Posted by Chris O on April 4, 2005, at 14:29:16
In reply to Re: Sleep Study » Chris O, posted by Sarah T. on April 4, 2005, at 1:39:11
Sarah:
I was just looking up the information for the place I went to get the "box" for the home sleep study. The web address is www.sleepdata.com. The phone number is (619) 299-6299, in San Diego (that's where I am). I don't know if they have offices in other parts of the country. I guess you can check that out if you look over the website (if you're interested). As you said, yes, the equipment was "on loan" to me; they bring it to your house, actually and show you how to use it. It's all quite simple, really. Just a little box and some cords you attach to your body when you sleep. The things is, like I said before, I don't think it's as good as going into the hospital and having them stare at you/video you all night. Plus, I think they do a brain wave thing in the hospital, which this machine didn't do. The one benefit of using the machine is that you get to sleep at home, like you normally do, so your sleep patterns are probably more "normal" (yeah, right, whatever that is). And, the box is cheap, even without insurance. So...if you don't mind blowing a couple hundred bucks, it might be worth a try.
Even if the study already confirms what you know, I think it's definitely worth doing. Even the box studies that I did told me some...well, pretty scary stuff (that I was actually choking every night with sleep apnea, be it ever so "mild"). Especially if you're insurance pays, I would do it.
As to my night panic attacks, they are so random and so...unpredictable, I have no idea what causes them. I have tried to note times when they occured, but I just became frustrated after a while because...there is no rhyme or reason to them. Damn frustrating, to put it mildly. I think I have a wonderful combo of some type of "mild" sleep apnea and panic that occurs at sporadic times when I sleep. I think they are related to my brain chemistry (cortisol and various neurotransmitters) and that when I take something to normalize these chemicals, the apnea and panic go away, for the most part. (For example, they were not really there during the 8 months I was on Lexapro.) And, when I was on my Celexa/Wellbutrin combo in 2000, no, I was not getting them. But...it's confusing because...I was twenty pounds lighter (so, less sleep apnea, I'm thinking), and...I don't know, I can't figure why they're happening except that...my anxiety is increasing as I'm getting older. Anyway....
Let me know how it goes if you get the sleep study done. I'm doing another trial now, of inositol, 10-12 grams a day. It seems to have some effect, but I'll give it a few week trial and see what happens.
Good luck, Sara,
Chris
poster:Chris O
thread:478017
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050323/msgs/479694.html