# sleep apnea



## susieQ (Oct 18, 2007)

Feeling very desperate! Can't seem to sleep well. But as soon as I go to sleep I wake with a start cause my breath has shut off. I am choking. This seems like sleep apnea to me, and it goes on for hours, then finally I will go off to sleep with out waking often in the early morning like 3:300 or 4:00 a.m.
It seems at that time I will wake with a jerk. Then I will as well feel nauseated and at times just begin to shake with coldness.

I can't seem to get help from a doctor. There say a sleep clinic would only give me antidepressents and I can't take them, so there is nothing for me to do. This has been very bad for the past 6 weeks or more.

I thank you all for ideas.


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## Jack (Aug 27, 2008)

Hi Susie,

Just joined the board and found your post. Yeah, I've been told that I have apnea for a bunch of years. The suggestion is that I look into a mask that puts positive air pressure into your breathing. As I'm a light sleeper anyway, I've avoided that route. During a recent visit to my ENT to figure out some hearing loss, I was found to have a deviated septum and enlarged uvula, both of which contribute to my apnea. And, coincidentally, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's as well.

You should look into the breathing mask, Susie. It apparently works for lots of people. My doc suggested surgery, but I want to figure out this Hashimoto and hearing stuff first.

Take care - Jack


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## Hollon (Mar 17, 2011)

Hi, I just joined..I recently had a pet/scan related to thyroid cancer. Found a spot on back of tonsiles and i was told that this could be sleep apnea? has anyone been told this? My levels are good and I dont really have any signs of having cancer again...but just seems odd to me...


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

Hollon said:


> Hi, I just joined..I recently had a pet/scan related to thyroid cancer. Found a spot on back of tonsiles and i was told that this could be sleep apnea? has anyone been told this? My levels are good and I dont really have any signs of having cancer again...but just seems odd to me...


Hi there!! What kind of thyroid cancer did you have? I presume you had thyroidectomy and RAI?

I know that folks can get tonsil stones but I have no earthly idea what a spot would mean. Did radiology comment? Did your doctor comment?

I am so so glad you are free of cancer. Thank goodness for that!


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

SusieQ,

Find a new doctor. Or, if you live near a major university with a medical school, you might try a sleep lab there. Based on the outcome, they should be able to refer you to one of the physcians on the medical school staff.


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## lavender (Jul 13, 2010)

I have sleep apnea, and sleep specialists do a lot more than prescribe anti-depressants.

My sleep medicine doc is a neurologist. She met with me, discussed my health issues, referred me to a sleep lab for a sleep study and a nap study.

I had to spend almost 24 hours in the lab. They prep you by gluing a whole bunch of electrodes on your skull, hook you up to a bunch of equipment, and send you to bed. I personally did not sleep too well there. They wake you up pretty early and if you are just getting a sleep study, they take all the equipment off you, you shower to get all the **** out of your hair and go home.

For the nap study, they keep you up for a couple of hours, then have you lie down for a nap to see if you fall asleep or not. I think they only let you sleep for like 15 minutes. You basically go through this sleep-wake cycle for the day and then go home in the evening. I slept at every one. I think they diagnose you with narcolepsy based on how quickly you fall asleep.

My tests were all borderline for sleep apnea and narcolepsy. The doc gave me some samples of a narcolepsy drug to test out, but I found out they were basically speed and decided not to take them. She never discussed anti-depressants with me (which have not been helpful to me in the past). She and I talked about non-medicine routes to take, and I was prescribed a C-PAP. I had to go back to the sleep lab for them to adjust it for me. I have been wearing it for maybe 3 years now, and I have to go back to the sleep doc yearly for a check in.

If you have untreated sleep apnea, it can cause heart problems. I think it's well worth getting checked out.


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