Changes in sleep pattern

[carlitguy]

I have been on CPAP for over 5 years. I would go to bed at about 11:30 and wake up at 7:00 A.M.. I would not be able to go back to sleep and I would have fallen asleep instantly.
I had a heart attack a year ago and was on Lipitor. A little over a month ago I was changed to Crestor to eliminate any muscle pain I had been experiencing. Shortly after that I retired. I now go to sleep about 10:30 and am wide awake at 4:00. I usually get up and use the washroom. If I try to go back to sleep using the CPAP I can not. I have a ramp of 4 for 20 minutes. However, if I take my mask off I do go back to sleep until about 7:00. I know it is dangerous to sleep without the mask but I am defiantly in REM as I do dream like crazy when I go back to sleep. I am going to take my SD card in to get read in the next day or two and I have checked the side effects of Crestor and sleep is not one of them.
Is it my medication or is it the retirement that has changed my sleep patterns?
Dean in Canada

[Perrybucsdad]

Maybe that's all the sleep that your body needs given what you do now that you are retired. I duno.

[Mary Z]

I looked up the side effects of Crestor and saw no mention of insomnia. What if you don't take it for a day or two, or if you're taking it at night take it in the morning and see if that makes any difference. Any change in your routine can upset your sleeping patterns. I don't know why you can go to sleep without the mask and not with it on, though.
Good luck, keep us posted.

[Jay Aitchsee]

http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/AHA/7301

See the above for the specific mention of zocor. This relates to a study done in 2007 which found some fat soluble statins could cause sleep disturbance. It is the only study I've found so far, though there are numerous references on the internet that speculate statins may cause disturbed sleep. The study seems to imply that older, water soluble statins, such as pravachol may not cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore may not cause distrurbance. I have long suspected the zocor I take to be causative in my disturbed sleep, but stopping it for some time did not seem to help. BTW, I too, wake early and have difficulty going back to sleep.
You may want to try a yet another statin?
Jay

[Lizistired]

Have you considered downloading the ResScan software and reading the card yourself?
What is your pressure setting? Starting your ramp at 4 may be too low. If you are used to your pressure, you may not even need the ramp.

[xenablue]

Firstly, you shouldn't take Crestor (or any cholesterol med.) in the morning. Your body makes cholesterol during the night and according to my cardio, this is when you should take those kinds of meds.

I used the ramp when I started CPAP, but felt like I couldn't get a decent amount of air, so ditched that pretty early on and turned it off. Maybe you could try that, specially as you've been at this a while.

Otherwise, perhaps you don't need the same amount of sleep now you're retired - that's quite normal if you aren't as mentally or physically active as you were when employed.

Cheers,
xena

[ozze_dollar]

Firstly, you shouldn't take Crestor (or any cholesterol med.) in the morning. Your body makes cholesterol during the night and according to my cardio, this is when you should take those kinds of meds.

I used the ramp when I started CPAP, but felt like I couldn't get a decent amount of air, so ditched that pretty early on and turned it off. Maybe you could try that, specially as you've been at this a while.

Otherwise, perhaps you don't need the same amount of sleep now you're retired - that's quite normal if you aren't as mentally or physically active as you were when employed.

Cheers,
xena

They used to say that about cholesterol meds but now they say it doesnt matter morning or night.I have specifically asked this of my Cardio.