Some background.
- I am a (almost) 67 yr old man, a disabled Veteran, slightly over weight.
- in 2003 I saw a tv ad for "Zoloft" where the questions were asked:
"Do you have racing thoughts, especially at night? Do you find it hard to disconnect so you can sleep? Do your thoughts go in circles?"
And I thought to myself "MY GOD! They are talking about MEEEEEEeeee!"
So I contacted the VA, which at the time (and until 2016) was my only health care alternative.
I was diagnosed with "Major Clinical Depression" and was started on Zoloft (Sertraline HCL)
Now, I will say this, when I started down this road, I was in the depths of alcohol and drug addiction, and I personally believe that had I NOT started treatment for my Depression I would be dead by now.
Nov 23d 2006 I weighed 123 lbs. Everything I made income wise, I spent on alcohol and CRACK cocaine. This morning I weighed 186, more than I would like, but far more healthy.
3.in 2007 I put myself into the Veterans Homeless Domiciliary Program, wherein you LIVE IN the hospital for 6 months in a dormitory situation.
This began my road to recovery.
In the meantime, because of the numerous side effects of Zoloft (and as it turns out) nearly every Anti-Depressant, I've been on a rollercoaster of MH drugs.
So, I've been a basic insomniac most of my life (that is how I got started drinking booze, at first it helped me get to sleep)
Most of my family has this problem as well.
The last Psycho-active MH drug I was on (and the longest) was Mirtazapine, which worked quite well in that it was taken at bedtime, and had STRONG "Sedative" properties.
Prior to this, that was pronounced exclusively as 'SED-a-tive', but the Dr pronounced this as 'sed-A-tive' as it was a verb, rather than an adjective (this has been your two sentence grammar lesson for today 🤣)
I got better sleep than I'd had all my life, but the MAIN negative side effect of this and most Anti depressants was weight gain (second only to erectile dysfunction/delayed orgasm)
Having been on the drug for years, and being in a far better place in my MH and off drugs and alcohol, with my MH professional's awareness, I stopped taking all MH drugs, and within a month dropped 20 lbs.
Just like that.
Fast forward to 2020 when I was having video consults with VA MH, the young lady (who I liked a lot) was asking me if I snored (How do I know? I live alone, I have no sexual partners, there is no one here to tell me)
I told her that I frequently took afternoon naps. She said "I bet you have sleep apnea, I can tell by looking at your neck" (umm, WHAT? 😕)
So they sent me a home sleep study test thingy. (a Watchpat device)
source
You wear this overnight, with an electrode connected to the device taped to your chest, the readings are sent wirelessly to the DR.
My results were (first report) inconclusive, and the VA people said they wanted me to come in to the Hospital for an IN CLINIC overnight stay sleep study.
I told them that I thought there was no way I would be able to fall asleep in a strange room with all manner of things connected to me and unfamiliar noises.
This was at the beginning of all the lockdowns, and they almost immediately came back and said that "that message was in error, it was NOT inconclusive, you DO have sleep apnea.
Here, take this machine and figure out how to use it!!!!"
In all this time, I had NEVER seen a "Sleep Doctor" I had NEVER been evaluated, other than the Watchpat
They sent me SIX different masks for the CPAP machine, no one showed me how to set it up, how to adjust it etc...
That was one of the most miserable experiences in my life.
I tried for nearly a year to use that bloody machine, trying different masks.
more background, I have severely deviated septum and for the most part cannot breathe through my nose
I was constantly breaking the seal on the mask, which caused it to make a LOT of noise right up against my face, making it impossible to sleep.
I would FLING the damned thing across the room, and get to sleep.
↑Of all the masks, this one did the best, as far as it went, although I ended up with a LARGE↑
The VA has been unrelenting, wanting me to keep trying to use the bloody CPAP, and I have periodically tried.
Always the issue was that I couldn't breathe through my nose, no matter that I've had 3 plastic surgeries on my nose, and I take daily antihistamines.
ALWAYS at night my nose would 'snot up' UNTIL recently, I ran out of my Blood Pressure med.
During the period where I was waiting for my refill, I did NOT SNOT UP at night. (this med was taken at night due to an unsafe drop in Blood Pressure, you needed to be IN or NEAR your bed)
I checked and sinus drainage/secretion was one of the LISTED side effects!
The upshot of that is that I have now restarted this process and am scheduled for an in-clinic sleep study on Aug 3d.
