Depression and Sleep Apnea

I'm wondering how many of you suffered from depression that was cured or lessened with treatment?
I've been reading alot about this, and would love to hear your story.
Lee Lee

my depression was reduced but not stopped by starting with my CPAP

Oh, Lee Lee, on this day of celebration for the blessing of having been born American with the freedom to worship as I please, to live under the rule of law, to live where govt is dedicated to the commom good, I am having trouble celebrating my good.

While CPAP has helped me enormously and I am grateful for having much of my life back, the list of things I can't do sometimes weighs heavily and today that list weighs a ton. So, I guess one can say I still suffer bouts of depression; I did pre-CPAP and still do. They aren't as long lasting as pre-CPAP, perhaps a day or two at most now, for that I am grateful.

I have been fighting depression all my life.... It definitely has lessened since using the CPAP. I was able to get off Lexapro by tapering it off for several months. The jury is still out, as I'm now on a low does of Lamactil and I definitely feel better.

Lee Lee wrote:I'm wondering how many of you suffered from depression that was cured or lessened with treatment?
Lee Lee

Lee Lee, just as with every facet of my life....cpap has relieved my depression.

A few years ago, I was in a CB therapy group w/a very talented therapist.
I made the journey to and through the gates of my personal hell and returned.
I did the hard work. I did a number of months on Lexapro.....used as a tool, to get through it.
The fears don't go away.
I manage them now, they don't manage me.

With cpap, I am a different person.
It has been an incredible blessing for me,
for which I am thankful for, everyday.

Lee Lee,
The hard part for me is telling the difference between depression and just plain feeling too bad to want to do anything. I resisted any mention doctors made of me being depressed, as I was concerned that what would come with that diagnosis would be an end of any efforts to find and treat what was wrong with me and sucking the life out of me. All I can say is that 3 years ago when I hit a crisis point and had to quit working, I felt like I was in a deep pit with no strength or even desire to try to help myself get out. While I still have health issues and don't feel like doing much at all, that sense of having nothing left to give to life was gone within a few months of getting effective cpap treatment. Don't have a name on what all that was, but it was directly connected to my OSA.
Kathy

Anyone suffering from depression who has also been diagnosed with SA, needs to have their TSH level checked ASAP. For some reason, hypothyroidism and SA seem to run together and untreated hypothyroidism will certainly cause depression. Personally, the only time I have suffered from depression was when my thyroid level was too low before I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I am sure that SA, itself, can also contribute to depression, too. So make sure you are getting effective CPAP treatment, as well.

BeanMeScot wrote:Anyone suffering from depression who has also been diagnosed with SA, needs to have their TSH level checked ASAP. For some reason, hypothyroidism and SA seem to run together

THANKS!!! My TSH has been going up for months and no current doc seems to give a damn tho I only feel good when it's <2; it's now 4.548 within the range of 0.35-5.5...yes, I know that's the OLD range but docs are reluctant to use the new range OR listen to patients, "Afterall, you've got apne and treating that is what's important"...didn't they ever hear of patients with multiple things gone wonky? <dummies> My levels of free T4 and free T3 are within normal so it's likely my T4-->T3 conversion problem has returned and none of my current docs believes that's a condition or will test my current reverse T3 or cortisol levels...guess my brain telling my thyroid to produce more hormone (rising TSH numbers) which I interpret as my cells crying out that they don't have thyroid is wrong . This is so frustrating.