Diagnosed with mild sleep apnea

[nothuman]

So I finally got diagnosed with mild apnea after being told I didn’t have it in 2019.

I am THRILLED at this result! Now I can finally hopefully get my oxygen saturation up a little from 96 to 98, my hematocrit can hopefully go down now so it isn’t always 60, hopefully have less GERD, and hopefully fall asleep easier too. I couldn’t be any happier that I got this diagnosis.

My appointment to go over the results isn’t until 1/18 so I figure I’ll ask the Pro Muscle apnea experts if they can understand this result and what kind of mask I should wear that is small, tolerable, and not too weird looking.

Also, any opinions on this oral appliance therapy (OAT) option?

 

[tonyperkis]

congrats! I'm like you with mild sleep apnea, and I had to push hard for getting a cpap prescribed. After trying several different mask configurations the Phillips dream wear nasal pillows was the best. I don't know about the oral appliance, I think it does something with your repositioning your tongue.

 

[bbxtreme]

So I finally got diagnosed with mild apnea after being told I didn’t have it in 2019.

I am THRILLED at this result! Now I can finally hopefully get my oxygen saturation up a little from 96 to 98, my hematocrit can hopefully go down now so it isn’t always 60, hopefully have less GERD, and hopefully fall asleep easier too. I couldn’t be any happier that I got this diagnosis.

My appointment to go over the results isn’t until 1/18 so I figure I’ll ask the Pro Muscle apnea experts if they can understand this result and what kind of mask I should wear that is small, tolerable, and not too weird looking.

Also, any opinions on this oral appliance therapy (OAT) option?

Looks like your case is similar to mine and is during your REM sleep.

I’m not a fan of the mouth device and haven’t seen much success with other people using it.

For mask, I am a side sleeper so have the F30i full mask as I am a mouth breather, but they make it for nasal as well based on how you breath while sleeping.

Glad you finally got it sorted!

 

[buck]

I was diagnosed with very mild apnea 25 years ago and had the surgery for it. I don't hear of many getting it. I guess insurance companies find it more expensive especially in the short term. many it seems find the mask a hassle and quit using it.

 

[cage99]

Nighttime mouth breather here… I use a Large F20 Resmed full face. The machine I currently use is the Resmed Airsense 11. I had the Resmed 10, but it stopped communicating with the app to track my events when they disconnected the 3LTE communications.

I could have gotten the info directly from the machine, but liked the convenience of having my machine connect to the MyAir app. I like the Resmed Airsense 11, but I’m still trying to get my events lower. Lately I’m still in the upper 20’s and feeling groggy during the day.

Cage

 

[Mufasa123]

I hope this sorts your other issues but if not and I had 4.9 I'd not do anything about this at all. I'm 60+ and multiple times severe threshold. Love my CPAP and take it everywhere but if it was merely a matter of numbers and I had yours I'd personally not treat it at all.

I have an Air Curve 10 Bipap and run high pressures with an F&P full face strapped to me holding in a jet engine. I'm good with it but sure as hell wish I didn't have it. With a mild reading if the CPAP helps your issues I'd look into the implant or surgery as you'd be a good candidate (for severe not so much from what I'm told).

 

[nothuman]

Looks like your case is similar to mine and is during your REM sleep.

I’m not a fan of the mouth device and haven’t seen much success with other people using it.

For mask, I am a side sleeper so have the F30i full mask as I am a mouth breather, but they make it for nasal as well based on how you breath while sleeping.

Glad you finally got it sorted!

Before I reply to everyone else, I have to thank you for telling me about the test I used to do this. Really really helpful

 

[nothuman]

I hope this sorts your other issues but if not and I had 4.9 I'd not do anything about this at all. I'm 60+ and multiple times severe threshold. Love my CPAP and take it everywhere but if it was merely a matter of numbers and I had yours I'd personally not treat it at all.

I have an Air Curve 10 Bipap and run high pressures with an F&P full face strapped to me holding in a jet engine. I'm good with it but sure as hell wish I didn't have it. With a mild reading if the CPAP helps your issues I'd look into the implant or surgery as you'd be a good candidate (for severe not so much from what I'm told).

Well I guess it’s good that I’m a borderline case according to what you’re seeing. Maybe that’s why that doctor I saw in 2019 didn’t recommend anything for me.

I’d still like to try it though and see if it resolves some symptoms.

 

[Fleezy]

get the full face mask

 

[marssel]

So I finally got diagnosed with mild apnea after being told I didn’t have it in 2019.

I am THRILLED at this result! Now I can finally hopefully get my oxygen saturation up a little from 96 to 98, my hematocrit can hopefully go down now so it isn’t always 60, hopefully have less GERD, and hopefully fall asleep easier too. I couldn’t be any happier that I got this diagnosis.

My appointment to go over the results isn’t until 1/18 so I figure I’ll ask the Pro Muscle apnea experts if they can understand this result and what kind of mask I should wear that is small, tolerable, and not too weird looking.

Also, any opinions on this oral appliance therapy (OAT) option?

I use Resmed it’s life changing my hematocrit has never been high but my o2 sat is always 65-66 doc says it’s just fine something about my size for height

 

[nothuman]

I use Resmed it’s life changing my hematocrit has never been high but my o2 sat is always 65-66 doc says it’s just fine something about my size for height

you mean 95-96%, right? Mine is usually 96% but sometimes 95. Sometimes 97 too but it doesn't last long. I think this is why.

