My best friend (age 52) had a heart attack 2 years ago. After that time, he quit smoking, but refused to follow any of the other medical advice given to him.
In the past year, he has gained about 100 lbs, he has pitting edema in his arms and legs, abdominal distention, shortness of breath, crackles and wheezes when laying down, suffers from long periods of sleep apnea, has clubbing of his fingernails, pale skin, he sweats profusely after little exertion, he can only walk 100 feet before having to take a rest, and his resting pulse averages about 100 beats per minute. He is on blood pressure medicine, though his pressure is all over the place even with the meds.
Due to his prior heart attack, he has a stress test every year, and he just had one in July which said everything was okay.
But, being a nursing student, I see the signs of impending doom, I don’t know why the stress test would be inaccurate, but why would a doctor dismiss all the signs and symptoms because one test was okay? I have insisted to my friend to go for a second opinion, but he trusts his doctor and flat out refuses to believe that anything is wrong.
So, am I correct that this is right sided heart failure? How long can these symptoms go on before he has major damage? What exactly will happen if he doesn’t get treatment (besides the obvious answer of death)?
My father had a heart attack in feb due to complete blockage of his left ventricle he had stint placed. He also has sleep apnea and on bypap at night also COPD and congestive heart failure he now has acute respiratory failure and on oxygen at home. The doctors said that if he has another epidsode with not getting enough o2 they will place a ventilator he is at maximum treatment for his problems. Is there anyone else out there that knows or has this many health problems and if so what is on the road ahead of him so I can somewhat prepare. And is there any breakthrough treatments that anyone has read or heard about that may help him he is now a non-smoker has not smoked since feb,HIs last hospital stay he was in ICU his o2 level dropped to 38% so they put on bypap set at 40%. He is home now on nasal canula. along with many many medications he is only 56.Help I dont wanna lose my daddy
He is a bit overweight but not tremendously (5’9–215lbs)–we have four small children and I am soo afraid that he is going to drop dead of a heart attack. His previous test revealed that out of just under 6 hours of sleep, he stopped breathing for just under 4 of those hours. He is using a CPAP Machine and has been for about 4-5 years–but lately it does not seem to be helping…please help. I can’t bear to see him so exhausted….
My father had a heart attack in feb due to complete blockage of his left ventricle he had stint placed. He also has sleep apnea and on bypap at night also COPD and congestive heart failure he now has acute respiratory failure and on oxygen at home. The doctors said that if he has another epidsode with not getting enough o2 they will place a ventilator he is at maximum treatment for his problems. Is there anyone else out there that knows or has this many health problems and if so what is on the road ahead of him so I can somewhat prepare. And is there any breakthrough treatments that anyone has read or heard about that may help him he is now a non-smoker has not smoked since feb,HIs last hospital stay he was in ICU his o2 level dropped to 38% so they put on bypap set at 40%. He is home now on nasal canula. along with many many medications he is only 56.Help I dont wanna lose my daddy
Question is stated above asking if there are any breakthrough things that have just came out and if anyone else had this or know someone with it. And what can I expect
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 3 years ago out of the clear blue sky. I was 38 years old and never had any major health problems. From what I read it is hereditary but no one in my family has this. I hear it could lead to stroke, heart attack, etc. How in the world could such a disease just come out of the clear blue sky!!!! I am totally confused and need to know how to CURE this disease!!!!!!!!!
I’M 47, JUST IN THE PAST YEAR I HAVE BECOME AWARE THAT MY SLEEP PROBLEM IS ACTUALLY "REALLY BAD"….I CAN STAY AWAKE FOR UP TO 5 OR 6 DAYS SOMETIMES,..IT HAS CAUSED A HEART ATTACK AND 4 REALLY BAD SIEZURES AND I WAS HOSPIATLIZED FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS……I’VE ALWAYS HAD A SLEEP PROBLEM BUT IT DIDNT USE TO EFFECT ME THIS WAY. AFTER 2 AND A HALF DAYS I GET A METALIC TASTE IN MY MOUTH (which goes away)AND MY SKIN FEELS TIGHTER ON MY FACE AND ARMS AND HANDS. I HAVE SMALL SIEZURES AND TRIP OVER MY OWN SHADOW,….MY SIGHT IS STEADILY FAILING AND I HAVE GAINED LIKE 45 POUNDS IN JUST THE PAST YEAR…….I WANNA KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS TO HAPPEN TO ME,….I’D RATHER BE DEAD THAN HAVE ANOTHER SIEZURE LIKE I HAVE IN THE PAST YEAR….MY DOCTOR HAS ME ON XANAX AND SEROQUEL AND NOW I’M ADDICTED,…I’M SCRAED TO DEATH TO HAVE ANOTHER SIEZURE LIKE THE ONES I’VE ALREADY HAD. SOMEONE CLUE ME IN ON WHATS WRONG WITH ME.
i feel my heart beats fast and irregular, sometimes a little cramp near heart and i jump up for air leaving me jittery, dizzy, sometimes confused. when trying to fall asleep, i feel like i’m going into a deep sleep or coma. feels weird. ekg in the ER was normal, saw my doc and he looked at me like i was crazy. i feel like its a heart attack or stroke but i dont have any of those symptoms. i have lots of issues, sleep apnea (use CPAP), diabetes, high blood pressure, bad sleep habits. any suggestions?
