Sleep Apnea

[freshsqueezed]

How many guys on this board have Sleep Apnea. I am pretty sure I have it and have a sleep study scheduled on Aug 12th. After treatment what changed did you notice as far as recovery, blood pressure, etc?

 

[smokeybair]

i have it. i have been using the cpap machine for years. i use it most nights but i do skip some also. as far as changes, the main thing is the way you feel. there is nothing like a good nights sleep. recovery will improve for sure. its like comparing 3 hours sleep to 8. the hardest thing is getting use to sleeping with the mask. i use a fullface. start out just getting use to falling asleep with it. you will be frustrated but just keep putting it on every night. you will get use to it. after a couple weeks it will be normal to you. i usually sleep about 4 hours and then wake up to take a leak and dont put it back on. i should but dont. it will be like night and day difference once you sleep all night with it. you will feel like brand new. good luck.

 

[Pekkerwood]

Tons of threads on this subject, please use the search function and you will get much more information than will be added to this thread.

With that said, each individual is different, type, severity, other factors but in general if you have obstructive sleep apnea and eliminate or reduce it severely, it may help blood pressure, night sweats, tendency toward type two diabetes, decreased risk for heart failure, decreased blood levels of carbon dioxide, increased Oxygen levels, and 50 lbs on your bench press.

 

[nickman1978]

I've had it...It was at its worst when i was weighing around 230lbs. I've lost about 15lbs since then and i've been sleeping much more sound and blood pressure is a lot better now. I just notice that the more i weigh the worst it is 4 me...

My GF's father where's a mask too...Say's it really helps him...

 

[swole79]

I have it too. Im going in a week or two to get a sleep study done and finally address it. It has been killing me lately, no energy whatsoever. I have noticed in the past that when I am severely bloated or holding extra water it is significantly worse. Drop a little water and it gets better but it's still there.

 

[nickman1978]

I have it too. Im going in a week or two to get a sleep study done and finally address it. It has been killing me lately, no energy whatsoever. I have noticed in the past that when I am severely bloated or holding extra water it is significantly worse. Drop a little water and it gets better but it's still there.

i agree ...

 

[juicin]

How do you know if you have it?

 

[curls-for-girls]

After i had my surgery i feel a million times better. I sleep better, i can think more clearly, my workouts are better and i am awake and alert thoughout the entire day.

good luck man :headbang:

 

[myosin]

a few things....

How do you know if you have it?

There are a few symptoms but they can very from person to person, BUT the MAIN symptom that pretty much ALL notice... LETHARGY... no matter how much sleep you get, you are always tired. Wake up, MIGHT feel good for a couple hours, but then crash. Some wake up and feel like they didn't sleep at all. Afternoon lethargy as well (not just typical post-lunch tiredness, but basically almost falling asleep). Some experience "foggy" or "cloudy" thinking, lack of concentration.

Some SIGNS- pretty universal: SNORING (many people snore and don't have SA, BUT, if you have the above symptoms, then you probably do). Some people "gasp" at times, others will actually stop breathing for a few seconds.

MYTH- you do NOT physically "wake up" through out the night, BUT, your brain does. Some peoples brain's wake up 20-40 times an hour never allowing that deep restful and restoring sleep.

Treatment: not all need the machine. Some can basically have the back of their throats "cored-out" as I call it (remove adenoids, uvula, maybe tonsils, some soft-palate reconstruction) and are fine... others do need the machine but they've just come out with a much smaller "mask" that is actually more of a mouthpiece that fits in the mouth.

I saw my PMD the other day and I too am now waiting to make my appointment with the sleep lab. Whatever treatment avails, I can't wait for more energy AND ALOT better recovery!

 

[123cctv]

How many guys on this board have Sleep Apnea. I am pretty sure I have it and have a sleep study scheduled on Aug 12th. After treatment what changed did you notice as far as recovery, blood pressure, etc?

Here's a lively thread you're sure to enjoy:
http://www.professionalmuscle.com/f...scle-forum/59829-anyone-use-cpap-machine.html

However what it really boils down to in this forum is - many with sleep apnea are using GH or IGF-1 which *will* create sides such as water retention, "soft tissue swelling", easily noted in the hands and feet, etc. The studies cited in the above thread further credit sleep apnea to GH/IGF. Though a small percentage contracted SA, it should be noted the studies referenced were not at abnormal dosing levels (as many BB'ers choose to do and ignore). Instead, sides were avoided and dosages reduced to avoid unwanted side effects. Even still, SA occurred.

