Trying to find Support. Please help

[SleepyonMagnoliaSt]

I am not diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. I'm waiting to do my first ever sleep study but I really want to talk to some people. I joined another forum that gets very little traffic and I was ignored.

I'm a 28 year old female. And I have a bit of a backstory with things I never even realized might be sleep related!

At 18 I began suffering from severe anxiety attacks, this corresponds with when I first started having insomnia. My anxiety was bad and nothing really helped. I had kids at 19, 21, and 22.

In 2009 at the age of 24 I started suffering from episodes where I would wake up with my heart racing or wake up gasping. Around this time I also stopped sleeping through the night. I began to wake up 4-5 times a night. Sometimes I'm up every 15-20 minutes.

In 2010 I started suffering from PVCs which is where the heart will have a premature beat and it feels like your heart is fluttering. I went to a cario. I had monitoring, EKG after EKG, a Stress test an Echocardiogram and everything was normal.

They tell me it's because I'm so thin and to cut out caffeine. So I just start living with the PVCs and feeling exhausted 24/7 and trying to deal with my kids but feeling like I'm sleeping my life away.

In May of 2012 I suffered a GI bleed. I ended up getting an upper GI and they found nothing but reflux and I was sent to a GI doctor who said I had IBS. So I got used to having a horrible stomach and issues.

In August of 2012 I started working third shift however when I would sleep for 8 hours in the day, instead of going right to sleep. I would lay awake and be unable to fall asleep and when I did sleep I would literally sleep off and on all day and still feel like death. My PVCs got so much worse I ended up in the ER and had to quit my job in November.

My anxiety also became so much worse that I was NOT functioning. So they put me on lexapro and klonopine which actually helped my anxiety!! But since January of this year my husband will shake and slap me awake saying he wanted to make sure I was breathing. I'm waking up every 15 minutes or so during the night. I can't get to sleep at a good time, I just stare at the ceiling and my brain won't shut up. When I sleep it's at about 2-3 am and then I'm up at 4 or 5 and 6. Then I get up at 7:30 am get my kids to school and I can't stay up past 9am! I crash and sleep off and on till 12 or 1! I cannot function.

I'm so tired I broke down sobbing at my doctors office the other day. I had to drive my DD an hour to go to her sleep study (ironically she's had apnea since she was 4 months) and I was almost falling asleep on the interstate!

I can't live like this

I'm terrified I'm going to get my sleep study and find out 'Oh it's all in my head!'

I've been doing reading and I guess anxiety/depression AND IBS can be linked to sleep apnea. As can PVCs which I am still getting although I've had NO caffeine for 9+ months. I've been waking up with almost migraines for the past 6 weeks too

Can you all tell me I'm not losing my mind?

[kaiasgram]

Hi Sleepy, welcome. You are NOT losing your mind (I'm a shrink ). From what you describe I'd sure suspect sleep apnea, especially the ringer -- your husband trying to wake you up because it appears you're not breathing. So get a sleep study and don't worry about the result because either way it will be important information. If sleep apnea gets ruled out that means further medical investigation is needed to figure out what's going on. If sleep apnea gets ruled in, you have landed in the right place to get good information and support as you start on PAP therapy.

Keep us posted, you'll find lots of support here.

[SleepyonMagnoliaSt]

Thank you Kaiasgram. I have had some blood work done. They did a full blood workup. Even checked my thyroid and everything appears normal. I'm slightly anemic (11) but I've been that way since I was 11. I have chronic anemia. I've never felt as bad as I do now either.

My husband has gotten really scared some nights he wakes me up. Seems really spooked

[RandyJ]

You're not losing your mind, but one thing at a time.... The symptoms you speak about can be associated with OSA, so it's not out of the question.

Is your sleep study scheduled? I think it is important that you either get a diagnosis of OSA or eliminate it, so you can go forward.

Lexapro and Klonopin bring their own baggage to the table, but see what the sleep study says before addressing that. Lexapro ramps up your nervous system and Klonopin depresses it.

If the OSA is negative, I'd also consider seeing a naturopath doctor and get an IBA (Intestinal Barrier Assessment) blood test for the 22 most common food allergies/sensitivities.

Keep us posted.

[kaiasgram]

I hope you can get a sleep study scheduled sooner rather than later. Do you know how to use chat?

[SleepyonMagnoliaSt]

You're not losing your mind, but one thing at a time.... The symptoms you speak about can be associated with OSA, so it's not out of the question.

Is your sleep study scheduled? I think it is important that you either get a diagnosis of OSA or eliminate it, so you can go forward.

Lexapro and Klonopin bring their own baggage to the table, but see what the sleep study says before addressing that. Lexapro ramps up your nervous system and Klonopin depresses it.

If the OSA is negative, I'd also consider seeing a naturopath doctor and get an IBA (Intestinal Barrier Assessment) blood test for the 22 most common food allergies/sensitivities.

Keep us posted.

Thank you!

I haven't gotten my sleep study scheduled yet. They are supposed to call me early this week and schedule it.