Right before my body falls asleep, I wake up gasping for air. It feels like I’ve not been breathing for some time and I sometimes struggle to regain my breath because of panic. This can happen several times before I actually "nod off".
Also, while trying to sleep, sometimes I feel that my heart is racing and that a heart attack is lurking.
Im not sure if this is related, but sometimes when Im just chillin’ I feel like my eyes are going to pop and my head is going to explode (not because of anger or frustration either).
Does anyone experience any or alI of these symptoms? I feel that Sleep Apnea can be ruled out due to a lack of other symptoms.
I’m a nurse, so I’m well aware what sleep apnea is, what causes it, and what the treatments are.
My problem is that my best friend (age 53) has SEVERE sleep apnea, he goes for 30-45 seconds without breathing (while asleep). Its affecting his mood, his lack of feeling rested during the day, his extremities turn pale and/or gray while he sleeps, and one of these days I’m afraid I’m going to find him dead in his apartment.
He has seen a doctor, he’s had multiple sleep studies done, he even owns a C-Pap machine (which he refuses to use).
He had a heart attack 3 years ago, and had cardiac cath with 3 stents placed, and I’m certain that the sleep apnea is doing much additional damage to his already damaged heart.
I’ve BEGGED him to see a doctor, he claims that "all the bloodwork comes back normal", and his yearly stress test results are always "within normal limits". Still, I worry for his life, he is my BEST FRIEND, and I don’t know what else to do. I’ve slept over many times, watching him sleep, and when his breathing stops, I often wonder if it’ll start again, I count the seconds, and breathe a sigh of relief when he gasps for another breath.
He’s almost 100 lbs overweight, a former smoker, and bipolar.
Sleep apnea disorder has been determined having close associations with several health problems including heart attack,diabetes,and many more.Researches have established such linkages with evidences.But there is no such conclusive list of diseases and disoarders that are linked to the sleep apnea.In other words, how many diseases and disorders sleep apnea could lead to?
My doctor, who’s new because I moved, referred me to a "sleep specialist" because I told him I snored heavily, am often tired during the day, and am overweight. The sleep specialist, after having me sleep with a bunch of wires strapped to me for a night, diagnosed me with "obstructive sleep apnea", and is telling me I need a breathing machine for when I sleep at night as treatment. Also, he’s told me all sorts of stuff about health risks from the apnea: I’ll get to being fatigued to the point of narcolepsy, I’m at even more risk for an early heart attack, even though I’ve started going to the gym I won’t be able to lose weight, etc.
Now, what I want to know is, are there really health risks from sleep apnea, and is it a real problem, or is it just some sort of medical fad or scam?
Ok.. So I went to have a sleep study and I was very very uncomfortable and hated the enviorment but managed to fall asleep half azz asleep. I moved a lot due to discomfort in the bed. However I slept about 5.49 hours. Out of those 5.49 hours I have 2 obstructed apneas 2 Central apneas and 66 partial apneas. Now the 66 partials from what I was told are not a 100% cessation in breathing. My oxgyen levels never fell below 88%. Now I have been diagnosed just about a month ago with High Blood pressure but it was with a new doc that had no medical history on me and I have a long long history of low blood pressure. So I have lost 27 pounds since the sleep study and since being put on BP meds 29 days ago. I went back to to my CPAP Titration study and the tech had to come in and ask me to lay on my back because she was not getting any negative readings. Then when I moved to my back which was hard to stay on since I DON"T sleep on my back the highest level of setting the CPAP machine ended up on was 6 and she said that was pushing it. She said I dreamt alot and didn’t move as much as last time. ( This time I brought my own pillows)….. Along with all this my BP meds 5mg of Amlodipine 1 time a day is dropping my BP down to like 104/68 maybe 107/70 during the day and down to 90/64 with heart rate of 54 at night. Now this Doc seems to keep telling me :(ITS OK).. I don’t feel ok.. I am only 38 and I weight now 223 was 248 29 days ago. I am eating healthy quit smoking and drinking and no caffeine. This docs major patient base is geriatric I am thinking that he is over reacting to my symptoms and treating me by the book instead of by symptoms and as an individual. Maybe even more like if I were an elderly patient…. What is everyones opinons???? I just think he maybe has over reacted a bit and hasn’t allowed me to try and fix myself without meds.. Which I think is the most healthy way to do it as long as I am not placing myself in stroke or heart attack situations.. I mean this doc did an ekg and I have very large breasts and the EKG he said may have shown left ventrical hytrophy or something like that but anyway sent me for an echo and my heart was AWESOME they said and ejection rate was 67%. What do you guys think????? Sorry so long winded…. LOL!!!
If you don't use a sleep apnea machine and you have had a open heart surgery 5 yrs ago, can it put you at a huge risk of heart attack or whatever……and could die too??
Can it also affect other parts of your organs in your body?