Does Sleep Apnea make you Angry?

[spookydoo]

In the last year my sleep Apnea has gotten so bad that it has almost caused a personality change within me. I find myself jumping on my kids, snapping at my wife, and my frustration level high pretty constantly. And I dearly love my wife and kids. I usually don't realize that I am in a foul mood until either my wife lets me know or I have time to reflect later. Add to it, the fact that sleep Apnea makes me spacy, forgetful, tired, dizzy, etc. and I'm just a delight to be around. So, I'm working hard to get my Apnea under control.

I understand why I'm experiencing these things from a medical point of view. But I still don't like the fact that it has this affect on me and hence my family. Any of you also experience the same with anger, frustration, and short tempers when your Apnea is bad?

[BeanMeScot]

Not so much me but I had an online friend who had a really bad AHI. Over 80, I believe (AFTER a full throat clean out surgery ). He had a real life friend who worked at a DME. He didn't have insurance (he had been fired from a job because he was having problems getting to work on time because of oversleeping). His friend let him borrow a M Series with A Flex for a couple of nights. There was such a difference in the guys personality and attitude that the DME friend couldn't bear the thought of taking the APAP away and instead let him use it until he could get one on his own.

[jskinner]

I understand why I'm experiencing these things from a medical point of view. But I still don't like the fact that it has this affect on me and hence my family. Any of you also experience the same with anger, frustration, and short tempers when your Apnea is bad?

Yes. Personality and mood changes are one of the harder aspects of sleep apnea to deal with in my opinion. Others often don't understand or believe is a result of sleep disordered breathings. Doctors often try to prescribe drugs rather than working on improving the breathing.

Its frustrating.

[harry33]

if you are using your CPAP properly there should be no problems

[grandmma]

Any of you also experience the same with anger, frustration, and short tempers when your Apnea is bad?

I actually do experience all those mood swings (snappish, spacy, forgetful, tired, dizzy) on occasion, but both myself and the family have put it down to old age! My numbers are good, but still could be you're on to something - it is a bit more prevalent than I'd like to believe is just from 'old age' creeping up.

Others often don't understand or believe is a result of sleep disordered breathings.

Interesting - you mean until the apnea is under control, so to speak, by CPAP? Or always will be a result, even when numbers are good? I'm just wondering whether sleep apnea will have these side effects even when all appears to be going well? Or again, maybe old age..... !

[BlackSpinner]

I didn't realize how it had affected me until after I started therapy! I no longer bite the heads of clerks in stores, I have more patience. But above all I can make decisions again, my creativity has returned and my optimism has rebounded! My cup is now half full instead of half empty. Nothing else in my life has changed except for me getting real sleep.

Since starting CPAP I finished a sculpture, created several items of clothing, started cooking meals from scratch again, designed some costumes to be started soon, worked on my personal web page as opposed to the last 12 months where I knitted a pair of socks and they are still not finished. Most of this is due to the mental ability to make decisions and caring about doing these things.

Before CPAP I often felt spacy and like there were things I was not remembering, strange things that were half there but totally bizarre like out of a dream, like something out of fantasy ghost worlds waiting to come through....

[enso]

Well, shoot, maybe I do have some symptoms after all!

And here I thought I was taking after Ouiser in Steel Magnolias: "I'm not crazy, I've just been a very bad mood for the last 40 years!"

I guess it should be "I'm not naturally irritable, I just have sleep apnea!"

[grandmma]

My apologies spookydoo, not trying to hijack or make light of your thread, but

And here I thought I was taking after Ouiser in Steel Magnolias: "I'm not crazy, I've just been a very bad mood for the last 40 years!"

That was a great line, wasn't it? Must remember & use it more often!

[Guest]

Yes, I had all the same problems as well! I have always dealt with depression/anxiety, but being sleep deprived made things a WHOLLLLE lot worse! I was also diagnosed with cancer twice in a 17 month time frame, so I've gone through a lot. People close to me can see a big difference in me in the few short weeks I've had it. I've worn it every night all night. One night my mouth kept coming open (allergies)....I may get a chin strap (I also wear a bite guard at night as well that keeps my teeth slightly seperated.

[spookydoo]

if you are using your CPAP properly there should be no problems

If therapy were that simple not many of us would be on this forum. Therapy can be a moving target. Getting adequate therapy is the goal for all of us. Getting there is another thing. It has gotten better as my numbers have gotten better, but it is quite a process. And in the meantime, it's good to know from talking to each other, that some of the things we are experiencing, but have a hard time controlling are a result of Sleep Apnea.

