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LRD, GERD and Apnea

On Health & Drugs & Medications » Sleep Disorders

16,252 words with 15 Comments; publish: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:50:00 GMT; (90062.50, « »)

Hey guys,

Im new here and I wanted to know if anyone has or is going through what I'm going through and what is the best treatment. I have been extremely fatigued for about 9 years now. I have little energy. Had a sleep study done and found mild sleep apnea. Barely enough to make it through the day. I have a resmed cpap with a nose mask. I also have Laryngeal Reflux Disease. Any one else have LRD or GERD with sleep apnea??:dizzy:

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  • 15 Comments
    • Actually I'm trying to figure out how they are all related. I have LPR and a hiatal hernia. I have problems at night where it feels like my throat swells up and intereferes with my breathing. I'm on Nexium, Zantac and a bland diet too. But still having a ton of problems. But I'm having trouble getting my doctor to take me seriously. I'm having my first endoscope this coming week, so we'll see if that shows anything useful.

      That's good you have the machine, I mean, it must be a pain to use, but it must help with the anxiety of possibly suffocating at night. I did have a sleep study done in a lab, but it was terrible...I couldn't sleep there with all those wires. I'm looking into getting one done I can take at home.

      There's a long thread at the top of the acid reflux section that talks about magnesium helping quite a bit, if you want to read through that. I'm going to at least try it in the meantime. I've also decided to eliminate wheat products, to see if that will help. Let's all keep researching and trying to help each other.

      Kathleen

      #1; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:42:00 GMT
    • Hello,

      I experienced fatgue for about 40 years (I had it as a child) before I had a sleep study done and was diagnosed with mild/moderate sleep apnea. My physicians over the years had overlooked my symptoms--one symptom being chronic acid reflux. Two sleep doctors that I consulted told me that my 20 year history of acid reflux medication was a "red flag" to them that I had apnea...they also said that the reflux would diminish or disappear with cpap treatment.

      I sleep with my machine ALWAYS...I LOVE IT!! And yes, my reflux has disappeared (except when I take my blood pressure med on an empty stomach). Both of my sleep doctors explained why acid reflux responds to cpap treatment but most of their explantions were too technical for me...however, I did read that it is theorized that the air pressure from the cpap, puts pressure on the thorax which in turn keeps the acid where it belongs.

      One study I am aware of, reported more than 60 percent of the sleep apnea participents had experienced nocturnal acid reflux. If I recall correctly, about 3/4 of the people with reflux felt some degree of relief when using cpap treatment. That's only one study, but there are more out there. Sleep apnea and acid reflux are frequent "partners".

      Bsheba

      #2; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:42:00 GMT
    • Thanx bethsheeba and kathleen for your responses. Beth, how long did it take for you to get use to the cpap. I have had it for a month a now but i cant seem to keep it on the whole night. Any tips on adjusting and also was your fatigue debillitating. It is a waonder I made it through college and grad school. Also it was a contributing factor to my divorce. I am frquently irritable and I also get depressed frequently. I sometimes feel like a 80 year old in a 30 year old body. My Dad is 70 and he can run circles around me.

      again,

      thnks guys

      #3; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:44:00 GMT
    • ...how long did it take for you to get use to the cpap. I have had it for a month a now but i cant seem to keep it on the whole night.

      Hi 2tired!

      I knew I was going to keep my cpap the very first night I slept with it--it was the first night in months/years that I did not get up to go to the bathroom (I was getting up as much as 4 times per night, :dizzy: ). However, it took me several months (and several masks) to get used to the whole thing. I think they gave me a cheapo mask per my insurance company, but once I started getting more sleep I became more assertive as to what my needs were and asked to try other masks...and there are hundreds of masks out there so don't stop after trying only one, two, or three!

      I ripped the mask off of my face many nights, and stepped on it at least twice (:eek: ) breaking 2 masks in the first few months--once I got a mask that was comfortable and didn't leak, getting rid of my nasal congestion (allergies, whatever) seemed to help the most as far as keeping the mask on.

      And yes, my fatigue was deabilitating (I don't know how they can possibly label the apnea as only "mild" or "moderate" as I felt dead!). My grandmother was concerned about me as a child and she described me as having chronic fatigue. She taught school and realized I didn't have the energy the other children had. And yes, I am sometimes AMAZED that I got through both college and graduate school! It was a struggle...not because the material was challenging...because I was always tired and because I now know, I lacked concentration! What I remember most, was spending one day in the library reading 8 chapters of law and remembering it all!!! It was so easy! And the reason I remember this is because it made no sense to me to have an "easy" day when the years were so very difficult...Now I know it was a matter of a good night's sleep!

