when you hit rock bottom, symptoms?

battlin_blazes · Post by **battlin_blazes** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:20 am

hello again all,
I guess my question is this when you got to your worst point with your sleep apnea, how exactly did it effect you and the way you function? as I`ve said in other post my dr.`s are convinced this is my problem, but I guess I`m looking for justification on my situation. I felt like the last couple nights I`ve had really good sleep with my machine I think I feel worse now then I did before? I feel extremely weak, muscles ache, chest pains (mild) mentally im completely out of it, tired all the time but not sleepy, dizzy, vision is horrible but my eyes checked out fine (cant focus esp. on fast moving things), headaches, although this is the one thing I think has eased with the machine.I know it affects everyone differently but can anyone relate to this? I`ve been checked for everything from pituitary tumors, to thyroid problems, to stress test, I think every virus known to man, liver, kidney functions etc. etc. Dr.s are telling me my body is completely stressed out from 3-4 years of misdiagnosis and poor/lack of sleep. make sense? or should I push on for other answers? Im not allowed to drive anywhere not even to get the mail as my dr. has told me. I`d love to hear your story if you can relate. frustrated, frustred, frustrated. so please lets hear your war stories!!!!

and on the lighter side of things, thanks again for the counciling!!!
the check is in the mail!!!

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:34 am

battlin_blazes wrote:on the lighter side of things, thanks again for the counciling!!!

Seriously, Have you considered getting evaluated to depression. It sounds as though you have gone through a lot. Considering the symptoms you list and the fact that many other causes have been eliminated, I would seriously take a look at the possability that depression is the cause. BTW dpression is a symptom of OSA.

Zees Pleez · Post by **Zees Pleez** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 10:44 am

I felt like I had a "2 beer buzz" 24 hours a day for several months. Then it worsened over the last few months. I have a limited attention span, bad short term memory, feel fatigued all the time, eyes feel strained (I do without my reading glasses a lot, so this may be my own fault), ears ring worse (they have been ringing for years, but there has been a spike), frequent headaches and I am impatient and irritable. There have been times when I was driving that I thought if a cop knew what the view looked like from in here, he would pull me over. Completely sober, no drugs involved but definitely in an altered state of consciousness. I also feel listless and lazy, which is not my nature. My mind wanders endlessly. I worried that I could lose my job, which requires thinking through complex logic and manaing people and projects. I know my team has covered for me sometimes. I am very fortunate.

I did have an unexplained seemingly rheumatic event not long ago. I could barely go up the stairs. Picking up a gallon of milk was painful. I had a blood test come back that indicated possible myositis, but my condition slowly improved and the rheumatolist gave me a clean bill of health. Coincidence? I have had some folks suggest it cold be fibromalgia (sp?) which may have some sleep disorder relationship.

battlin_blazes · Post by **battlin_blazes** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 11:04 am

wadin,
I may try that depression treatment and see if the dr. will give me something to help. I did try it a few years back as one of my diagnosis but it really didnt help welbutrin is what they gave me. anything at this point!!
my wife has told me I should seek counciling, which im not crazy about, but at this point considering.

Zees,
thank you, Im not glad your having problems, but glad someone can relate. the short term memory loss was one of the things I forgot to mention go figure! Im currently off work at my employers request, they know im not mentally with it. I work with high speed mixers and mills and just cant do it!! I hate to drive and try hard not to. but everything in your post sounds too familiar. can I ask how long you`ve been on your machine? and if you notice any difference with it?

Zees Pleez · Post by **Zees Pleez** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 11:11 am

I have only been on APAP for 21 days. I saw some improvement after about a week, but still have a long way to go to be "normal". I have been told to expect it to take a few months to really be over the hump. I have had some good days though.

snoozin' · Post by **snoozin'** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 11:21 am

Oh, yeah,
I can relate. Brain fog, apathy, not being all there. And the muscle aches and weakness, especially my legs. One day I didn't think I could make it from my door to my car (about 10 feet) without something to hold on to.
It did get better. I still don't feel all there, but I'm no longer completely spaced out. And I don't worry about being able to walk 10 feet - 10 miles is still out, but 10 feet isn't a problem.
Debbie

battlin_blazes · Post by **battlin_blazes** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 11:42 am

sooooo off to my next ? then....lol
if this be the case does it help any to try to get to sleep because your off work and nothing else going on. like afternoon naps etc.? with the machine of course will it help a body catch up quicker? or will it bite you because you wont want to sleep @ night? just curious? not that I could sleep anyway but I try everyday to lay down and rest with the cpap usually around an hour in the afternoon. dr also said this will help adjust to it. and at night atleast for now I need the ambien otherwise I`d never sleep.

yARNS4U48 · Post by **yARNS4U48** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 11:47 am

Have you been tested for Lyme disease?

battlin_blazes · Post by **battlin_blazes** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 12:02 pm

i guess I dont honestly know the answer to that yarns, but I will ask, I know he did a ton of mono, parvo, hepatitis virus type test but I dont know anything about lyme disease.

