I am nearly completely disabled. Is Apnea the culprit????

[garyden1982]

I was just diagnosed with sleep apnea and was fitted for a CPAP mask although I have not received it yet. My symptoms are so severe and so extreme that it is very difficult for me to accept that the answer is as simple as a good night's sleep. I know what the doctors are telling me but I have been either lied to or misinformed by misinformed doctors so much that I wanted to actually hear from people who may have been through what I have been through and are now safely on the other side.

I have been dealing with sleep apnea for more than a decade. I am 34 years old this year and my body is falling apart in front of me. Having been an athlete and a person who likes to stay in shape, it has been very difficult for me to accept that walking too fast is dangerous for me due to a heart rate that now seems to fluctuate with every sneeze. My blood pressure was the first symptom. It would radically change for no particular reason. Going from 120/60 to 160/135 and back again for no apparent reason. Then my heart rate became unstable. My resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 115 bpm with no reason or rhyme. If I try to work out, my heart rate skyrockets to 180bpm in less than 5 minutes of non cardiovascular exercise. My short term something is gone. I can't remember what it's called (ok...slight joke but my short term memory is shot).

I feel like I am constantly on the verge of my body collapsing. I now suffer from PVC heart beats which take my breath away when they happen 5-50 times per day. I feel every heart beat.

Has anyone else gone through this? Help! Did CPAP change this for the better? Can you please tell me your story because I'm really scared and cant get through a day without crying right now.

-Gary

PS. Ignore the text below. I did this on my phone and could not erase the text below for some reason.

[BlackSpinner]

Yes.
It is possible but you won't know until you use it for a month or two.

I was surprised how effective it was in treating all sorts of issues I had. Everything from depression/anxiety to cognitive abilities to nicer hair and skin and stronger nails.

[garyden1982]

While I appreciate your reply, (and please don't take this personally), but I don't care to hear from people who "didn't feel good" or had some minor psych issues (so help me if you try and tell me how bad your psych issues are). My body is literally coming apart right now and I cannot do simple exercise, walk for long distances, and my heart constantly feels as though it is on the verge of exploding and has developed a truly annoying arrhythmia. These are moderate PHYSICAL symptoms and what I'm trying to find out is if anyone out there has come back from the brink of organ failure due to sleep apnea because I cannot live like this much longer and I guess I'm looking for hope. I do not mean to make light of depression as I've dealt with that too but that's easy to fix, which I did through drugs. I've got a great life minus the physical disabilities and I just need to know if my more extreme situation is actually from sleep apnea and knowing if there are others like me would really help.

[chunkyfrog]

We are not doctors. We are not clairvoyant.
Ask your doctor, please.
We want to help, but only your doctor knows you and your problems.
Blackspinner gave a very nice and helpful reply.
There was no reason to jump down her throat.

[Julie]

If you're still walking and talking you're not 'on the brink of organ failure'. Being dramatic (and wrong) will not get you much help.

[palerider]

While I appreciate your reply, (and please don't take this personally), but I don't care to hear from people who "didn't feel good" or had some minor psych issues (so help me if you try and tell me how bad your psych issues are). My body is literally coming apart right now and I cannot do simple exercise, walk for long distances, and my heart constantly feels as though it is on the verge of exploding and has developed a truly annoying arrhythmia. These are moderate PHYSICAL symptoms and what I'm trying to find out is if anyone out there has come back from the brink of organ failure due to sleep apnea because I cannot live like this much longer and I guess I'm looking for hope. I do not mean to make light of depression as I've dealt with that too but that's easy to fix, which I did through drugs. I've got a great life minus the physical disabilities and I just need to know if my more extreme situation is actually from sleep apnea and knowing if there are others like me would really help.

lashing out at the first person that offers you support is not a great way to encourage others to help you.

yes, there's hope, why do you find it hard to believe that not sleeping hurts you so much? that's when most of your bodies healing goes on, during sleep.

I'll let others risk your backlash if they're brave enough to share.

this forum is best at helping people help themselves. if you just want to be pampered and have a shoulder to cry on, head over to apneaboard.com, but beware, they'll ban you for snapping at folks.

[BlackSpinner]

While I appreciate your reply, (and please don't take this personally), but I don't care to hear from people who "didn't feel good" or had some minor psych issues (so help me if you try and tell me how bad your psych issues are). My body is literally coming apart right now and I cannot do simple exercise, walk for long distances, and my heart constantly feels as though it is on the verge of exploding and has developed a truly annoying arrhythmia. These are moderate PHYSICAL symptoms and what I'm trying to find out is if anyone out there has come back from the brink of organ failure due to sleep apnea because I cannot live like this much longer and I guess I'm looking for hope. I do not mean to make light of depression as I've dealt with that too but that's easy to fix, which I did through drugs. I've got a great life minus the physical disabilities and I just need to know if my more extreme situation is actually from sleep apnea and knowing if there are others like me would really help.

Don't expect me to offer you an help again when you have issues with using this therapy. Go stick your head up your ass and blow away.

[Julie]

+ 1

"it has been very difficult for me to accept that walking too fast is dangerous"

Let us know when you're actually in a wheelchair, maybe ask others who are there now about your 'disability'!

