so what was you wierd not listed symptom?

[lilsheba]

My allergies have gone away since starting cpap and nasal rinsing. This time of year it usually gets bad...but not this time. I do think more clearly, and retain information better. I don't wake up in a sweat anymore like I did before treatment.

Don't know about BP I need to get that checked. Haven't lost weight yet but I haven't gained either. I'm generally happier in mood.

Jeanine

[Captain_Midnight]

Dave - -

You observed I find that many have other Wierd stuff that goes away with Cpap that no doc in the world would associate with apnea.

And you are not alone.

For a little over a year, I compiled a list of symptoms from various websites, forums, and speaking to fellow apneics.

I posted the first draft of the list on the ASAA forum here ==>

http://www.apneasupport.org/viewtopic.p ... highlight=

I'm always looking for additional symptoms (or comments) to update the draft. (I have a somewhat more updated version, but this one is simple to post.) BTW, I'm woofman at the ASAA site, but not the same guy as Wulfman hereabouts.

As for my personal weird symptoms, I find myself more socially at ease. Where I used to be a bit on the quiet side, I now have to be careful not to "motormouth". Just one of many positive changes from PAP therapy.

Regards all - - Capt Midnight

[lvehko]

I used to drop things all the time.

Me, too! Not nearly as bad now after a year on cpap.

Min

[lvehko]

I didn't realize until I'd been on CPAP for a while that I'd *stopped* dreaming. I don't know how long I went, but it had been years that I hadn't had or remembered a single dream. I put that down to lack of REM sleep. Now I dream epically, like I used to. Better than going to the movies.

Min

[echo]

I used to bump into things all the time - especially wall corners. Or I would walk by a fence that had something protruding out of it and i would think it was closer than it was and i'd get all freaked out. Or funny vision - like seeing things out of the corner of my eyes that wasn't really there (classic symptom of sleep deprivation i guess)...

I'm still waiting for the fuzzy thinking to clear up, but I do notice that my mind wonders less when others are talking (or when i'm bored listening to them), and I am slightly better at thinking on my feet.

And the best one: no more insomnia!!

[Art Mom]

I have experienced many of the same improvements, warmer, clearer speech, etc. But the strangest by far is I no longer have recurrent dreams that my mouth is full of giant wads of gum that I pull and pull like stringy cheese and they don't come out. And the sensation that I am choking. Those were the worst dreams, and I had them a lot.

Maybe there is something to dream analysis, I read a symptom list for sleep disorders that listed dreams about choking.

[socknitster]

My crazy symptoms:

I would be talking and forget a common word or name and would have to describe the object or person to my husband--it used to be like a game we played. He always thought it was so funny. I don't think it is funny any more and I'm glad it is mostly gone. It didn't do much for my self esteem.

I was just plain less attentive, less able to focus. Knitting complex designs was far tougher before cpap. I was more scatter brained. Often didn't get jokes for a while after others stopped laughing. Now I'm sharper and I'm trying to train my brain to be more attentiive so I don't have to rely on my husband for certain things--like where favorite stores or restaurants are in nearby cities. It isn't a muscle, but I think my thinking can be improved.

I had at least 2 miscarriages and one very difficult pregnancy. It was all I could do to just be pregnant. I had to quit my job and i didn't do very much for most of the nine months. Even in the first trimester I got dizzy spells if I stood too long. Any kind of shopping was a nightmare.

I was so sure that something was causing all my bizarre symptoms that I at one time had 4 carbon monoxide detectors in my 3 bedroom, single level home. I was sure the first three must be malfuncioning because all my symptoms fit the carbon monoxide poisoning profile. The scientist in me had to believe it after four didn't find any co in the house. You could put paranoia on the list!

Like the others, I had lots of smothering/drowning/just plain scary dreams. Often dreamed people were breaking into my house or that my parents were trying to hurt me. When I was a child I often dreamed that the devil opened a hole at the head of my bed and pulled me through kicking and screaming.

I suspect I've had apnea all my life, confirmed by the fact that my son (age 4) was recently diagnosed too--he also has terrible scary dreams--with antihistimines and nasal saline rinses and good sleep hygiene we minimize it. He gets his tonsils out next monday which should cure him. And hopefully will spare him this disorder later in life.

I hope the future of sleep science looks to prevention rather than treatment, so I don't have to worry about my offspring so much.

Jen

[Moby]

Hi Jen,

I had my tonsils out at about age 7. I'm pretty sure it was for snoring. I started snoring again in my late 30s or 40s.

Hopefully the op will protect your son from OSA, but may not.

I remained a mouth breather after the op. I think that contributed to my airways remaining lax. Don't know if my parent's nagging me to breathe through my nose would have had any effect though!

Wishing you and your son all the best through the op and recovery period


Di

[canyongirl]

my boyfriend stated to call me a cpap bitch. He meant it with a light hearted tone.

He swears I am way more outpsoken and direct (which I always was), but would let him talk more because I was tired.

