Sleep Study?

[ericaj]

I was wondering if any of you could share your experience with sleep studies? What do they consist of? Are there any meds given? How long does it take? What will I feel? What sorta "epuipment" are yeah hooked up to?

My cat scan and function test came back fine. My Pulm who I really liked also wants me to see a geneticist to try and link some of my other problems with the heart/lung issues.

Will post more as I get feedback.

Erica

 

[Gnusgal]

Darn, I was really hoping to get on and find out that you had some answers today. I hate these run arounds. I'm glad your pulm. is continuing to pursue all angles. Did he/she have any guesses at what might be going on?

I'll keep praying they figure something out for you!

 

[ericaj]

Niki

Niki

Hi Niki,

I didnt really get any answers, but some insight into what her and my Cardio are so intently trying to hunt down and diagnose. She pretty much ruled out any lung disease (not 100%) but she said they look to be in good shape. She was concerned with my chest wall - apparently it isnt formed normally and my breathing pipe (trach?) apparently when i breathe in it narrows thus she thinks probably explains atleast some of the SOB. Her and my Cardio are trying to explore if there is a link between past illnesses, corrected bilateral carpal tunnel releases (sever symptoms) some structure issues (i can't fully straighten my elbows, and other mildly unusual things to the heart probs and now to the possible lung issues. Seeing a Geneticist for the possible indepth eval. and Sleep study to try and help her get an understanding of why I seem to be sleeping so awefuly. Of course am still working on getting those all scheduled.

Will keep you posted, defiently let me know what you find out too!!

Erica

 

[MichyB]

Hi Erica. I had a sleep study last week to r/o PH even though they've pretty much ruled it out already. There are two types ... the one where you to go the study center or now they can do them in your home. My pulmonary doc told me that if they don't really expect to find anything, a home study is sufficient. My hubby has sleep apnea and had the test done at the center ... I can ask him to tell you about that.

The home study is basically just you being hooked up to a small machine (almost the size of an IPOD) attached around your waste, with the finger monitor attached and oxygen sensors in your nose. It sounds worse than it is, although you don't get that great of a night's sleep.

I've never heard of being referred to a geneticist before for things like that. Keep us posted as to what happens.

 

[Harrybaby666]

I have Sleep Apnea and Pulmonary Hypertension Erica

I have Sleep Apnea and Pulmonary Hypertension Erica

Hi Erica,
I have both Sleep Apnea and PH. My pulmonologist has told me that PH goes hand in hand with Sleep Apnea. My experience with the Sleep Study was that you don't get a great nights sleep. I don't know whether it was the anxiety of not knowing whether you have Sleep Apnea or PH or whether it was the being hooked up to so many wires and belts and such. I hope to goodness that you don't have either of these problems because they are either a pain to deal with or they are really bothersome as far as exherting yourself. I get chest pains even bending over, but it's just par for the course. I hope all goes well, and this has helped in some small way. Harrybaby

 

[Nan]

Hi Erica, re: a sleep study. You don't take any medications for it. If you are going to a sleep lab, you will be hooked up with all kinds of wires (not painful, just slightly annoying). There will be quite a few on your head (you will need to shampoo your hair next day for sure) behind your ears, and several on your face, around your eyes and near your nose. The ones on the head are for the eeg, on your eyes for tracking eye movements of sleep (REM) and around your nose , I believe for breathing through your nose, but not sure of that one. You will also have a belt with wires around your chest for your breathing "effort" as well as monitoring your heart rate, and some wires on your legs to see if you have periodic limb movements. And, you will also have a clip on a finger to monitor your O2 saturation.

Now, having said all of this, you are wondering, how can I sleep? But, as they give you plenty of lead to move around in, ususally a comfortable bed, and peaceful room. you actually can go to sleep.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me, I'll do my best to answer.

Good luck.

 

[ericaj]

Nan

Nan

Hi Nan,

About how long do you have ot stay when you are in a sleep lab? You can get up and move around? What about going to the bathroom? Can you actually talk to the people doing the test? Any other advice?

Thanks so much!

Erica

 

[Nan]

Hi Erica,

Yes, you can go to the bathroom!!!! (I'm on Lasix, I most definitely needed to go!). All of your wires are bunched together where they are being connected to a port, they can detach the bundle from the port, or the attachment, and give you all of the wires which you carry with you on your usually short journey (a bathroom is attached to each room where I have been). With any luck there will be a hook to put them on, if not, you can put them over your shoulder or over your arm.

