I have been struggling for close to 9 months with the sudden onset of health issues.   To make a very long story short, I do have sleep apnea, can't tolerate a CPAP, I am on oxygen at night under orders form my Cardio Doc, and now am being fitted for a oral device, DeSRA by Dr. Heeke himself.  He has over 15 yrs experience in this area, so I trust he knows a few things.  After my visit/consultation he strongly believes that I am suffering from extreme sleep deprivation and possibly have a hormone imbalance due to the lack of sleep.  He gave me some info to dicusss with my Primary Care.  

So off to my PCP to discuss how a few simple blood tests may clear up some things.  She totally ignored the info I brought in and then out of left field deciced I have fibromyalgia!!!!  I am like.....WHAT????    

I have been bounced around from Doc to Doc for so long.....spent time in the hospital and still very few answers.  Dr. Heeke has really listened and is very concerned with my over all health, not just fitting me for this device.   I also did my own research on sleep deprivation and the effects on my body.  I am a classic case study!!!  Wouldn't you think that if a few simple blood tests could be done to rule out  a few things, that the PCP should have followed it?  I think she was insulted by me bringing in info and asking her if this could be ruled out.   Not only did she give me a script for lyrica but also for a sleeping pill!!!!!!

I am so close to the end of my very thin rope.  I have talked to my Cardio and he is going to refer me to another PCP, but in the mean time, more time is being wasted, I am not sleeping and I could be doing more damage to my entire body.

Has anyone else went thru this????

farmerjill wrote:

I have been struggling for close to 9 months with the sudden onset of health issues.   To make a very long story short, I do have sleep apnea, can't tolerate a CPAP, I am on oxygen at night under orders form my Cardio Doc, and now am being fitted for a oral device, DeSRA by Dr. Heeke himself.  He has over 15 yrs experience in this area, so I trust he knows a few things.  After my visit/consultation he strongly believes that I am suffering from extreme sleep deprivation and possibly have a hormone imbalance due to the lack of sleep.  He gave me some info to dicusss with my Primary Care.  

So off to my PCP to discuss how a few simple blood tests may clear up some things.  She totally ignored the info I brought in and then out of left field deciced I have fibromyalgia!!!!  I am like.....WHAT????    

I have been bounced around from Doc to Doc for so long.....spent time in the hospital and still very few answers.  Dr. Heeke has really listened and is very concerned with my over all health, not just fitting me for this device.   I also did my own research on sleep deprivation and the effects on my body.  I am a classic case study!!!  Wouldn't you think that if a few simple blood tests could be done to rule out  a few things, that the PCP should have followed it?  I think she was insulted by me bringing in info and asking her if this could be ruled out.   Not only did she give me a script for lyrica but also for a sleeping pill!!!!!!

I am so close to the end of my very thin rope.  I have talked to my Cardio and he is going to refer me to another PCP, but in the mean time, more time is being wasted, I am not sleeping and I could be doing more damage to my entire body.

Has anyone else went thru this????

Delighted to see you are getting a new PCP............you are better off without your current one.

Sleep Deprivation is a very underestimated condition (by ordinary folk). The military (long ago) realised that sleep deprivation was the way to squeeze information, confessions or anything that they wanted to hear, from just about anyone. Sleep Deprivation is now classed as a form of torture.

In your case, your body is being deprived of quality sleep, your brain is being starved of oxygen and as a result of this numerous major organs come under pressure and are probably impaired as a result. Typically, Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, cardio problems (hypertension/enlarged heart/possible risk to stroke and on and on).......renal problems.....eye problems (glaucoma)........memory and cognitive function.

Many of us have gone through OSA related symptoms and problems prior to diagnosis and treatment...........most important thing is to get your sleep disorder treated first and monitor any positive changes in your other conditions. Get using your dental device ASAP and follow up with the new PCP (get the blood tests done).

Best of luck.

Daniel.


_________________
The untreated Sleep Apnoea sufferer died quietly in his sleep.......
Unlike his three passengers who died screaming !!!!!!

(Anon)

FarmerJill,

Boy, have I been there. I have had three doctors in the past 4 years who blew me off. (I'm not a doctor hopper- my insurance kept changing.)

I sit there in the office and they're going "mwa mwa mwa," but what I'm hearing is: here is another overweight middle-aged perimenopausal woman who thinks she has some horrible condition and keeps bringing us stuff from the internet she wants us to check for and she just needs a psychiatrist*...

