Will he recover ?

A

Hi... We can very likely help but need information such as what machine (full name and model #) he has, plus which mask and what pressure settings - all important and needed to be able to help. I don't understand who would put a 14 yr old on benzos, but in any case it's vital he get off the meds (and what other ones does he take please) or he won't benefit properly from Cpap - though just going straight off them is dangerous and must be tapered with doctors' help. Once his therapy is stable and working his cognitive problems will very likely improve quickly, but without more info yet, it's hard to predict much. Still shocked by the benzos at his age and it's quite likely they have impacted his thinking as much as apnea has.

Hi, I'm glad they caught this early. CPAP has helped me, not just my sleep pattern, but how I feel, act and respond to situations during the day. Looking at his early childhood, did you suspect something was wrong with his sleeping patterns?

He has now developed all sorts of cognitive problems.

Is this after 2 months taking medication (no dosage so can't comment) to finally get some resemblance of sleep, or is the progression over many years?
Let the forum know about his CPAP therapy. Also, get him involved here. He is the one wearing the mask, and maybe he will show us something new.

A question to ask is if your son is experiencing a depletion of nutrients in his body. This could have occurred prior to the problem or possibly due to one of the medications or a combination of medications.

A naturopath or functional medicine practitioner is the best source for this type of testing.

The book "Could it be B-12?" is a good introduction to this topic or review the information at http://b12awareness.org/

Nothing personal, but I don't think alternative medicine would be the first line of help to get in this case... serious and immediate medical help of the right kind is needed yesterday, not experimenting with supplements - he's 14!

KarSans wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 19, 2018 9:23 am

My son is one of the smartest person,I have ever meHe has a mensa iq if 138.

His sleep apnea got misdiagnosed as Insomnia ,he thought he couldn't sleep as when he woke he was still very sleepy.Fastforward 2 months,he is on benzos and sleeping pills.He was still tired.Nobody thought he had apnea cause he was very skinny nor there is a family history.

A doctor finally suggested sleep study,ahi 36.He has now developed all sorts of cognitive problems.

He says his thinking is severely affected says that his 'inner voice ' is numbed down and real slow.Its been two weeks on cpap.He says that nothing has improved the decline has only slowed down.He has trouble forming sentences,his grades have gone from straight A's to barely passing.
My main concern is his thinking problems,is it normal?
How much time will it take for things to normalize ?
We are being as supportive as we can.
He is 14.
Sorry for the bad english and order of sentences ,I am suffering from a brain fog mysel

Very concerning to read that your son has been put on benzos and sleeping pills at 14 years old. I would seriously consider changing doctors. The numbed down feeling he is experiencing is easily attributed to benzos and sleeping pills, and very likely the reason his grades have dropped. Please seek another opinion.

Julie, after seeking "serious and immediate medical help" the solution was supposed to be Benzo's and that doesn't seem to have helped. It may be that an alternative perspective may provide better help.

I happen to think a 14 year old may benefit from the perspective of "food as medicine..."

HoseCrusher wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 19, 2018 6:41 pm

Julie, after seeking "serious and immediate medical help" the solution was supposed to be Benzo's and that doesn't seem to have helped. It may be that an alternative perspective may provide better help.

I happen to think a 14 year old may benefit from the perspective of "food as medicine..."

Yes, perhaps, and in conjunction with... and AFTER he has seen other medical doctors. If my fifteen year old granddaughter was prescribed benzos and/or sleeping pills, I'd report the doctor. UNLESS, there was a LIFE ALTERING issue going on and benzos and sleeping pills helped ease the issue.

He may have had a stroke! Hopefully, he will recover. Meanwhile, don't discontinue the CPAP!

he really needs a neurologist to do a complete examination, these do not sound like apnea or treatment symptoms to me. I would be tempted to go to ER and get it chased down.

ajack wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 19, 2018 8:48 pm

he really needs a neurologist to do a complete examination, these do not sound like apnea or treatment symptoms to me. I would be tempted to go to ER and get it chased down.

DITTO: Sound Advice, children of his age are usually bulletproof to age 30. Something sounds fishy.... Jim

Your son and my teenage son have strikingly similar stories. Last year my son went from an honor roll student to failing nearly all of his classes. His cognitive decline was so severe that we had to pull him out of school and home school him for a semester because he could no longer keep up in a traditional large classroom setting.
I took my son to numerous doctors, but the only thing any of them offered him were pills to help him sleep.
I was finally able to get my son in with an amazing pediatric neurologist/ sleep doctor. My son finally had his sleep study and was diagnosed with sleep apnea and a couple of other sleep disorders. With proper diagnosis and treatment, my son's life has pretty much gotten back to normal. He is back in school, and last semester he got straight A's.
For my son CPAP has been great, but it was only part of the solution. In my son's case weening him off the medications was also key. I believe that the meds had a negative impact on my son's cognitive function and worsened his sleep apnea.

If I were in your shoes I would try to get your son in with a good pediatric neurologist/ sleep doctor, finding the right doctor can make all the difference. My son's doctor did a full neurological workup and an MRI as a precaution to make sure nothing else was going on was going on with my son, it might be a good idea to be on the safe side and see if you can get the same thing done for you son. Once you rule out the unlikely neurological stuff you may want to talk to the doctor about weening him off the medications.
My son's cognitive decline didn't happen overnight and likewise his brain needed time to heal so his recovery took time.
Encourage your son to stick with the CPAP and try not to get frustrated, he will recover!
Good luck to you and your son!

Hi colomom, I'm just curious, how old was your son when he was diagnosed and how old was he when he finally recovered? My story mirrors your son's and I am in my early twenties and I need hope success stories to keep me going...

Thank you all so much for your replies and concern.
Sorry,I couldn't remember info I need to put,the fog just got so intense last night .
He got off the benzos 2 months ago ,just took them for a week and half,left them himself.
He has got the resmed airsense 10 auto with a nasal mask.,sets the pressure and and the settings himself.And I don't what he checks every morning by putting the memory card in his laptop but says his ahi now comes between 2-3 but sees no cog improvement.We go to a pulmonologist weekly,says that everything is going great,the doc says that the cog issues are normal and will normalize within a month or so.

He is already talking B12 and iron supps.I have taken an appointment with a neurologist for the next week.

D.H. wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 19, 2018 8:44 pm

He may have had a stroke! Hopefully, he will recover. Meanwhile, don't discontinue the CPAP!

I doubt cause the cog decline was a slow and gradual and how common are silent strokes in teens?