Sleep apnoea - any experience?

[CocktailQueen]

I think dh has it. He has recently started snoring really loudly, and stops breathing regularly while asleep, for up to 30 seconds, then restarts with a huge snort. Have asked him to go to the gp - this can be dangerous, can't it? He's often tired during the day - and really irritable.

Has anyone any experience of this? What treatment helped? How long did it take to be seen/referred?

My DH was diagnosed with this at the beginning of the year. He was referred from the GP last November and attended a sleep clinic in Edinburgh, he did a home sleep test and has been given a CPAP machine. It took a few goes to get the pressure setting right but he has now been put on an annual check up.
One of the things about sleep apnoea is that it is reportable to the DVLA and if untreated you can lose your driving licence. DH was lucky and got treated quickly enough so he didn't get his licence revoked as it took the DVLA so long to get around to replying to him.
My DH is still grumpy and says he is still tired but he has form for not believing in any medication, I can see the difference in him and I can certainly sleep better.

And I think the incidence of stroke is much higher in people with untreated sleep apnoea.

Thanks Elliptic. We're now away on hols for a while and I know dh will put off making a GP appt when we get back. He thinks it's not a problem because it's not affecting him. He drives a lot for his job so that's interesting. Thanks!

DH has OSA, and has been on CPAP for 7 years now. The rate of stroke, heart attack, eye problems for diabetics and a whole shed load of other things are much higher in those with untreated OSA. As well, the effect on driving is worse than being over the alcohol limit.

Record him on your phone, then make him a GP appointment and go with him. Don't be fobbed off with an ENT appointment or a 'oh, lose weight' sort of thing, a sleep clinic is the only way to go

I recorded him on my phone last night. Thanks, CMOT.

We had this, and DP went to the GP and was referred to the ENT, who then referred him to a sleep clinic. He was also going off a mixture of my word (I was totally freaked out at waking up and discovering he'd stopped breathing) and the fact he was feeling really tired in the day.

He had an overnight monitoring session at home, was plugged into lots of devises, and at his follow up appointment was told that when he sleeps on his side, he's in normal range, but when he sleeps on his back he shows as needing intervention. They said that was likely to do with carrying excess weight, and suggested he could either investigate a CPAP or spend six months losing weight and sleeping on his side then revisiting the issue. He's currently trying to sleep on his side through a mixture of pillows and me telling him to roll over if I notice him on his back and its improved a lot.

Be aware though, it was 4 months for the follow up appointment, its not seen as critical so he should get to the GP quickly as the referral may take a while.

Please get him to the doctor, he will feel so much better when treated. My hubby was having around 60+ events an hour! i.e. stopping breathing! anything over 15 events an hour or something is considered high! He has a CPAP machine - pumps air into him all through the night, weird to get used to but he sleeps now and doesn't nod off in the day and I sleep far better, the slight noise of the machine is far better than worrying he is not breathing and hearing the snort.

Thanks - he has booked gp appt. last night he didn't snore at all - how odd!

Sleep apnea is a very serious and when not life threatening, life reducing disorder. If you primary physician suspects that you have sleep apnea she or he may be able to negotiate with your insurance provider to have a sleep study carried out. Sleep apnea is diagnosed through discovering how many times you your own breathing is interrupted (halts) during sleep.

Sometimes this is biggest to your sleep partner, because people who have sleep apnea often snore loudly as well, and the person may seem to choke threw the night. If sleep apnea is actually diagnosed a C smear machine is used to force open up airways, resolving the danger of disrupted breathing. I really do not believe there are any alternatives for therapy that would be appropriate.

For sound advice about sleep apnoea, please visit the Sleep Apnoea Trust website, www.sleep-apnoea-trust.org. We are a UK patient support charity, run by sleep apnoea patients and provide a wide range of information on the website. You can download leaflets and information sheets, contact our confidential telephone help line and email us with your questions. According to the UK Government, Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, if undiagnosed, has the potential to reduce life expectancy, so it is a serious disorder. However, it can be easily treated on the NHS. As the header to this topic states, "If you have any serious medical concerns we would urge you to consult your GP."