So they order the tests just to get me to go away. They often don't examine me at all...sometimes I get just a cursory exam.

Then, one time I complained of neck spasms and the doctor gave me an rx for 60 vicodan. Message: go drug yourself and don't bother me. No referral to PT or anything. No neck exam either.

The sleep study showed borderline figures but I felt normal after I started CPAP. Running into some problems now, but I'm very hopeful.

Hang in there. Only YOU know what you feel like. Only YOU know how much it had affected everything that was good inyour life. Keep trying. I'm glad you found a doctor that listens. YAY!

NAQ

(*BTW, the psychiatrist was the first doctor I saw for this and he thinks the fatigue is real and based on an undiagnosed medical condition other than depression.)


_________________
Diagnosed September 2009
cpap machine: resmed compact S8
pressure: 9
sleep study results: AHI 4.2 (nl=<5); REM AHI 9.4 (nl=<5); REM 15.7% (nl=25-35%)

respironics comfort fusion nasal - leaks drove me crazy
LT Swift nasal pillows - works great

Thanks to you both!!  I just feel so out of control with all of this.  I can see how the military would be successful with using the lack of sleep to get what they want....at this point, I would do ANYTHING to be rested.  

I also can relate to the "female" perspective of this.....I too have been judged the minute I have seen a new Dr.  I have gotten the 'overweight middle-aged premenopausal woman' look many times.  I even had one very young intern in the ER tell me that he was going to make arrangements for me to see therapist before he had any test results.   He said his mom went thru this type of thing.  I can't tell you how many times I have been misdiagnosed.  SInce this has started, I have gained 20 lbs and of course it's all because I can't eat properly....just ask them.

When I couldn't tolerate the CPAP.....they Techs felt it was due to my 'anxiety'.....I was so mad.  Two months later they found out it was due to my vocal cords closing as they titrated the air with the CPAP.  

As I said, the Dentist who is fitting me with the mouth piece, is the only one who actually listens and gave me some concrete answers.  But of course the MD's don't like a dentist telling them whats what.  

Thanks again....I am trying to hang in there....I just keep hoping that it wll get corrected before it really hurts me.

farmerjill wrote:

Thanks to you both!!  I just feel so out of control with all of this.  I can see how the military would be successful with using the lack of sleep to get what they want....at this point, I would do ANYTHING to be rested.  

I also can relate to the "female" perspective of this.....I too have been judged the minute I have seen a new Dr.  I have gotten the 'overweight middle-aged premenopausal woman' look many times.  I even had one very young intern in the ER tell me that he was going to make arrangements for me to see therapist before he had any test results.   He said his mom went thru this type of thing.  I can't tell you how many times I have been misdiagnosed.  SInce this has started, I have gained 20 lbs and of course it's all because I can't eat properly....just ask them.

When I couldn't tolerate the CPAP.....they Techs felt it was due to my 'anxiety'.....I was so mad.  Two months later they found out it was due to my vocal cords closing as they titrated the air with the CPAP.  

As I said, the Dentist who is fitting me with the mouth piece, is the only one who actually listens and gave me some concrete answers.  But of course the MD's don't like a dentist telling them whats what.  

Thanks again....I am trying to hang in there....I just keep hoping that it wll get corrected before it really hurts me.

Has anyone mentioned Vocal Cord Disfuction to you?  If not check with the new doctor.  If you have it you will need to be treated.  I had never heard of the condition until i was diagnosed.  

Cat J


_________________
Resmed S8 Elite II w/H4i humidifier
Mirage Quattro
Pressure 12
Started CPAP - July 2009

Actually Cat, I do have that.  While in the hospital (in May) having my lungs checked since I was short of breath.....they did a scope and my vocal cords are not working like they should.  I do go to a speech therapist and have exercises to do.....but I don't find they work very well.  

After I was dianosed with VCD, all the Doc's stop trying to figure out why I am short of breath and stopped dealing with the other problems (i.e...headaches, muscle pain, thyroid, etc...) I have.  It wasn't until I saw the Vocal Cord specialist that he insisted I revisit the Sleep Apnea and now the sleep deprivation.  I have 2 more weeks until I get my mouth piece....it can't be soon enough.