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anyone with sleep apnea?

greener

Well-Known Member
Messages
275
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
hello!

due to (perhaps) T2 and becoming overweight I think I developed sleep apnea

I think my nostrils have always been small, but the latest year I feel my breathing being deteriorating

Then, supposedly this situation gets worse during night as at that time most coping mechanisms don't work, so I get hypoxia and consequent drowsiness when I wake up

My question is, if I lose weight will that fix?
Are the doctors in position to tell me if I need cpap or surgery or they will have me try and tell?

anyone with experience??

thanks!
 
You still haven't clarified whether you have T2 or not - seems to vary from post to post. Anyway, there are tests for sleep apnoea, thinking you have it isn't a diagnosis, it also has nothing to do with the size of your nostrils.
Being overweight will certainly increase the risk of you having it, drowsiness is one of the symptoms but hypoxia is lack of oxygen, you wouldn't be getting it when you wake up. Losing weight will help, although it is no guarantee it will remove the problem. CPAP is the normal treatment but you have not got a definitive diagnosis so suggest you see your GP.
 
You would need to be referred to sleep clinic, they give you a mo it or to wear in bed for 2/3 nights and a sleep diary for several weeks. Only then would a decision be made if Cpap or op is the preferred treatment.
Strangely I used to snore, now I just stop breathing, drugs being the main cause, but doc also said 16 years of night shifts hasn't helped.
 
Hi Greener

I am a type 2 with sleep apnea. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea well before the diabetes. As others have suggested have you're doctor refer you to a sleep clinic. I use a cpap machine and it made a huge difference to my energy levels.

Do the tests

Cheers
 
I am also type 2 with apnea. The apnea negatively affects metabolism so I think it helped to bring on the T2. I have been using CPAP for about 3 years. It does help but I still don't think I breathe 100% right, especially in the wee hours. I often wake up and the machine is really pumping. I'm losing weight in the hope that I'll be able to get rid of T2 and apnea. Test and treat the apnea, it will help you feel healthier and less tired.
 
Oh no, apnea is such a curse. Gonna lose the weight anyway, maybe I'll be lucky.
 
Is it really going to take several weeks to get diagnosed? I still wait two months just for the initial appointment! Is there anything I can do to speed up things?
 
I contacted a doctor at Spire hospital (are these private?) and they told me I can get my GP to refer me to him and see him, will I pay anything?
 
If it's a private hospital you will pay. Consultations are probably upwards of at least £200 and then any tests on top of that. If it was private, you'd pay for absolutely everything - each blood test and procedure.
 
but I told his secretary that I dont have insurance, only NHS and she said okay
I suppose she wouldn't advise me to get reference from my GP if I would pay for everything, right?
 
My wife tells me I used to suffer from Sleep Apnea (and she used to worry) but since I lost lots of weight I no longer do and nor do I snore any longer
 
I can't wait to try cpap and see if it will rejuvenate me
first time I tried nasal strips, I woke up different person!
but the days after, they stopped working
 
greener said:
but I told his secretary that I dont have insurance, only NHS and she said okay
I suppose she wouldn't advise me to get reference from my GP if I would pay for everything, right?
Click to expand...
A a lot of consultants have private clinics, your GP can refer you to the consultant but via NHS hospital he is connected with, if you go to the private clinic you pay
 
greener said:
but I told his secretary that I dont have insurance, only NHS and she said okay
I suppose she wouldn't advise me to get reference from my GP if I would pay for everything, right?
Click to expand...
Yes, you still need a referral from a GP for a private consultation - you can't just walk in off the street to see one - it still starts with your GP.

If it's a private hospital - which I believe Spire are - the secretary probably assumed that if you don't have insurance, you'll be paying for everything yourself.

Some private hospitals do see NHS patients, my husband had surgery last year in a private hospital, with full private care levels, but only because they do a small amount of overflow work for the NHS and it happened to be the nearest hospital to us when we were given a list to choose from.
 
I dont understand your answer, will I pay or not
 
****, isn't there a way to avoid it? I mean the NHS delays sgnificantly, isn't that a good reason to pay for my private consultation?
 
Nothing is stopping you from paying for a private consultation. But be aware you may need an initial referral from your GP - you will still need to pay though to be seen elsewhere.
 
greener said:
I dont understand your answer, will I pay or not
Click to expand...
If it's a private hospital, you'll be expected to pay - that's just what 'private' means. But even for a private consultation, you need a letter of referral from a GP, they won't see you without one - hence the secretary's advice to have one sent.
 
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