Can’t believe it but I just got diagnosed with borderline severe sleep apnea requiring a CPAP device. I’m not even 40, completely not overweight, and train 12-15 hrs /week on average. (I won my AG in a soft field in my last triathlon last fall.)
I didn’t think apnea could happen to those with otherwise no risk factors, but I’m pretty sure the results are true - I rarely sleep more than 4 hrs/night before waking up (tired) and require lots of forcing myself to lie there until I doze off before I feel semi-rested. I can’t even remember the last time I felt ‘well rested’ on waking up, but I’d been attributing that to my 4:30AM wakeup for workouts in the morning. Turns out it’s due to apnea, not just the hour.
Anyone else using a CPAP device out here on ST? And has it helped? I’m dead honest when I say one fo the biggest limiting factor for my training has been quality of sleep, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how the device works out.
I have it and use it. Wonderful machine - just ask my wife. My doctor told me my apnea was pretty much caused by my nose/mouth structure - and not traditional risk factors. It does work once you get used to it.
This changed my life, before, naps, dead dog tired…after…much better. You get used to it, as does your spouse, the alternative is snoring or the constant stop breathing and gasp for air that wakes you and them up.
Kind of personal question here so freel not to answer, but are you guys in the ‘risk factor’ category for sleep apnea? I was surprised in my case - I don’t have any of the risk factors - I’m totally not overweight, I have a thin neck, and I’m under 40. Yet mine is pretty bad! I actually felt like a goof asking for the study in the first place, but now I’m glad I did.
I got diagnosed before 40. At the time, I was about 240lbs (at 6’4"). I retested when I dropped down to 170lbs and was training a volume similar to yours. There was improvement, but the doctor still recommended the CPAP. This is when he said I would need the machine regardless of weight/diet/anything else.
I was diagnosed around age 50 with mild sleep apnea after six months of waking up at night with pounding heart. I weigh 140. I have a small mouth/jaw. I know another triathlete who is my size and also has apnea. CPAP has really helped me, but I still wake up a couple of times each night. Good luck!
Thx for the info. That’s helpful to know I’m not alone (I weigh 145).
Am hoping for relief - was in bed for TEN hours last night, and am dog-tired today, with a ringing headache all day and bloodshot eyes. Kind of amazing in retrospect that I would just suck it up and train through this kind of fatigue day in day out before I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea.
I’m hoping to one day have more than one day every few months where I actually feel well slept-rested - I LOVE working out on those days!
I just started on a CPAP two months ago and I had none of the classic symptoms, I just snored, a lot. Stats 55 YO, 165lbs, 6-1, and 5-10 hrs training a week.
It took a few weeks to get used to it. I have a crazy amount of dreams now, more mental and physical energy, and my ribs from my wife’s elbow are now healed!
wow, you’re going to feel freaking amazing when you start sleeping regularly.
I certainly hope so!
The scary part is that I’m well known to best the highest-energy individual amongst my friends and colleagues, whether it be at work, college, high school, etc. (And that was at an elite ivy league university for college and similar for postgrad.) I’m going to be a bit psychotic probably if I get more energy than I have now! (Although it will be nice for training, which has been a real struggle in terms of energy - I’m really good at HTFU, but there’s only so much you can do on drained energy.)
I went in to the doc for something unrelated and they gave me the standard questions and I came out borderline for some kind of sleep disorder. Being in the forces it was trivial for the doc to pass me off to the specialist for a sleep study.
When I went back to see the doc for the results he said
"I have never seen such severe sleep apnea in someone your age. "
I was 28 or 29 at the time. It seemed kinda cool in a medical freak sort of way. Then he said
" most people this bad die in car crashes before diagnosis "
Still seemed cool. Then he dropped the bomb.
" so we are required to report your results to the motor vehicles department. You will lose your license if you can’t pass an alertness test. "
Boooooooo.
I aced that test. Got the machine and feel a million times better.
P. S. The machine takes a few days of wanting to throw it across the room before you adapt.
Make sure that your doctor has you evaluated for structural defects ie deviated septum. I find that there is commonly a defect noted in the “atypical” people with OSA and will often send this group of people for ENT evaluation. There is no standard to do so, just something that I’ve noted seeing sleep patients.
One other thing. With CPAP it may take up to 4-6 weeks to get used to the machine. There are a ton of difficulties that people have that are correctable…but not all docs really have time or knowledge to do so. Compliance falls pretty quickly in the first few months without good followup to work through these issues. Let me know if you have other questions
Sleep apnea is something to be taken extremely seriously. Overtime it will place a extreme load on the right side of your heart leading to pulmonary hypertension and then failure of the right side of the heart and then game over. You are an anomaly in that you are on the light side (in weight) but if your anatomy is such that your airway collapses during sleep you would obstruct and stop breathing (i.e. apnea). CPAP will stent open your airway with continuous airway pressure and keep you from obstructing. The unfortunate part for you is that the regimen of weight loss will be unlikely to stop the airway from collapsing whcih is often prescribed for the obese. Surgical consultation for a UPPP could be considered but that is not a surgery to be taken lightly. This is of course assuming that your apnea is not central in nature.
On the plus side, you secrete growth hormone during sleep so if you have been robbed of this from the sleep apnea. You may see a huge bump in athletic performance:)
I was diagnosed at 43. Mine seems to stem from a deviated septum. I have the scared to death wake up not breathing episodes occasionally.
I have an APAP machine I don’t use. Haven’t been able to find a mask that works. Those that going around the nose and mouth put too much pressure on the sides of my nose and cut off the air supply to my “good” nostril. The masks that go into the nose seem to cause issues with opening small lacerations in the corners of my nostrils.
Maybe I need to take another run at it. I tend to forget how serious it can be if not addressed.
Really great replies here, thanks. I will def post back on how it works out, and as well if I have any questions about use - i know it’ll be a learning process and may not be smooth.
I’m hoping this will be my biggest training aid of the past few years!
If you are having trouble with your machine/mask and are unable to find an adequate one, then there are other options for the treatment of OSA. These other options are more effective for mild cases and have decreased efficacy as severity increases. They include Provent strips, Winx (negative pressure system), oral appliances and, lastly, surgery. I’ve never recommended surgery d/t the cutting aspect of it as well as difficulty ascertaining who would actually benefit. Data shows 50% of those who undergo this procedure (uvulopalatopharyngealplasty or UPPP) benefit but only by approximately 50% reduction but we cannot predict who the 50% who benefits would be.
Great topic. My Aunt co authored two books on the topic. I’m on the dedication page woot. I was diagnosed when I was about 13 after my aunt noticed I slept a lot like my Uncle who was 6’5 180. I’m 6’1 205 so yeah I could lose a few but the doc said it was genetic. Originally, I used an old school c-pap that ran like a lawn mower and ditched it during college. I was re-diagnosed about 8 years ago and use a c-pap machine nightly. Not sure if you guys use a humidifier on the machine but it’s a must here in AZ. Pretty much sucks when I forget to fill the water, talk about extreme dry mouth. Here’s a link to my aunts book if you guys want to take a look. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4739635-snoring-and-sleep-apnea