Sleep apnea

[hale710]

Who has it?

I'm being sent to the sleep clinic but I'm not convinced I have it. The epsworth sleepiness scale is a but wishy-washy really! And it's common in Middle Aged over weight men..... I'm 24 slim and female!

Feel like going to this sleep clinic is wasting everyone's time

 

[Mongoose39uk]

I know a few ladies who have it, tries to think of a delicate way to put it.....


They are not overweight but do have a larger than average chest measurement.

If your diagnosed you will be saying bye bye to your driving license until the consultant confirms effective treatment.

 

[hale710]

I'm bigger than average, but not ridiculously huge!

Yeah driving license has been mentioned already. Keeping a tight grip on it until this is confirmed. It's not like I fall asleep everywhere, I just WANT to. The test was impossible to give an accurate answer for

"Likelihood of falling asleep in a public place ie meeting or theatre" ehhhh meeting very likely, theatre slim to none. How can she score that, never mind say that it's sleep apnea?!?

 

[hale710]

I'm bigger than average, but not ridiculously huge!

Yeah driving license has been mentioned already. Keeping a tight grip on it until this is confirmed. It's not like I fall asleep everywhere, I just WANT to. The test was impossible to give an accurate answer for

"Likelihood of falling asleep in a public place ie meeting or theatre" ehhhh meeting very likely, theatre slim to none. How can she score that, never mind say that it's sleep apnea?!?

 

[Wurst]

What are your sleeping problems exactly. I was tested a few years ago for sleep apnea and it came back negative. I get chronic insomnia in the winter months , i.e. I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go back to sleep. I sleep fine in the summer months. Haven't found a solution yet (after several years) Perhaps your condition is similar to this.

 

[Mongoose39uk]

I am the one likely to fall asleep at any given opportunity and I don't have it.

Then our lass driving the traction engine through the bedroom does tend to wake me up


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

 

[douglas99]

I know I don't have it.
It was one of the reasons I first went to the doctors though.
Interrupted sleep, really tired all the time, I'd come in from work and go to sleep.
Very forgetful as well.

It led to my diagnosis as type 2 eventually.
Apart from the getting up to drink, and wee, I used to also wake up randomly, possibly as my bs went up in the night, without me consciously knowing, and it was enough to wake me up.
I was also the middle aged, overweight profile.
However, I wasn't diagnosed at the time. They did hook me up for a night, and it did show I stopped breathing occasionally, but that was put down to weight, and I was referred to the dietician, for further blood tests etc, and it went from there.
Now I'm in control, I don't need the loo, I don't need a drink, and I rarely wake up for anything, (apart from my wife's snoring).
I don't know much about type 1 I'm afraid, but have you checked your bs when you wake up? I know that made all the difference to my sleep.

 

[hale710]

Yup I check when I wake in case it's a hypo.

I went to the GP in February for the tiredness, briefly mentioned weightloss and thirst. BANG type 1 diabetes.

So I went back the other day because the tiredness hasn't been resolved. I was told it would settle with my sugars but they've been fairly stable for ages. Hba1c of 43 etc

I can fall asleep anywhere and I want to, but I stop myself. I wake 5-6 times a night. Don't get up though, just go back to sleep. I have no issues trying to fall asleep either.

All I wanted was a blood test for anaemia and I opened a whole can of worms haha

 

[noblehead]

I once mentioned to my Endo about tiredness and Sleep Apnea was mentioned, if I remember right I had to fill in a questionnaire at home and ask my wife a few questions on what I was like when asleep, as it happened I didn't have SA.

I think you should insist on the blood checks Hale, as you say anaemia is one condition that can cause tiredness.

 

[hale710]

Had the blood tests too, I insisted on that. They all came back fine so she's now on a Sleep Apnea rampage.

My mother insists I should just go to bed earlier and I'm inclined to believe her haha

 

[Jude]

Don't worry Hale.

I am 61, obese, diabetic type 2, high blood pressure --the lot really!! Anyway last year I asked my Diabetes Consultant if he could refer me for a gastric band to try and help me with my weight loss (did not really want one though). Anyway he referred me to another Endocrinologist who obviously deals with weight issues, I am not heavy enough to be referred for gastric band and I think my BMI is around 37 - I would need to gain another 3 stone then they would consider me.

However, he said I will refer you to a sleep clinic and I saw a Respiratory Consultant. I then visited the Sleep Clinic where they fitted me up with a mobile test kit, which hubby took back next day. Eventually at my next appointment they told me I did indeed have sleep apnea - I was very shocked. Anyway, I was given a CPAP machine to use at night and I have been much better since using that every night. I was retested 3 months later whilst using CPAP machine and my results were in the normal range.

 

[Jude]

P.S.

Have not lost my driving license - as long as you use a CPAP machine I think you are ok - they do have to be notified though.

 

[))Denise((]

You mention anaemia, but have you had your Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and Thyroid checked?

Underactive thyroid and these vitamin deficiencies can cause tiredness.

 

[phoenix]

I suppose that it's a good thing to exclude but you do sound an unlikely 'candidate' .
Agree that thyroid problems are supposed to cause tiredness, and 1/3 of T1s have it. Mine seems to have manifested it more as a lack of motivation/depression rather than real tiredness. Hypothyroid can also be associated with low iron levels ( I found that out last night because I went searching when I noticed my doctor had put ferritin and a full blood count on my blood test form.)

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Sleep apnoea is generally diagnosed in those who are overweight and snore a lot, their partners will often be aware that they stop breathing many times during the night and then start again with a big sigh like noise.

I was diagnosed with sleep apnoea prior to my diabetes diagnosis but after I lost 4 stones I was tested again and found to be only borderline so was not offered a PAPS machine.

The test as I recall meant sleeping wearing some attached equipment that measured the times a night that you stop breathing, my first test was well into SA territory while the second test was only one or two events over SA level, I suspect that has reduced further as I have lost more weight.

So if you are not overweight I would say its unlikely that it is sleep apnoea but the test will prove it one way or the other and was not in the least intrusive or uncomfortable so nothing to worry about.

I seem to remember them saying that with men it was those with a neck size over 17" that where most at risk, no idea what the female neck size would be though, sorry.

Good luck with your explorations and I hope you get to the bottom of it soon

 

[2christine]

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 1998, after one of my sons was , my granddaughter was 6 weeks old when she was diagnosed, since found out another son has it, he had laser treatment to his roof of mouth, did not cure it.
brothers death certificate, named it has contributing to his death.
I hate the machine but its saved my life and they get better all the time.

 

[hale710]

Thyroid has been checked 3 times this year, my mother has hypothyroidism so they're keeping a close eye on me for that!

Not sure about Vit D, it wasn't mentioned specifically.

 

[RLightning]

I had sleep apnea after getting my uvula removed because it had a viral infection and was constantly inflamed.