Throat Size

[Terry Newton]

My throat size was probably small before my two level cervical ADR surgery. Since my surgery I have noticed that it has become painful to swallow food. I have also noticed that I cannot breathe right and this is causing me some severe problems.

1. My legs and ankles are swollen and my legs hurt and cramp continuously. I have come flying out of bed and almost killed myself getting tangled up in the sheets and blankets to try to resolve a cramp. they are very painful and leave my legs feeling torn apart from how painful the cramp is.

2. My weight did not come off this Summer like it always does from lots of exercising. I bicycled over 1,500 miles this Summer.

3. I did not feel like I recuperated well after exercising, I never felt like I was getting enough oxygen, I struggled to keep up with friends while riding, I felt like something was wrong with my heart or circulation.

4. I sleep with my mouth wide open and wake up with dry mouth and make a lot of noise in the night with snoring and other noises.

5. I used to take power naps for 10 minutes after coming home and being up for the rest of the evening. Now I feel exhausted most of the time and die in a chair when I come home. I will fall asleep and be out for over two hours or more and wake up totally disoriented and confused.

6. I have fallen asleep at my desk at work at about 50 in the evening and wake up at 70 PM with my head slumped over the keyboard.

So now I end up in the hospital with chest pains last Friday and I take a stress test on Saturday. My resting rate is in the latter 50's to 61, my blood pressure is 116 over 60 and I pass the stress test with flying colors. Surprising to me is that they set me up with a sleep doctor. The doctor meets with me, interviews me, looks at my throat and says; "You look like you are going to be diagnosed with severe sleep apnea."

So I am set up with a sleep test on October 22 and may end up with a C-Pap machine or having surgery. He did say that I have a deviated septum and a very small throat opening. If they can fix the breathing problem through surgery that may be the way to go instead of having to breathe with a machine nightly. I am motivated to do something because I am tired of feeling like crap.

Interesting development.

[Cindylou]

Wow Terry. What were the chest pains from then? The lack of oxygen? Why would you all of a sudden be having the symptoms of a deviated septum and the small throat opening, when clearly, you have had this going on for awhile....well at least the past two, almost three years, correct? I guess I am confused and worried. Are they sure your heart is ok? Just a stress test doesn't always show everything. If it's not one thing, it's another, right?! Please keep us posted on this latest development and whether you end up going the surgery route, or not.

[Katie]

Do you think that the problem with your throat is related to the surgery?

I'm curious because I have a great deal of problems with swallowing as well; even water just sits in the top/middle of my throat for several minutes then gradually and painfully makes its way down. It happens a couple of times a week at least. How often does it happen with you?

You and I have similar circumstances with the same C level discs being 'shot', but you at least have yours replaced now. And the medical staff at the hospital where I had the discogram said that I had severe sleep apnea as well, but nothing was followed up about it. Similar symptoms as you again. I am wondering if it is all related to the discs and pressure, but yours shouldn't have that 'excuse' now after surgery, right?

As for the leg cramps, have you tried a magnesium supplement for it? I found that it is the only thing that helps that supreme pain at night. And why is it always at night? It always goes away within ten minutes of taking a few tablets.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I have complete empathy for you. With all the symptoms put together, it sounds very frightening and for a person as normally as fit and healthy as you are, it would be doubly so.

I'm glad the doctors are at least taking this seriously and doing some solid testing. When I've brought it up, it has been brushed off immediately. It sounds like everything should be linked. I really hope you can get the answers quickly.

[Terry Newton]

Being a typical male we tend to put things off until the ambulance is at the door. In fact, as stupid as this sounds, I answered a bunch of phone messages, worked near a full day, turned out my lights in my office, and drove myself to the emergency room with my chest pains.

A true and funny story is several years ago I drove myself to the emergency room with a kidney stone at 20 AM. The pain was so bad that if I could concentrate on driving I would not have to think of the horrible pain I was in with the kidney stone. As soon as I hit the bright lights of the emergency room I passed out from the pain. I have had three kidney stones and they are no fun at all. The last time I did not need anything for the pain as a Toradol injection was adequate for the pain.

Fortunately the one thing is not related to the other and it is a hiatal hernia rearing it's ugly head again. Of course that could go hand in hand with the gastro reflux disease and the sleep apnea. The surgery probably did do some damage to the throat that is getting progressively worse as time goes on. It has been three years since my spinal surgery but the sleep stuff has been plaguing me all Summer. If I look back it's probably been longer but the energy level I have has maybe kept this in check for a long time. The stress has been overwhelming in the last several months if no one noticed. I think that the progression of these symptoms have gotten to the point that I cannot avoid them any longer. I am always one to act bullet proof when I am not.

