Sleep apnea
I'm sure I'm not the only one hear suffering from Sleep Apnea .
What's your way of NOT using your C-Pap or Bi-Pap ?
Thx
Gonzo
Stay in a few sheltersOriginally Posted by gonegonzo
Theres quite a few people out there that could benefit from them
This disposable CPAP device is still under development but offers a good prospect to cut the cord (and the hose!)
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a...ro-cpap#/story
Look into the Theravent strips, these are what my therapist suggested. Gonna try this Spring. There are some mouthpieces out there also..
It's very hard to figure the cost for Indegogo Product . However , it seems it might be price prohibitive . Thx for the link all the same .
I will give the strips a try .
Gonzo
Sleep Apnea
Luckily, the TAPll mouth inserts work well for me. If you have mild apnea this is something worth looking at. They look like tooth protectors that fit over your upper and lower teeth and hook together thus preventing your lower jaw from sliding back and allowing the soft tissue to occlude your airway. Talk to your Dentist.
There is a portable machine available but the charge is only good for about one night.
Sleep apnea is the reason I will never be able to do a thru hike or any hike longer that a day.
Rolls down the hill, Kanardly hike up the other hill
May all your hikes have clear skies, fair winds and no rocks under your pad.
Sleep in a hammock. It works for me.
Sleep on your side
ENT Surgery
Sleep with your head and neck propped up
Breath-Right strips.
Menthol nasal inhaler
Mouth guard
''Tennessee Viking'
Mountains to Sea Trail Hiker & Maintainer
Former TEHCC (AT) Maintainer
Is your apnea related to anxiety or body weight? If so, some of those things tend to work themselves out after a while on the trail.
Losing weight helps some people with obstructive sleep apnea. I had sleep apnea a dozen years ago and it went away when I lost 15% of my body weight. I've gained some of that back and the sleep apnea is back (and severe). I'm still getting used to the CPAP.
The timeline for the indiegogo device is selling it by July 2017.
This summer I'll be spending a week on an island in ME with no electricity and I'll have to figure out how to run the CPAP. There is a generator for running the water pump, but we're only supposed to use it a few minutes at a time and that's not long enough to charge up a battery. I might have to bring a car battery (too heavy for backpacking but might work for this island).
My way? - I lost weight.
My husband's way? He lost weight.
When we required C-paps (he needed the machine; I slept with a tennis ball attached to the back of my PJ's to prevent me from rolling on my back), we were both Obese.
NOW: He is in goal weight; I am at "overweight." NEITHER of us needs a C-Pap.
Is it easy? NO, F'ING NO! I HATE the idea of exercising each day. I try to think of reasons to back out. However, I always figure that I have to at least exercise 20-30 minutes, and if it on the low side (like last week), I have to frickin PUSH IT! (Last week I did this - after months and months of running.... I ran 3 miles in under 24 minutes!!! Holy Cow!!!! While I HATE - HATE the idea of it before I exercise, I feel this "High" after I do it! Oh my gosh! It Hikis worth it!!!
Another benefit? Hiking - like nothing... climbing... nothing... easy-peasy!
This is a problem I have and have been trying to come up with a solution. I'm trying to lose weight but its going slow and I want to start doing some section hike to start getting ready for a thru hike in 2017.
To get me started and I'm hoping I won't need it when I start my thru hike, I got the Transcend Auto with a C-100 battery. I am able to get 3 (approx 7-8 hours per night) nights on one charge and still working on stretching that out a little more. The problem is it adds almost 4 lbs to my pack. I have heard stories of people with sleep apnea leaving the trail because of lack of sleep and extreme exhaustion, so if the extra weight will keep me on the trail, I will have to live with it and make adjustments.
I worked as a medical liaison deploying defense contractors over to Iraq and Afghanistan for a couple of years, and had to submit quite a few medical waivers for people with sleep apnea who wanted to deploy. It is a non-deployable condition if the person is symptomatic. Right before they moved the program to Fort Bliss, the CENTCOM surgeon "okayed" people to serve in their areas of operation with oral devices instead of CPAP machines which as you know are bulky, noisy, and need a durable power supply if you're in an area with spotty electricity. Until about 2014 the Army doubted the efficacy of oral devices but they've proven themselves for quite a range of SA sufferers.
Re: overweight
I was diagnosed with SA when I was young and svelte. I still have it, although not the svelte part. Bookmarking this thread to see how other hikers cope with SA, as my own thru approaches. It didn't bother me on the LT, and cold weather seems to mitigate its effects on my own body. It is a serious thing, though, and can lead to more issues than weight gain.
I too was diagnosed with SA when I was a young, fit, competitive mountain bike racer.
I am now a over weight desk jockey and have become somewhat addicted to my CPAP.
Would love to try a mouth piece but my insurance will not cover it....and they are expensive.
When I am out in the woods the first couple of days are the worse as I have a harder time sleeping.
But after I am pretty much worn out I sleep much better and longer and start to catch up on my sleep. Day time naps helps too.
Winter backpacking is better for me as the days are shorter and I tend to sleep more.
They have been advertising these on the local radio but not sure I want elective surgery...period.
https://www.inspiresleep.com/?gclid=...FcQjgQodcnoBjw
Please be careful as you likely know that those with sleep apnea that do nothing have a higher risk of heart attacks. The cpap battery works well for car camping but the one we have is too heavy for backpacking.
I was diagnosed with severe Sleep Apnea in '98. CPAP machines were not as patient friendly at that time & I could not use them. Assumed I would die in my sleep one night so I hike the AT alone & suffered unbelievably - exhaustion, nightmares - hallucinations- Finally went to Emery in Atlanta - a cocky surgeon said he could fix my problem - had upper & lower mandibular advancement. Horrendous 8 hour surgery - brutal, painful recovery - ate pureed food through straw for weeks - facial pain I could never explain - hoped for death at times when I looked in mirror - 6 months later sleep study showed I had no apnea episodes at all during rem sleep. Could never explain the new life & attitude I received and the trail was enjoyable again.
I would not wish the pain & suffering I went through on my worst enemy! I look a little different and talk a little different but was cured. I could not recommend the surgery because of the inhuman suffering but it's available if you feel like I did with nothing to lose! It worked for me but I certainly paid a high price!
Tapatalk
you make it sound like everyone who has sleep apnea is a fat slob. I have sleep apnea and at one point I weighed 155lbs. at 6'1" that's pretty skinny...
When I was struggling with sleep apnea I made the mistake of sleeping in a shelter with a group of thru-hikers - next morning it was as if I had peed in all of their water bottles! Repeated apologies were like salt in the wound - I hiked south - they hiked north and left messages in all of the shelters registers about a man that rattled the roof while he snored all night! Felt like a fool for a long time - never spent another night in a shelter ever again - now always sleep in my hammock well away from everyone else even after I was cured! Lesson learned!
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