How many members have both Epilepsy and Sleep Apnea?

[darkmarkshark]

Who was it that had a problem with the doctors tv show before?

On a recent episode, I guess they were telling people that they should have sex before sleeping if they have sleep apnea

[TexasTravel]

I was diagnosed as having Sleep Apnea about a year ago and the doctors tried to force all of the gadgets on me. There is one critical problem though....I AM AN EXTREMELY PICKY SLEEPER! I still cannot seem to get it through to them how picky of a sleeper that I am and that a VNS, which they very forcefully suggested, would never work on me.

When I am trying to get sleep in the first place, a fly on the wall, a rush of wind, a hair falling on the bed, a piece of dust falling off of the fan and landing on the floor will keep me awake. So, having anything in my mouth, on my head, etc., etc. would make it a totally impossible function.

They tried to suggest that my picky sleeping was because of the apnea, which sounds good if getting to sleep, in the first place, was not a big part of it.

[Birdbomb]

You know, when I first got my C-PAP the mask was one that just fit over my nose. Oh I HATED that thing! I'd pull it off my face even in a dead (no pun intended) sleep. But once I switched to a full face mask, it's MUCH more tolerated. It will stay on most of the night. Even if it gets pulled off, I will have the air blowing in my face from the mask just to make sure I have the oxygen.

You should try a full face mask, they run about $50 but will be well worth it.

I have a bit of insomnia from the VNS so I can't get to sleep unless I'm exhausted or very sick. So if I'm ready to drop right off to sleep as soon as I get into bed, that makes a big difference.

No matter what, It's an uncomfortable device, it a pain to sleep with and use, but if it makes sure I wake up in the morning and don't die in my sleep, I will use it EVERY night. Even when I go out of town, I carry my C-PAP on the plane (medical devices do NOT count as a carry-on) and I arrange to rent a consentrator for the oxygen at my destination before hand.

[ziggidypoo]

I know c-pap's are supposed to help reduce partial seizures in patients who also have obstructive sleep apnea, but has anyone noticed an increase in seizures with their cpap use?

Meds upped recently so I doubt this counts - getting adequate rest and using cpap w/O2 and no seizing for about a week now. Hope it stays stable. I know I cannot breathe at all laying flat w/o the cpap and O2. Am starting a slowly increased regiment of health improvement - I want to live. Seizures for me are only a portion of the picture.

[Bernard]

I was diagnosed as having Sleep Apnea about a year ago and the doctors tried to force all of the gadgets on me. ... a VNS, which they very forcefully suggested, would never work on me.

The Physicians Manual for the VNS warns that it can make sleep apnea worse. Some studies confirmed this: Vagus nerve stimulation, sleep apnea, and CPAP titration (J Clin Sleep Med 2008;4(5):471-3)

[TexasTravel]

Sorry, I did state that in a sort of confusing way.

As far as the Apnea, they suggested having a mask on while I slept. It would never work as merely the feel of any sort of device on my skin would keep me awake as long as I had it on.

Birdbomb, if any device, including the VNS, works for someone then they should do it but for me, it would bother me and iritate me until I got so upset that the mere frustration might make lean towards a seizure state.

The act of sleeping has always been very picky for me in the sense that I have always been a very light sleeper. Air conditioners turning on and off, flys resting on a wall, a train 50 miles away, an extremely light rain storm, anything that causes even the slightest audible vibration irritates me. It has always been a big deal for because all the rest of my family can sleep through a 100 car steam locomotive going right over them and cannot understand why I cannot do the same.

For those who can be comforted by a VNS or CPAP, etc. then I shall hope and pray that they make efforts towards using them as every little bit helps but for me, it is more hassle than it is worth.

Honestly, I would loooooove to be able to get a great nights sleep but these two devices do not do me much good.

[stilldancing_98]

My brother has had myoclonics and surgery for sleep apnea. This week my son alex is having a scan for his nose. and a sleep apnea test because his dad has both.So he might have surgery.He has been on 4antibiotics for sinutites . this month.

[ziggidypoo]

As far as the Apnea, they suggested having a mask on while I slept. It would never work as merely the feel of any sort of device on my skin would keep me awake as long as I had it on.

