I had a sleep study done a week ago and have the some of the results..though haven't spoken to the dr yet.
I have sever sleep apnea. What I don't know is what type it is. There are two. One is obstructive which is self described... your throat/airways close due to some sort of physical problem. When the airways close, you can't breath and you wake up. The other is called central which means your brain sends signals to your lungs to stop breathing...and then your heart stops which makes you wake up. This repeats its self many times a night. Unlike obstructive apnea, here is little understanding to why this happens.
During my study, the tech woke me up and I had to wear the "mask". To make it work, you have to force air down your nose/throat and then machine blows it back up into your nose again. I had a terrible time using the mask as it brought back vivid images and strong feelings of drowning again. I had to really concentrate on my thoughts so I wouldn't panic and rip the mask off. I thought it was important so see how the mask effected my test results.
I don't want to wear this machine....I don't want to look like an elephant when I go to sleep...I do not want to depend on this machine to keep me living longer. So I've decided that if I have obstructive apnea I will use it to gain back my strength. My thinking is if I am less fatigued then I will be able to exercise which will help me lose weight. I am really not much over my optimal weight, but my thinking is I need to be at the lowest end of my health weight point.
Turns out my weight gain...we're talking 15 lbs...and inability to lose it is NOT my imagination. Sleep apnea interferes with certain hormones that are directly connected with sleep. If is turns out that I have the central type, then I'm not sure what can be done. There is a Mayo Clinic in my area and I will make an appointment with them if this is the type I have. Because this type of apnea really effects your heart, this is nothing to mess with.
I have a very good friend who uses this mask. He told me that it is only because of the mask and machine that he is still around for me to talk to....I told him thanks for scaring me....but he said he was only trying to make me understand the seriousness of this and I shouldn't let vanity stand in my way...he's known me all my life and knows how stubborn I can be.
http://www.weight-loss-center.net/sleep ... -gain.html