Night Sweats - Sleep Apnea

[Birdbomb]

Randy,

What kind of mask do you use?

[RanMan]

Respironics ComfortGel

[speber]

I also use a CPAP now. Nose pillows...no supplamental oxygen(yet).
Sleeping MUCH better...no more snoring (wife loves that).
I don't mind the look so much...I'm into science fiction movies...but my wife can kiss any hope of a dream husband goodbye (I mean, let's get real...who does this 'turn on'?).

What I REALLY wanted to input here guys is this:

http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/resmed04_07.html

...this is a link to a RECALL notice for a specific brand of CPAP that could short and catch fire. If your using O2, that ain't good!

Peace

[Bemused Oddity]

I used to have Severe OSA. I went to an ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) doctor after my Sleep Study was done. She recommended surgery. Recovery was no cake walk. However, I am happy I got the surgery. I don't have to use a CPAP anymore & my breathing is no longer as obstructed. I mean I'm not waking up gasping for air anymore but my boyfriend says I still snore a little. I don't stop breathing though
Now, there is no guarantee that the surgery will be 100% effective. I knew that before deciding to have surgery. But, I'd say it was about 90% effective for me. Now if I could just lose about 50 pounds I'd be in great shape........maybe the snoring would go away altogether
P.S. My ENT said my tonsils were about the size of golfballs!!!!!! Not to sound grotesque, but that was including everything she had to dig out from the sides.

[execwife2002]

Wow...I never thought sleep apnea had anything to do with seizures. My husband had sleep apnea (has no seizures) but he had an operation and his Sleep Apnea is gone. I wonder if sleep apnea is hreditary?? I'm wondering if my son should have a sleep study just to see if sleep apnea exists. He doesn't have any night sweats. What do you think?

[Bernard]

Unless the test is too expensive, I'd think it would be worthwhile - even if it just for peace of mind. But, as posted earlier - 1/3 or more people with epilepsy also have sleep apnea. That's pretty significant IMO.

[Birdbomb]

I think the cost of my last sleep study done was around $5000.

Cost wise, it is kind of high. However, SA can make E much worse. You don't get enough sleep, what sleep you do get has very little quality, so you are tired/exhausted and that in itself can be a serious trigger. It becomes a vicious circle and it takes it's toll.

My apnea runs in cycles. I can tell when it's more bothersome, I wake up in night sweats, breathing very hard, heart pounding and a bit dazed. I need to nap in the afternoon or I can't keep my eyes open. I am crankier than usual and wake up in the morning with a headache.

Being sick makes it worse too.

[Bernard]

I'm following up on my earlier post about the study that showed roughly 1/3 of people with epilepsy also have sleep apnea:

... Since OSA appears to increase the frequency of seizures, it seems logical that successfully treating OSA would improve seizure control in patients with epilepsy. However, very little research has been done in this area to date, and there is a scarcity of empirical evidence in support of this notion.

One of the few studies to test the effects of OSA treatment in persons with epilepsy was done last year by Malow and colleagues.(6) "We carried out a pilot clinical trial to work out critical design issues before embarking on a definitive phase 3 randomized clinical trial that will answer the following question: Does treatment of coexisting OSA in patients with epilepsy improve seizure frequency, daytime sleepiness, and health-related quality of life?" Malow said.

Forty-five adults with refractory epilepsy (ie, 2 or more seizures per month) were enrolled in the trial if they met study criteria that included a history suggestive of OSA. After polysomnography (PSG) confirmed OSA, study participants were randomly selected to receive treatment with either therapeutic continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or sham CPAP. Participants were maintained with stable doses of anti-epileptic drugs, and CPAP adherence was monitored with electronic cards.

Of the 45 participants undergoing PSG, 35 met the criteria for OSA, as defined by an apnea-hypopnea index of 5 or more events per hour. Twenty-two patients were randomly selected to receive therapeutic CPAP (with 19 completers) and 13 to receive sham CPAP (all of whom completed the trial).

An analysis of the outcome data showed that significantly more patients (32%) treated with therapeutic CPAP had a 50% or greater reduction in seizures than those receiving sham CPAP (15%). These results suggest that managing a sleep disorder improves seizure control.

Treatment of Comorbid Sleep Disorders Improves Seizure Control

Not exactly earth shattering news for anyone who has read this thread or been treated for OSA, but perhaps this confirmation will get more neurologists to investigate OSA and other sleep problems for their patients.

[vtsammy]

I took the test for Sleep Apnea and I was diagnosed w/ a mild case of Sleep Apnea. I asked my Neurologist who is the director of Sleep Disorders as well at George Washington Hospital and he told me not to worry about it because many people have a mild case of it. My brother told me that sometimes I stop breathing for up to 5 seconds and my snoring can be really bad when I'm really tired. When I asked my doctor (he was a resident doctor, only 26) he told me that it was nothing to worry about either. Which leads me to another point. It seems as if whenever you go to a hospital many of the doctors you deal with are residents. Do you think it's better to go to a University Hospital or a regular hospital?

Sam

[Bernard]

Nothing to worry about in what context? death? or exacerbating seizures?

Just because a lot of people have it doesn't mean it isn't impacting your seizure activity. Good grief that is a strange comment IMO.

[Birdbomb]

Time for a SECOND opinion, IMHO

Maybe at the time of testing your SA wan't very bad. Mine runs in cycles and if I am sick (like now) it's really bad.

I prefer a PA over a resident doctor any day. They spend more time with you, are more through, and more apt to LISTEN.

[speber]

During the last sleep study to determine if I needed the CPAP or not, they determined I was stopping breathing 7 times a minute on average. I don't know about you, but I like to breathe!
That, in combination with the relatively sudden onset of sleepiness with no drug change AND the increase in seizure activity, I went for it.
BIG IMMEDIATE DIFF...I don't see how a doctor could ever say "nothing to worry about"...he should work at McDonalds.

[Bernard]

...he should work at McDonalds.

Epilepsy patients really shouldn't go to McDonalds for medical advice.

[brain]

Epilepsy patients really shouldn't go to McDonalds for medical advice.

Good Advice Boss!

[RobinN]

Not sure if this has already been posted, but I thought it might be helpfull to someone:

http://www.sleepcenters.org/

http://www.sleepeducation.com/Article.aspx?id=683

http://www.sleepeducation.com/Article.aspx?id=637

[forward2007]

I'm pretty sure I have sleep apnea. I have woken up many times with my heart racing and I was breathing very fast. I didn't know at the time what was causing it. Now I know it's sleep apnea. Right now I'm in the middle of trying to get my driver's license back. I'll have to ask my neurologist who I need to see about the sleep apnea.