sleep apnea diagnosis

[motherhen3]

I posted earlier about a sleep apnea diagnosis. The clonazapan I take is 1x a day .25 mg has been for 20 years. I wondered if the clonazapan had suddenly stopped being effective. Many people has suggested that the jitters in AM may be a side effect of some of my meds. The jitteriness itself has been going on for 4 years. I just registered, so I may have lost my post and some answers. Thanks for your hlep

[Julie]

Yes, you posted earlier today - but I'm deleting my note from that post and put it here (after JDS74's instead).

[JDS74]

Copying from your other thread:

I've been there and done that. My first sleep study came back with mild obstructive apnea and a titration was scheduled.
At that study, I mentioned that I suffered from claustrophobia and could they just allow me to try on a mask before starting the study. They did and I could tolerate is for a whole 6 seconds before I had to tear the thing off.

The ne result was my apnea went untreated for many years until I had a second study done with the result of severe complex apnea. At that point I really needed to be able to tolerate the mask and machine. I was fortunate that I found the Oracle II mask which didn't cause the claustrophobic panic attack and I have been using if ever since.

However, the sleep center did have the service of helping patients become desensitized to the mask and cpap machine and I would suggest that you bring the subject up with the center personnel so that you can get some help with this issue.

It is best if you can get used to and use a nasal mask of some form as the issue of humidity is much less in that configuration and it will be much more comfortable.

I hope that all goes well.

[Julie]

My first thought is that the clonazepam may be involved to quite an extent - it makes people sleepy, but you haven't said if you've ever tried to either get off it or change to another med. And I think it's crucial to deciding what's really going on. I also think your a.m. jitters, shakiness, etc. may be directly traceable to it.

Lots of us did 'panic' when first having the mask put on (it's so much less traumatic if you do it yourself and have control), especially if there's no air being sent in yet as it's hard to breathe at all with a mask and no air... but I think you have a few things to sort out first before panicking at the thought of Cpap (which could save your life) or anything else, and as I said I really think the clonazepam needs to be addressed asap and I think you might discuss with your MD the possibility of weaning back (if not off) on the meds before your titration, or even having another study when you're taking less clon. as I'm sure it's affecting your sleep and very probably the study.

[motherhen3]

Hi again, thanks for all your suggestions, I need to get ahold of my GP and discuss the clonazepan. I always thought that it would come round and bite me in the butt. An apt. for the titration study should be scheduleld soon. Maybe I should try a snorkel mask at home to try and desensitize to the Cpap mask. Thanks again for your suggestions, what is so easy for someone else, is not always so easy for everyone..C

[lindalrc]

Snorkel mask - not such a hot idea. The smallest face-print masks, if that is what you need, require nose breathing only. With a snorkel you breath thru your mouth. There are a few designs out there that do not block your vision, so you can read or watch TV while sitting up and letting your body accommodate to "that thing on your face."
Lindalrc

[BlackSpinner]

Hi again, thanks for all your suggestions, I need to get ahold of my GP and discuss the clonazepan. I always thought that it would come round and bite me in the butt. An apt. for the titration study should be scheduleld soon. Maybe I should try a snorkel mask at home to try and desensitize to the Cpap mask. Thanks again for your suggestions, what is so easy for someone else, is not always so easy for everyone..C

If you want to desensitize use a kind of face mask used by construction workers, the one with canisters on them. This will let you breath "normally" - do something dirty when using it - like cleaning the garage. You CAN breathe normally in those things even if it doesn't seem like it. The electricians working on my house wore them all day while pulling wire. The cpap mask will be a breeze after wearing those things.