Consider the user who clearly exceeds normal dosing levels - what sides do they expect to experience? While weight plays a major role in obstructive SA, tissue swelling is similar.

 

[juicin]

There are a few symptoms but they can very from person to person, BUT the MAIN symptom that pretty much ALL notice... LETHARGY... no matter how much sleep you get, you are always tired. Wake up, MIGHT feel good for a couple hours, but then crash. Some wake up and feel like they didn't sleep at all. Afternoon lethargy as well (not just typical post-lunch tiredness, but basically almost falling asleep). Some experience "foggy" or "cloudy" thinking, lack of concentration.

Some SIGNS- pretty universal: SNORING (many people snore and don't have SA, BUT, if you have the above symptoms, then you probably do). Some people "gasp" at times, others will actually stop breathing for a few seconds.

MYTH- you do NOT physically "wake up" through out the night, BUT, your brain does. Some peoples brain's wake up 20-40 times an hour never allowing that deep restful and restoring sleep.

Treatment: not all need the machine. Some can basically have the back of their throats "cored-out" as I call it (remove adenoids, uvula, maybe tonsils, some soft-palate reconstruction) and are fine... others do need the machine but they've just come out with a much smaller "mask" that is actually more of a mouthpiece that fits in the mouth.

I saw my PMD the other day and I too am now waiting to make my appointment with the sleep lab. Whatever treatment avails, I can't wait for more energy AND ALOT better recovery!

Thanks for the info. I may very well have this. I'm ALWAYS tired, i guess ive just attributed it to heavy workouts and possibly a side of AAS up till this point. Also, a desk job does not really help much...

 

[AZBodyZone]

i was just diagnosed after my sleep study. Turns out i stope breathing over 30x an hour. my CPAP was just delivered and set up yesterday. I dont know how well it will work for me, i get very anxious when i feel smothered by a mask forcing air into my nose. However i am looking fwd to a good night sleep

 

[123cctv]

Thanks for the info. I may very well have this. I'm ALWAYS tired, i guess ive just attributed it to heavy workouts and possibly a side of AAS up till this point. Also, a desk job does not really help much...

juicin, while this is definitely a serious matter, for instance it can cause death, still, just because you're "always tired" does not necessarily mean you have sleep apnea. However if you do, you best look into it. Some issues to consider.

If you're taking GH, indirectly it can make you tired. This is caused by a sluggish thyroid unable to keep up. Some take T3. I personally never have. However if you do, be aware that many experience great results (at first), though your body eventually adapts and results fade. Thus, I don't see this as a fix. You can test and see if this is GH related, by stopping for a week. If at the end you're no longer tired, well...then you'll know.

I myself have sleep apneal, though I had a partner (wife) tell me I stopped breathing every 4-5 breaths and wouldn't breath for approx 10 secs. Of course, if I hadn't of had her tell me so, I may never have been alerted to it. You see, my thyroid is capable of keeping up witih the increased metabolism GH provides. If you have no partner to observe, try using a camcorder on yourself - just before you dose off. With my wifes observance, we were able to determine when I heavily used synthetic GH, it became bad. When on secretagogues/peptides, it also occurred. However when I reduced down to minimal dosing, it all but vanished. That took a month to accomplish though.

In the end I've made a choice, keep the GH and deal with SA. I now use a machine and don't sleep well without it. Though like everyone else, it took time to get used to. Thankfully I bought an Auto A-Flex. It allows the patient to exhale without forcing air against their breath, it adjusts to their breathing pattern, reduces or increases pressure as it believes necessary. It's your own doctor sitting with you throughout the entire night and adjusting as it see's fit.

Sorry....didn't mean to ramble.

 

[juicin]

juicin, while this is definitely a serious matter, for instance it can cause death, still, just because you're "always tired" does not necessarily mean you have sleep apnea. However if you do, you best look into it. Some issues to consider.