I don't hold out high hopes as now my COPD is a major issue, I cough a lot at night and other times, but as far as I know once I am settled and falling asleep, I do not cough.
Also I now have a Smart Watch, that records my sleep, over night O2 levels.
I don't think I'm unsafe or at risk, so... why do I want to mess with something that isn't broke? Also, I now have a companion
"Sleep and Health-my story"
by
Jerry E Smith
©07/12/2022
All images original or sourced.
by
Jerry E Smith
©07/12/2022
All images original or sourced.
This is not only inspiring, but enlightening.
Sleep apnoea is quite underdiagnosed in 3rd world countries, and are usually traced only when cardiovascular complications have set in.
Glad you're able to get treatment. Wish you the best health response!
Thank you @draysax , I am happy you found it informative.
@jerrytsuseer, my friend, I don't even know where to start! Wow, thanks for sharing this part of your story! I can't even imagine what you go through.
I hope your in-clinic sleep study on Aug 3rd goes well. And I also hope you sleep better at night and more regularly.
Stay safe, my friend!
Thanks Armando, I hope so too, but frankly at this point, given the condition of my lungs, the coughing, nasal secretions, the TINNITUS (I didn't mention that) that I've had for years... I just don't see how I can sleep in that place.
Since I've been here in MY house, in my large bedroom, the outside noises have been more easily blocked, and I've (in my opinion) been sleeping a lot better that the previous years.
I am going to give it my best effort though. I told my niece about it today (basically same age as me, better health overall) said there was NO FREAKING WAY she could sleep in a lab.
"Here, let us put these probes on your head and this mask on you, then you lie back and go to sleep"
Sorry, that is unrealistic. I just hope that SOME sort of data can be acquired that will help us understand me and perhaps help others as well.
Thanks for commenting @acgalarza
Yes, taught decisions t make, but I understand what you are saying.
Be encouraged and get well
BTW, I found this out. The COST of this sleep study (I won't have to pay for it) is ridiculous
SIX Thousand, one hundred thirty dollars.
Oh wow.. that's a lot. But being a study I'm sure they're probably funded and only needing participants for the study. Most studies are free. Some even pay the participants.
Good Morning Dr Jay.
This is being paid for by Medicare, the National Health insurance plan that has been around for ages.
Medicos here use the word STUDY, but these days, if I go have a blood test, it is called a study.
This is just a test. Nothing more.
Oh .. so it's an investigation.. now I seem to understand. However, they are right. In this part of the world we call those studies investigations or tests. I see every reason why they can call it a study.
What we call study though is mostly an experiment or a research process.
Aaaaahhh! The good old "money-making business" of medical care!
Wow! That is a lot of dough!!! 😮
Hello @jerrytsuseer! 😊 First of all thank you so much for sharing with us your personal health journey!
I see you have been going through hard times but I'm also happy that you are getting the help you need, both medically and within yourself 🤗
Sleeping disorders have a major impact on one's quality of life and it's imperative health professional include this point in their clinical assessments 🙏
Respiratory physiotherapy and ostheopaty can be a really great help in managing snoring, sinusitis and other respiratory illnesses 🙌
I hope you sleep study goes well! Don't give up on trying to improve your health 💪💪
Take care and thank you again for participating in the med-hive monthly prompt ❤️
Good Morning @blackdaisyft , nice to 'meet' you.
And thank you for these inciteful comments. They are appreciated.
Now I have a broader story about the side effect of snotting and sinus drainage. Sorry about that.
On the other hand I m really glad you shared this. A lot of other people can learn a lot, even professionals in other medical specialties.
Sleep medicine is gradually gain relevance and airway obstruction is one of the common disturbances of sleep, aside other chronic health condition and emotional distress.
I hope your study goes well soon.
I hope it goes well also, tho I don't hold out high hopes.
Since I am a "Rotisserie Sleeper" (I constantly change position and roll from side to side as I sleep) I can't see how 'airway obstruction' could be the all important factor. I DO snore I now know. My watch gives me the time I snored. It even records the sound of my shoring, should I be interested in hearing it.
Which is weird.
So last night I got 5 hrs 45 min sleep, I snored 19 min out of that and overnight my O2 dropped to 74% at least once.
G'day @jaydr
It's beautiful what technology could offer.
An obstruction of the airway during sleep reduces the oxygen circulation and this can result hypoxia reduce Oxygen circulation. Among many things can cause a non restful sleep, waking up tired and even poor sleep.
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