 |
NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
|
|
|
NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
|
Sleep Disorders |
Sleep apnea06/15/2006 |
For the last 6 years I`ve been waking up not breathing and gasping for air (happens every other month). The episodes normally occur between 30-60 minutes after I`ve initially fallen asleep. It scares the heck out of me and I get chest pains from it and I can`t fall back to sleep for almost 2 hours because of my anxiety from it.I had two sleep studies done and was diagnosed with sleep apnea back in 2001 and was put on a CPAP machine (the waking up not breathing didn`t occur during these sleep studies but some hyponeas and apneas occured during the test). However, because I was getting pressure from the military service I was in (was going to put me in non fit for duty status), I stopped using the CPAP machine back in 2001. The episodes of waking up and gasping for air has never went away. In the recent 4 months, I have had 3 episodes where I`ve woke up gasping for air and it took me several minutes to get my breath back (seems like they are getting worse). I had another sleep study done a couple of months ago, but it didn`t read any sleep apnea problems. It`s probably because I didn`t sleep well at all.
I went to see my doctor today because I had another episode last night. The doctor said that he wasn`t going to put me back on the CPAP machine, but was going to try something different. I`ve had acid reflux for years and was on rantidine for years (150mg a day). I would take it in the morning and most of the time would have heartburn late in the day. I was put on ACIPHEX (20mg a day) a month ago and since then haven`t had any problems during the day and night with acid reflux. Because I have this acid reflux problem, the doctor thinks it may be triggering my waking up not breathing episodes. So he has doubled my ACIPHEX (40mg a day) and has me also taking rantidine (150mg a day).
Does this make any sense? I don`t see how this would cure my waking up not breathing episodes. My chest has hurt the last couple of episodes, but the doctor thinks it could be the acid reflux problem. I exercise every day and the doctor doesn`t see anything wrong with my throat/tonsils/tongue that causes any type of obstruction. I do not snore and have been on high blood pressure medicine (lisinopril/10mg a day. I wake up 10-15 times a night, because I don`t sleep that well (which has lasted for years). My mother has had this same problem for years of not sleeping well and occasionally waking up and not breathing. What should I do on this?
Based on the information you have provided, it is not clear if you have a diagnosis of sleep apnea or not (one study suggesting yes and the other no). It's certainly possible that you may have had sleep apnea that resolved over time (this may be seen with weight loss). Alternatively, sleep apnea could be missed on a single night study and your most recent study may not reflect what is happening to you at night on a regular basis. It would probably be worthwhile having your 2 studies reviewed by a Sleep Specialist to compare and contrast the 2 to make sure sleep apnea is not part of the problem.
The relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea is not at all clear at the present time. Lots of research is trying to determine if there is a relationship between these two conditions and, if so, what is the nature of the association. Having said that, it is possible that you may not have sleep apnea at all but could have a sleep disorder related to the reflux itself. GERD can cause frequent awakenings from sleep due to the irritation of the esophagus. Individuals with this problem often complain of frequent awakenings and/or insomnia in the setting of heartburn. Another condition that may be related to GERD is sleep-related laryngospasm. This is a spasm of the vocal cords or upper airway muscles that can occur in sleep and create a sensation of choking or suffocating. The spasms may be brought on by GERD.
To diagnose either of these conditions, two approaches can be tried. One is to perform an aggressive trial of treatment for GERD to see if these symptoms go away (which sounds like what your doctor is trying). In some cases, more elaborate sleep testing (such as placing a probe in the esophagus for monitoring during sleep) is needed to clarify the picture.
It would probably be a good idea to discuss your case a Sleep Specialist in your area. They can review your records and may be able to render an opinion as to whether or not you should undergo additional testing.
To learn more about sleep apnea or other sleep disorders, please visit the American Academy of Sleep Medicine website. In addition to information, the website contains a list of Sleep Centers across the country so that you may locate one near you.
|
Hemangi Kale, MD Assistant Professor Gastroenterology-Hepatology Division MetroHealth Medical Center School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University |
|
|
|
Please note: only your personal physician or other health professional you consult can best advise you on matters of your health based on your medical history, your family medical history, your medication history, and how information from any of these databases may apply to you. Neither University of Cincinnati (NetWellness) nor any party involved in creating, producing or delivering this web site shall be liable for any damages arising out of access to or use of this web site, or any errors or omissions in the content thereof. (More) 
|