to order a CPAP machine, and will go for an Auto model.

@xxyzx, i've checked the accuracy during the day against a non recording model i own, and it they both give identical readings, so i have no reason to doubt the accuracy of it at nighttime.


Commercial Link Removed, Instead do a search on Amazon, Keyword: Oximeter]


i do plan to continue with the NHS investigations as i am hoping that they will shed any light on any other problems i might have, but i cannot wait for their wait to get a CPAP machine - as i've heard the wait for the sleep study can be from 4-6 months depending on the hospital selected - this condition has already affected me for the past c.2 years and my business has taken a nosedive during that time, so i need to be proactive and try and get a solution to it.
i do want to lose weight, i try to eat lots of veg, and low carb stuff, and do around 1 hour of fast walking a day, but do not see any change. I want to get on my bike, but dont have the energy or motivation to do that, so wondering if i should get an indoor trainer. i'm hoping if i start CPAP, it might give me the daily boost i need to start more intensive exercise.
thanks once again to everyone for the input. i'll try and locate an S9/S10 machine, and will no doubt be back once i've got it ready to use for help or guidance.

just tried to post a link to dropbox to show the readings from that oximeter, but says i don't have enough posts.

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[ajack]

I would cut the Sugars: including fruit/juice. Cut Starches: including breads, pasta, rice, potato etc. Eat lots of low carb vegetables, salad, moderate protein and add healthy fats..

This gives a simple overview to how it works for me. The more carbs I eat, the more carbs I want. They don’t give up easy and it’s biochemical
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEayi6IB...D8&index=6          


more info on  low carb
Commercial Link Removed, Instead do a Google search for Diet Doctor
                                                           

what to expect the first week, besides being hungry for the first 2 days, then it stops
https://www.verywell.com/getting-through...ek-2242037

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[sleepybones]

I would cut the Sugars: including fruit/juice. Cut Starches: including breads, pasta, rice, potato etc. Eat lots of low carb vegetables, salad, moderate protein and add healthy fats..

This gives a simple overview to how it works for me. The more carbs I eat, the more carbs I want. They don’t give up easy and it’s biochemical
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEayi6IB...D8&index=6        
 

more info on  low carb
Commercial Link Removed, instead do a Google search for Diet Doctor
                                                         

what to expect the first week, besides being hungry for the first 2 days, then it stops
https://www.verywell.com/getting-through...ek-2242037

thank you ajack. i'll have a look at those.
over the past 6 months i've gone from 2 sugars in tea, down to 0.5 and also dropped bread completely. i probably eat too much rice....so will need cut down on that.

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[C0mbe]

I think your apnea questions have been answered well, but I can help with the sertraline/weight loss part. I used to take SSRIs some time ago, and it can be quite difficult to limit weight on sertraline. Often, SSRIs increase your weight because of an increased craving for sugar and carbohydrates. I found strict attempts to limit diet and increase exercise were not sufficient.

You can do two things: there is a DNA test that attempts to determine your susceptibility to SSRI side effects (incl weight gain) and you can try a different one that fits you better. I personally wouldn't go this way first, as weaning off one SSRI and moving to another is hell.

The second thing you can do is to take a 100 calorie snack of carbohydrate an hour before each meal which will lower the cravings during your actual meals. This can be effective in helping you lose weight.

Solving your Apnea problem will be the first step in helping the weight as it can also be a cause of weight gain.

[sleepybones]

thank you C0mbe for this reply. thats a good idea about the 100 calorie pre-meal. 

i'll stick on the SSRI's at the moment, whilst i get the sleep/rest issue sorted, and then once thats done i want to withdrawal from them slowly as i honestly don't have the anxiety i once had, its just the tiredness and lack of motivation due to the tiredness. 

this forum has been incredibly helpful. i've learnt more over the past 24 hours than i have over the past 2 years - i only wish i could have found it sooner. It makes me realise that the symptoms i've had are not unusual or uncommon, and its unfortunate i've had to proactively ask my doctor to investigate them further, and push them for the sleep clinic referral. 
its also given me the confidence to order a CPAP machine, as i didn't want to go down that route if i was completely off track in my own diagnosis. 
i'll continue with the NHS referral whilst i organise my own CPAP machine, as i do want them to find out if there is anything else amiss.



regarding those printouts from the Oximeter/Pulse machine - in case any other newbie is interested in getting one to check their own readings before a Sleep Study, the machine was  [Commercial Link Removed] Do a search on Amazon for Contex Oximeter
 
and the readings available were - this is only the Oximeter readings - the software provided does go into more detail and can be read hourly or by the minute - https://www.dropbox.com/s/tr60p4hd4rawe6...s.pdf?dl=0
 
other printouts and readings i've done are here
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/72x86e3ue161r...ZMW-a?dl=0

if i hadn't bought that machine, i never would have realised there was a fall in SpO2 or rise in pulse, and whilst i knew of the snoring, i didn't put the 2 together until i had that information. I hope that will help any other new people who are trying to get a diagnosis for themselves.

thank you again everyone.