It took me forever to get used to, and I've gone through a zillion styles of masks, my current one is gel and the headgear is soft and velcro closures, very comfortable, but it's been about 10 yrs or more now(SA dx) - I learned the hard way w/o the aparatus, my lungs went bad (smoking didn't help), and my heart enlarged. Sleep apnea is a very serious thing.


Surgery?? I have chronic sinusitus, is the surgery for the nose or the back of the throat???

We also sleep in iced cold a/c and fans blowing (1 right on our beds) and the noise of the a/c, cpap, fans, and O2 condenser really set a grey sound to sleep by, blocking out silence and other creaks and such whats. I'm like a roast though, sleep 1/2 night on back (elevated hospital bed) and then, flip over to the other side (to cook, lol) - always been a belly sleeper and habits hard to break. It is also to prevent bedsores.

yadayadayada - sorry - I get on a spin and can't shut up - I was told it is part of the Temporal Lobe Personality that goes along w/ temporal lobe epilepsy???? sorry.

[Ruth]

Does being up in the middle of the night, like I am, is a sign of sleep apnea?

[Bernard]

That sounds more like insomnia. See:

Insomia (trouble falling asleep)

and:

Sleep Suggestions

For sleep apnea, see:

sleep apnea symptoms

[Duke]

Diagnosed by my neurologist 2yrs.ago. E for 40 yrs. and now dealing with sleep apnea. And that c-pap equipment can be a pain at times.
Duke

[stilldancing_98]

My son goes in Seattle's Childrens Hospital Monday to see if that is one of his problems along with his seizures. You usually have some snoring, falling asleep during the day. My ex has it and my brother and both have myoclonic seizures. Now we are checking on my boy and he snores and myoclonic seizures at night.

[Ruth]

Bernard, I looked it up and I have insomnia. Now, I have to work on it.

[Ruth]

The question I was asked in my e-mail was: how many people have both insomia and apnea. I will be truthful, I only looked up my symptoms on insomnia. I also looked up sleep apnea. I did not check to see if any had both.

[alivenwell]

I didn't know I snored until I woke myself up with apnea. I was in denial. However, I did go for a sleep test and it was determined that if I slept on my side, my breathing was better. But, on my back, I stopped breathing several times with a low quality of breathing.

Needless to say, I now have a cpap. It feels silly, but I know apnea is a serious disorder. Ironically, I lost several pounds since I have the cpap. Reggie White was a famous well tuned in shape football who had apnea. He died of it.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_White

Reginald Howard "Reggie" White (December 19, 1961 – December 26, 2004) was a professional American football player who played defensive end for 17 seasons in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers becoming one of the most decorated players in NFL history. The 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 13-time Pro Bowl and 12-time All-Pro selection holds 2nd place all-time amongst career sack leaders with 198.5 (behind Bruce Smith's 200 career sacks) and was selected to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, NFL 1990s All-Decade Team and the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. During his professional career, he became famous not only for his outstanding play, but also for his Christian ministry as an ordained Evangelical minister. This led to his nickname, "the Minister of Defense."

White was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He attended Howard School of Academics and Technology[1] during high school, and from there was recruited to play for the Tennessee Volunteers. As a professional player, he played with both USFL and NFL teams.

He was married to the former Sara Copeland, with whom he had two children, Jeremy and Jecolia. Reggie White was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, two years after his death.

[edit] College career
White played college football at Tennessee from 1980 to 1983, where he set school records for most sacks in a career, season and game. He still holds these records. While playing for the Volunteers, White was named an All-American.


[edit] Professional career

[edit] USFL

[edit] Memphis Showboats
After college, White signed with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL. He played for Memphis for two seasons, starting in 36 games. As a Showboat, he racked up 23.5 sacks, 198 tackles, and seven forced fumbles.


