Kat - I was tested for sleep apnea a few months ago, & was diagnosed as having mild sleep apnea. I don't use any machines (tho 2 friends do & would not be without them) as I did a Butekyo breathing course.

Apart from the thingies glued into my waist length hair & the other monitors glued elsewhwere, the test was hell as I could barely cope with being in an enclosed warm environment - I always sleep with a window open & curtins parted & usually need air blowing on me in airconditioned places.

I also had my first recorded incident of tachycardia which the techician found interesting, but the specialist did not think to pass on to my doctor, which might have prevented a number of similar incidents later that year & 2 visits to the emergency dept of my local hospital till it was finaly diagnosed. (Tachycardia is not a heart disease, merely an intermittant electrical fault that causes the heart to race & slow down & can only be diagnosed by heart monitors cos it happend so quickly.)

I did not warm to the sleep doctor, to put it mildly, as I found him very disrespectful of my wishes. I was asking about other treatments, he was ignoring me & overwhelming me with mechanical treatments (CPAP or dental thingy) & when I saw the report he wrote to my Dr I was really pissed off. He said he'd 'recommended' trying a CPAP & thought I wouldn't, so I could come back (ie. pay another $130) & he'd tell me more.

I did think of a complaint to the Medical Board, but decided to leave it & concentrate on my breathing. I couldn't see any point in wearing a mask that covers my face, or a dental appliance in my mouth, when breathing properly day & night achieves the same result.

The only way I'll know I no longer have sleep apnea will be another test, but I will go to another clinic for that test. One day.

sandra

Buteyko technique

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Buteyko basics

Even though we cannot train you in Buteyko method over the Web we can help you. Precisely, you can help yourself NOW! Perhaps you have heard most of following recommendations already - they are all quite obvious and simple. But take it SERIOUSLY, please.

   * Always keep your mouth shut for breathing;
   * Never sleep on your back;
   * Never do deep breathing exercises;
   * When you are jogging (or playing any sport) never open your mouth;
   * Even if you are breathing through your nose try to breathe less.

Even following this simple things can help you to reduce your suffering. It will give you an idea how powerful breathing is!

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Information about Buteyko & the practitioner who taught me - Tess Graham who trained with Dr. Buteyko Russia in 1991 & has been practicing since and has helped a lot of elite athletes from the Australian Institute of Sport.

pic of Tess & info about BBC doco on Buteyko (Prof Mitchell shows himself to be an idiot - my patients were not as sick as I diagnosed them, & therefore they weren't miracle cures!!)
radio story

BBC article

Medical Journal of Australia article

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