New Sleep Apnea book online, you can get it free

[McCamy Taylor]

New nonfiction at Amazon, the third in my series about sleep disorders. In "Life With CPAP" I discuss the tricky to diagnose and treat CENTRAL sleep apnea (as opposed to the more common but still massively underdiagnosed OBSTRUCTIVE sleep apnea). Sorry if I blinded you with my capitals. I also go over recent advances in treatments of both kinds of sleep apnea and give a critique of the state of medical education when it comes to sleep disorders in this country. Two word: piss poor. Why should you care? Because if you are an American over 40, there is an 8% chance that you have undiagnosed sleep apnea. Would a family physician with a Masters Public Health kid you about something like that?You have more chance of having an undiagnosed sleep disorders than you do of having HIV or diabetes---but I'll bet a lot of you get screened for both every year. If you or someone you love/sleep next to/resides in the next apartment and you can hear his snoring through the walls has 1) elevated blood pressure in the morning 2) unexplained excessive urination at night 3) restless sleep 4) always sleepy and tired 5) ache all over 6) have migraine headaches that never stop 7) can't remember things like you used to 8) have been told you are bipolar even though you have never had a manic episode in your life 9) have angina that wakes you from sleep 10) have mini strokes that wake you from sleep 11) have really freaky dreams about running in slow motion or smothering, 12) had a recent car wreck for no good reason that you can remember----go get a sleep study! All three books will be free at Amazon for Kindle from Friday to Sunday and, as usual, I will send a free word document of any or all three of the sleep apnea books to anyone who sends me an email at [e-mail]. Spread the word! The life you save may be a family of four that does NOT die in a fiery road accident when someone with undiagnosed OSA falls asleep behind the wheel. Remember, people with untreated sleep apnea have the same accident rate as drunk drivers---meaning that 8% of adults over 40 drive as if they were drunk even when sober. If you aren't scared, you should be.

[mopinko]

1. thank you for this. so important.

so under appreciated, yet so deadly.
i would add that if you are overweight, you likely have it because of that, and will be better able to control that if you get treated.

it is amazing to me the buck they are making off cpaps. a plastic box w a fan, a chip as dumb as a commadore 64, $1200-1500 bucks. and they arent getting any smarter as far as i know.

but those dreams. oh my god do i hate the apnea dreams.

[tavalon]

7. The apnea dreams are the worst

When I occasionally accidentally fall asleep, I inevitably have one. Mine use asthma to explain the struggle to breathe. Yuck.

[PADemD]

2. Has anyone ever looked at central sleep apnea as a cause of SIDS?

[McCamy Taylor]

4. Yes

[PADemD]

5. What were the results?

Are newborns being tested?

[GeorgeGist]

3. I lost 20 years to sleep apnea.

CPAP was one of the best things that ever happened to me.

[tavalon]

6. My sleep study was one of the worst days of my life

And, hands down, the best one of my life. The next 14 days were also awful but I hung in there and this year has been life changing. I love my CPAP. I won't even nap without it. And here's a weird thing - I haven't had a single IBS attack since I got my CPAP. I can't find proof that it's related but I'm enjoying not dealing with it.

[pnwmom]

9. I love mine, too, tavalon. You might want to read my post below.

It could be important if you ever need to have a surgery with general anesthesia and/or sedating medication.

[pnwmom]

8. Thank you! I would add another piece of advice for anyone who has to be hospitalized:

Hospitals are woefully unprepared to deal with Cpap machines. They tell you to bring your machine with you AND THEN THEY DON'T USE IT.

Recently, I had to have two surgeries with general anesthesia, about a month apart.

The first time around I realized -- several hours after the surgery -- that they hadn't set up my machine. I was having a hard time breathing, probably because of irritation after extubation, and I was very sleepy. I kept waking up feeling panicky, which is what my body does when I stop breathing!

So I asked for the Cpap, and the nurse said the doctor wanted me to have the oxygen with the nose prongs. I objected that I HAD to have the Cpap (I was on morphine and always sleepy) and the nurse admitted she didn't know how to set it up. (Because there are so many kinds of machines.) So my husband set it up, and I pulled the oxygen prongs off and put the Cpap mask on. They finally did what they should have done AHEAD OF TIME: they called in a Respiratory Therapist who connected it with an adaptor that plugged my Cpap into the oxygen supply.

So before my next surgery, when the nurse called for the pre-op, I explained to her what had happened and told her I needed to have the Cpap as soon as I was out of surgery, and that they needed to have the adaptor already there. On the day of surgery, that was the first thing I asked about -- and of course no one had arranged for the adaptor. But they were very apologetic -- they could see from my records that I'd had breathing issues -- and promised they wouldn't start the surgery till they had it. Then the Respiratory Therapist arrived and he put the machine together and added the connector for an oxygen machine. After he left the nurse wanted to take it apart and pack it up again! I insisted they leave my Cpap the way it was, out on the table, ready to put on me post-surgery. It went against all the poor nurses's instincts, but she finally agreed.

And then they still didn't put it on until I asked for it in recovery . . . .but at least it was ready for me then.

P.S. When I talked to the pre-op nurse on the phone, she said that some of the doctors didn't think the Cpap machines were important in recovery. So there is a lot more educating that needs to be done. When I told my sleep clinic doctor about my experience he was horrified, and said he was going to speak to a friend of his at the hospital. Maybe it will help the next person. . .

IF YOU'RE PLANNING A SURGERY: make sure to tell the pre-op nurse when she calls you that you have a Cpap and need to use it while in recovery. And that they need to have an adaptor on-hand so they can connect your machine to the oxygen supply, if necessary. And then when you arrive for surgery, make sure they know about this and that they are ready to use your machine, with an oxygen adaptor, if necessary.

[tavalon]

10. Wow, as a nurse, I want to apologize for such nursing ineptitude.

And a huge thank you because I will be getting my tonsils out in about 8 weeks and I hadn't even considered this aspect. I will make sure it happens correctly.

[pnwmom]

11. Good luck, tavalon! Let me know how it goes!

I know that recovery from tonsillectomy as an adult is no fun.

[No Vested Interest]

12. I agree with all those here who sing the praises of the CPAP.

When my primary doc recommended the test 11+ yrs ago, I was in denial, even though I frequently woke up suddenly, as though startled out of my sleep.

When the sleep doc recommended CPAP, based on sleep test showing my air cut off way too many times within an hour, I started using the CPAP - at that time a big machine.
I slept soundly and haven't been without it one night since.

Funny story - last winter I had just left shore on a cruise when I discovered the mask had been left behind in a hotel. I was upset, thinking I would have to go without it, and not sleep well, for a few days and then spend my day in San Juan tracking down a mask.

I called the reception desk on the ship. Bottom line, they had one - actually a choice of two types- as well as a complete CPAP machine and parts to sell me. I guess, knowing the demographics of cruisers, these problems come up now and again.

[Duppers]

13. Is your offer of free word documents still valid?

I sent an email to your earthlink.net.

Thank you.

[alfredo]

14. My solution was simple. My wife gave me Breathe Right strips, but they fell off.

I now have the Sleep Right clip that goes in the nostrils and my sleep is sound, and I don't need to nap during the day. Every few days I go back to the strip because of minor irritation from the device.