[spookydoo]

Since starting CPAP I finished a sculpture, created several items of clothing, started cooking meals from scratch again, designed some costumes to be started soon, worked on my personal web page as opposed to the last 12 months where I knitted a pair of socks and they are still not finished. Most of this is due to the mental ability to make decisions and caring about doing these things.

Before CPAP I often felt spacy and like there were things I was not remembering, strange things that were half there but totally bizarre like out of a dream, like something out of fantasy ghost worlds waiting to come through....

I totally get that. I went from having a personality that lead the charge to wanting to hide behind the trees. Your focus becomes just making it. I'm not saying that's where you want to stay. But until you get improved therapy, you're right--you have a hard time making decisions, finishing tasks, etc. That's why they use sleep deprivation in war (no political comments please). Right or wrong, they do it for a reason...because it really screws with your brain.

[BlackSpinner]

I went from having a personality that lead the charge to wanting to hide behind the trees.

Been there done that. When my migraines started I went from the person everyone could count on to the flake no-one could count on. Very distressing emotionally then when I finally got it together again and was no longer biting heads off due to pain I get hit out of left field with this and I am the nasty zombie.

Even though I am now sleeping and feeling better I am still angry under neath that I got hit this way. It is going to take a long time to deal with the angry and sense of betrayal, no amount of wonderful CPAP therapy is going instantly heal the mind. Coping skills developed for lack of sleep, other peoples expectations, bad habits and mental attitudes, weight and more all now have to be worked on.

Yes I am still angry, I am angry when I look in the mirror and see that weight, when I see the bags. I am angry when my family says "welcome back" for the pain I put them through. I am angry when I see the years of lost art. I am angry when I think of the relationship that disintegrated under the stress of separate bedrooms.

[jskinner]

Interesting - you mean until the apnea is under control, so to speak, by CPAP? Or always will be a result, even when numbers are good?

If CPAP is working well you should see the emotional symptoms clear up. However that said, we know from studies that untreated sleep apnea can causes small damage to the structure of the brain and not all symptoms always completely clear up.

[mars]

Hi All

Does sleep apnea make you angry?

To be really truthful, and risking approbation, I would have to say no. But what it does do extremely well is to create the emotional and mental conditions that often make it impossible to handle things with tolerance, patience, and seeing things from the other persons point of view.

A few years ago I had got to the stage where it was getting dangerous for me to go out. If anything or anybody did not go my way then I would go on and on and on in a very aggressive manner. I would not let up on it, and it was a real problem. Road rage was a problem - I have chased cars and cars have chased me. One day I impatiently cut one guy off, he then chased me and crashed into the side of me, so I then chased him and followed him into an aged care rest home. We both got out and walked towards each other. Can you imagine it, two guys both over 60 about to get stuck into each other. It was so ridiculous we had to stop, looked at each other, and we both apologised. Both cars were damaged, male ego was satisfied, and so we both walked away.

Before I knew I had sleep apnea I used to blame such things on a liver dysfunction due to drinking too much when I was younger. The above incident led me to Milk Thistle, which I then started taking daily, and my temper did cool enough to allow me to go out with reasonable confidence in getting back home without getting into trouble.

But the accumulation of no breathing started to get me going again. I have had to use all I know about dealing with low frustration tolerance to get by on a daily basis. And that often has not been enough, my brain has been too frazzled to put into action what I know.

I am now getting less angry, and more tolerant, and also doing things (not many yet), that I have been putting off for years, or starting things and not finishing them. For myself I have called this a half-life, and I am more saddened by this than angry.

So I can certainly agree with the general opinion that sleep apnea causes anger, but to make that condition less destructive I have to go with trying not to awfulise, catastrophise or exagerate, what happens around me. The recent bush fires have been a good example for me. None of my close neighbours has done anything to make their homes safer, only I have. But I have to live with them and allow them their view of things.

But here I am starting a new life, and my thinking IS getting better, and my temper IS getting better, and I am able to attend to my other health problems better.

Hope I haven't rambled on too much

cheers

Mars

[spookydoo]

But the accumulation of no breathing started to get me going again. I have had to use all I know about dealing with low frustration tolerance to get by on a daily basis. And that often has not been enough, my brain has been too frazzled to put into action what I know.

Mars

Low Frustration Tolerance is the key phrase here. When you cannot get good sleep, your ability to process things quickly, evenly, and in balance becomes difficult. At least it has for me.