Sleep Apnea Treatment

Question by tammer: Anyone had problems with sleep apnea during pregnancy….?
Im 11 weeks pregnant with twins, my dr sent me for a sleep study because I am so tired and have not been sleeping well. They said that when i get into a deep sleep my oxygen level drops in half. Yjey put a c pap on me for the second half of the test and still didnt see much improvment. Anyone eles had this? Really worried about the babies. I have been so stressed like they need anymore stress.
They******************* sorry for any typos

Best answer:

Answer by Crackers
Why it happens
Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder characterized by loud snoring and brief, involuntary breathing pauses during sleep. (The Greek word apnea means “want of breath.”)

Sleep apnea sufferers may briefly stop breathing and then wake with a gasp, start, or snort as many as a hundred times a night or more. People with sleep apnea rarely remember these episodes in the morning, although they may wonder why they feel so tired all the time.

Obesity is a major risk factor for sleep apnea, and some experts believe that pregnancy may also make you more susceptible, particularly in the third trimester. The heavier you are to begin with and the more weight you gain during pregnancy, the more likely you are to have trouble breathing at night because of the extra tissue in your neck and throat.

Other factors that make you more likely to snore during pregnancy, such as swollen nasal passages, may also put you at a higher risk for sleep apnea. Higher levels of estrogen during pregnancy contribute to swelling in the mucous membranes lining the nose and can even cause you to make more mucus. Also, the amount of blood in your body increases and your blood vessels expand during pregnancy, which can lead to swollen nasal membranes as well.
What you can do about it
If your partner notices that you’re snoring a lot and making periodic snorting or gasping sounds in your sleep, be sure to mention it to your doctor or midwife so you can be evaluated for sleep apnea.

When you periodically stop breathing, the amount of oxygen in your blood drops temporarily. If left untreated, sleep apnea can take a toll on your health, and some research suggests it may affect your baby’s growth as well. Sleep apnea is also linked to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disorders. And feeling tired during the day increases your risk of falling asleep at work, while you’re driving, or while you’re caring for your other children.

If you’re diagnosed with sleep apnea, you may be given a special mouth guard to wear at night to keep your airway open. If the apnea is severe, your doctor may have you wear a mask that’s hooked up to a machine that provides a steady flow of air while you sleep to help keep you breathing normally. Most people are amazed by how much better they feel during the day soon after they begin using this device at night.

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Question by john9898: I am having weird sleeping problems? It’s not sleep apnea so what is it?
k so basically this has been going on for about 2 and a half years. When i sleep i wake up but its only mentally, i cant physically move at all. also my heart rate beats faster than normal. It’s not a dream or anything. It’s just odd to me and it seems to happen when my head isn’t supported and my head arched back. This im pretty sure isnt deadly at all but its kinda getting on my nerves because it happens maybe twice every week. Please help!

Best answer:

Answer by Jyst4U
My guess is you might still be in a deep form of sleep while being immobile. This could be one of two things:

1. You are sleepwalking, without the walking part.

2. You are astral traveling.

For more information on astral travel, go to :

http://www.thiaoouba.com/astr.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_projection

As a footnote, if you ARE in astral travel state, you can have the most fun in the world. Read articles to find out why though.

