[asmorris]

Hi there. I'm new to the boards, but not new to Stella Style. My hubby suffers from severe sleep apnea and I'm looking for ways to help motivate him. We've both been serious low-carbers since April. He's lost 35 pounds, and I've lost 15.

The apnea and severe sleep deprivation make it hard and we're both just at a loss as to how to get beyond it to get him exercising. Some days he doesn't even have the energy to get to the mail box.

Any advice, tricks, guidance, etc. would be most appreciated! Thanks. A.

[DebB]

Hi and welcome! My dad had sleep apnea and was on the APAP (is that the name?) machine at night. Does your husband use that also? *Ü*
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Started Somersizing Feb. 2001

[carlking2]

It was most likely a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), and I used one for six months....and never could adjust to the machine.

Weight loss helps
breathe right strips sometimes help

There is now a outpatient surgical procedure that can cure most apnea...check it out here:

http://www.restoremedical.com/pillar.asp

Now for the weird thing about me.....I quit snoring when I am on low carb. My wife will confirm this. I don't know why, but it happens whenever I stick to a LC WOE. No more drooling on the pillow or sudden waking at night.

I was really interested in the pillar procedure until I went back to LC in January.

Rick

[Tia_Lisa_]

Hey Angela!
My husband suffers from severe sleep apnea, too. He used to snore so loud it rattled the windows in our bedroom! I AM NOT KIDDING! I couldn't sleep at night for the first 13 years of our marriage for fear he would stop breathing during the night and not start again! (I slept in the daytime while he was at work .) Finally, he had most of his uvula surgically removed (laser) and that helped somewhat. At least his snoring was down to the buzzsaw range. His neurologist (whom I absolutely adore, by the way) put him on the C-PAP machine and we thought that would help, but it didn't because Andy is a mouth-breather when he sleeps and the C-PAP just made him splutter like a motorboat! As entertaining as that was.... We tried the head harness, we tried taping his mouth shut with first aid tape, we tried the C-PAP full-face mask AND the nostril-plug varieties and nothing helped. Finally, I just resigned myself to the fact I'd be a young widow and handed it all over to God (says the recovering control-freak! ) and thankfully, my darlin's still with me. But I can't help but wonder if the sleep apnea isn't what's causing, or at least contributing to, his migraines.

So here's my advice, for what it's worth (and I hope it helps!) :

1) Get your husband to a doctor ASAP. Tell him/her about all the sleep difficulties he has, not just the not breathing part. For example, does he feel tired or rested when he gets up in the morning? Does he suffer from headaches, especially in the morning? Is his blood pressure high and does it tend to be higher in the morning?... etc.
2) Have him examined by an oral surgeon. His uvula may be too large and obstruct his airway, like Andy's. The laser removal isn't too awfully bad; it just gives you a metallic sort of taste in your mouth as it heals and it's not too painful (at least no more so than a sore throat, according to Andy).
3) If you think the C-PAP would help, give it a shot. If your husband can tolerate the full-face mask, that might work out better than the nostril-plug type, but do whatever works!
4) Have him tested for allergies. I've read that sometimes that makes apnea worse.
5) Try to keep your husband on his side while he sleeps, as much as possible. Back-sleeping makes apnea worse. I'd read that if you sew a tennis ball onto the back of your sleep shirt, it'll help keep you from rolling over onto your back at night. (Didn't even faze Andy; he slept on the tennis ball!) You could try putting one of those full-length body pillows behind him to keep him from rolling over. (Again, didn't work for Andy; he just rolled on top of the pillows and snored on! I even slept with my back braced up against his to try to keep him from rolling over, but he just rolled over on top of me! )
6) If all else fails, ask your doctor to prescribe you a hospital-style adjustable bed and have your darlin' sleep propped up in a semi-reclining position. (That's what we trying to do now!)
7) As trite as it sounds, when you've done everything else, just let go and give it to God. It won't cure the apnea, but it'll help you come to terms with it.

We'll keep you and your husband in our prayers!

PEACE AND LOVE, Lisa
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ROCK ON

[Bambam]

Well as a diabetic, Cardiac patient with sever sleep apnea, I can ring in here.
First off get your hubby to a doctor and have a sleep study done. this will determine weather he need surgery, strips or a machine. I use a bi-pap machine and it breaths for me at night it pushes air in and pulls it out, so I maintain good O2 sats at night.
weight loss is a very big key to helping the problem and can actually cure it, I understand the lack of energy, so I started little walks like to the mailbox and back and worked up from there, however till he gets the sleeping prob under control nothing is going to work, PLEASE get him to a doctor and have a sleep study done ASAP.

Sincerely
In good health
the Texas Diabetic Chef
Bambam
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Lo there do I see my Father
Lo there do I see my Mother and my sister and my Brothers.
Lo do they call to me
They bid me take my place amongst them in the halls of Valhalla
Where the brave may live
Forever

[dbeltz1]

Took my hubby to the neurogist for something else and ended up having him get a sleep study for Apnea. He spent the night at the Dr. office in a little hotel like room with monitors all over him. As suspected He has apnea too... They are going to do another sleep study then give him a PPAP machine probably. I know the machine isn't that foxy but a quietly sleeping husband will be very attractive me since I"m used to freight train quality snoring! Have to get it fixed though because over time the lack of o2 increases risk of heart and stroke probs down the road. Not to mention lack of rest!!!!!

Good luck to you guys!
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"It is never too late to be what you might have been" - George Eliot

[mhayden999]

Once he gets his machine...he will not believe how much better he feels, everyday. I did a couple of sleep studies, and they prescribed a CPAP for me, a couple of years ago, and it has made an incredible difference for me. It takes about 3-4 days to get used to it...but after that it's all Sweet Dreams.

My wife also now enjoys a quiet night's sleep too!!!

Mark
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You can get what you want in life, if you help enough people get what they want--Zig Ziglar