[edit] NFL

[edit] Philadelphia Eagles
When the USFL collapsed, White had proven himself good enough to be desired by NFL teams. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles, who held his NFL rights. He played with the Eagles for eight seasons, during which time he picked up 124 sacks, becoming the Eagles' all-time sack leader. He also set the Eagles regular-season record with 21 sacks in a single season (1987). White also became the only player to ever accumulate twenty or more sacks in just twelve games. He also set an NFL regular-season record during 1987 by averaging the most sacks per game, with 1.75 sacks per game. Over the course of his tenure with the Eagles, White actually accumulated more sacks than the number of games that he played. He was voted by ESPN Sportsnation as the greatest player in Eagles' franchise history. [2]


[edit] Green Bay Packers
In 1993, White became a free agent. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers, where he played for six seasons. While not quite as prolific as in his years with the Eagles, White still notched up another 68.5 sacks, to become the Packers' all-time leader in that category, although he was overtaken in 2007 by Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. White was also just as valued for his role as a team leader. He helped the Packers to two Super Bowls, including a victory in Super Bowl XXXI. That victory was the only championship White ever shared in at any level. In 1998, White was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.


[edit] Carolina Panthers
In 2000, he came out of a 1-year retirement and started all 16 games for the Panthers. White had 6 sacks and 1 forced fumble while with the team. He again retired at the end of the 2000 season.


[edit] Retirements
After the 1998 season, White retired from professional football. However, in 2000, White was wooed back to the league by the Carolina Panthers. He played for one season as a Panther, then retired again.

At the time of his retirement, White was the NFL's all-time sacks leader with 198. (He has since been surpassed by Bruce Smith who has 200.) White also recorded three interceptions, which he returned for 79 yards. He recovered nineteen fumbles, which he returned for 137 yards and three touchdowns. His nine consecutive seasons (1985–1993) with at least ten sacks remain an NFL record. He was named an All-Pro for thirteen of his fifteen seasons, including eight as a first-team selection.


[edit] Religious activities
In White's last year of football, a friend reportedly gave White a teaching CD from Messianic teacher Monte Judah. Following his retirement, White began studying Torah and Torah-observant Messianic theology. White also studied Hebrew under Nehemia Gordon. In October 2003, White was interviewed by Messianic teacher and televangelist Michael Rood, and he discussed his studies of Torah. The interview was broadcast on February 4 and 6, 2005, on the Sky Angel cable channel. Following White's death, the January 2005 edition of Messianic magazine Yavoh was dedicated to him as a "Messianic Believer," leading to confusion regarding White's religious beliefs. Some reported—incorrectly—that White had abandoned Christianity and was studying Judaism.[citation needed] This may have arisen because some Christians consider Messianic theology to be a form of Judaism because it holds obedience to the Torah is an expression of one's faith, and it is frequently referred to as "Messianic Judaism."[citation needed]

White was touched by the African American church arson scares during the mid-1990s. The Inner City Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, where White was an associate minister, burned to the ground in 1996.


[edit] Controversy
White's retirement was not without controversy. He created a stir in March 1998 with his comments before the Wisconsin state legislature, invoking racial stereotypes of Latinos, Asians, whites, blacks, and Native Americans, explaining that all were made in God's image.

Later, in an interview with ABC's 20/20, White made remarks—consistent with his understanding of Biblical doctrine—about gays and lesbians. Subsequently, White became an ally of organizations opposed to homosexuality; he appeared in a newspaper advertising campaign to convince gays and lesbians that they could "cease" their homosexuality. As a result, CBS withdrew a five-year, $6 million contract for being a part of the pregame panel because of his statements calling homosexuality a sin.[3][4] Both the Green Bay Packers and the NFL objected to the ads, since White had appeared in his football uniform without the consent of the team or the league. Later versions of the ad removed the uniform.


[edit] Death
On the morning of December 26, 2004, White was rushed from his home in Cornelius, North Carolina, to a nearby hospital in Huntersville, North Carolina, where he was pronounced dead. White had suffered a fatal cardiac arrhythmia. The most likely cause of this, according to the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner's Office, was the cardiac and pulmonary sarcoidosis that he had lived with for years.[5][6] It was also stated that sleep apnea, which White was known to suffer from[7] may have contributed to his death.[8] His grave site is situated at Glenwood Memorial Park, Mooresville, North Carolina.


[edit] Accolades

[edit] Jersey number retirements
During the 2005 season, three teams retired White's number 92 jersey.

