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I just did complete my "in hospital" sleep study after I did two "in home" sleep studies that didn't 'take' for what ever reason. I have to say the in-hospital route is the way to go if your insurance covers it or you can just afford it yourself. There's somebody there to monitor every single little thing and much more in depth.
I know I used to have pretty bad apnea at one point where I'd wake up gasping, or just realize in my sleep that I had stopped breathing and wake up with such anxiety about it that I just assumed I'd stay up...That was rough and the reason I started scheduling for a sleep study...
But it was frustrating having to wait on Dr. apt's and especially when the two in-home studies didn't work for me.
In the last month or so, I had been waiting on the in-hospital study but my sleep was almost back to a normal person's...
I was worried that I'd be clear of apnea, not covered by insurance for a cpap, and that it might return forcing me to go through the whole process again.
The next morning, I was told the vague results that at this point I had a mild case of apnea but that it would be enough of a diagnoses for my insurance to cover most of the cpap cost.
That was a huge relief. I get to talk to the Dr. tomorrow about it hopefully
Glad to hear things worked out for you Ty... YES, the waiting SUCKS! For me, I normally fall asleep immediately, but I was so anxious it took a COUPLE HOURS for me to sleep... which only got me more anxious! "Oh man, I'm gonna fail this thing and have to go through a couple more weeks of Dr's, another study, etc" hahahaha, long story short- I "qualified" for the mask in the middle of the night and the tech said my brain waves showed I slept "much better". So, within two weeks I should have my new "night time best friend (after my wife
).
Geez!!! I wish you the best of luck.... that's sounds terrible!
Almost all of your symptoms describe me to a "T"... BUT (considering I get 4-5 hrs. of sleep/night on a GOOD day), it's not really surprising... when I don't have work and can catch up on sleep, energy is much improved.
Sure, that isn't much sleep true... do you snore? Snoring isn't necessarily a "sign" BUT if you couple it with everything else, you may want to check it out... the thing is, even on my days off when I could take a couple naps, I didn't feel like you did (improved energy)... maybe just a few hours.
just curious:
how old are you?
how much do you weigh?
you don't think it could be hormone/test levels making you tired?
I really want to get tested too. I need 7-9hrs or I feel like I almost have a hangover. Every night I wake up 1-2x to pee. Sometimes I'll wake up randomly after 4hrs of sleep and can't go to back to sleep for another 2 hrs. I also feel tired during the day like you do. I've read a lot about how people have similar symptoms and cpap helped a lot.
May I ask how you went about getting tested and how much it all costs?
Hope it works out for you man! let us know!
: mid/late 30's
: 225#
: I don't think so... I've had this for YEARS, but recently got worse with this being the most stressful year of my life. I don't think my level of super-supplements is all that "much" (yes, subjective/relative I know).
I have HMO, so I went to my PMD and explained my signs/symptoms. I was very thorough in my explanation. They ordered a battery of tests just to rule out other problems (hypothyroidism, etc) and gave me a referral to the Sleep Center in our Hospital. It was QUITE easy to set up.
Cost: Well, I don't know yet
.... BUT, the Dr's said that since it's all through the "insurance system" and is basically "prescribed" not all that much
i was thinking of getting one done myslef to see whats goin on. im currently getting trazodones and ambiens to help thoe
I think a sleep study might be worth it... those medications are OK if there is something "temporary" causing sleep problems (we will occasionally prescribe them in the ICU if a patient's sleep pattern is altered d/t their condition) BUT, if it's been for a long time you may just be treating the symptoms but not the "disease"
With the machine you will feel so much better it did take a little time to get used to. I know though that is better for me in the long run so forced myself to do for my kids and family.
EXACTLY... great mind-set Zman, good for you! That is truly being a "provider" to your family! They need you!
I remember reading a pretty funny read from a huge powerlifter once titled "So you think you are huge"....one of his points was that you really couldn't be huge WITHOUT having to use a PAP device. lol One study done on NFL players showed a 34% positive for apnea for defensive players. Since I am in the sleep diagnostic and treatment business, I can tell you neck circumference is one of the key indicators of potential risk along with BMI. Clearly, BMI calculators just don't work for us. Always found it funny how I could hop on a scale a few weeks out from a show at the doc's office and look over at the BMI chart and still be in the "morbidly obese" range!! Anyone with a neck circumference of 17" or greater is at increased risk....and that would likley describe most of us. I have seen quite a few of my brethren in iron walk into our clinics. Quite a contrast seeing someone in such peak physical condition parked next to a truly obese person in poor health...but the fact remains the same, apnea will cause the same issues in both. As was mentioned, studies have proven the increased risks in hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, just to name a few. It is also a progressive disease, so left untreated, will negatively effect your health over time.
