Discussion
Hi, I just thought I would throw this out here and see if anyone can help. I have a very close friend who suffers from this and it is making his life a misery. He is very overweight (by about 10 stone over) and his doctor and the hospital have told him that he needs to lose weight for the sleep apnea to get better. He refuses to lose the weight and keeps saying 'Diets don't work' (he's never been on one in his life). However, day in day out all he ever says is 'I have no energy to lose weight, exercise etc as I am getting so little sleep and therefore I have no concentration'. So I suggested he find a forum and speak to other people who suffer from it and how they cope with it etc etc. He says talking to people online is silly!! So I thought I would give it a go and see if any PHers suffer from or know someone who does and who manages to live a full life with it. My mate hasn't worked in three years and just lies about all day. He is on pills for depression.
Cheers in advance.
Cheers in advance.
I was a bit over weight and suffered from sleep apnea. I wasn't obese but about 15stone and fairly healthy. I started using a very firm memory foam pillow and I also discovered that I was allergic to house dust which caused rhinitis. Clean bed clothes and anti-histimines helped me but I did lose weight and do at least an hour in the gym every day
king eating.I'm guessing his diet's crap and he does no exercise, which is why he's got no energy.
He needs to eat some veg and less beer and pizza, cut down on sugar and think about his diet. If he can eat well, he'll lose weight and have more energy, which will help him want to move around more and lose more weight.
If he really wants to get better, he needs to get his head out of his backside and stop being a moron or sleep apnoea will be the least of his worries.
He needs to eat some veg and less beer and pizza, cut down on sugar and think about his diet. If he can eat well, he'll lose weight and have more energy, which will help him want to move around more and lose more weight.
If he really wants to get better, he needs to get his head out of his backside and stop being a moron or sleep apnoea will be the least of his worries.
As above has he been properly diagnosed?
I have, wired up and monitored over night. Wasn't the best nights sleep no pun intended.....
I've had it all my adult life, my throat basically collapses when I am relaxed which stops my breathing, and I can't breathe properly through my right nostril so I now have a CPAP machine. Continuous Positive Air Pressure which keeps everything inflated and clear.
Takes a bit of getting used to but looking like a jump jet pilot is no trouble for a decent restful sleep.
I have, wired up and monitored over night. Wasn't the best nights sleep no pun intended.....
I've had it all my adult life, my throat basically collapses when I am relaxed which stops my breathing, and I can't breathe properly through my right nostril so I now have a CPAP machine. Continuous Positive Air Pressure which keeps everything inflated and clear.
Takes a bit of getting used to but looking like a jump jet pilot is no trouble for a decent restful sleep.
Uncle John said:
As above has he been properly diagnosed?
I have, wired up and monitored over night. Wasn't the best nights sleep no pun intended.....
I've had it all my adult life, my throat basically collapses when I am relaxed which stops my breathing, and I can't breathe properly through my right nostril so I now have a CPAP machine. Continuous Positive Air Pressure which keeps everything inflated and clear.
Takes a bit of getting used to but looking like a jump jet pilot is no trouble for a decent restful sleep.
Has it made that much difference? How did you go about getting the proper diagnosis (wired-up sleepover)?I have, wired up and monitored over night. Wasn't the best nights sleep no pun intended.....
I've had it all my adult life, my throat basically collapses when I am relaxed which stops my breathing, and I can't breathe properly through my right nostril so I now have a CPAP machine. Continuous Positive Air Pressure which keeps everything inflated and clear.
Takes a bit of getting used to but looking like a jump jet pilot is no trouble for a decent restful sleep.
Sleep apnoea can be a very serious, even fatal, condition. Your friend should definitely get medical help. The heart can be seriously affected.
I was diagnosed with sleep apnoea about four years ago. In my case, it was not due to obesity. Instead, the physiognomy of my jaw allowed my throat to constrict.
At first, I was given a cpap machine which is basically a mouth and nose covering mask and a pump which by pushing air through my airwaves kept my throat open. (Though the machine is far, far more sophisticated than I have described.
