Are feelings of anxiety normal to sleep apnea?

[Idget]

I had my sleep study test just last Saturday and waiting for the next titration test. Over the last few years as my sleep apnea has worsened. I had a sleep study several years ago when I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I didn't go for the second titration test at time. Long story, but chickened out. Over last few years I would wake up in the middle of night with severe anxiety. This has increased over time. Since I have been investigating sleep apnea and talking to other about this condition I am starting to realize that this feeling of anxiety which now isn't limited to only at night, is the direct result of sleep apnea. Why wouldn't someone develop this condition since he is suffocating each and every night. Is this a normal reaction to this condition?

[Guest]

It was for me, I needed a sleep study years ago but was like you, I chickened out to! I have been a devoted hose hesd for a couple of months now and everynight, I have a little arguement witbetween me , the mask, & the hose so lastnight I said "HELLO HOSE", put it on and slept like a baby, I was happy this morning as I had a great night with the hose... You will get over it, I really think it is normal at firast but you eventually get used to it after you start feeling better and more alive with treatment, without it your body id deterating........ It's not as bad as you would think, sometimes I actually can't wait to get in bed and snuggle up with my hose and snuggle hose cover and humidifier. I wish you the best in making the right decision, try not to stress and think about all the good things that come from the therapy...

[Gerald]

Idget.....

Your "anxiety" may be what you perceive as the flood of chemicals your body releases to wake you up when you're not breathing correctly during sleep.

I'd wake up with a flood of adrenaline....plus other "fight-or-flight" chemicals my body was using to warn me....that I was about to die.

What I'm describing is what I think people call "stress"......and I think this flood of "warning chemicals" is a big factor in high blood pressure.

Gerald

[Guest]

Gerald, you are exactly right! It's the adrenaline rush (which happens every time your breathing interrupts your sleep, even if you don't remember waking up) that mimics the symptoms of a panic attack. Idget, those symptoms are VERY common with sleep apnea.

[msheda]

And can lead to paranoa...

In fact, when I had my sleep study done, I had the strangest feeling that someone was watching me....

[RosemaryB]

And can lead to paranoa...

In fact, when I had my sleep study done, I had the strangest feeling that someone was watching me....

Good one!

Actually, there is research on the link between sleep apnea and anxiety. If I can find an article or two later I'll try to post them. There's also something called the "General Adaptation Syndrome", GAS, that has been studied in psychology for many years.

In the GAS, the release of stress hormones over time takes its toll on your entire body. At first, it appears that you are adapting to the stress, but over time it leaves you less able to handle the anxiety that arises. This is because your system breaks down.

I think that they should rename sleep apnea "Sleep Suffocation Syndrome" This gets the message across better. Only half kidding here. If someone were putting a pillow over your face many times a night and suffocating you, this would be cause for alarm, no?! People might run to the doctor more quickly if they thought they had something called SSS, rather than OSA.

[Idget]

It is good to know that this is a common effect of the syndrome. I compare it to be water borded each night. After a while your body suffers from the constant adrenaline rush producing anxiety. It took me a long time to make this link. I was thinking that in my late 40s I was not dealing with life as well as I did in my 20s and 30s. I will push through and get my titration done and start using the CPAP, I haven't talked to anyone that didn't say it changed their life for the best.

Thanks again for the responses.

[socknitster]

Idjet,

Your experience is common. Many of us have suffered anxiety and depression and been misdiagnosed and medicated for years before discovering that pure air is the true solution.

When you have an apnea your body desaturates its oxygen store. Quickly. The term is hypoxia. Your body goes into fight or flight mode, literally fighting for your life--sometimes many times an hour! Having your body filled with panic hormones all night, it isn't surprising you have a panic hangover during the day. The cure is treating the apnea. You may find your body will recover quickly.

I have been on and off antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs for years. Now off, completely, after just a few months of 100% compliance on xpap. I weaned slowly, under a doctor's close supervision of course.

I was misdiagnosed for 10 years before finding the real cause.

jen

[oceanpearl]

And can lead to paranoa...

In fact, when I had my sleep study done, I had the strangest feeling that someone was watching me....

Guess what........................

[Robbie]

Idget,

I'm guessing anxiety can have it's root in a number of things .. however .. I had an experience very similar to the one described by socknitster. Interestingly enough, when i had problems with anxiety, I noticed it mostly when I first woke up in the morning - even gave it a name - some mornings I simply had a visit from "the bear".

Shortly before my first sleep study, I had my "every three months" appointment with my med management doc (for those of you that haven't been to one of those, it's where you sit in a psychiatrists waiting room and everyone tries to look "normal" - whatever that is - sometimes I'd sit there and stroke an imaginary cat sitting on my lap to make the time pass).

Anyway - my med doc is a great guy - not given to noticeably reacting to anything I say - but he was obviously interested when I told him I was going in for a sleep study.