[allenrcp]

Damage created over the course of 10 years is not going to reverse your first night. But to back up the doctors, for what its worth, all of the symptoms you described could be caused by sleep apnea. But they could also be caused by things you didn't mention (alcohol abuse for example) or things you don't know about (yet to be diagnosed medical condition). It will In fairness, even if the apnea isn't isn't the primary reason for your ails you're going to want to treat it because A. it can cause/exacerbate all of those symptoms and B. It will help lead to the real underlying cause. In order to fix your cars misfiring engine you must first replace the faulty battery so that it will run in the first place.

[kteague]

I'll risk the backlash - one time. Why? Maybe because you seem desperately worn down and probably not at your best. But here's my take - sleep in and of itself is critical to our physical and mental health. That's why sleep deprivation is a tool of war. It breaks a person down. Consider within that the damage done to the whole body (including organs) when there is low oxygen repeatedly over the course of a night - night after night after night. Add to that the stress hormones surging through the body with every apnea event. While our bodies can handle those "fight or flight" hormones on an intermittent basis, it is not good to have them ongoing and countering restorative sleep. All our systems, hormones, and chemicals are delicately intertwined. Any disruption can potentially have a cascading effect. It's not just bad sleep - there's so much more involved. And there's too many variables for comparisons here to carry much weight. I feel my situation was severe. I have on here described it as nearly catastrophic, in probably too much detail. But maybe mine wasn't "worse" at all, and I just happen to be wordy and am not a very private person. I do hope you can read back through your posts and recognize how offensive some of your comments are. I'm usually pretty tolerant but my first reaction was "Get over yourself!" Then I thought back to those days of misery and figured I should cut you some slack. If you go to the top of the main page and browse the thread of success stories maybe there will be some you can relate to. Good luck.

[Violet West]

I was very skeptical at first, too, after I Ianded in the hospital with heart rhythm problems and they told it was due to untreated sleep apnea. But the more I learned, the more I understood it's not really about "a good night's sleep" at all. It's about stopping breathing and the brain thinking you're dying many times an hour. That puts an incredible strain on all your bio systems that can indeed lead to high blood pressure, heart problems, loss of brain function, etc.

I don't believe CPAP therapy is a panacea, but it can make things better enough that you can start to control the other things in your life that are making you feel lousy, such as a negative mental attitude, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle.

[nobody]

While I appreciate your reply, (and please don't take this personally), but I don't care to hear from people who "didn't feel good" or had some minor psych issues (so help me if you try and tell me how bad your psych issues are). My body is literally coming apart right now and I cannot do simple exercise, walk for long distances, and my heart constantly feels as though it is on the verge of exploding and has developed a truly annoying arrhythmia. These are moderate PHYSICAL symptoms and what I'm trying to find out is if anyone out there has come back from the brink of organ failure due to sleep apnea because I cannot live like this much longer and I guess I'm looking for hope. I do not mean to make light of depression as I've dealt with that too but that's easy to fix, which I did through drugs. I've got a great life minus the physical disabilities and I just need to know if my more extreme situation is actually from sleep apnea and knowing if there are others like me would really help.

Are you still on these anti depression drugs now? Because pretty much all of them affect the central nervous system and can cause these heart symptoms. I'm not sure what you describe is as bad as all that. If you start working out, even fast walking, your heart rate and blood pressure is going to go up and how much can depend on your level of fitness and diet. Drink more water. Dehydration can cause some of those symptoms. It also sounds like you may have some anxiety going on. That can definitely be caused by lack of proper sleep of any type, not just OSA. Of course these are all just guesses. I'm not a doctor and you should be working with a doctor to figure this out. Use your CPAP machine. See if things improve. If they don't, you have some other issues to work out. Good luck.

[D.H.]

This does sound like my case and a lot of cases out there, except that your case seems very extreme. Since this does seem to be an exaggerated version of the typical case, I certainly would not dismiss Sleep Apena as a major (or even exclusive) culprit.

[tlohse]

In my humble opinion Apnea is not the cause of all your problems. But left untreated Apnea can cause you to have issues. I am not a doctor and don't have the answers for you only your sleep specialist or doctor can tell you more. I am just a 38 year old almost 39 year old male who has used CPAP since June 2013 and had a very severe Sleep Apnea. Let me tell you if you get the right settings CPAP can really improve your sleep and quality of life.

[Guest]

Hi garyden1982

don't drop your arms. It is tough (difficult) to ask for help, and some times it is difficult to help. Don't worry about your second post ! It is normal but hard for people who hope to help to take it. If you read through this one you are welcome to take it apart.

your case is likely not just apnea, but a few things falling together. this said CPAP may be a good thing to try it sure cannot hurt.
By the way, what were your sleep apnea results, please post them.

My story is way too long but I know what it feels like when hitting the bottom. life is like a rollercauster. don't give up! When your body is falling apart you are going to have to pick up the peaces, no one can do that for you, but some people out there are able to help you find the peaces.

> My short term something is gone. I can't remember what it's called (ok...slight joke but my short term memory is shot).

A life without a memory is an unforgetful adventure.

I know what it is when that one is shot. I can watch a movie again and again it always is like the first time I see the movie except for one or two details that do remain and pop up out of nowhere. Some times it can get really bad... and there I am, and some times it can get really good. Some movies or stupid jokes I will never forget.

Ah, and if you can cry, do it, it is a clear sign you are alive and still have feelings.

If I can give you a suggestion ask a close friend or some one in your family to help you find a doctor and have you taken some medicine for just a few weeks maybe a month to get you out of the mood hole. (I mean some type of untidepressor med) But you have to know they only start working after a few weeks, so be patient.