Just got a physical and now have to get a sleep study

[Rooster7]

I just went in for a physical. I have been on high BP pills for a year but they make me cough so bad that sometimes I pass out for a few seconds. I told the Doc I need something different. I'm also on a light anti-depressant and have gained about 30 lbs in the last few years.

It dawned on me today to tell the Doc that I quit breathing at night and my wife has been on me to get it checked because it scares the cr*p out of her. The doc threw his hands up in the air and said well now this all makes sense! Everything you have could be attributed to sleep apnea. (Which I kind of knew but avoided the topic)

So...now I'm going in for a sleep study consult on Thursday. I'm not looking forward to wearing the mask but I guess it will be better than waking up dead. And I"m hoping it cures the constant fatigue and low energy as well.

Anybody else have this?

[TR21HP]

A lot of my friends are wearing the cpap machine for apnea. A few have lost weight by exercising and changing their meal habits and have lowered their bp enough to get off the meds and the machine. All depends on the individual and what's causing the high blood pressure.

[nofishfisherman]

I also have a few friends that use cpap machines. They are vets that served in Iraq and I guess its pretty common for them to come home with breathing issues due to the poor air quality over there. The guys I know that started using them claim to have had a pretty good improvment with them. They also don't seem to mind wearing them all that much. It sounds like they feel so much better after sleeping with it that its pretty easy learn to like it. They even try to bring the machines on ice fishing and hunting trips if there is going to be power to plug them in.

[delcecchi]

I just went in for a physical. I have been on high BP pills for a year but they make me cough so bad that sometimes I pass out for a few seconds. I told the Doc I need something different. I'm also on a light anti-depressant and have gained about 30 lbs in the last few years.

It dawned on me today to tell the Doc that I quit breathing at night and my wife has been on me to get it checked because it scares the cr*p out of her. The doc threw his hands up in the air and said well now this all makes sense! Everything you have could be attributed to sleep apnea. (Which I kind of knew but avoided the topic)

So...now I'm going in for a sleep study consult on Thursday. I'm not looking forward to wearing the mask but I guess it will be better than waking up dead. And I"m hoping it cures the constant fatigue and low energy as well.

Anybody else have this?

I know a bunch of guys with sleep apnea. The BP med you took wasn't a ACE inhibitor, was it? (lisinopril) It made me cough so bad I thought a lung was coming up. Not fun a couple days after having my chest opened for surgery. The side effects said "cough". I didnt think that meant cough until you choke. If you are taking the ACE inhibitor you could switch to an ARB which I tolerated much better. Losartan would be an ARB.

[BoxMN]

My wife, and all but one of her 8 brothers and sisters, have them. It saved our marriage She sleeps better now, I sleep better now, she gets a GOOD night sleep and honestly, if we forgot it, I would drive a couple hundred miles to go back and get it. It makes that much difference.

If you need one, don't worry about it, it will make your life better, and your spouse's too! Do the study, see what they say. The CPAPs are no longer big nor noisy, and the different style face/nose pieces are such that you can find one that fits comfortably and works. My wife uses the nasal canula style. She goes to sleep and practically doesn't move all night till she wakes up, just sleeps peacefully... and now so do I, haha!

[Rooster7]

I know a bunch of guys with sleep apnea. The BP med you took wasn't a ACE inhibitor, was it? (lisinopril) It made me cough so bad I thought a lung was coming up. Not fun a couple days after having my chest opened for surgery. The side effects said "cough". I didnt think that meant cough until you choke. If you are taking the ACE inhibitor you could switch to an ARB which I tolerated much better. Losartan would be an ARB.

It was lisinopril that I was on. The coughing was awful! Like I said above I actually blacked out a couple of times. Once while driving 75 mph down the interstate! Work stuff has kept me from my consultation so far but I plan on getting in soon. Thanks for the feedback guys!

[delcecchi]

When you said "cough" I immediatly thought of lisinopril. That is a known side effect of that drug, and it can be really nasty. Try Cozaar, that is what they gave me. It basically does the same thing only a different way.

(Cozaar is the brand name for losartan) Worked for me. Good luck