I've been told Redmed by a few people now

 

[Mufasa123]

Well I guess it’s good that I’m a borderline case according to what you’re seeing. Maybe that’s why that doctor I saw in 2019 didn’t recommend anything for me.

I’d still like to try it though and see if it resolves some symptoms.

Yeah under 5 is technically not "sleep apnea" by definition so likely why they didn't bother before.

Absolutely do what you are doing. I hope that it works. None of your issues are too bad though. I'd do exactly what you are doing, see if there is improvement. If not, I'd drop the thing (just me, your call). If it does work I'd look at potentially less pita ways to resolve with same effect. Either way CPAP is the gold standard so if that doesn't improve things more than marginally, I'd cost/benefit and see where you come out.

 

[nothuman]

Yeah under 5 is technically not "sleep apnea" by definition so likely why they didn't bother before.

Absolutely do what you are doing. I hope that it works. None of your issues are too bad though. I'd do exactly what you are doing, see if there is improvement. If not, I'd drop the thing (just me, your call). If it does work I'd look at potentially less pita ways to resolve with same effect. Either way CPAP is the gold standard so if that doesn't improve things more than marginally, I'd cost/benefit and see where you come out.

Apparently it’s suggesting an APAP according to the first recommendation in the first pic. I had to look that up. I’m just gonna do what I’m told probably. Sounds like something that makes sense.

Anyone use an auto-CPAP aka APAP?

 

[danieltx]

Apparently it’s suggesting an APAP according to the first recommendation in the first pic. I had to look that up. I’m just gonna do what I’m told probably. Sounds like something that makes sense.

Anyone use an auto-CPAP aka APAP?

Almost all CPAPs on the market today are APAPs - you set a maximum pressure and minimum pressure and it adjusts through the night.

For masks it's just trial and error. I like nasal pillows.

I do not recommend the oral appliance or other treatments. Dr. Craig Schwimmer was a client of mine and he innovated many of the CPAP-alternative treatments that exist today. The success rate for them is about 60%. Yeah the CPAP is hard to get used to at first, but it's the gold standard and when you start waking up feeling truly refreshed you'll be hooked.

 

[Reno911]

I tried the mouth appliance and it did not work for me but my sleep apnea is in the severe range.

Even the Dr that did my appliance after it did not work for me said "CPAP is the gold standard" when I saw him at the gym one day.

I'd recommend using a ResMed Swift LT or FX nasal pillow. Add a chin strap if you open your month. Both of these will allow you to side sleep.

Good luck!

 

[IFBBProDomCardone]

Whenever I creeped over 260, my snoring and sleep was horrific...when I was 290... I literally could not function during the day. Impaired memory, close calls driving, brain fog beyond belief. Felt as if my IQ dropped by 3/4ths lol. But when I used the CPAP, went away almost instantly. Thankfully that was towards the end of my "career" and I no longer need it. But if you need a cpap, absolutely use it. I did best with the full face and res med machine.

 

[RandomMachine]

Look at the DreamWear mask system.

The same headgear can be used with nasal pillows, an under the nose cushion or a full face mask. I've never used the full face mask, but the two nasal attachments are good.

It's pretty small. I don't think you'll avoid one that looks weird. Just about every mask I've ever seen is weird and ugly.

I avoided the full face mask because I have a beard, but I think people use them with a beard. I also kind of wondered if the full face mask is what gives some people those face lines around the nose like Jordan Peters has for example.

 

[nothuman]

Whenever I creeped over 260, my snoring and sleep was horrific...when I was 290... I literally could not function during the day. Impaired memory, close calls driving, brain fog beyond belief. Felt as if my IQ dropped by 3/4ths lol. But when I used the CPAP, went away almost instantly. Thankfully that was towards the end of my "career" and I no longer need it. But if you need a cpap, absolutely use it. I did best with the full face and res med machine.

I’m not nearly as heavy as you, but that’s an interesting anecdote because I have had horrendous brain fog on and off since 2018. I seriously hope it’s due to the apnea and that it goes away with the mask. I always attributed it to thyroid since taking thyroid pills relieved symptoms (at least for some time before it didn’t work anymore).

 

[Mufasa123]

BTW I missed that your crit is 60 and thought it was 50. Definitely worth trying but I'd look into other potential causes as well. I run high naturally at the top of range so I can easily get to mid 50s or even high 50s if I don't donate and run higher tren... never posted a 60 though.

 

[bananas007]

So I finally got diagnosed with mild apnea after being told I didn’t have it in 2019.

I am THRILLED at this result! Now I can finally hopefully get my oxygen saturation up a little from 96 to 98, my hematocrit can hopefully go down now so it isn’t always 60, hopefully have less GERD, and hopefully fall asleep easier too. I couldn’t be any happier that I got this diagnosis.

My appointment to go over the results isn’t until 1/18 so I figure I’ll ask the Pro Muscle apnea experts if they can understand this result and what kind of mask I should wear that is small, tolerable, and not too weird looking.

Also, any opinions on this oral appliance therapy (OAT) option?

@nothuman . It this a AT home sleep study? Temporarily you can just try and sleep in your left side or on your belly. You AHI is highest when you are supine, which is common. Not bad when you are on the sides.