HettyAnn · Post by **HettyAnn** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 12:06 pm

To battlen_blazes... CPAP use will change your sleep patterns... and if you are new to using your CPAP ...i.e... only the first few days... you will find some extreme changes in your sleep and waking state... I did too... and it took me about a week for my body to catch up with the new changes the CPAP caused during sleep time... I found that I did not wake up two or three times a night, I did not have to go to the bathroom and void in the middle of the night... but I was very tired for that first week when I did sleep the whole night through, and I could again remember my dreams, which I could not do for a few years before the CPAP use... Each person will have different reactions to their CPAP use in the beginning... Just stay with it for a couple of weeks... keep a journal of each night and days symptoms, so you can use it when you report to the doctor... GOOD LUCK... HettyAnn

-Hugh Jass · Post by **-Hugh Jass** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 1:34 pm

You may want to look into Chiari Malformation.

One of the symptoms is Sleep Apnea.

http://www.chiariinstitute.com/chiari_about.html

battlin_blazes · Post by **battlin_blazes** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 1:43 pm

thanks hugh,
I will also ask on this but I did have an m.r.i. done of my brain and they said it was fine. Im assuming this would show up in that scan but I will ask anyways. thanks.

ITeach · Post by **ITeach** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 1:49 pm

Did you try antidepressents other than Wellbutrin? I was put on medical leave for 3 weeks last year while I went off Wellbutrin and on to an ssri, which seems to be working much better. There are many causes of depression and Wellbutrin is pretty specific on what mechanism it affects. Don't give up without trying some others. When I forget to take what I'm currently on, I have very similar symptoms. Hang in there.

gailzee · Post by **gailzee** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 3:56 pm

Hi b attlin:
BTW, I like your ''name'' it fits the bill for many of us!

to ans. a cpl of your comments/questions, having had OSA for so long, yrs, I can't even imagine HOW MANY, I have come to the conclusion that my apap therapy WILL take time for my system to recover and hopefully renew. Many of us have battled some of the experiences you share with us. If any of us had known that the REAL culprit may have been something as overlooked as SLEEP, we'd all be in a much better place, rather than running from dr to dr, testing of any/every thing in our system, winding up with looks from doctors as if we are crazy, neurotic hypochrondiacs.
I had a frank discussion with my GP who I happy to admire ad respect very much, and when I discussed sleep study/apnea (done thru a pulmonary dr), his ans. was that in med school, 'sleep issues are just glossed'' over and "laffed at". I am not 100% sure that he even understands all I went thru with the sleep study, and followup apap therapy, or even agrees with it. Let alone understands it. BUT, he was willing to listen and give me the benefit of the doubt. I sent him my sleep study reports and he just glossed over them.

My point is, you ARE taking the sleep apnea serious, you are treating YOURSELF, with the hope that your system and health will improve. I have read many many people on this board, slap on the ole mask, hunker down for 8 hrs and then tap dance thru the days. I am not tap dancing, I am again tired after an initial 2-3 rd wk in therapy feeling energized, but I have noticed several minor/major improvements in my phsyical well being.

So please hang in there, I think many more of us are slow to improve and it is quite discouraging as this is a therapy that at best is uncomfortable and at worst INTRUSIVE, SLEEP DEPRIVING, BIG TIME DISCOMFORT.

You find out what works for you, you can come to the board anytime for others' stories and suggestions, and of course as all times, support.

Good luck, keep hosin' ok?
GZ

battlin_blazes wrote:hello again all,
I guess my question is this when you got to your worst point with your sleep apnea, how exactly did it effect you and the way you function? as I`ve said in other post my dr.`s are convinced this is my problem, but I guess I`m looking for justification on my situation. I felt like the last couple nights I`ve had really good sleep with my machine I think I feel worse now then I did before? I feel extremely weak, muscles ache, chest pains (mild) mentally im completely out of it, tired all the time but not sleepy, dizzy, vision is horrible but my eyes checked out fine (cant focus esp. on fast moving things), headaches, although this is the one thing I think has eased with the machine.I know it affects everyone differently but can anyone relate to this? I`ve been checked for everything from pituitary tumors, to thyroid problems, to stress test, I think every virus known to man, liver, kidney functions etc. etc. Dr.s are telling me my body is completely stressed out from 3-4 years of misdiagnosis and poor/lack of sleep. make sense? or should I push on for other answers? Im not allowed to drive anywhere not even to get the mail as my dr. has told me. I`d love to hear your story if you can relate. frustrated, frustred, frustrated. so please lets hear your war stories!!!!

and on the lighter side of things, thanks again for the counciling!!!
the check is in the mail!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 10, 2005 8:22 pm

BB

Since depression has been mentioned on this tread I thought I'd add my two cents.

1. There are many medications to treat depression, the newer, and more expensive ones, are said to have less side effects. Side effects are often reasons for non compliance.

2. Psychoactive Meds are very individual - what works for one person doesn't work for another and it is not certain what will work best without trying it. Dosage is very individual. Sometimes more than one med at the same time does the trick. Unlike cpap some take time to be effective e.g. prozac takes up to six weeks to take effect, so you have to give the med time to work.

3. A combination of medication and talk therapy for depression seems to work better than each alone.

4. Last but most important - The treatment of all but simple cases should be supervised by a doc trained in the field - PSYCHIATRISTS. I am told that there are are psychiatrists who are also trained sleep specialists.

Hope this helps the cause. I am not a doctor but have helped pay for a lot of doctors' Lexus's.

when you hit rock bottom, symptoms?

when you hit rock bottom, symptoms?

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Re: when you hit rock bottom, symptoms?

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