However, after a few months using the machine and many hours googling I discovered that a mouth brace would alleviate my symptoms. Since I've worn the brace my snoring has stopped, my breathing is regular and I sleep through the night.
I'm so very grateful that I no longer have to use the machine.
Here's a link to a sleep apnoea help group and forum.
http://hope2sleepguide.co.uk/
I was diagnosed with sleep apnoea about four years ago. In my case, it was not due to obesity. Instead, the physiognomy of my jaw allowed my throat to constrict.
At first, I was given a cpap machine which is basically a mouth and nose covering mask and a pump which by pushing air through my airwaves kept my throat open. (Though the machine is far, far more sophisticated than I have described.
However, after a few months using the machine and many hours googling I discovered that a mouth brace would alleviate my symptoms. Since I've worn the brace my snoring has stopped, my breathing is regular and I sleep through the night.
I'm so very grateful that I no longer have to use the machine.
Here's a link to a sleep apnoea help group and forum.
http://hope2sleepguide.co.uk/
Uncle John said:
As above has he been properly diagnosed?
I have, wired up and monitored over night. Wasn't the best nights sleep no pun intended.....
I've had it all my adult life, my throat basically collapses when I am relaxed which stops my breathing, and I can't breathe properly through my right nostril so I now have a CPAP machine. Continuous Positive Air Pressure which keeps everything inflated and clear.
Takes a bit of getting used to but looking like a jump jet pilot is no trouble for a decent restful sleep.
Your symptoms sound similar to mine. Ask your specialist about a special apnoea mouth brace. I was referred to the delightfully eccentric Dr Peter L'Strange. He made me a bespoke mouth guard.I have, wired up and monitored over night. Wasn't the best nights sleep no pun intended.....
I've had it all my adult life, my throat basically collapses when I am relaxed which stops my breathing, and I can't breathe properly through my right nostril so I now have a CPAP machine. Continuous Positive Air Pressure which keeps everything inflated and clear.
Takes a bit of getting used to but looking like a jump jet pilot is no trouble for a decent restful sleep.
NO MORE CPAP MACHINE!!!!!
Here's a link to the wonderful doctor's details. He's based in London, at UCH, near Kings Cross.
http://www.uclh.nhs.uk/ourservices/consultants/pag...
Give it a go, instead of a cumbersome machine all I need carry is a mouthguard.
Centurion07 said:
Uncle John said:
As above has he been properly diagnosed?
I have, wired up and monitored over night. Wasn't the best nights sleep no pun intended.....
I've had it all my adult life, my throat basically collapses when I am relaxed which stops my breathing, and I can't breathe properly through my right nostril so I now have a CPAP machine. Continuous Positive Air Pressure which keeps everything inflated and clear.
Takes a bit of getting used to but looking like a jump jet pilot is no trouble for a decent restful sleep.
Has it made that much difference? How did you go about getting the proper diagnosis (wired-up sleepover)?I have, wired up and monitored over night. Wasn't the best nights sleep no pun intended.....
I've had it all my adult life, my throat basically collapses when I am relaxed which stops my breathing, and I can't breathe properly through my right nostril so I now have a CPAP machine. Continuous Positive Air Pressure which keeps everything inflated and clear.
Takes a bit of getting used to but looking like a jump jet pilot is no trouble for a decent restful sleep.
My wife pushed me in into the docs as she was concerned, I would stop breathing for up to 30 seconds many times a night.
The results of my monitored sleep were quite shocking, my blood oxygen was well below normal and the specialist said it was one of the worst cases he had seen. Being a bloke though I had put it off as long as possible thinking I'd be alright.
In hindsight I wish I had done it years earlier.
SlackBladder said:
I pressume he's been officially diagnosed and is using a CPAP machine then?
Yes he has. He spent the night in a hospital so they could monitor him and the next day they told him he needs to lose weight. I said I told you so but he is determined that diets don't work.NotStig said:
I'm guessing his diet's crap and he does no exercise, which is why he's got no energy.
