Oxygen desaturation causes irritablity and restlessness

[ResmedUser]

Here is some trivia every OSA sufferer should know. Oxygen desaturations causes you to feel irritable and causes restlessness, even agitated feeling. I learned this when I got recertified as a Lifeguard two years ago. As part of the current ARC Lifeguard training, all Lifeguards also have to be certified in the following first aid related:

1) ARC Oxygen administration for the professional rescuer cert

2) ARC CPR/AED for the professional rescuer cert

3) ARC Standard First Aid cert

4) ARC Blood Born Pathothens cert

In the ARC oxygen administration for the professional rescuer training, one of the actual questions on the ARC oxygen administration test asks about symptoms of O2 desat. And the correct answer is restlessness and irritability.

When I learned this from the recert training, I was like "wow" that also overlaps as a psychiatric symptom. So if you go into a doctor's office and you have OSA and its not being treated correctly, you might be all irritable, restless...even agitated. A lot of doctors and other medical people not well educated in pulmonary issues and OSA could easily mistake your presentation as "just a psych case." And give you benzos to calm you down.

Which would only make your OSA worse LOL.

Mikey

[BlackSpinner]

Yes I went from being the Total Bitch(1) to being a little bitchy after I got my cpap machine. My family is totally behind me using this machine because I am soooo much easier to get along with!

(1) this is an understatement according to my daughter.

[ResmedUser]

Yes I went from being the Total Bitch(1) to being a little bitchy after I got my cpap machine. My family is totally behind me using this machine because I am soooo much easier to get along with!

(1) this is an understatement according to my daughter.

Yeah, this is what people who knew me before CPAP say about me as well. That I went from being severely irritable all the time, agitated even sometimes to being WAAAAYYY calmer after CPAP. And since my flareup recently, the irritability has come back. Although not quite as bad.

Mikey

[Slinky]

*giggle* In the months leading up to my in-lab sleep evaluation study in late 2006 I didn't even like myself! I hated the whole world and everyone in it. And the medical profession was my favorite target to take my anger and frustration out on! Prior to HIPAA nothing made me happier than some medical facility or professional to drag their feet or decline to give me a copy of a medical record, test results, etc. so that I had an excuse to do battle w/them.

[ResMedUser]

Yeah, I was really surprised when I saw the answer to that question on the ARC oxygen admin certification test. What I thought was, "wow, this could be misinterpreted as someone having a psych condition, when the real problem is they have low O2 levels."

But it really makes sense when you think about it. I mean think about it. What does your body do when its deprived of O2? Goes into "fight or flight" basically. You release the stress neurotransmitters like noradrenaline, which have been linked to hypertension, psychological anxiety, irritability and tension. Then on top of this, if it happens in your sleep you suffer from chronic sleep deprivation.

Hmmmmmmmmmm O2 desaturations causes restlessness and irritability. Add to that chronic sleep deprivation. Sounds like quite a few could be misdiagnosed as having a psych condition when the PRIMARY underlying condition is OSA!

Scary!

Mikey

[Slinky]

Yup, yup. Especially w/the psych profession struggling so vehemently for parity w/insurance coverage! There was an interesting article recently on grief and grief intervention. For most of us psych grief counseling is a bunch of BS or even impedes our own ability to work thru our grief our way. And it is so much EASIER to lay so many of our symptoms on good ole depression. And cheaper for insurances since psych coverage is so much more limited than medical health coverage. The medical doctors don't have to waste time and energy trying to figure out a difficult set of symptoms - what the hay, its easier to blame them on obesity and depression!!!

[ResmedUser]

Yup, yup. Especially w/the psych profession struggling so vehemently for parity w/insurance coverage! There was an interesting article recently on grief and grief intervention. For most of us psych grief counseling is a bunch of BS or even impedes our own ability to work thru our grief our way. And it is so much EASIER to lay so many of our symptoms on good ole depression. And cheaper for insurances since psych coverage is so much more limited than medical health coverage. The medical doctors don't have to waste time and energy trying to figure out a difficult set of symptoms - what the hay, its easier to blame them on obesity and depression!!!

I totally agree. In particular the part about where it is much easier for both insurance and doctors to just write a script for antidepressants, rather than actually spend the time and money to investigate whats really going on. Thankfully, it appears that modern era medicine are getting the message on OSA and its need to be treated.

Mikey

[scrapper]

ResMedUser/Mikey: I learned this when I got recertified as a Lifeguard two years ago. As part of the current ARC Lifeguard training, all Lifeguards also have to be certified in the following first aid related... A lot of doctors and other medical people not well educated in pulmonary issues and OSA could easily mistake your presentation as "just a psych case." And give you benzos to calm you down.

It's arrogant to think that a little knowledge makes you so all knowing.........

Don't quit yet Mikey, you're still needing more oxygen.............

[snuginarug]

The title of this thread made me laugh. Yes, honey, we already know that. *pat pat pat* That's why we're here.

[LSAT]

Why are people responding to Mikey?......We should be off participating in our "outside interests."

[Wombara]

I went from being a sleepy, grumpy with little positive to say to smiling and generally being much happier. I have even been known to smile!

[ResmedUser]

I went from being a sleepy, grumpy with little positive to say to smiling and generally being much happier. I have even been known to smile!

I went from being an irritable, mean, sleep deprived person to my old self...a guy who likes to tell sarcastic and funny jokes!

Mikey

[DoriC]

Oh, so this has all been a sarcastic, funny joke!! Now we know.

Mikey, I've been around a long time and worked in the medical field for 25yrs before retiring. I've never met a doctor who wasn't educated in pulmonary diseases as part of their extensive training and I know of no doctor who would pass off pulmonary symptoms as a "psych case". I hope you get your cpap therapy optimized soon. You're not there yet.

[mmkof5]

I just told the lady who is helping me (I'm a newbie!) that I was going to call it a night but couldn't help myself and checked the forum 1 last time...

I have been going to my personal doctor for the past 20 yrs. (Internal Medicine) When I went to him in Sept. 09 and described my symptons he told me that he knew of no other illness or disease that had the symptons I described other than the dreaded "DEPRESSION"!!!

He put me on Cymbalta and when I went back for my follow-up I told him I was not any better than I was when he put me on the Cymbalta. I insisted that something else was wrong. After a long talk he said "I think you might have a sleep disorder". So from there he sent me to a "Sleep Doctor" and results of a sleep study showed my Dr. had hit it right on the money! Diagnosed with OSA plus RLS!

I have all the faith in the world concerning my personal physician. Sometimes they don't get it right but I believe if you have a good relationship with your physician-they will listen to what you have to say. Unless you lay it all out-chances are you will be like me - diagnosed with depression (I was told has the same symptons as sleep apnea) and you continue down the road to nowhere and getting there fast! Just my opinion...