      As for the depression, it used to be a frequent companion, one I'd always lived with--although, I knew that if I took a good nap, my depression would usually lift. I've had my cpap for a couple of years now, and if I experienced depression, I didn't notice it--although, that's the problem I had with depression...didn't know I had it until I "recovered";). Guess what I'm trying to say is that my moods are better. And yes, I've been known to get pretty crabby...(this is the polite description :) ).

      Oh, and for the record, my durable home medical equipment supplier sponsored a "support group" for those of us considering cpap, using cpap, or friends'/family members of cpap users...this group was of immense help to me and I learned ALOT from these people--

      Hope I haven't rambled too much...but do hope you'll keep trying. You may discover a "new" you!

      Bsheba

      PS Sometimes pressures can cause adjustment problems for people. Was a ramp starting pressure prescribed for you? Oh, and do use your humidifier. I didn't when I first got my machine but it makes a big difference. FYI I have a Respironics REMstar auto cpap and use a respironics comfort gel nasal mask.

      #4; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:45:00 GMT
    • What do you guys think...can you have sleep apnea even if you're not overweight and don't snore? My doctor's seem to think those are necessary or something. I don't fit the profile. I had a sleep study but it was awful...I could't sleep with all those wires. I slept about 1 1/2 hours, and nothing showed up during that time. The doctor said that was enough to show him I don't have sleep apnea. Yet I know I wake up with feeling of my throat being closed and not breathing sometimes...(very disturbing).

      Since it's not all the time, seems to flare up & down, I'm looking into the possibility of allergies being the cause of my problems. But don't you think that's weird of him to blow it off when I've told him what's happening?

      Thanks,

      Kathleen in CA

      #5; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:46:00 GMT
    • Yes.. Yes.. Yes... Go to a different sleep specialist get them to examine you Gerd and allergy irritation can spawn it as well as an elongated pallet. Both do not cause snoring..

      There is also hypopnea that cause sleep apnea.. it is a condition where you breathe too shallow in your sleep and do not maintain the proper blood oxygenation. Look in to sleep disorders and symptoms.. in particular, sleep apnea, then demand a referral if you need one or just go strait to your nearest sleep specialist.

      Unfortunately the sleep specialist need 6 hours of sleep data to get a sleep profile of adequate length to base a diagnosis on. So the MD should not have dismissed it with only 1.5 hours of data. You may want to consult an ENT and see if the main cause is PND (post nasal drip) or if a sinus blockage of some form has developed. They can do everything from a simple bilateral turboplasty to remove excess sinus membranes, to full sinus reconstruction.

      Sincerely,

      MG

      #6; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:47:00 GMT
    • Kathleen, I don't know what "profile" your doctors use, but they're way off base!!! Sounds like they went to the same school as Neddy Flanders' doctors. From what I've read, there is no "profile"...only many different symptoms and some people only exhibit one!

      First of all, I TOTALLY agree with and support MG's comments.

      Second, I believe I've had sleep apnea since I was a skinny child who didn't snore. As an adult, I've gained weight (but this is a symptom of apnea because being tired all the time interfers with exercise and eating right) but if I snore, it is very light and insignificant, per my sleep study! I've read that about 1/2 of the people diagnosed with apnea snore...so 1/2 do not!!!

      I would encourage you to try another doctor and another sleep study. They do in home studies for those who are unable to sleep the necessary amount of time in a lab. Do some reading in the meantime as it helps identify doctors who know what they're doing and it helps eliminate doctors who do not know what they're doing. You'll receive better health care as a result.

      Good luck and good health!

      Bsheba

      #7; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:48:00 GMT
    • Thank you both for your replies and advice! Yes I couldn't believe it when his nurse told me on the phone that and 1 1/2hrs was enough...ridiculas. And this is an ENT that's popular...office swamped all the time and it takes forever to get in to see him. He's the one that did a laryngeal scope (it was very swollen), diagnosed LPR and put me on Nexium. But he sure isn't taking my other problem very seriously.

      So I'm done with that office. I've already requested copies of my chart. I'm going to go to a doctor that I know for sure works with the in-home sleep studies. I'm deciding between another ENT that I know uses them, or a general physician that is alternative-medicine oriented, and I know he uses them too.

      Well thank you so much for letting me vent and again for your tips. I love these boards...it's so good to hear from others who have been through similar experiences...it's very encouraging.

      Warmly,

      Kathleen in CA

      #8; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:49:00 GMT
    • There you go... ENT.. never go to anyone but an ABSM or your countries equivalent sleep specialist for diagnosis. The best one are cardiologists, pulmonologists, or neurologist.. if you have a child get one with a pediatric specialization as well.