I believe most sleep studies are all night. Mine have been from 8 or 9 to 6 the next morning. The first couple of hours when you go in are used by explaining everything to you and hooking you up. You can bring your own pj's , a book or game or whatever you do before you go to bed at home. They also had a TV available. My husband usually stayed with me until I was ready to go to sleep (after he had finished laughing at how I looked!) You can also bring your own pillow if it helps you sleep better.

Yes, you can talk to the technician who is helping you. There is generally a microphone attached to a radio or something so if you call out to them, they hear you and will come in. You will need to call them if you have to get detached etc.

I forgot to mention that there is also a camera in the room to record your movements during sleep....it has a very narrow focus, just at the part of the bed where you will be sleeping, and after it is reviewed, it is taped over. You won't even notice it.

Some places have a split night where they do the study for part of the night, and if they find that you need assistance for sleep apnea, will use the second part of the night to get you started with a CPAP machine etc. It probably depends on the lab and on your insurance etc.

It really is not a difficult thing...

Any other questions?

 

[ericaj]

Nan

Nan

Hi Nan,

Is there just one tech usually? The CPAP machine is it just like when receiving supplmemental oxygen? or is it a darned mask? Does the ordering Doc usually come by at all? My Pulm - who is ordering the test - wants to see me 2 weeks after the study. - what else do they use to treat this if the study comes back positive?

Thanks!!!

Erica

 

[SHerrin Hutt]

Hi Erica,
I have had several sleep tests. They will give you Aiben to help you sleep. Most of times they wanted you to wear PJ's that are not silkie. Good luck

 

[Nan]

Hi Erica,

Although I have met several different techs, in my case there has been just one who is assigned to you for the test. To a person, they have all been extremely nice, kind and reassuring.

If you need the CPAP, yes it is a machine with a mask (sorry!). If you breath through your nose, then it is a very small nasal mask, or even little pillows, sort of like when you are given oxygen. If you are a mouth breather like me, you need a mask that fits over both your nose and your mouth.


In my case no doctor stopped by during the test. I don't think that is routine. The doc in charge of the sleep lab where I have gone is also a pulmonologist. He reviewed the test, signed off on it and sent it on to my primary care doc.

Your doc probably wants to see you in two weeks to go over the results with you and make recommendations etc. It can take a while for the sleep labs to put all the info together. They actually have to count how many leg movements you had etc. At least the first one I had they personally counted, the last one I had may have been computerized as it was done much faster.

I am not going to say that it is a breeze, it has been somewhat difficult for me to get used to it, BUT, I feel so much better than I did before CPAP, that it is worth the struggle.

If you need it, work with it. They hopefully will try different masks to find the one that is the most comfortable for you and works the best.

Also, with the CPAP machine, there are different kinds, the regular one which has the same pressure blowing all the time, the bi-pap which has one pressure for inhalation and one for exhalation...set and what I have which is a c-flex which somehow just reduces the pressure just a bit on exhalation.

some folks do fine with the regular one, I could not tolerate it, or the bi-pap, but the c-flex is OK. There are also "smart" cpaps which give you the pressure you need only when you are having an apneic event.

The other options are dental appliances which I don't know too much about. One moves your jaw forward a little bit, and one pulls your tongue out enough to keep the airway open.

Don't stress over this....it really is not a difficult, painful or awful test. It is just a little hard at first to 1) sleep in a different place 2) sleep with the wires attached...but they do give you lots of room. The techs are so nice that it won't bother you at all to know that they are there. They are there to help. And they aren't watching you personally, just monitoring the various machines you are hooked up to just like the nurses in an ICU watch the monitors.

Hope this helps.

More questions?

Your are welcome to pm me if you like.

 

[Harrybaby666]

Hi Again Erica

Hi Again Erica

I second the motion on everything that Nan has told you...being on the CPAP is really a breeze once you get used to it and all the adjustments have been made...I am also on C-Flex machine, and even though it took me a bit to get used to the mask and get it adjusted correctly, I actually look forward to putting it on at night, because I know how much better I will feel the next day, as opposed to what I felt like before I started on the machine. I also have the full facial mask because I just couldn't tolerate the nose pillows up my nose (Hey, I figure if there was anything that was meant to be put up your nose, it would have been done along time ago by the good man upstairs...LOL) If you do have to go on the cpap, I think you will find that after all is set up and adjusted, you will feel so much better the next day. I do however want to mention to you that I just found out that I have developed Pulmonary Hypertension, and that my pulmonologist told me that PH goes hand in hand with Sleep Apnea, so you will want to ask him to keep an eye out just in case. I hope this also helps you...Harrybaby666

 

[Nan]

Hi Harry, glad you chimed in, I was hoping you would do so again! You helped me a great deal when I was struggling with the CPAP and the mask!!!!

Hope you are feeling OK