Sleep Apnea & Racing Thoughts?

[Fejsbukpejdz]

Hope we don't get banned.

I wish you and your brother would use separate accounts.

There has been a few times where you (your shared account) has been advised of something, that has gone completely ignored.

Is it because you ignore it, or because it was unseen because your account is shared by two people.

My brothers a final year medical student

HEllo Julie it is me his brother.

I didn't understand...

Talking to you is like talking to Sybil

Hello, no the patient (my brother) does not use this account anymore.
Apnea really messed up his mood and sleep and everything so I am always on here researching and observing his sleep.

[Fejsbukpejdz]

No banning but I am thinking that a consolidation of all these various questions and thoughts into one thread/topic might be in everyone's best interest.
Some good thoughts are floating around all over the place and maybe it would be better served in one thread.

Great idea... I myself got lost in 3 or 4 threads I made and didn't know where to address which issue.

[Fejsbukpejdz]

Even Dr. K. himself (and I personally consider him to be The Man on this topic) isn't completely sure of the nature of all of the interactive relationships among racing thoughts, insomnia, stress/anxiety, apnea, PAP therapy, etc.:

Despite high prevalence of sleep apnea in chronic insomnia patients, few treatment studies have investigated PAP effects on insomnia symptoms. The current research demonstrated a marked decrease in insomnia severity associated with a moderate decrease in racing thoughts following PAP treatment of SDB. Research must determine whether PAP therapy directly decreases racing thoughts or perhaps mediates the complex interaction among racing thoughts, anxiety, and insomnia.--0387 ASV vs CPAP RCT: Changes in Racing Thoughts in Complex Insomnia Disorder; B Krakow, N D McIver, V A Ulibarri Sleep, Volume 41, Issue suppl_1, April 2018, Pages A147–A148, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsy061.386 Published: 27 April 2018

You may find his books helpful, if you aren't easily irritated by Pop-Psych Speak as a written language.

thank you so much for the suggestion...

[Sissy63]

This is all very interesting to me. About 6 years ago, my world fell apart. I became overwhelmed, panicky, emotional, etc.My brain just would not stop chattering, It was very scary. I saw all kinds of doctors, specialist, and even alternative doctors. I was diagnosed with about everything...anxiety Lyme Disease, estrogen dominance, hypothyroidism, vitamin deficiencies, etc. I tried all kinds of medications and supplements. Somethings might temporarily calm it down.

I was tried on about every SSRI and SNRI, plus all the benzodiazepines, but nothing worked. I not got worse and worse and even took a leave of absence from work. Sleeping pills would put me into a hysterical state. I would be on the floor, crying uncontrollably. I thought I was going mad and just was not going to survive it.

I finally requested a sleep study. It came back on the higher end of mild SA. Finally, I had an answer. After several months of finding a mask I could tolerate and learning to adjust my machine, a lot of the panicky feeling and pacing got so much better, but my brain would still chatter and I couldn’t concentrate or focus. I was exhausted, but didn’t know why. I was still on either an SSRI or SNRI at this time. I would tell my doctorS over and over that I didn’t think it was anxiety or depression. But hey, I am a mid 50s female, what else could it be?

I finally saw yet another psychiatrist who after about 15 minutes diagnosed me with ADHD. I took my first stimulant the next day and sacked out harder than I had slept in a long time. I woke up,and saw color and everything was much clearer. I am still working on getting the right medication(s) and doses, but I do know that once I take my Vyvanse, my mind feels so much calmer.

I tapered off Effexor about 3 weeks ago and every day is getting a bit better. I am trying Wellbutrin because it is used off label for ADHD and I hope it fills in between stimulant doses some. It doesn’t seem to bother my sleep.

If you don’t have true anxiety and/or depression with ADHD, the Increase in serotonin (a lot more involved than that), is going to create even a greater imbalance. Th ADHD brain mainly need dopamine, but often times people need both and you have to find the right balance.

Did the sleep apnea change my brain chemistry? I don’t know. I had surgery right before all of this started. Could the anesthesia or the pain medication change my brain chemistry? I don’t know. There is more and more talk about Adult ADHD. Is that what is is? I don’t know. Because a was a quite girl, who did fairly well in school, did I get missed and then hit a breaking point when life got crazy busy? I don’t know.

I do know that my sleep apnea is very much under control, since switching to the Bleep, it is a non-issue. I also know stimulants put me almost in a zen state. I also have hope that I will be back to living life again soon,

When people tell me they are overwhelmed, can’t focus or concentrate, I tell them to have a nice dose of caffeine and pay attention to how they feel. If a tad better, than explore that option. It is definitely better to try that first instead of some antidepressants that you need to wait 8 weeks to see if they work and if not, you have to taper off them. Plus, the side effects can be quite awful. I would also recommend a sleep study.

It would be nice if PAP therapy cured everything, but unfortunately it doesn’t. It can help you to be rested enough that you can figure out the rest though.

So, that is my sleep apnea and racing mind story.

[lrob123]

I finally saw yet another psychiatrist who after about 15 minutes diagnosed me with ADHD. I took my first stimulant the next day and sacked out harder than I had slept in a long time. I woke up,and saw color and everything was much clearer. I am still working on getting the right medication(s) and doses, but I do know that once I take my Vyvanse, my mind feels so much calmer.

Wow, I would like to hear more because I think I might have ADHD. Maybe you could create another thread of your own on this? Maybe label it 'OT:' (off-topic) if it isn't mostly talking about apnea. I don't want to hijack by asking you questions on this thread started by someone else.

[Sissy63]

I finally saw yet another psychiatrist who after about 15 minutes diagnosed me with ADHD. I took my first stimulant the next day and sacked out harder than I had slept in a long time. I woke up,and saw color and everything was much clearer. I am still working on getting the right medication(s) and doses, but I do know that once I take my Vyvanse, my mind feels so much calmer.

Wow, I would like to hear more because I think I might have ADHD. Maybe you could create another thread of your own on this? Maybe label it 'OT:' (off-topic) if it isn't mostly talking about apnea. I don't want to hijack by asking you questions on this thread started by someone else.

I can do that!

[Julie]

There's a ton of stuff on the net re ADHD, please don't turn this thread into one of them, never mind hijacking. And what one member here has experienced doesn't mean you're going to have the same diagnosis, with or without similar symptoms.