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[sleepybones]

Do a search on Amazon for Contex Oximeter pid='202429' dateline='1493293786'] 

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apologies for posting the link to Amazon . the full name of the Oximeter was:
Contec Full-Colour OLED USB Finger Pulse Oximeter & Heart Rate Monitor w/ 24hr Memory.

since my post 24 hours ago, i've ordered a new Resmed A10 Autoset from a UK company after sending them my printouts from the Oximeter and Snorelab. 
i noted on the Snorelab that my "silent" times occur for around 20-40 seconds after a period of heavy snoring. at this time it then sounds like i roll over or move, and i breath quietly again. 
For a newbie, is this the exact time of the Apnea, and the body moves to kickstart the breathing?

[Wellslept]

Hi Sleepybones,


I am very interested to hear what your experience is when you try your CPAP machine.

I am in a similar self-diagnosed situation where I am waiting (thankfully only a few weeks more) for a sleep doctor ... And my symptoms of being tired are really making me feel impatient for the time when I can take a sleep test and be diagnosed properly.

In the meantime, I have ordered a pulse oximeter and am using the SNORELAB app. Like you, I am registering as an "Epic" snorer, with consistent periods of what sounds like struggling to breath / snore (I think ... It also sounds like snoring with lots of effort). Apparently the app compares you to other users and puts you in a percentile. Mine appears to rank me on some nights as being in the worst 5% of snorers ... Which I have to take with a grain of salt since this is an app after all ... However it is concerning. I also feel tiredness throughout the day.

What is holding me back from ordering a CPAP machine is the worry that I might be actually diagnosed with a requirement for a different machine. Do I have Central Apnea or do I have Obstructive Sleep Apnea etc.

Anyhow - I do hope you can find a quicker way to get a sleep study and I empathise with your situation. Let us know how you go!

[sleepybones]

i bought a Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset. i received the CPAP machine yesterday, and used it for the first time last night. 
due to being so tired, i retired at 9:30pm. it must have taken me abour an hour to fall asleep, and for the first time in ages, i had the need to visit the loo a couple of times during the night - not sure if thats due to the air on the face or coincidence.
i managed to wear the mask until about 4.55am, so wore it for around 7 hours in total. i continued to use my SnoreLab app, and the Pulse Oximeter.
i removed it because i felt the seal was not completely tight from around 4am, i think due to moisture on my face allowing a very small leak. i tried adjusting and wiping face but at 4.55am i removed it as it was preventing me from sleeping.

i noticed several things.....

1. no snoring detected at all on the Snorelab app until 30 mins after i removed the mask. 
2. my basal o2 was 95.3%, compared to previous averages of 94% without the mask.
3. lowest drop in o2 figure whilst wearing the mask was 94%, although after removing it did drop to 92% - previous averages were 85.8%.
4. time spent below 95% was 12.2%, but i think most of that was after i removed the mask. previously, my average time below 95% was 47.25% - so this is a massive drop.
5. feedback from my wife - the machine was silent - but there was a bit of air from the mask vent on the nose when exhaling which she could hear. She got used to this though, and thought it was preferable to my usual snoring. she heard me trying to adjust it a few times in the night.
6. i had 2 vivid dreams during the course of the night - quite a rare occurrence, so i can only assume i reached a good state of REM sleep.

feeling this morning....
still a bit tired around the eyes, and minor tiredness headache - but i think that is due to the broken period of sleep having awoken a few times to adjust the mask or re position myself in bed. on another level though the mind feels a bit energetic.


i'm going to try adjusting the mask again, and maybe try searching for a different type. i'm a mouth breather so will need a full face one. i initially went for a "cheap amazon" one costing £35 to get an idea of the machine, and to ensure that i could cope with the CPAP therapy before spending £100-150 on a good mask. i read that finding a suitable mask was the hardest thing, and its right. hopefully i'll sleep better tonight. i'll report back tomorrow.

does anyone know of any UK places which either have a store in southern england to sell or trail fit masks, or mail order?



Wellslept, good luck with your sleep study - i hope you get it sorted too.

[sleepybones]

2nd night using the machine, and it was the first full nights sleep.
2 decent dreams. not aware of any mask leakage.
according to machine, it said just 3 events - 2 Obstructive and 1 Hypopnea.
feel really rested today. no morning headfog or headaches.
more energetic than previous - if non usage of machine resulted in a 10/10 fatigue, i reckon i now feel like a 3 or 4. not perfect, but a lot lot better. i know it says that it can take a couple of weeks for the body to recover from the previous long term tiredness, so i am hoping this improves with time.
better focused in the mind.
noticed that my stomach was a lot better this morning than past 2 years - something i never even related to this - could be a coincidence - we'll see.
even went for a 2 mile ride on bike - something which i'd have loved to have done in the past, but could never drum up the energy to do so.

good luck to all those who are experiencing this in finding a solution to your problems.. i think mine was "only" mild, but i hope with this new energy i can lose weight and eventually stop using the machine.. 

i cannot thank the contributors on this site enough - i didn't have the confidence to buy a machine before coming here - and would have waited another 4-6 months for the NHS to see me, which would have been financially crippling for me. i hope with my revived energy i can now start rebuilding my business and getting some cash in to support my family.

[ajack]

you've done well mate.
re FFM I found the f20 to be good. but everyone is different, I would buy local from someone that will give you a weeks trial on each of half a dozen masks. getting the right one is so important.