If you're taking GH, indirectly it can make you tired. This is caused by a sluggish thyroid unable to keep up. Some take T3. I personally never have. However if you do, be aware that many experience great results (at first), though your body eventually adapts and results fade. Thus, I don't see this as a fix. You can test and see if this is GH related, by stopping for a week. If at the end you're no longer tired, well...then you'll know.

I myself have sleep apneal, though I had a partner (wife) tell me I stopped breathing every 4-5 breaths and wouldn't breath for approx 10 secs. Of course, if I hadn't of had her tell me so, I may never have been alerted to it. You see, my thyroid is capable of keeping up witih the increased metabolism GH provides. If you have no partner to observe, try using a camcorder on yourself - just before you dose off. With my wifes observance, we were able to determine when I heavily used synthetic GH, it became bad. When on secretagogues/peptides, it also occurred. However when I reduced down to minimal dosing, it all but vanished. That took a month to accomplish though.

In the end I've made a choice, keep the GH and deal with SA. I now use a machine and don't sleep well without it. Though like everyone else, it took time to get used to. Thankfully I bought an Auto A-Flex. It allows the patient to exhale without forcing air against their breath, it adjusts to their breathing pattern, reduces or increases pressure as it believes necessary. It's your own doctor sitting with you throughout the entire night and adjusting as it see's fit.

Sorry....didn't mean to ramble.

Dont appologize please your informative responses are always welcome 123cctv.

My gf complains i snore this and being lethargic are the only symptoms i have of sleep apnea. I had asked her if i ever stop breathing or sound like im choking, which she replied no to.

The snoring isnt consistent either, sometimes its wicked loud, sometimes its just a heavy breathing type of snore, although she said it tends to be on the loud side most of the time.

But, of course, the only way to know for sure is to have it diagnosed.

Question i have for you: Doesnt GH speed the conversion of T4 to T3? So wouldnt it be better take T4 rather? I've also heard of people becoming sluggish on T3, something about how other tissues in the body actually need T4 to carry out metabolic processes, i'm not sure if this is fact or fiction, what are your thoughts?

 

[123cctv]

My gf complains i snore this and being lethargic are the only symptoms i have of sleep apnea. I had asked her if i ever stop breathing or sound like im choking, which she replied no to.

Ah well snoring isn't SA at all. It's just snoring, whether loud or other. SA = you periodically stop breathing and that's what you'll need to concern yourself with.

Question i have for you: Doesnt GH speed the conversion of T4 to T3? So wouldnt it be better take T4 rather?

Yes, infact between the two and if you're taking GH, T4 is better IMO.

 

[DEADn]

I may have this as well. I am going to the doc on 8-9 for a doc consulation. Depending on how expensive it is I will get asleep study. I also wondered about that mouthpiece you can get from a dentist that pulls the the jaw forward. Apparently at night the jaw relaxes and falls back and helps in block the airway helping to create sleep apnea.

I am already spending enough seeing a chiro for my cervial hernia. Don't want to spends thousands on sleep apnea.

 

[myosin]

Kind of a misnomer though...

Ah well snoring isn't SA at all. It's just snoring, whether loud or other. SA = you periodically stop breathing and that's what you'll need to concern yourself with.

That's the thing... many with SA don't really STOP breathing per se (though that's what the name suggests <and yes, many do actually stop for a few seconds>), BUT with the snoring and decreased airway, many people will have their oxygen saturation drop significantly, thus signaling the brain to "wake up" to pick up the saturation. This constant "waking up" is what can lead to the extreme lethargy as mentioned in other posts. We see this in the ICU quite often in obese and non-obese patients for that matter... their saturation keeps dropping through the night when there is no other medical reason otherwise... we end up setting them up for a sleep evaluation after their discharge.

 

[ItalianMuscle27]

Treatment: not all need the machine. Some can basically have the back of their throats "cored-out" as I call it (remove adenoids, uvula, maybe tonsils, some soft-palate reconstruction) and are fine... others do need the machine but they've just come out with a much smaller "mask" that is actually more of a mouthpiece that fits in the mouth.
!

Having surgery to correct sleep apnea, is actually the worst option to take. I know because I was looking into it, and all 3 doctors said dont do it, and use the machine. Its proven to be the most effective way to treat sleep apnea.

