Womens hormone cycles and OSA

[BlackSpinner]

There was someone in the chat room who wanted to know what the effect of her cycle had on OSA. Unfortunately it has been 15 years since I have had to deal with those issues.

So ladies, please share your experiences with regards to your periods, PMS, birthcontrol, menopause and CPAP!

WARNING TO MEN: This maybe TMI.

[BlackSpinner]

Come on ladies don't be shy.
I can't believe every woman on this board is post menopausal!

[frenchie]

We'll I am still fairly new to Cpap and I am not sure I can be much help in answering since I also have PCOS, but I did notice as my sleep apnea was getting worse (prior to diagnosis) My periods were getting further and further apart and pms was worse. My cycles use to be between 35-42 days and the few cycles prior to cpap they had been 65-75 days. Since being on cpap they are getting shorter again 36-40 days. Im not sure its been because of cpap but I suspect since they are getting more regulated it may have something to do with it. My Dr seems to think that as I use the cpap my hormones will regulate along with my insulin (IR), blood pressure, thyroid ect. I wish I could be more help, but like I said I myself havent been on cpap that long. Maybe others will have more imput.

[robertmarilyn]

Come on ladies don't be shy.
I can't believe every woman on this board is post menopausal!

All systems shut down when I was about 34...I'd been going to doctors saying I was tired since I was 20...when I was 38 the doctors diagnosed sleep apnea and did a UPPP...within in a year I was up and running again...so I think that sleep deprivation shut me down and once I had the operation my body went back to the way it should have been.

mar

[3schnauzers]

Sorry, too late for me to help out with your question!!! 1995 a very good year, OMG that is 14 years, time does fly when you are having fun.
Seriously, Cpap have been a gift from God to help me sleep and feel so much better
Colleen

[BeanMeScot]

I am young enough to answer but I didn't know what to answer. I haven't noticed any change. I have always been as regular as the sunrise and the stereotypical 28 day girl.

[Pugsy]

Hysterectomy that left the ovaries in 1978. Ovaries started their decline about 7 years ago. Not sure when my OSA came to be but if my elevated blood pressure and GERD are indications, then probably 3 years ago. So impossible for me to make any correlations but my sister is just finishing up with menopause and she also exhibits OSA symptoms and likely has for a couple of years. She refuses to be tested because she doesn't want it on her records. Keeps sticking her head in the sand about it.

[Juliebove]

Honestly I don't think it makes a difference one way or the other, but I haven't had my machine for very long.

[LavenderMist]

All that I've read on the subject seems to suggest a sharp increase in OSA in postmenopausal women. So, there does appear to be a hormonal connection. In my case, I was diagnosed with OSA later in the same year that I had both ovaries removed(surgical menopause). It would be interesting to see studies about the correlation between estrogen deficiency and OSA in women. I chose not to do conventional HRT due to increased breast cancer risk. I may do some research on that and post what I dig up.

[Froro]

That was me that asked the question !!

I've been busy baking away my frustrations...LOL.

Here is the deal. I've noticed during my last period my apneas have really shot up. Not so much the first two with the cpap but this time definately. I have barely been able to function this week. I'm somewhat used to that during mother natures evil curse, but actually found an improvement during the first couple of cycles on cpap.

This week? My AHI is up, I feel gross and I've literally been horizontal all week. Taking 3 hour naps in the afternoons (yes with the cpap), and still not feeling much better. Today was the first day this week I've felt reasonably well, but still needed a nap. My AHI was 12 last night. That's the highest it's been since starting. Getting something over 5 is rare now, with most coming in at around 2.4 ish. No mask leaks or anything like that so I put in a query as to whether monthly hormonal cycles have an affect on OSA.

I'm in to see my ob next week and I can't wait. Baby factory is closed....I'm done with it, they can take it away.

[Pugsy]

LavendarMist,
I also chose not to do HRT because of strong history of familial breast cancer. My common OSA symptoms, GERD, weight gain, elevated BP, fatigue, daily morning heads and not sleeping well probably started 2 years after onset of menopause. I was given Valium for a diagnosis of anxiety to help me sleep. Dumb dumb doctors. Yeah I slept right through all those apneas. It never crossed their minds to even ask.

[split_city]

The incidence of OSA can vary across the menstrual cycle and commonly increases post menopause. Female hormones act as a ventilatory stimulant which, amongst other things, increases electrical activity of the genioglossus (tongue) muscle, helping to prevent upper airway collapse.

[LavenderMist]

Soo, based upon what split city is saying I'm wondering if HRT would improve OSA? I don't mean to the point of not needing CPAP, but just an overall improvement in number of apneas even while treated? I've been sitting on the fence about adding Bioidentical estrogen for quite a long time. This may just push me off. I'm currently on bioidentical transdermal progesterone and some of that is probably converting to estrogen, but I'm probably still very estrogen deficient. Very interesting indeed.

[Pugsy]

Interesting thought LavendarMist. I am pretty much past the hot flashes and such. They pop up rarely now. Even if HRT might help with OSA pressure needs, I wouldn't have chanced it. My mother had breast cancer, her sister died of breast cancer at a fairly young age as I was 6 when we went to her funeral (that was 51 years ago), and my maternal grandmother died of breast cancer at age 95. With this history I just decided to deal with the menopausal side effects as best I could. Not worth the risk of dying just to not have night sweats or hot flashes.

[birdshell]

RE: Estrogen

I hope that this will be useful information for someone.

I have: PCOS; family history of breast cancer; hysterectomy/salpingoophorectomy (yep, took the ovaries too) for endometriosis in 1997; and then participated in the STAR Trial (a Study of Tamoxifen And Raloxifene). Since I wasn't dxd with OSA until 2006, it really isn't appropriate for me to reply about the sleep differences during menses. I do recall some of those sleep disturbances during menstruation; sometimes I slept much more and sometimes, much less.

The STAR Trial had a strict limit on the amount and types of estrogen that could be used. One approved suggestion was the Estring, which is a vaginal insert for delivering a very low dose of estradiol. It is replaced every 3 months. You may wish to check on this option with your doctor; even though the cautions about using estrogen are listed in the prescribing leaflets, the STAR Trial allowed Estring use...so I cannot really imagine that it is a significant amount of estrogen that is delivered. The studies cited used a daily 0.625 mg pill of oral conjugated estrogens, and the Estring has all of 2 mg of estradiol delivered over 90 days. This seems to be pretty low in my estimation.

Further, I have a clotting disorder and my superspecialist hematologist fully supports use of the Estring insert. Susan Love, MD agrees here: http://www.dslrf.org/breastcancer/conte ... 9&CATID=33# It seems to me that there is a bit of overstatement in the cautions provided by the manufacturer; one must make an informed decision with a competent medical professional.

The ring is similar in appearance to a NuvaRing for birth control but is NOT the same. If you do use it, there is one little tip: stretch the ring before inserting it to prevent cramping. No one tells you this, but one of my savvy docs figured this out. I'm not sure about stretching the NuvaRing...

From: http://www.druglib.com/druginfo/estring/

"ESTRING (estradiol vaginal ring) is indicated for the treatment of urogenital symptoms associated with post-menopausal atrophy of the vagina (such as dryness, burning, pruritus and dyspareunia) and/or the lower urinary tract (urinary urgency and dysuria). "



Karen,
Who likes to share information