breathless

[jazzfish]

A few months ago I finally got myself a family doctor. She sent me for a lung test and some bloodwork, to try and work out what's going on with my stupid defective lungs. That all came back clear so she handed me a prescription for an inhaler and said "try this before you exercise, and if it doesn't help we'll try something more complicated." Yay. We then got into my snoring and perpetually stuffed up and frequently infected sinuses etc, and she gave me a steroid prescription and sent me for a sleep study.

This isn't new stuff. I have a recollection of having used steroids before; I don't remember if I stopped because they didn't work, or at fear of side effects, or concern over the cost, or what. And about nine years ago I went in for a sleep study to try and find something to be done about my snoring etc. It was an unpleasant experience, made more unpleasant by its complete lack of utility: the doctor called me in a few days later and said "Good news! You don't have sleep apnea, and we're all out of ideas!" I could have pushed for an ENT specialist, I guess, but I didn't feel up to paying for the privilege of fighting with the medical establishment.

I figured this would be more of the same. I stopped in at the sleep lab two floors down from the doctor's office, expecting to make an appointment for sometime in the next six months. Instead they handed me a tiny machine and walked me through how to use it (box on my chest, rubber thingy on a fingertip, plastic tube in my nose) and told me to sleep for at least five hours and bring it back tomorrow.

Which I did, and they pulled the data off it and sent me to talk to a doctor, who informed me that I had "moderate" sleep apnea and should use a CPAP machine. I am not best pleased by this turn of events. I go in next week for an intro-to-CPAP session, and I guess we'll see how well it works for me.

They also suggested gently that I should lose weight. YEAH, THAT WOULD BE PRETTY FANTASTIC, WOULDN'T IT. Perhaps a summer that's less stressful than this past year will help.

Comments

[reedrover]

That sounds like a much more likable sleep study! So simple! So easy! In the comforts of home!

My one sleep study was inconclusive and I seem to be doing better so I'm not going to pursue it for a while.

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At least the doctor was gentle about the weight recommendation. I sincerely appreciate that my doctors are willing to talk about my weight in a "it would be nice" way without getting on me about it.

[jazzfish]

I suspect it may be less comprehensive, but, eh; I don't have restless-leg or any other such things, so I'm not too concerned.

That is, in fact, prety great! Basically all the sleepdoc had to say about weight was "being overweight can be a factor in sleep apnea," and when I asked about non-CPAP treatments he said "well, losing weight helps, so, exercise and diet." Entirely reasonable. And my family doctor hasn't mentioned it at all.

[reedrover]

That's good. Facts about a problem without judgment on you are just fine.

[wohali]

I used a CPAP for about 9 months, then an ENT told me that I was a good candidate for deviated septum surgery. I signed on the dotted line.

Immediately afterwards, I found I didn't need the CPAP machine anymore.

I recommend getting a referral to an ENT specialist and see if there's anything that can be done there before you learn to live with the HOSE OF DOOM. That said you will sleep better and wake up super refreshed...IF you can keep it on all night and the noise doesn't wake you up like it did for me.

[jazzfish]

That must have been a good signature! :D

Seriously tho. I am definitely interested in getting an ENT to take a look at the inside of my head and see if they can see anything in there. I am really not looking forward to the prospect of machine-assisted sleep. Particularly since I tend to sleep on my side/stomach.

[malkingrey]

I think that doctors have "and you ought to lose some weight" programmed into them as a default response to anybody with anything who isn't already at zero percent body fat.

The cynic in me thinks that it's because if they do that, and you don't lose weight -- because by now everybody who's done any reading at all knows that permanent weight loss is, if not impossible, at least the next thing to it if you aren't planning on living like a flesh-denying ascetic for the rest of your life -- then it's not their fault when you don't get better.

[jazzfish]

I'd like to disagree with you there.

... yep. I sure would like to disagree with you.

Actually I do disagree a bit: I think it's more that "weight loss" is easy to recommend, and doesn't require any additional tests or anything. Still not great.

[novel_machinist]

Yeah, I did that too. I also have "mild" sleep apnea. I don't use a CPAP because I can't actually sleep like that and thus the purpose of it HELPING me sleep is defeated. I also have a huge fight with lungs/sinuses due to chronic severe asthma and sinus infection issues. ONE THING I can say is that if you have chronic sinus infections, you may actually never be GETTING RID OF IT. Not taking your steroid complex to the end of your prescription is the number 1 way to ensure that you will not get rid of said infection.

I have to actually get a NUKE IT FROM ORBIT level of steroid for any sinus infection I get because otherwise, it won't go away. Every new doc I have that tries like, Zpack gets laughed at by me and told that it's cute that they think such a thing works for me.

An ENT would be a good idea if you have "chronic" bronchitis or sinus infections. Since I've started a daily nose spray I haven't had any sinus issues. My wife has them because she doesn't take her nose spray daily. No one LIKES taking medicine, it's just something you may have to do daily, yanno?

[jazzfish]

That sounds seriously annoying. I just have chronic sinus congestion, and semifrequent sinus infections. Although I get those a lot less now that I'm no longer living with Emily. But my nose has been somewhat stopped up since I was a kid.

Curious to see what if anything the nasal spray does for me. I seem to have a strong objection to maintenance anything: drugs, nightly stretches for my hip, etc. WHY CAN'T THE DOCTORS JUST FIX M STUPID BODY THAT IS WHAT THEY'RE THERE FOR, and all that.

[novel_machinist]

Chronic congestion could be an occlusion, you'd need an MRI to really tell.

Yeah, a lot of people have like this programmed in that medicine is a sign of weakness or something along those lines. I dunno, I'd be dead without maintenance medication, so I can't understand it XD

[sereg_dragon]

Sometimes I think half the appeal of science fiction for me is the fantasy of competent health care.

[jazzfish]

SRSLY