Has CPAP resolved your "Mystery" Illnesses

[SnoozyWoozyCat]

It's been a long, windy road for me to arrive at a diagnosis of sleep apnea. In the last 2+ years, I have gone from being someone who took their health for granted (and quite frankly abused it much of the time), to a chronically ill, shell of a human being. I have been diagnosed with hypothyroid in the last year and that has had something to do with feeling ill, but I wonder how much of it is due to lack of sleep. I feel like while I was sleeping one night, someone snuck in and stole my young, dependable body and replaced it with an old, achy, broken down heap. Mainly I've been achy, dizzy, off balance and just oh so fatigued. I've been through every diagnostic test there is and fortunately, nothing has been found except the sleep apnea. But I continue to have all of these health issues. Family and Friends are sick to death of my chronic illness, heck I can't blame them -- I wouldn't want to be around me the last year or so either! I'm wondering if any of you found that some of your undiagnosed, mystery symptoms have resolved since using CPAP?

Signed: Hopeful in Colorado

[Muse-Inc]

OK, here goes. There are other issues that affect sleep and there are other issues that cause fatigue -- all must be addressed with patience! Thyroid, many here report issues -- get it checked and treated. Get a copy of your sleep study and see if it mentions other issues, like limb movements or poor sleep efficiency or deranged sleep architecture. Another to check is your vitamin D levels which really compromise your health when low; while it is called a vitamin, it really is a neurohormone. Those with 5 yrs of untreated apnea show high percentages of becoming diabetic...make sure that's not an issue. have apnea so long ypu now have hypertension? Good chance it'll get better or maybe even disappear totally; good article to read if this one's a factor: http://eon.businesswire.com/portal/site ... ewsLang=en, angiotension receptor blockers are effective in treating hypertension caused by oxygen deprivation.


When you start getting restful sleep, remarkable changes start occuring...some slowly, some rapidly and no one can predict the rate or the completeness of your recovery. First, you need to be getting good sleep and plenty of it. Then, you need some patience as you sort through the things mentioned above. You didn't mangle your health overnight and it won't come back overnight. Welcome aboard this new adventure!

[SnoozyWoozyCat]

Funny you should mention vitamin D, I just received my bloodwork back from my endo and my vitamin D is indeed low 23.2L (normal range 32.0 to 100.0). Additionally I had my B-12 checked and it was on the very low side of normal. So I am getting monthly B-12 shots and my endo has called in script for a massive monthly dose of Vitamin D. Thanks for the good information.

[Muse-Inc]

...23.2L...

Mine was 17! After a yr, it's still only 37 but slow improvements every time it's cked. 17, 25, 30, 37. Was on 50,000 IU of D2 (the poorly absorbed form doc prefer for some inexplicable reason maybe big pharma pushes?). Then, 1000 IU/day of D3 (the RIGHT kind), then 2000 IU/day, then 4000 IU/day...now taking 8000 IU/day. Thyroid also wonky so my LDL is up as predicted (TSH=4.2 expect 20-40 % increase), so on levothyroxine (gotta fail it to get Armour). The increase in D did increase my HDL 12 pts as I'd read it would.

[millich]

Cat - I think you have every reason to be optimistic! You are now treating your B12 deficiency, your vitamin D deficiency, AND your sleep apnea. Things should be looking up for you!

[Cygnusia]

Well, one change I've noticed immediately is my pulse dropping from 90-100 resting down to around 75.

[SnoozyWoozyCat]

Well, one change I've noticed immediately is my pulse dropping from 90-100 resting down to around 75.

My resting pulse has been high for the last few months too -- wonder if it's related somehow.

I'm also set to change from Synthroid to Natural Thyroid -- just waiting to get it in the the mail. Now is not the best time to do that as natural is all but unavailable in the US. Apparently the FDA is stepping in and trying to regulate natural thyroid meds and it has gotten harder to find. My endo gave me a script for Thyroid which is the natural version they sell in Canada. I think I'll hold off on changing the thyroid meds until I've been on the CPAP for a month or so. I'm hoping some of the undiagnosed aches and pains will resolve once I've been on the machine for a period of time.

[Zerbert]

After 6 months on CPAP the following has improved: Energy, Memory Issues, blood pressure.

Still have some fatigue issues in the evening and would like to see Mr. Woody get a little stronger. Hopefully that last issue will get better.

[OneCatBelleSundance]

A thryoid that is not functioning correctly or if a person has had their thyroid removed can experience the systems of fibromyalgia. It happened to me when my thryroid was removed three years ago. After 3 months of CPAP I feel better but not 100%. Every night I take an Aleve and used to take one in the morning but found I no longer need it.

[Catnapper]

My surprise improvement was the reversal of my chronic, almost constant sinus infections. I even had 3 sinus surgeries in 1995 to try to solve the problem. Since xpap, knock on wood, I have not had a sinus infection, or a cold. That was a totally unexpected benefit. 3+ years. Who knew?

I hope I didn't jinx myself with that statement.

Catnapper - Joanie

[kteague]

Well, the more hours of good sleep I get the better my "idiopathic (mysterious) edema" is. Right now I'm on 1/4 of the diuretics I was taking at one time. My memory loss and cognitive impairment apparently was not any form of progressive dementia as was feared, or I wouldn't have seen the degree of improvement I have. My last scan no longer reported my heart to be enlarged. My tolerance of pain has improved (or else the pain has improved).

As far as my muscle and joint pain in the legs, knees, hips, and back - I found do not have rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, fibromyalgia, or any of the other scary terms they threw out when trying to figure out why I hurt so badly. That pain turned out to be from having Periodic Limb Movement Disorder.

Between successful CPAP treatment (when I can sleep) and periodically a degree of relief from the limb movements, I no longer feel the need to run to the doctor begging him to find out what is wrong with me.

Only wish I'd been treated many years before.

Kathy