How does Sleep Apnea complicate the VSG date?

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I had what I know realize is an odd experience. I did the sleep study. Hated it because I had a spastic bladder and it was s pain in the but having the tech come unhook me to go to the bathroom all night. I also expected to fail because I have trigemenal neuralgia on the left side of my face from a bout with shingles and abnormally large tonsils that I've had since I was a teen. I typically sleep on my tummy or my side. I knew sleeping on my back would product bad results. So I get results & they dx mild apnea. I have to come back for cpap fitting & it's a perfect storm of awful. They want to try a face mask because i sleep with my mouth open because only one nostril works due to the neuralgia. The face mask pressed against my sinuses and caused pain. I couldn't sleep one bit! Then I have to pee. By 2:30am I told the tech I couldn't do this anymore. I went home. Few days later the sleep doctor calls & they wanted to retest but ins. Turned them down. They ordered a general machine. I already had my surgery date. I called doctor to let them know. They were fine with it. I had my surgery & never used cpap while in the hospital. Other than bathroom breaks I had no issues sleeping and now that I've had the surgery I'm not up more than once a night and often not at all for bathroom breaks. My previous sleep study prior to wls didn't show any apnea so I'm fairly certain it was weight related. Guess I dodged a bullet, but all my appointments were scheduled fairly quickly.

[Slimsoon1988 123]

Turned them down. They ordered a general machine. I already had my surgery date. I called doctor to let them know. They were fine with it. I had my surgery & never used cpap while in the hospital.

Yeah my bariatric program wouldn't let me get away with that. If I declined the sleep test they wouldn't operate.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I didn't decline the sleep study. The sleep center wanted to retest & the ins co. refused. I stayed long enough for the tech to run all the test. They just never got me sleeping because I couldn't sleep with the mask on.

Edited December 7, 2014 by BLERDgirl

[Slimsoon1988 123]

Now my mind is running. The way to avoid taking the sleep this is to not fall asleep.. Hmm interesting...

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I'm not recommending this, I think it was just a perfect storm of unusual circumstances for me.

[Slimsoon1988 123]

I'm only joking. I'll go through with it and deal with the results either way.

[Scarlett72 13]

Yeah sleep Apnea is one of the criteria for my insurance. It should help you not hinder.

[alittlejoy 26]

Just to clarify on the peeing at night and thirst - the apnea will irritate your throat and make your mouth dry because you're gasping. As for peeing, it's not that you have to pee more than anyone else, it's that your body is awake enough to tell you to get up and go. In normal deep sleep, the body slows down to ignore those signals. People will sleep apnea get very little deep sleep, so you get all the signals that tell you to get up and pee, drink Water, etc.

[chelly12A 15]

Just to clarify on the peeing at night and thirst - the apnea will irritate your throat and make your mouth dry because you're gasping. As for peeing, it's not that you have to pee more than anyone else, it's that your body is awake enough to tell you to get up and go. In normal deep sleep, the body slows down to ignore those signals. People will sleep apnea get very little deep sleep, so you get all the signals that tell you to get up and pee, drink Water, etc.

[chelly12A 15]

Thanks for the info. I have sleep apnea and I kept thinking I was going into diabetes because I was so thirsty all the time. As far as the wait for the c-pap I think it depends a lot on the doctor. My pcp does the sleep study and she sat on it for 2 months or more and I switched to another doctor and got rid of her. It still took me awhile to get the info from the sleep study from her. That usually don't happen if you go to a doctor that actually deals with sleep apnea. I just happened to get a bad apple. I would never go to a regular physician that does that in there office again. Sad how one bad experience changes everything.

[jenbaby75 283]

I was able to do my sleep study at home, because I have an infant. I got my results, and walked out with my cpap machine. No waiting. I have yet to sleep with it on, I need to swap masks.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

Yeah my ins co said no to that

[chelly12A 15]

I was able to do my sleep study at home, because I have an infant. I got my results, and walked out with my cpap machine. No waiting. I have yet to sleep with it on, I need to swap masks.

I have a terrible time with the masks and I need to use my c-pap machine every night. I just do the best I can and hope they will come up with something that will work for me, or I hope that the WL will help with the sleep apna.

[Debbie Jean 406]

I have a terrible time with the masks and I need to use my c-pap machine every night. I just do the best I can and hope they will come up with something that will work for me, or I hope that the WL will help with the sleep apna.

Have you tried a nasal pillow?

This is the one I'm using: http://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed-airfit-p10-nasal-pillow-cpap-mask-headgear.html

For me, it has been the least intrusive.

Edited December 8, 2014 by Debbie Jean

[alittlejoy 26]

It took me about two years to become fully compliant with CPAP. That's not to say that it can't be done more quickly than that but it was hard for me to get in the habit of putting the mask back on if I woke up at night. I had to commit myself to it 100% without exception and now I'm just used to it. The thing with sleep apnea is that treatment has to be consistent to be effective. You really just have to suck it up and put the mask on, even if you hate it. I know it sucks but so does all of the risks associated with the disorder.

I know a lot of people get set back a little if they're diagnosed but believe me, being compliant is worth it. I can't imagine trying to recover from surgery while feeling like junk from sleep apnea. It's just too dangerous.