Oh well, this is something to keep the physicians and nursing staff employed. I will keep everyone informed but I have no plans on checking out just yet.

[KBear]

Terry,
Before I even got to the end of your post, my first thought was sleep apnea. My brother in law has this very bad. He will be at my house chatting with me and the next minute snoring loudly. It is my understanding that the reason your energy level is so low is because you are not getting into your REM sleep at night, because you are waking up, throughout the night, not being able to breathe (this happens while you are still 'out of it', so many/most people have no idea it is happening.) So, even if you are in bed 'sleeping' for 8 hours, you are not getting into your deep refreshing sleep, so your body is not getting 're-charged'. This is why you fall asleep in weird places, unusual times and situations (this is a HUGE red flag for sleep apnea.) Snoring is another sign of it and the gasping for air (which your wife may or may not have noticed.)

My brother in law is supposed to use the positive air pressure machine at night; but doesn't. I have nagged him and nagged him about it and how serious sleep apnea is. It is very dangerous if left un-treated. Unfortunately, he is a grown man (50 years) and makes his own decisions.... I can only try my best to convince him; but ultimately it is his choice.

Three months before my uncle passed away, he went on an Alaskan fishing trip with his brothers and friends. My step-dad (his brother), his other brothers and friends saw the signs of sleep apnea in him. He was falling asleep at odd times and weird places, out of the blue. At night he would quit breathing and gasp for air and snored very loudly. They urged him to seek medical help and warned him of the dangers of the disease. Other than this, he was extremely healthy; he ate very well, exercised regularly, was very active, didn't smoke and only drank socially. He passed away suddenly at the age of 65. It is believed that his sleep apnea either weakened his heart, thus causing his death or he just died from the lack of oxygen.

I say this, not to scare you; but to emphasize the seriousness of this condition. If anyone else is reading this and suspects they could have sleep apnea, please, please go see your doctor and get it treated. Katie- Please follow up on this, it can be deadly and is serious! I can't make it without you guys, so you have to stay healthy for me!

Love you all!

[Katie]

I had no idea that it was this serious, Kathy. I thought that it was just a disruption of sleep. My hubby says that I stop breathing for at least a minute when I'm sleeping...he's timed it, plus all the other snoring stuff. Sucks to be him

But seriously Terry, your symptoms scare me too. I was trying not to over react with my post, deflecting it a bit, but man, please take this seriously, and if they give you a darn machine, use it! And yes, we have noticed a bit of stress in your life More than a little, and you darn well know what that does to people and their body parts....

Please take care of yourself. We need you, and WANT you around for a very long time.

[Dave]

Terry,

It sounds like Sleep Apnea. My sister and several friends had most of the symptoms you described. All of them use the C-Pap for sleeping and absolutely love them. The newest units on the market are very compact, quiet and come with built in humidifiers to remove the dry throat syndrome. Breathing through the mouth and snoring could be the majority of your throat problems. Try the machine, you will love it.

[Cindylou]

I would like to get my husband that machine. He also has major sleep apnea. Doesn't help that he is about 50 pounds over weight. I have several friends who also swear by that machine. Might want to look into that Terry. Good luck!

[KBear]

I had no idea that it was this serious, Kathy. I thought that it was just a disruption of sleep. My hubby says that I stop breathing for at least a minute when I'm sleeping...he's timed it, plus all the other snoring stuff. Sucks to be him

But seriously Terry, your symptoms scare me too. I was trying not to over react with my post, deflecting it a bit, but man, please take this seriously, and if they give you a darn machine, use it! And yes, we have noticed a bit of stress in your life More than a little, and you darn well know what that does to people and their body parts....

Please take care of yourself. We need you, and WANT you around for a very long time.

Katie- You better be making an appointment with your doctor ASAP!

Oh, my niece had sleep apnea as an infant and had to wear a monitor at night, that would beep very loudly if she quit breathing. It was by a 'freak accident' that it was even discovered that she had sleep apnea. My sister tested positive for group b strep while pregnant. When my niece was born, she tested positive for it, so she had to stay an extra few days in the hospital. Her following tests were negative, but just be sure they kept her extra time. On the 3rd or 4th day, she quit breathing and turned blue. Had the false positive not came back and kept her in the hospital, the doctors told my sister she most likely would have died in her sleep and it would have been ruled SIDS.

[Justin]

Terry,

I'm glad that you are OK and that you are getting this worked up properly. Without treatment, sleep apnea can lead to serious complications including pulmonary hypertension, which can lead to right-sided heart failure.

Please keep us posted on our sleep study, it should be very helpful in deciding your next steps.