Why the Fatigue?

[kb5sxr]

Hello Everyone,
I having been having a lot of health problems. The problem is the doctors can't agree the source of the problem!!! The medical cost is hitting 10 thousand dollars. I have missed a lot of time off work.

I have slept with a CPAP machine since August 2010. It has been adjusted to a variable setting.

At this point this my issue. I am heavily fatigued. I push myself to limit to get through the day. When I put my mask on at night I am breathing like I have been running a race. My breathing doesn't slow down for most of the night.

I have been losing my voice also. This isn't good because I am a teacher.

I just finished a steroid. The only thing it did for me was it gave me voice back for now. I am being tested for Myasthenia Gravis. I am still waiting on the test results.

Any advice would be appreciated.

TJ
.

[robysue]

Hello Everyone,
I having been having a lot of health problems. The problem is the doctors can't agree the source of the problem!!! The medical cost is hitting 10 thousand dollars. I have missed a lot of time off work.

Other than sleep apnea, what kind of medical problems are you facing? What kind of things have you been tested for? What kinds of things have been ruled out as sources for your fatigue?

I have slept with a CPAP machine since August 2010. It has been adjusted to a variable setting.

Do you know exactly what CPAP machine you are using and exactly how it is set up? And what mask are you using?

Do you know what your pressure range is? If the machine is wide open, a narrower range may help. Do you know what the data from the machine indicates your 90% or your 95% pressure level is?

Those are all important data points for folks here to help trouble shoot issues with the CPAP that you might be having.

At this point this my issue. I am heavily fatigued. I push myself to limit to get through the day. When I put my mask on at night I am breathing like I have been running a race. My breathing doesn't slow down for most of the night.

I have been losing my voice also. This isn't good because I am a teacher.

Are you using EPR or Flex on your CPAP? Does it help at all? Do you have trouble breathing out against the CPAP pressure? Do you feel like the CPAP is forcing more air into your lungs than you can comfortably breath in? Have you talked about any of this with your sleep doctor? If so, then it may be time to consider asking if a bi-level titration is in order.

I just finished a steroid. The only thing it did for me was it gave me voice back for now. I am being tested for Myasthenia Gravis. I am still waiting on the test results.

Any advice would be appreciated.

A quick Google search of Myasthenia Gravis turns up that it's a pretty nasty sounding neurological condition that would explain a lot. Follow up on this and make sure that you have all the doctors who are currently treating you for any of your fatigue-related symptoms sending medical records to each other---be sure to put all the doctors' names on each other's HIPAA releases.

Good luck.


TJ
.[/quote]

[helpful1]

Hi TJ,

Fatigue is a symptom with many causes. Apnea may or may not be the cause for your fatigue. I would suggest using this board in a narrow way: to help you understand where you're at with your apnea therapy, and to educate yourself on how you might optimize that therapy. Once you've optimized your CPAP therapy, you can probably rule out apnea as the cause of your fatigue if you're still feeling run down. Make sense? If that happens, you can move on to explore other potential causes for your fatigue with your doctors. I had fatigue for a number of years, and it wasn't resolved till I looked into CPAP therapy. I had looked at many other causes first.

I'd start by going to your control panel and filling in your equipment. Then posting the results of your sleep study, if you have them. Then any data that you might have.

Welcome, and best wishes!

[Julie]

I would suggest you ask for a cardio consult... not to worry you, but more to quickly rule out (if possible) anything that should be addressed, rather than going around it hoping it's 'only' a Cpap problem, or something else. Also, when's the last time you had a thyroid check?