 

[123cctv]

That's the thing... many with SA don't really STOP breathing per se (though that's what the name suggests <and yes, many do actually stop for a few seconds>),

I think you're using a broad brush to paint picture that doesn't necessarily apply to SA. Apnea means exactly what you said, "to stop breathing". What you're referring to is typically labeled: Sleep Disordered Breathing .

Taken from the link below, it states:
"The term "sleep-disordered breathing" is commonly used in the U.S. to describe the full range of breathing problems during sleep in which not enough air reaches the lungs."

However, Apnea is:
"Sleep apnea (or sleep apnoea in British English) is a sleep disorder characterized by having one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour."
Sleep apnea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BUT with the snoring and decreased airway, many people will have their oxygen saturation drop significantly, thus signaling the brain to "wake up" to pick up the saturation. This constant "waking up" is what can lead to the extreme lethargy as mentioned in other posts. We see this in the ICU quite often in obese and non-obese patients for that matter... their saturation keeps dropping through the night when there is no other medical reason otherwise...

This troubles me. I fear this is going to scare or give pause to umm, 100's of readers who simply snore. However as classic central or obstructive SA applies to snoring, here's what to look for:

In Central SA (not Obstructive), snoring is irrelevant.
"In central sleep apnea, the basic neurological controls for breathing rate malfunction and fail to give the signal to inhale, causing the individual to miss one or more cycles of breathing."

However in obstructive, w/snoring:

"The loudness of the snoring is not indicative of the severity of obstruction, however. If the upper airways are tremendously obstructed, there may not be enough air movement to make much sound. Even the loudest snoring does not mean that an individual has sleep apnea syndrome. The sign that is most suggestive of sleep apneas occurs when snoring stops. If both snoring and breathing stop while the person's chest and body try to breathe, that is literally a description of an event in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. When breathing starts again, there is typically a deep gasp and then the resumption of snoring"

So we have Sleep Disordered Breathing and Apnea. However I would appreciate it if everyone stay's put and doesn't run off and get a sleep study done just because you happen to snore!

 

[myosin]

Nice!

I think you're using a broad brush to paint picture that doesn't necessarily apply to SA. Apnea means exactly what you said, "to stop breathing". What you're referring to is typically labeled: Sleep Disordered Breathing .

Taken from the link below, it states:
"The term "sleep-disordered breathing" is commonly used in the U.S. to describe the full range of breathing problems during sleep in which not enough air reaches the lungs."

However, Apnea is:
"Sleep apnea (or sleep apnoea in British English) is a sleep disorder characterized by having one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths during sleep. Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour."
Sleep apnea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



This troubles me. I fear this is going to scare or give pause to umm, 100's of readers who simply snore. However as classic central or obstructive SA applies to snoring, here's what to look for:

In Central SA (not Obstructive), snoring is irrelevant.
"In central sleep apnea, the basic neurological controls for breathing rate malfunction and fail to give the signal to inhale, causing the individual to miss one or more cycles of breathing."

However in obstructive, w/snoring:

"The loudness of the snoring is not indicative of the severity of obstruction, however. If the upper airways are tremendously obstructed, there may not be enough air movement to make much sound. Even the loudest snoring does not mean that an individual has sleep apnea syndrome. The sign that is most suggestive of sleep apneas occurs when snoring stops. If both snoring and breathing stop while the person's chest and body try to breathe, that is literally a description of an event in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. When breathing starts again, there is typically a deep gasp and then the resumption of snoring"

So we have Sleep Disordered Breathing and Apnea. However I would appreciate it if everyone stay's put and doesn't run off and get a sleep study done just because you happen to snore!

Nice info 123! Thanks! In all the years in the ICU the Attending have never mentioned SDB... not even the ENT's. So, the next time the opportunity presents itself during rounds I'm going to whip out that info and maybe appear a little more smart than I really I am! hahaha... seriously though, good info!

And yes, snoring doesn't mean go get a sleep study... I don't think anyone meant to infer that if that is how it was interpreted... It's more the extreme lethargy, foggy thinking, etc that accompanies it is when people should get their antennae's up... but of course that's also why the Doc will order a slew of labs as well to look for other possible reasons (CBC, thyroid, etc, etc).

Speaking of patient rounds, time to start! thanks!