Again, OSA Symptoms

[Plowboy]

All,

I have another post here asking about everyone's symptoms previous to being diagnosed with OSA and have had few replies.
Maybe I was not clear enough on what I was looking for. I have a host of subtle symptoms that have not been specifically diagnosed and was wondering if some of you would share your pre-treatment symptoms. For me in particular, and maybe some others new to this treatment it might help us to read what some of you have dealt with previous to OSA treatment.

Hoping for some replies,

Phil

[DreamStalker]

go to this link and copy and paste into this thread ...

viewtopic.php?p=306408#p306408

[kteague]

Ok, here you go...

Restless nighttime sleep, sometimes insomnia
Daytime sleepiness with sleep attacks
Waking up coughing or feeling like something went down the wrong pipe
Waking up short of breath with pounding heartbeat
Waking in morning not rested and with headache
Frequent dreams with theme of choking, smothering, drowning, etc,
Memory and thought processsing problems
Blurring of line between dreaming, daydreaming, and reality
Decreased work performance
Increasing disorganization
Lack of energy and loss of interest
Depression over perceived (inner & outer) laziness
Food cravings
Weight gain
Edema
Frequent nighttime urination
Frustation and irritability
High blood pressure
Gradually increasing blood sugar reaching diabetic levels

I also have limb movement issues that contribute to my poor sleep. From what I've read on here, most of my symptoms are commonly reported, give or take a few. Others might have symptoms more exotic (or just different from mine) to add to the list. Are you having particular symptoms you're wondering if anyone else has had? I'm not familiar with your story, but anyone being diagnosed and therapeutically treated for OSA should over time see improvement in some, many, or all of their symptoms. What one is left with then would need evaluated for other possible causes. Hopefully that helps.
Kathy

[lebowski8]

Here are/were mine:
(Stolen from Kteague's list)... I starred the ones worse for me. Note, I was diagnosed with sever OSA.

** Restless nighttime sleep, sometimes insomnia
***Daytime sleepiness with sleep attacks (every day, terrible, for years)
***Waking up coughing or feeling like something went down the wrong pipe.. and choking gagging, gasping for air. (at least 2x per week, worse if i'd been going through a lot of stress, or reduced time for sleep because of school & work commitments)
Waking up short of breath with pounding heartbeat
Waking in morning not rested and with headache (at least once a week... headache might last for 2 to 6 hours)
* * Frequent dreams with theme of choking, smothering, drowning, etc,... for me, a feeling that I would suffocate in my sleep
Memory and thought processsing problems
* Blurring of line between dreaming, daydreaming, and reality (in the last year or so, this got particularly bad)
Decreased work performance
Increasing disorganization
Lack of energy and loss of interest
*Depression over perceived (inner & outer) laziness.... and probably misdiagnosed 2x with depression & dysthymia, and treated with meds. It did help some of my feelings, but it was only solving maybe 20-25% of my problems (at the time the worst of them).

I'll add a few more my personal symptoms i've attributed:

Feeling like I was dragging along an enormous heavy weight, not just physical, but also emotional.
Very disordered sleep-- naps here and there, no real solid sleep
in such a daze that it was affecting my ability to connect and socialize with friends & family: I felt detached, isolated and disassociated and distant
social fears regarding performance--- turning down invitations for feaar of being too exhausted to meet basic social expectations (i.e. being the drag at the party)
little odd pains all the time-- frequent small head aches and muscle aches, joint pains, muscle pains-- in all parts of the body

i speculate: OSA has caused metabolic issues that have lead to weight gain.

no doubt

All,

I have another post here asking about everyone's symptoms previous to being diagnosed with OSA and have had few replies.
Maybe I was not clear enough on what I was looking for. I have a host of subtle symptoms that have not been specifically diagnosed and was wondering if some of you would share your pre-treatment symptoms. For me in particular, and maybe some others new to this treatment it might help us to read what some of you have dealt with previous to OSA treatment.

Hoping for some replies,

Phil

[Plowboy]

Thanks for all of your replies, I can definitely relate to all these symptoms except for the dreams, I rarely remember having any dreams. I just finished my second night with BiPAP, the addition of the chin strap did make a differance. I am also having some vision and dizziness issues (dizziness is mild, vision blurry at times) and have had multiple tests (MRI,CT,Blood work) with no diagnosis to attribute it to. Anyone else having these type of symptoms?

Again, thanks for all your replies.

[Quinda]

I had dizziness and blurry vision prior to my diagnosis ... I also did not dream at all before beginning therapy ...

[Julie]

Have you had your blood sugar checked? Have you ever been checked for MS (don't want to worry you, but maybe a neurological check-up might be in order).

[Plowboy]

In the last 11 months I have seen:

6 GPs
2 Neurologists
1 Cardiologist
1 Pulmonologist
I Infectious Disease

I have had:

2 Chest CTs with contrast
1 Brain MRI with contrast
3 Spinal MRIs
2 Abdominal Ultrasounds
1 Sinus CT

Blood Tests:

4 x CBC
4 x Lipid
Complete Thyroid x2 (TSH, T-3, T-3 Free, T-2)
Glucose Tolerance (plus fasting with each CBC)
Epstein Barr
Mono-spot x 2
Valley Fever x 2
West Nile x 2
Heps

The only clear diagnosis was a positive mono on the first and negative on the second.
2 x sleep studies and 1 titration

Current meds: 1 x 500mg Glucophage (insulin resistant pancreas good)
5 mg lisinopril x1 (slight hypertension)
BMI 32.5 at 6'1" 240lbs.

I have read researched and read some more. My infectious disease Doc believes I have post viral syndrome (CEBV) but I have had no definitive diagnosis for the dizziness/vision issues.

Phil