      Respectfully,

      MG

      #9; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:50:00 GMT
    • Hey guys its been a couple of weeks since I posted. Im still adjusting to the CPAP and I am even more tired than I was before I started using it. The acid reflux has also been getting worse. I had an upper GI endoscopy done in October and they did not find anything wrong. So I know there must be a strong correlation between the reflux and the apnea. It is just so difficult dealing with both problems at once. ( taking Prilosec OTC, (prescription nexium and the prevacid was just a waste of money) Has anyone seen a reduction n reflux after sucessfully treating the apnea with CPAP. Also what do guys think about taking a sleep aid while I adjust to the CPAP.

      Thanks

      M.B.A

      #10; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:51:00 GMT
    • Thank you both for your replies and advice! Yes I couldn't believe it when his nurse told me on the phone that and 1 1/2hrs was enough...ridiculas.

      Yes, that is ridiculous!! I wouldn't even consider 1 1/2 hours a good nap, :) ! And this is an ENT that's popular...office swamped all the time and it takes forever to get in to see him.

      Sounds like you're beginning to learn that popular doesn't necessarily mean knowlegeable! Good for you!!

      So I'm done with that office. I've already requested copies of my chart. I'm going to go to a doctor that I know for sure works with the in-home sleep studies. I'm deciding between another ENT that I know uses them, or a general physician that is alternative-medicine oriented, and I know he uses them too.

      Kathleen, it's great that you've requested copies of your charts. It reminds me to do so also. After a bad experience with a colonoscopy, I requested my chart only to learn incorrect data had been recorded on it. Your comment reminds me that I want to request my medical records on an ongoing basis to protect my health history! And my health!

      As for the new sleep specialist, I would recommend looking for one who is BOARD CERTIFIED in sleep medicine--because sleep medicine is a new field, these specialists come from many different areas of medicine--cardiology, pulmonology, psychiatry, pediatrics, etc. I personally saw an pulmonary specialist, board certified in sleep medicine, who addressed my acid reflux issues (which had been investigated years ago only to be treated by rx meds until now) even though I wasn't seeing him for those concerns.

      Well thank you so much for letting me vent and again for your tips. I love these boards...it's so good to hear from others who have been through similar experiences...it's very encouraging.

      Warmly,

      Kathleen in CA

      I'm so very glad we can help each other...I'm learning all the time and tweaking as I go.

      Bsheba

      #11; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:52:00 GMT
    • Hey guys its been a couple of weeks since I posted. Im still adjusting to the CPAP and I am even more tired than I was before I started using it.

      I would suggest contacting your doctor or your respiratory therapist and report your observations to them. Something isn't right if it's getting worse--it may mean they'll have to reset your pressures or make some other changes...but do read my comments below re your otc meds.

      So I know there must be a strong correlation between the reflux and the apnea.

      Yes, there is a very strong relationship between the two...I wasn't aware of it myself, but like you, had gone through testing years ago only to be told everything was ok. My pulmonologist told me that my acid reflux would improve with treatment. It didn't "improve"...it totally disappeared!! So do keep with your cpap but do check with the doc or rt. Oh, and if possible, I would do without any rx meds, over the counter meds, or herbals while adjusting to your machine. I was on bp medication while adjusting to my machine and blamed all of my sleep problems on sleep apnea and my cpap. My sleep doctor didn't find any problems at all as my apnea was responding appropriately to treatment. It took me almost 3 years before I figured out it was my blood pressure medication that was REALLY causing my sleep problems. So if you can get off of the other stuff, you might have a better idea of how much your cpap is helping or hurting.

      I took rx antiacids/ppis for at least 20 years. I wasn't conscious of when my acid disappeared, but I haven't filled a prescription since I've been on cpap (about 3 years).

      Also what do guys think about taking a sleep aid while I adjust to the CPAP.

      I don't think it's a good idea...again, it could interfer with your ability to determine if you have problems using the machine or if the med is causing your problems.

      Good luck and good sleep!

      Bsheba

      #12; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:53:00 GMT
    • Thanks Bethsheba for all your time posting, help and advice!

      Kathleen

      #13; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:54:00 GMT
    • Thanks guys for taking the time to reply. u make the world a better place.

      M.B.A

      #14; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:55:00 GMT
    • You're very welcome...I hope some of what you read is helpful. Everyone is different, but even if it doesn't apply to you, it may stimulate an idea that will work in your case.

      Take care, Kathleen...and pleasant dreams!

      Bsheba

      #15; Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:56:00 GMT