To make a short story long, I'm off the anxiety med and being weaned off of the anti-depressant. In my case, as I suspect is the case with many others, the apnea was the root cause. You won't know until you try CPAP therapy, but worst case, you can eliminate sleep problems if you still have some things going on after you start CPAP.

I still can't sing like Tom Jones (except in the shower), play the violin, or throw a baseball faster than 65 mph (even with a tailwind), but "the bear" hasn't been back. CPAP is the only variable in the equation.

Not that it's my job to do so, but I'd just like to point out that anyone on any kind of anti-anxiety or anti-depressant needs to be very careful about how they stop taking them. I'm certainly not suggesting that CPAP is a cure all for everyone's anxiety and/or depression. I'm also not suggesting that people quit talking their meds effective immediately and throw them in the trash (my doc told me to keep mine around for a while )

GREAT question Idget - something close to my heart. Aint it great to be around folks we can talk about things like this with?

I wish you well

[Idget]

Thanks again for all the comments. Robbie is correct this is probably a touchy subject. No one wants to admit having these issues. I certainly don't. As a husband with three young children and a responsible job with the government, who want to admit you have feelings of anxiety. But the truth is it is an issue many deal with. It is good to know that this issue may and probably has roots with sleep apnea. I certainly didn't have any of these issues in my teens, 20s and 30s. Thanks again for your comments it really helps to know others deal with this difficult situation. I havent' used any meds to date and don't plan on it.

[RosemaryB]

Thanks again for all the comments. Robbie is correct this is probably a touchy subject. No one wants to admit having these issues. I certainly don't. As a husband with three young children and a responsible job with the government, who want to admit you have feelings of anxiety. But the truth is it is an issue many deal with. It is good to know that this issue may and probably has roots with sleep apnea. I certainly didn't have any of these issues in my teens, 20s and 30s. Thanks again for your comments it really helps to know others deal with this difficult situation. I havent' used any meds to date and don't plan on it.

If your treatment doesn't work properly, you may have less than optimal results. Here are some tips:

1. Make sure that you get the right machine (Fully data capable) to start. Then get the software and card reader to go with it. Try to get a decently fitted mask to start.

2. Come back to this forum, and be ready to post the data from your machine. The fabulous folks on this forum will help you get it right. I have yet to see a doctor or DME in my region that knows how to do that. I know they exist, just not very common.

3. Be ready to find ways to quell the leaks that nearly everyone gets either mouth or mask leaks, probably both. It's very doable, but you will get help to figure that out here.

Being on cpap and getting optimal treatment has made me feel pretty good about my life. I used to feel anxious and depressed way too often. Now I can see it was the sleep apnea causing it.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP, DME

[Snoredog]

I would try taking a B Complex vitamin,

http://holisticonline.com/Remedies/Anxi ... herapy.htm

[Munosh]

Had the same experience. Heart palpitations, adrenaline rush which manifested itself into anxiety. Had every heart test etc.. All OK. Sleep apnoea specialist could not figure it out. I did. There is a function on the CPAP called EPR. It can be adjusted to increase the resistance to your breathing out. If breathing in and out is too easy, it causes i a sense, hyperventilation which triggers the reactions mentioned earlier, accelerated heartbeat, light headedness, anxiety, palpitations, etc. Increasing the resistance until one finds the optimal EPR setting will bring you back to a normal sound sleep as breathing in and out reverts to a normal rhythm. Took me six months of trial and error and lot's of research to figure this out. For the first time, I am no longer afraid to go to sleep.

[Suddenly Worn Out]

The dental sleep medicine person I went to last week, his assistant told me they had an elderly woman with no history of any kind of mental illness. She suddenly began having hallucinations. It was strange because hallucinations are normally associated with psychosis, but psychosis normally begins earlier in life than old age. Turned out she had sleep apnea, which was resulting in chronic sleep deprivation, which resulted in the hallucinations.

Chronic sleep deprivation of a severe degree commonly found in untreated sleep apnea can lead to cases of full blown psychosis. So yes, having anxiety from untreated sleep apnea is entirely possibly. Anytime you have oxygen destaturations you are straining your nervous system by having the adrenaline/stress hormone rush others have mentioned on here. Oxygen desaturations induces a panic feeling. Its no different than a drowning victim. Once they are in the full blown drowning scenario, people realize they are GOING TO DIE and they totally panic and as oxygen levels deplete it gets worse and worse. Until they finally black out and go under. Before they black out and go under, drowning victims will grab onto ANYTHING to push themselves above the water...including another person who is a good strong swimmer. Plenty of lifeguards have had near death experiences with panicked drowning victims who are flooded with adrenaline and temporarily become super humanly strong. Lifeguards have even died from being pulled under by drowning victims.

Depression, anxiety and yes even psychosis and paranoia are all entirely possible from untreated sleep apnea. Not saying all or even most will experience psychosis from untreated apnea, but it is entirely within the realm of possibilities.

Eric