just been diagnosed and havean appointment for a CPAP machine – anyone use one of these and if so how do you get on with it?

also having tonsils out and soft pallate in roof of mouth "remodelled" before christmas – whatis this like for an adult and how long off bike/work?

thanks

My bro has it and tried the cpap m/c – it really helped him but since then his chiro put him in touch with someone (not sure if it was another chiro or similar) who had a special interest in sleep problems. He showed my bro some breathing exercises which he did/does and these have actually meant he didn't have to have surgery. Sorry this is so vague but I don't remember the details. If you want me to find out more mail me and I'll put you in touch with him. T

TN – it would be fantastic if you could get me more details or put me in touch as then CPAP machine sounds a bit of a passion killer and surgery does nt fill me with joy either!
if i could try something else out as well at least i will have exhausted everything

martin
is this the thing where you take in a deep breathe when you are asleep and hold it in for ages, then let it out very slowly and noisely.

if so, then yes i do.

sort of – you actually stop breathing and your brain then wakes you up
i do this between 15 and 30 times every hour i am asleep, consequently i don't get much sleep and i am always tired, falling asleep etc

Gooner, would you mail me via my profile and I'll pass it on to my bro. Having some probs with my mobile so can't send link to this thread to him.

My company makes the CPAP machines. I went to a product demo and a couple of older chaps there said their life had been changed by using the equipment.
If you want me to get any more info, I'll try. Email me.
cheers,
Dez

I suffer from a mild form of it, at the moment i dont need the machine we re trying to treat it through weight loss, one of my friends i know who does have to use have said it really has changed his life, takes some getting used too but yeah worth it.

sleep apneoa

LOL

The only way you could possibly know you have this is if someone else has the misfortune to sleep in the same room as you.

It's known as "snoring".

It's part of the human condition – like farting, or belching, or talking in your sleep

Stop medicalising it by calling it by a poncy Latin name

Just move whoevever it was who complained about it into a separate room and you're sorted.

@ eldridge – you have no idea. I snore, I snore and sound like a f'kin tank, but it's not apnoeia. My bro's life has changed gbeyond recognition since his diagnosis and treatment…

eldridge – talking out of your wotsit. Perfectly possible to snore all night and not wake up – that's not what is being discussed. Sleep apneoa is very real and debilitating – if you snore heavily, wake frequently, and find it next to impossible to stay awake at certain times of the day you may have it, and it ain't funny.

I'm confident missus has it, had a terrible night with her last night. She snores bad anyway but also seems to stop breathing for a few seconds then splutters and chokes. She went to the doctor and got nowhere with them. I told her this morning she needs to go back – what tests can they do to diagnose it?
I find it very distressing to listen to and am worried she may stop breathing.

Dez – what are these machines your firm makes?

haddock,

doctors take it much more seriously these days
its all about how many times you stop breathing per hour

i had a home sleep test – you go to the hospital get a machine (about the size of an iPod) plug in overnight and take back the next day

look at this website;

http://www.britishsnoring.co.uk/

Surely i'm not the only one who misread a phrase in the OP as "CRAP machine"?

Gooner – thanks, i'll get her to look into this.

My wife was diagnosed with sleep apneoa over a year ago.
It started with a questionairre with questions like "do you fall asleep whilst you're a passenger in car?" which she answered yes. (Very subjective 'cos we were answering in the context of 12 hour trans-Europe drives, where she'd fall asleep whilst I'd happily drive the whole way).

This lead to a sleep study (monitor overnight)which revealed she was stopping breathing a few hundred times every night. This was a bit of a shock as it wasn't causing any sleep loss and I'd never noticed – but yes she was a snorer.

Once diagnosed, she got the CPAP immediately, which was fortunate because you are obliged to inform DVLA of the condition and you need to be able to say that you are receiving CPAP treatment or there's a strong possibility they'll say you cannot drive!!!

She was on the CPAP for about 8 months and to be honest lost more sleep as a result of its intrusion than she'd ever lost through sleep apneoa.
During this time she went on a diet and managed to lose a couple of stone. This had a dramatic effect and resulted in a follow-up sleep study revealing that she no longer had the condition. Machine returned. DVLA happy.

Bottom line / personal conclusions:
Whilst the condition never effected her ability to drive, the diagnosis felt like a slippery slope towards losing driving licence.
Weight loss worked.
CPAP machine was a nighmare.

I hope this little story inspires rather than alarms.
Good luck with it.

Dez – what are these machines your firm makes?

From what I remember, they gently force air into your lungs through a face mask. Sounded too intrusive as Ecky-thump says, so I didn't look into it much further. As I say, could find out more if you email me.

If you are overweight address that, it will probably go away.

Avoid alcohol in the evenings. Don't sleep on your back.

Surgery for OSA is a last resort.

stuartlangwilson you clearly do not know what you are talking about
whilst those may contribute (may) they do not cause sleep apneoa – none apply to me but i have it quite bad but thanks for your constructive thoughts

Ive always wondered if i have this, I've never woken up feeling refreshed, but I have a naturally very low heart and breathing rate which means I can appear to have stopped breathing when in fact I'm just between breaths as normal. Always fall asleep as a passenger unless something interesting is happening, but I dont struggle to stay awake while driving for extended periods of time even through the night (alps trips) etc. I'd be interested to be tested for it with this home test ipod creation!

To add to the tension. One of my workmates opted for surgery. Went to sleep in Ipswich hospital and woke up in Norwich! Surgeon nearly killed him operating on his throat. Norwich patched him up, but the op was not complete. 🙂

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, pref by laser.

My dad had it and it almost killed him. I don't know the in and outs of it not a doctor but because he wasn't breathing properly at night his lungs were filling up with fluid in a sense slowly drowning him. My old man still had his driving licence at 72. The cpap machine was god send for him.

http://www.sign.ac.uk/pdf/sign73.pdf

as i said stuart you are wrong!
these things contribute but do not cause sleep apnoea

however, nhs in uk will not provide cpap or surgery if the patient is grossly overweight
but these are not causes – i suggest you read the facts as you are cleary confused and do not fully understand the subject

Link to the company I work for's products: http://www.eu-pap.co.uk/sandman-auto-cpap-hc.html

Apparently they do more than sell the kit: http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUS139988+21-Oct-2008+BW20081021?symbol=COV.N