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Question by *Sara*: Healthcare professionals/ patients only please… breathing problems?
Sorry this is going to be pretty long but I’m getting desperate… Thanks in advance to anyone who is willing to read and offer advice
One week ago (Saturday) I started feeling short of breath and felt like I needed to yawn throughout the day in order to get more air in. Sunday was the same, but not bad enough to cause concern.
Monday I went to work and was there for about half an hour and my breathing got worse. I felt the need to yawn every few minutes and my normal breaths felt short- like I wasn’t able to take enough air in.
My husband took me to my PCP Monday morning. EKG was fine, heart sounded fine, lungs sounded clear, PCP could hear air moving through normally.
I had lap band surgery a year and a half ago and he was worried about a blood clot in my lungs… sent me to the hospital for:
CT scan on chest- injected dye for the test- results were negative (nothing in lungs)
Blood oxygen levels checked- blood taken from artery in wrist (OUCH)- negative- results were normal
Basic blood work from vein in arm- all normal
Went back to my PCP Tuesday (took another sick day) PCP did a breathing test where I blew in and out of a little tube- said my results were abnormal but he wasn’t sure why… Gave me script for Albuteral (spelling?) inhaler and Advair inhaler. Neither one of these help at all. PCP mentioned it could be anxiety- but I have not been upset/anxious/ worried about ANYTHING lately and it doesn’t come in “attacks” but I feel this way all day every day.
I used to have sleep apnea before my lap band surgery- PCP said it may be that- but I never had “bad” sleep apnea and I sleep fine- haven’t been waking up even once during the night.
I used to have acid reflux before my surgery too- suggested that… started taking my Prilosec OTC again- does nothing to help.
PCP made another appt. to see me in one week and told me to start on Zyrtec. Zyrtec has not seemed to make a difference- been taking that for 5 days now.
Last night (Friday night) went to a movie w/ my husband and toward the end of the movie my breathing got a lot worse. I was struggling to breathe normally and my need to yawn was increased- I felt like I needed to yawn every 40-70 seconds. I couldn’t yawn right away though- it took several tries and concentration to get enough air in in order to yawn.
Husband rushed me to the ER. I was crying at this point b/c I was scared and very aggravated.
Got a chest Xray- clear, lungs look fine. Lungs sound fine. Gave me a breathing treatment and steroids through an IV- felt a tiny bit better laying there with the steroids in me but as soon as they took my IV out my problems came right back.
ER doctor gave me a script for Methylprednisolone steroid tablets. Just started them today- not sure how long they take to work but so far no change.
If anyone has ANY suggestions or advice as to what this may be or what could be causing it please let me know. I live in Louisville, Kentucky and the allergies are terrible this time of year- I’ve never really had allergies before but this just seems like way too much to just be allergies- but then again, I’m no doctor.
Meds I’m on now: Prozac (been on it for about 10 years) Wellbutrin SR (been on it for about 1 year and a half/ 2 years) Zyrtec (every morning for the past 5 days) Prilosec OTC (every morning for the past 4 days) Advair inhaler (twice a day for the past 4 days) Rescue inhaler as needed (does nothing to help) Methylprednisolone 6 day/ 21 pill pack (just started today)
THANK YOU for any help you can give me. If you know what this might be or have experienced this please let me know- I’ll take anything I can get at this point- I’m desperate to find out what’s wrong with me, it’s effecting every aspect of my life now.

Best answer:

Answer by JT_Grogan
Well, I’m no doctor, but when I had those same symptoms it turned out to be pneumonia. But if that were the case then they obviously would have picked up on it the first time you went to the hospital. I work in a hospital and I’ve never heard of anything like this that didn’t turn out to be pneumonia or some other easily treatable respiratory issue. Seems to me like you’ve got one of those mystery, doctor House type cases. But, if I were to venture a guess as to what you should do, I would say give it time. According to you it’s only been a week, so perhaps the medication just needs some time to become effective. Obviously if you think you’re going to die or the problems persist for a long time then go to the doctor, but it may well be that you’re already on the path to being fixed up.

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Question by swollentoe68plusone: med problems cad chf brain tumor obesity gerd sleep apnea and many more why some people do not believe me. why
i have alot of problems heart attacks by pass surgery extreme blood pressure. i would not lie about life and death. medical problems are far too many. on 30 meds

Best answer:

Answer by mojo52
Who are you trying to convince of your problems? Your doctors or people that don’t care or want to hear about your problems? You can help your condition immensely by shedding some pounds that directly effect conditions like GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), CHF (congestive heart failure), sleep apnea (obesity effects this as well with breathing problems) and your high blood pressure. I don’t believe it would help the coronary artery disease, brain tumor or some other problems you don’t mention but I’m surprised you didn’t list diabetes as well. Exercise in moderation to start and watch what you eat for just one month and I’m sure you’ll see a difference. Don’t worry about what other people don’t believe and work on yourself. Put YOU first and everyone else second. I think you’ll be surprised at the end of a month if you’ll just try it. Good luck to you.

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Question by fuzzy: Sleeping problems for life?
ok when i was younger i suffered from sleep apnea then i had my tonsils removed and eventhough i still have problems breathing at night it helped alot.

then a while ago i had insomnia and i didn’ sleep for about 6 days straight then i slept for about 5-6 hours then was up for another 4 days and after the fouth day i went to the doctor and got treatment for it.

now im having nightmares that are gorey and death related and night terrors all the time. and on the days i don’t deal with that i have sleep paralysis (old hag syndrome).

i have no idea why i have all these problems at such a young age and it so horrible that i’m scared to go to sleep i would just like any advice or if anyone has the same thing tell me what you do or if you know what i have tell me.

p.s im 15 and diabetic suffering from depression but dealing with it without medication.
ok i’m on meds for the depression but this has been going on way before i started taking it.

Best answer:

Answer by ~ Pussycat Doll In Training ~
Your serotonin is all out of whack… I have depression and sometimes insomnia goes along with it. You need to get on some medication to take care of all of your problems before they effect your physical health. See a board certified psychiatrist to get on the proper medication and treatment.

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