Too Late?

[GTOdude]

Have had OSA for many years I would recollect. Now I got all sorts of medical issues and Im realizing OSA is the cause. I feel like a zombie and canst sleep, remember anything, short of breath, zero energy heart condition.. Im finally getting serious about dealing with it but am worried it may be too late for me to turn it around (I'm 66). I had a sleep study which showed my AHI of 36 and O2 desats to 84%. It really wasnt a good study cuz I was on CPAP there for a total of 22 minuted before they booted me out. Got a script for a machine and a DME messed around with me till I blew them off and went to another and got the machine I have now. I did fall asleep with the thing last nite but slept exactly like I did without it, waking every two hours and feeling like crap in the AM. My AHI was 5.71, but that included a few hours wearing it while watching TV so I could get used to it. I feel like im on death's door. Is there any hope for me? Thanks all.

[cate1898]

Welcome to ApneaBoard GTOdude! Glad you found your way here!

All the symptoms you mentioned could definitely be caused by OSA. And no it's not too late to try and get better health. There are lots of settings that can be adjusted or tweaked to get better sleep. Maybe you also need to look at different masks as that is such an individual thing. It all takes time. Don't give up!!

You should download SleepyHead (SH) software which can be got from the link at the top of every forum page. Then you can put your SD card into your computer (always make sure to slide the little switch on the SD card to locked first though) and download your data into SH. Always unlock your card before putting it back in your CPAP machine. You can then post results here and those with much more knowledge than me can give you helpful pointers on how to get better results from your therapy.

[PoolQ]

Yes there is hope. This does not happen over night and most of the time it is not like a light switch to stop it. There are settings on the machine that need to be tuned for you to sleep better while using CPAP. Then there is all the adaptations that you made to be able to sleep with Apnea for years and you need to readjust how you sleep now that the Apneas have stopped

You are on the right path, relax a little, you are at the very start of a journey that many others are already on and also just starting.

[OpalRose]

GTOdude,
Welcome to Apnea Board.
It is never to late to turn things around, and there are a lot of folk here same age as you that are doing it.

I'm not a doctor and Im not saying that Cpap therapy will cure all your medical issues, but with regular use can make a hugh difference in how you feel. It takes time to acclimate to therapy, so don't give up!

I assume you are on Medicare and have to show compliance. If so, be sure to use it no less than 4 hours nightly, hopefully more.

As cate1898 stated above, download the Sleepyhead software, then we can take a look at your data and be able to advise. Link at top of page.

[GTOdude]

I downloaded yesterdays graphs from Sleepyhead and tried to post a link to it in Dropbox. Forum wouldnt let me post the link. dangit. Advice appreciated!

[OpalRose]

You can try to do an attachment.
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/misc.ph...elp&hid=19

[justMongo]

CPAP is not an instant fix. The main point of using it is to halt or slow the progression of damage to the body.
It's important that care be coordinated among doctors; and other factors looked at...
I would hope you have a cardiologist who has given you a battery of tests.
And, that you have had a recent blood panel.

Some of those factors:
Weight
Diabetes
Hypertension
Effects of medications
Cardiac health
Thyroid
...

Regards,


Mongo

[GTOdude]

CPAP is not an instant fix. The main point of using it is to halt or slow the progression of damage to the body.
It's important that care be coordinated among doctors; and other factors looked at...
I would hope you have a cardiologist who has given you a battery of tests.
And, that you have had a recent blood panel.

Some of those factors:
Weight
Diabetes
Hypertension
Effects of medications
Cardiac health
Thyroid
...

Regards,


Mongo

Hi Mongo:
I am regular in contact with my cardio, I had a 3 way bypass in '94 and am still patent. I do have PVC's. I have treadmill and echo annually, in fact saw him day before yesterday. I had bloodwork a few weeks ago (thyroid, CBC and so forth) and all was normal. I have mild hypertension and its under control. I dont want to get worse, believe me!

[Sleepster]

Have had OSA for many years I would recollect. Now I got all sorts of medical issues and Im realizing OSA is the cause. I feel like a zombie and canst sleep, remember anything, short of breath, zero energy heart condition.. Im finally getting serious about dealing with it but am worried it may be too late for me to turn it around (I'm 66).

As long as you're still above ground, it's not too late! You start when you start, and go from there.

I did fall asleep with the thing last nite but slept exactly like I did without it, waking every two hours and feeling like crap in the AM.

That's normal. Your body is used to having to wake you up to breathe, a habit formed over decades. It will take some time for it to adjust. Just be grateful you can get any sleep at all. For many of us we have to adjust to the machine itself and at first get less sleep than before. But the human body will adapt and soon you'll be getting better sleep. One day you won't even notice the machine anymore.

One day soon you will wake up in the morning and feel better.

[GTOdude]

OpalRose:
The system wont let me post pics or attachments. I havent met the minimum posting requirements here yet.
lol!