For some of us, we may have moderate apnea during "offseason" yet have mild to none when leaning out for a show. Apnea can be improved/eliminated through weight loss in some people. Outside of that, surgery rarely works for the masses and sadly the only effective treatment is use of a PAP machine. Of course, the benefits of compliant use are tremendous. Just imagine feeling refreshed throughout the day instead of dragging ass all day....it makes a HUGE difference in people's lives! I love listening to some of our patient's that explain what it has meant to them to find treatment for this.
For those with insurance questions, I can tell you nearly all plans cover in lab sleep studies. Rarely see copays or deductibles on these either. Home sleep testing is not always covered by insurance and is often run by non-sleep boarded physicians. Where you often run into deductibles is on the equipment side...so check with your plan on DME benefits, which is what PAP falls under. For those with larger out-of-pocket expenses, compare what it would cost you to go through insurance with what you can get online. Many times you can get your supplies and equipment online for far less money, it just won't be covered by insurance. This isn't because we are all out to rape the patients, it's because we are stuck with an outdated reimbursement model where there is only one code to bill for each piece regardless of cost to us and everyone gets the same rate. If I sell you a $30 mask or a $115 mask, I get the same amount from your insurance company. Same goes for machines...could sell you an auto-titrating machine with wireless smart cards that cost me $650 or a low end no frills unit that cost me $200 and I get paid the same. It's a broken system, so do your homework (and stop sending me letters about how you found a certain supply online for less!!!! lol).
Anyhow, any of you suspecting this should get it checked out. Worth a night of your life to see if you have this and how bad it is. I strongly suggest looking for true sleep professionals. One easy way is to go through the locator on the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's website. Any with this accreditation has their facilities run by physicians boarded in sleep medicine who adhere to fairly stringent quality measures. These are the pros about this. I don't know about you guys, but when I have a joint or ligament issue, I go to a dedicated sports ortho to get checked out, not a general practitioner....sleep shouldn't be treated any differently.
**broken link removed**
Wow Someday... nice post... YES, it's not all just obese people or those with deviated septums, etc, BUT even "heavily muscled" people too! Great info. For me though, as mentioned above, I have HMO so I have to see my PMD, BUT, they refer to the Sleep Physicians at the hospital.
So glad to see more talk and exposure about sleep apnea because so many people have it and dont know it and how serious it is. For some its just that they need to lose weight while others like myself who have a deviated septum,enlarged tonsils, and enlarged back part of my tongue. they said i was a good candidate for the suregery but its a 50/50 shot it will help and your out of commission for atleast two weeks post surgery. I finally got diagnosed at 27. I actually basically diagnosed myself. I went to doctors several times who just said get more sleep yadda yadda. The cpap machine and mask suck at first but if you can get used to the nasal pillows you will never go to sleep again without it after you see how good you feel. Sorry to run on but i am very passionate about the subject because it will kill you eventually and there will be no signs. If anyone has any questions about it and want to PM me please feel free!!!!! And to the OP, did you feel like the predator after they hooked you up to all the wires LOL??
:Yes, although it is becoming more known and understood, there are STILL a few doc's who are not up to speed... granted, this was years ago, but I did look into this one other time and was basically "blown off" like you were... this time, after my explanation, my PMD didn't even hesitate to send me
: I don't blame you for being passionate about it... every person is so POSITIVELY affected when treated correctly AND you are right, it can kill you.
: See the pic
Thanks for posting this Myosin. I have all the exact same symptoms. Have for awhile now. I'm always tired no matter what I do, coffee, ephedra etcc.. I hope it helps with recovery and gains. I'm working with Phil as well. I have made some good changes but feel like it could be better.
Looking forward to hearing more about your experiance.
Exactly- while I like the EC(Y) combo, I really try to use it just for working out or if I REALLY need it on OCCASION in fear of burning my adrenals and lately I've been needing them almost every day... I think it will help recovery A LOT ... AND appetite control... besides muscle mass, hunger hormones are LARGELY regulated/affected by sleep.
Great hearing from all you guys, appreciate it a lot... and I think may help out some guys here as well.
WOW- does my nose look big here! hahhaha