Asthma and Sleep Apnea

After years of uncontrolled asthma. With far to many different medications, that work for a while then don’t, the consultant I am under wants me to have a sleep study I was wondering if any one has had a sleep study and what it is like. Also if you were diagnosed with sleep apnea and if so is it related to your asthma I have been told there is research into this and research that has been done which says there may be a link to asthma and the development of sleep apnea thank you for your help, if anyone can that would be great. JB.

[Arniemouse]

I had a home study done before Christmas and now have cpap overnight. Some others here have too. Think studies vary - sometimes go to a lab. There is a support web site if you google where you can ask questions etc.

As to relation to asthma was told no proven link but my sats were very low in relation to the rest of the study so I think that asthma made them worse.

Send me a message if you want to know more

Den

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Hi Jellybean, i had a sleep study done last May and now have CPAP overnight. The study is quite straightforward (obviously they do vary) but basically they record your heartbeat, sats and CO2 levels during the night to see what happens.

When i talked to cons about my sleep aponea, he said that that the weight that i had put on round my neck (due to long term steroid use) had played some part in the resulting aponea, however as i had snored since i was a child he also thought that i had an underlying problem with a floppy larynx (speling?)

It didn't take me long to get use to the dath vadar style mask - and can actually now sleep through the night as long as the ole asthma is not playing up.

Am more than happy to asnwer any other questios if u want.

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I have just been told a similar thing and am booked in to have a sleep study in Brompton when I go in on 28 March. I too have put on a lot of weight around my neck. The last time I was in ITU and hubby was watching the monitor he said both my sats and resps were dropping considerably whilst I was asleep. My problem is that I only tend to sleep for an hour and a half at most and then wake up very quickly almost gasping for breath. It can get very draining when you only sleep for that long at a time. I know that the steroids don't help on the sleep front either so I am sure I am getting attacked from all angles!! I didn't know if the sleep apnea was directly linked with my asthma or whether it is a side effect from the extra weight which comes from the steroids anyway. Don't really fancy the idea of this CPAP thing but if that is the only thing that will help then I will give anything a go!

Foxy xx

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Hi foxy - CPAP is really not that bad promise - when i first saw the mask etc I thought that i would never be able to sleep with it but the difference that it made to the quality of my sleep was remarkable I now maintain sats above 90% throughout the night - i was dropping to the low 70s. I now can't sleep without it!

[Arniemouse]

It is ok and you do get used to the mask - I now get lots more sleep and it helps asthma really feel difference when I take off mask for first neb. Not very sexy but at least it is solved mechanically not new meds which I was very happy about. I have mild problems from being overweight but biggest prob is collapsing pharynx aparently

Try not to worry too much

Den

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My son is 10 and been using full face mask cpap since he was 5.It has kept his sats at a better level and reduced the worrying apneoa episodes. the only downside has been We have found that when he is acute and requiring oxygen that the cpap tends to make sats drop more than if he just had facial oxygen on. My theory is that he doesnt have strength to breath out against the gale force wind being blown in, has anyone else found this?

Julie x

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Thanks for your replies, some things you have written was just like reading about myself, I wake up choking and coughing lots and also go to the toilet very frequently this is apparently because my body dosnt shut itself down properly and is in day mode most of the night!! Sorry for not getting back to thank you sooner but on Wednesday I got a telephone call from the Cardiorespiratory dept to see if I could go to the ward at 2200hrs for my sleep study as some one couldn’t keep there appointment so I spent all day trying to find a baby sitter. It wasn’t as daunting as I first thought and I had a strap around my tummy three electrodes and a sats probe and left to sleep. I defiantly didn’t sleep well and have no idea of the results etc filled in a questionnaire and went home didn’t see anyone except the nurses and when I got home sleep most of the day then chest decided to dislike me for the rest of the day and still isn’t great. I am still trying to convince myself nothing is wrong as it seems very daunting to have to wear a cpap mask etc, and to have something else wrong with me I think I am going to curl up and hide.

thans again JB