Now I can talk forever and stay awake all the time. He thinks I am more aggressive and teasing...... anyone else see that in their lives?

[amandalee]

Here's a weird one: Back in high school I made the stupid mistake of WAAAAY overplucking my eyebrows to a very thin line. They never entirely grew back. Now that I've started CPAP, they're starting to grow back.
What's up with that? Not that I mind, but now I'm going to have to start getting them done at the salon.

Also, very vague or no memory of some events. Saturday I was at my parents house and we were watching some show about weird/unique roadside attractions here in UT, and my dad said we'd been to a bunch of the ones on the show. I have no memory of it whatsoever.

Before CPAP, I had to have an ECG and it showed I was having pre-ventricular contractions. I had to go to a cardiologist for an ultrasound and a bunch of tests, all of which showed I was fine. Too bad I didn't get my sleep apnea diagnosis first, then the cardiology appointment probably wouldn't have been necessary.

[socknitster]

Amandalee,

The eyebrow thing could just be age. The older I get the more fastidious I find I have to be about stray hairs in odd places. I actually blame apnea for it (inside my head--no one I know wants to hear about my plucking habits, sorry dear readers!). I often wonder if all those crazy stress hormones like cortisol weren't wreaking havoc with hair growth. I was sooooo hoping cpap would cure that for me, but alas, no. I'll be doing another round of laser hair removal this winter when my tan fades.

My memory is also quite patchy. Makes me sad as I'm sure we all feel the same. To forget good times is not cool.

I had some heart scares when i was pregnant too. I had to wear some kind of heart monitoring device for 24 hours because I was having heart races and palpitations. They didn't catch the apnea at the time--too bad they didn't put a pulse ox on me too at the time. Would have saved me about 5 years of zombi-like living.

Moby, I plan on being the nag from hell if I ever suspect my boy has apnea--you betcha I'll be watching for it! Thanks for the heads up. He isn't a mouth breather now, but could be heading that way if we don't get those tonsils/ads out. He is stuffed up a lot. The adenoids are blocking proper mucous flow. He gets sick a lot too and has allergies.

Canyongirl--I used to be more bitchy before cpap. I was too tired to care what others thought. Now I am more aware of the nuances of body language etc and don't go off as much. Still have a temper tho. Sure wish cpap could cure that!

Jen

[papoose]

I found Captain_Midnight's list fascinating. Having undiagnosed apnea for several decades has given my body quite an opportunity to develop weird symptoms. As my list of symptoms grew, doctors thought I must be crazy.

Except for lack of energy and ringing ears, I've never experienced the more common symptoms (high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.) Most of my symptoms have been neuromuscular, including twitches and muscle spasms. I often wake up with leg cramps, but the weirdest cramps occur in my esophagus. Foods and liquids simply can't go down without great pain. I once lost 30 pounds in a matter of weeks!

[Moby]

When asleep I often had painful needling feelings in my toes mainly, also my fingers. Associated with weird dreams about animals nibbling my feet, or me rummaging around in a sharps box (full of used syringes)

Also waking from dreams with a dreadful certainty of something terribly amiss with my health. Would struggle to remember what awful disease I had...cancer? Aids? (from all those needles... perhaps I really had stuck my hand in a sharps box and forgotten????) Would Would like awake trying to remember and draw a blank, and it wouldn't make sense, as my body knew I was struggling to stay alive.

editted - spelling

[socknitster]

I found Captain_Midnight's list fascinating. Having undiagnosed apnea for several decades has given my body quite an opportunity to develop weird symptoms. As my list of symptoms grew, doctors thought I must be crazy.

Except for lack of energy and ringing ears, I've never experienced the more common symptoms (high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.) Most of my symptoms have been neuromuscular, including twitches and muscle spasms. I often wake up with leg cramps, but the weirdest cramps occur in my esophagus. Foods and liquids simply can't go down without great pain. I once lost 30 pounds in a matter of weeks!

I seriously hope they checked you for Barette's (sp? sorry!) esophogus--a complication of GERD that has a symptom like that. If you have it, it needs to be treated and it may be worsening your apnea.

jen

[papoose]

I seriously hope they checked you for Barette's (sp? sorry!) esophogus--a complication of GERD that has a symptom like that. If you have it, it needs to be treated and it may be worsening your apnea.

Thank you Jen...

I certainly was checked for Barrett's, especially because my dad (and his brother) died from esophageal cancer. I had an endoscopy, a manometry study (to rule out achalasia), and a pH study (to rule out GERD). All test results were normal, but muscle spasms were never investigated.

I've had esophageal cramps my whole life--for decades--concurrent with OSA. In childhood, they ocurred infrequently. They became more frequent as I aged and as the apnea worsened, and at times they would last several days.

Since I began CPAP therapy, I've awakened only once with leg cramps, and I've done only one spit take with that first sip of coffee in the morning. And I have no problems at all when it comes to eating and drinking. Go figure.