The University of Tennessee retired White's jersey at a halftime presentation on October 1, 2005 during their game against the University of Mississippi, the third such retirement in the modern era of football at the school; a commemorative sign was also unveiled in the south end of Neyland Stadium. On December 5, 2005, the Philadelphia Eagles retired his jersey in a halftime ceremony during the Eagles' Monday Night Football game with the Seattle Seahawks, who were coached by Mike Holmgren, White's former coach in Green Bay. During a halftime presentation at Lambeau Field on September 18, 2005, White became the fifth Green Bay Packer to have his number retired by the franchise. The Packers also wore a helmet decal honoring White for the remaining games in the season.


White's number was retired by the Packers in 2005
[edit] Hall of Fame
White was elected to the Professional Football Hall of Fame on his first ballot on February 4, 2006. He was enshrined at a ceremony on August 5, 2006 in Canton Ohio. White's widow, Sara White, delivered her husband's acceptance speech at the ceremony. She was introduced by their son, Jeremy White, who also released the first copies of his autobiography, In His Shadow: Growing Up With Reggie White, during the Hall of Fame weekend in honor of his father. Jeremy thanked the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" in his introduction, echoing Reggie White's dedication to his faith and the evolution of White's beliefs from simple Baptist minister to a Hebraic roots believer.


[edit] Named Street
The official sign hanging for Reggie White Boulevard took place on Monday, December 8, 2008, at 2 p.m. at the intersection of 20th and Carter Street in Chattanooga, TN. Mrs. Thelma White Collier, Reggie’s mother, along with other family and friends were on hand to witness the change to Reggie White Boulevard. The official name change was approved by the Chattanooga City Council on November 4, 2008.

[Ruth]

I sleep on my side. When I try to sleep on my back, I cannot sleep very comfortably. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

[stilldancing_98]

First I had my son checked for it, and my ex had it with myclonic seizures and my brother to. My brother had the surgery and he is a different person but he still jerks at night.And has headaches.I would go to an ENT get a scan done. What they are doing with my son is just using ocean spray water twice a day and getting allergies checked first.

[Ruth]

Hi stilldancing_98

I have never been checked for it. I will ask my neurologist. By surgery, do you mean the VNS surgery that your brother had.

Ocean spray water? Do you buy that at a store. Would you please tell me more about it?

We live in a small town and I do not have access to an ENT anywhere in the county.

[stilldancing_98]

Ocean spray is just like warm salt water in a little nasal spray bottle. surgery is in the nasal cavity or in the throat. And an Ear Nose and Throat dr. is the best for this.Ask your pharm. about the spray, its cheap and it might help you breathe better at night.Keep me posted.

[ziggidypoo]

Ocean spray is just like warm salt water in a little nasal spray bottle. surgery is in the nasal cavity or in the throat. And an Ear Nose and Throat dr. is the best for this.Ask your pharm. about the spray, its cheap and it might help you breathe better at night.Keep me posted.

My one sinus passage is almost chronically blocked or semi-blocked, the other free. I - since my flu shot and then the flu (another set-back) - have to use flonase spray particularly at night and my albuteral inhaler before walks and O2 after walks. Apparently, both smoking and apnea can cause PERMANENT lung damage - mine are enlarged, heart too, plus diabetes, high blood pressure, etc, etc, etc,. RE: apnea and the nose - this gel mask is SO comfortable, and with my mouth guard for teeth grinding and TMJ - I can only use the mask over the nose. I just today told Carey I need to see a nose doctor about what to do about my blocked/semi-blocked nasal passage. I really believe that would help the apnea. When sleep HITS me, my body literally falls asleep even if my mind is awake and I can mumble talk and be led to the bathroom or bed, but my body is O U T - Carey sometimes puts the cpap/O2 on me and I revive. I've been quit smoking for months but the damage was done. I have an old-timey dr who listens and yep, all ok. I reckon I need to go back to the specialists or just deal with it.

I wish I could move from this place but, no go. Just mind my own business. That's why Carey and I only interact when we go to the dining room, I only go for lunch and supper.

Let me shut up or the steam will come out of my ears and blow up the pc!!!