He needs to eat some veg and less beer and pizza, cut down on sugar and think about his diet. If he can eat well, he'll lose weight and have more energy, which will help him want to move around more and lose more weight.
If he really wants to get better, he needs to get his head out of his backside and stop being a moron or sleep apnoea will be the least of his worries.
You have just summed him up 100%. I told him he suffered from heart and bone disease. Heart lazy and bone idol. Needless to say that didn't go down too well..... I am a good mate normally but he is a pain in the proverbial.He needs to eat some veg and less beer and pizza, cut down on sugar and think about his diet. If he can eat well, he'll lose weight and have more energy, which will help him want to move around more and lose more weight.
If he really wants to get better, he needs to get his head out of his backside and stop being a moron or sleep apnoea will be the least of his worries.
Thanks for all the responses folks. I sound heartless when I talk about him but I do know that his condition is serious but the fact that he won't try anything just annoys me. I have listened to this for three years now. He also has a dog (three years old) who gets a ten minute walk round a car park twice a day, has never been off the lead, has never ran or chased a ball unless I take the dog out which is once a fortnight when I get a chance. I keep saying to him to take the dog a wee bit further each day so he (mate) will get a bit more exercise a bit at a time but the answer is always no. I will tell him about the mouth brace, that does sound like a good thing but I have a feeling I know what the answer will be.
I'm afraid your mate sounds a bit like one of my uncles - and sleep apnea is the least of his problems. It took a heart attack for him to realise the consequences of not losing weight. And stopping smoking. And doing more exercise. He was 52 I think when it took hold, and within 12 months he was a changed person, but he had spent the previous 15 years being medically obese and was lined up for stomach stapling. Nothing anyone could say or do could get him to change his ways - lived on his own, had a few friends, but spent most of the time indoors feeling sorry for himself. He lived to be 68 I think, not a great age, but probably about 15 years more than anyone was previously willing to gamble on.
Seriously, if he can't be arsed, then he can't be arsed. And no amount of cajoling or moaning at him is going to make the slightest difference. When it gets close to fatal, then he might change, but lets just hope its only a scary event, not the real thing.
Seriously, if he can't be arsed, then he can't be arsed. And no amount of cajoling or moaning at him is going to make the slightest difference. When it gets close to fatal, then he might change, but lets just hope its only a scary event, not the real thing.
I'm not overweight and had a CPAP machine for over four years now. It has changed my life, I could fall asleep anywhere at any time. Now it's a very rare event to fall asleep during the day, I feel so much better.
I will have to ask about the mouth brace and whether it may help instead of using the machine.
Regarding your friend, reducing food quantity plus more exercise does work. I get so frustrated with people who make all sorts of excuses of why the can't lose weight!
I will have to ask about the mouth brace and whether it may help instead of using the machine.
Regarding your friend, reducing food quantity plus more exercise does work. I get so frustrated with people who make all sorts of excuses of why the can't lose weight!
Truck71, I notice that you do not have the humidifier which attaches to the Res Med S9. Do you have any problems with a dry or sore throat when using your machine? Adding the humidifier really helped me. As well as adding moisture it also heated the air before I inhaled. You can set the temperature manually. This really helped me. In fact, it completely changed my cpap experience.
They are not available on the NHS. They are quite expensive to buy new (£200+ IIRC) But, you can find them occasionally for sale on the forums.
They are not available on the NHS. They are quite expensive to buy new (£200+ IIRC) But, you can find them occasionally for sale on the forums.
Blib said:
OP, I doubt that the mouthbrace would work with your friend. Anyway, it has to be "prescribed" by the apnoea specialist once a cpap machine has been shown to work.
They don't need to be prescribed and decent ones can be bought for less than £200. Get him a somnoguard. Could make a huge difference.If he's on anti depressants a bit of exercise, just walking with the dog, will help.
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