Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Sleep study

This is the only question I have left. Great info here guys! Thanks!

Sorry I can't answer that one. My Dr. recommended me for this for other symptoms.

Guessing a Dr. referral would be easier for an insurance payment.

If you are uninsured,go any time you want,they will have a payment plan I'm sure.

I made my appointment directly and my Blue Cross covered it...but I did check to make sure before taking the study.

I'm pretty sure I've had some form of Sleep Apnea for 20yrs or more. Back when I first noticed it I would just wake up in the middle of night thinking I was about to die, but not consciously knowing if I was gasping for air or not. These episodes were sometimes months apart. However, as time went by I noticed they would happen after I had exerted myself during the day. Especially if I fished the flats using fly rod and getting lots of sun I would have problems that night. Sun seemed to drain me physically.

Now I am really having problems especially after 25yrs dealing with heart surgeries, etc. But, I no longer wake up in the middle of the night. If I tire myself out during the day it happens and all my whatever it is happens right when I get into a semi conscious state just as I'm dozing off to sleep.
I'm not conscious enough to know exactly what is happening I only know I'm jolted with a terrible feeling like I'm going to die if I can't somehow get my body functioning. But, I have never realized myself gasping for air. It's more like my respiratory system has stopped and sometimes I feel like I'm having severe pressure in my chest like I'm going to have a heart attack if it continues to worsen.

I mentioned all this to my primary Dr. and she said she could set me up with a sleep test and I didn't want to go through with it.

I have to go hospital Tues. for more heart work..hopefully only more stents and will discuss with my cardiologist this situation. My heart is starting to skip and go crazy every afternoon after I push myself going to far turkey hunting etc. and the Sleep Apnea if that's what I'm having always follows.

Reading this post opened my eyes to the severity of Sleep Apnea. But, first got to get the heart looked after.

Unfortunately they were not. The tech for the last test was a lady in her 40's. I will not comment beyond noting that after meeting her, I decided that sleep was going to be the better use of my time. Of course, you never know, since then, they may have replaced her with a cute young thing and you will not get any sleep at all.

Question? If you're concerned enough about not breathing while asleep, you're going to take a test, why not just buy the machine anyway?
How many people that take the test, fail and don't need the machine?

Because you need a prescription to buy one. I will echo many of the others in that I sleep SO much better with the machine than without it. We slept in a hotel last night and I forgot my CPAP. Slept like crap and woke with a monster headache. Came home this afternoon and too a nap with my machine and now feel fine. It takes some getting used to, but I sleep like a baby, something I haven't done in many years.

I think the machine has to be adjusted to the user.As far as buying a machine w/ out the test,they're pretty expensive to buy on a hunch.

As in not being diagnosed w/ sleep apnea?
Good question.

I just looked at one of the online CPAP stores and all that seems to be required is a doctors consent form. Of course I would not know what to do with the thing once I got it. Many of the machines mention self config and come with digital tutorials.

I'd really just like to go this route but I'd likely blow up my lungs and then wind up in the big machine.

It's not just expensive, its dangerous to use a PAP device without a proper titration study. Setting a pressure too low won't keep obstructive apneas and hypopneas from occuring, while setting the pressure too high can cause central apneas(an event in which you don't even try to breath). PAP's should only be used when prescribed and as prescribed.

I was thinking with all my heart problems and more procedures starting Tues maybe Sleep Apnea might be a good thing. I hear so many times "at least he didn't suffer he died in his sleep." But, from my experience with what I think may be Sleep Apnea dying in your sleep is not as peaceful as some may think.

Think dying in your sleep sometimes translates to simply found alone in bed. Don't mean it wasn't painful, terrifying, and you weren't aware of it.

Your case sounds scary. Already have heart issues. Go get the test done. It can't hurt. Might extend your "hunting season."

CPAP is a life saver. Everyone and I mean everyone in my family has it regardless of weight. I was diagnosed at 30 years old. I suspect that mine being caught so early is the reason that I, unlike most of my family, have never developed hypertension.

Just had another episode of it a few minutes ago. Got a new Black Widow bow this wk and shot it all morning trying to get it quietened down a little. Came in got on the computer and got drowsy from my b/p meds and it hit me as I was losing consciousness.

I'm going to ask about the test Tues., going to have to at spend at least Tues. night in hospital anyway.

Thing is, I'm not sure I'm having Sleep Apnea since it always happens now days right when I'm losing consciousness when first falling asleep and I can eliminate it by taking one of those PM/Pain pills you can buy over the counter. I break them in half and one half will get me through the semi-conscious stage and unconscious quick enough to where if Sleep Apnea or whatever I'm experiencing occurs I don't know it or it doesn't even happen.

I did some Google research on this a while back and did find a few others who had my same experiences with this..at first stage of losing consciousness and found a possible cause to be Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. I have had my esophagus hemorrhage and also have acute stage of hiatal hernia..so bad at times I have severe pain all the way down through my chest into the top of stomach when I swallow even water...so severe I sometimes can't swallow and have to spit whatever back up or choke on it.

Sleep Apnea and these illnesses are many times correlated. The acid reflux is like a boiling cauldron spewing up into my throat and sometimes I wake up choking trying to get dry air into my lungs while out of breath when the reflux gets down my wind pipe .