Thanks for the info on the allergies too if the OSA is negative. They only tested me for Celiac disease which I don't have.

I'm just kind of at my wits end with all these issues. I never thought I'd hope for OSA but I just want to know what is wrong if that makes sense?

[SleepyonMagnoliaSt]

I hope you can get a sleep study scheduled sooner rather than later. Do you know how to use chat?

Thank you I hope so too!

I don't know how to do chat! I would love to learn though if you don't mind explaining ?

[kaiasgram]

I never thought I'd hope for OSA but I just want to know what is wrong if that makes sense?

Totally!

In the upper right hand corner of the page, in the darker blue box, you see "0 Chatting Live" -- click on that and you're in chat. If you do want to chat for a bit, let me know and I'll join you.

[SleepyonMagnoliaSt]

I never thought I'd hope for OSA but I just want to know what is wrong if that makes sense?

Totally!

In the upper right hand corner of the page, in the darker blue box, you see "0 Chatting Live" -- click on that and you're in chat. If you do want to chat for a bit, let me know and I'll join you.

That would be great! I'll give it a click

[kteague]

First of all, welcome, and be assured many here have gone through some pretty miserable experiences before being diagnosed. If you are not diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea it would really surprise me. No matter what, I don't believe for a minute that you are losing your mind. So many of your symptoms seem to me to clearly have physical roots. Take this a step at a time. If you are diagnosed with OSA and start receiving effective treatment, over time you will find out which symptoms improve or even resolve. If any symptoms persist, the picture should be clearer then so they can be addressed.

You are already taking steps to help yourself by becoming informed. I commend you for being proactive. Sounds like your family obligations would be taxing on even a well rested person, so please be kind to yourself. If there is room for nutritional improvement, every little bit helps. While it is too soon to know definitively that it would help your nighttime breathing, just in case you could try avoiding back sleeping and maybe inclining the head of your bed a few inches. Helps some people but not everyone.

Once you get your sleep study let us know what it shows, and we'll go from there.

Kathy

[SleepyonMagnoliaSt]

First of all, welcome, and be assured many here have gone through some pretty miserable experiences before being diagnosed. If you are not diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea it would really surprise me. No matter what, I don't believe for a minute that you are losing your mind. So many of your symptoms seem to me to clearly have physical roots. Take this a step at a time. If you are diagnosed with OSA and start receiving effective treatment, over time you will find out which symptoms improve or even resolve. If any symptoms persist, the picture should be clearer then so they can be addressed.

You are already taking steps to help yourself by becoming informed. I commend you for being proactive. Sounds like your family obligations would be taxing on even a well rested person, so please be kind to yourself. If there is room for nutritional improvement, every little bit helps. While it is too soon to know definitively that it would help your nighttime breathing, just in case you could try avoiding back sleeping and maybe inclining the head of your bed a few inches. Helps some people but not everyone.

Once you get your sleep study let us know what it shows, and we'll go from there.

Kathy

Thank you.

I have been doing a lot of reading about Sleep Apnea and anything that might have a specific 'train' of symptoms so to speak. I think it's to the point I will be surprised if I don't have OSA also. Just because of how everything lines up. But of course we'll see and cross that bridge when it gets here.

Thank you for the information on back sleeping. I noticed if I sleep on my side or with 2-3 pillows (I sleep on the couch reclined a lot) I sleep better than if I'm laying flat.

I will definitely keep you all updated on when my get my study scheduled and how it goes and all of that

[kteague]

After posting I read some of the other posts and wanted to ask about your anemia. Do you have a diagnosis as to the cause, and have you had detailed iron studies?

Just from reading this forum since 2006, I can tell you I've seen numerous people report they were relieved to get a diagnosis of OSA and to find they weren't just losing their mind or had something ominous going on that was undiagnosed. I know I was just glad to have some answers and to know something could be done. I also deal with limb movement issues. So many here have other things contributing to their sleep problems, but we address everything we can the best we can in hopes we are left with a more than tolerable situation. Best wishes as you go forward.

[JohnO]

Welcome,

Thanks for posting the background info. I do hope you can find relief soon. The sleep study should be very useful.

A few years ago I became very stressed out over work, and when I went to bed, thoughts about work would race through my head and I would have a very difficult time falling asleep. I started to read a lot about sleep hygiene, and how setting certain routines could help set up "walls" to keep the stress at bay. That might be an area for you to research to see if some changes there would have a positive impact.

I've found this forum to be incredibly supportive since joining last summer. People here truly want to help.

John

[Nooblakahn]

Welcome to the forum. Hope you can get it all sorted out quickly. Most of us have been there with the tiredness and feel your pain.

[SleepyonMagnoliaSt]

After posting I read some of the other posts and wanted to ask about your anemia. Do you have a diagnosis as to the cause, and have you had detailed iron studies?

Just from reading this forum since 2006, I can tell you I've seen numerous people report they were relieved to get a diagnosis of OSA and to find they weren't just losing their mind or had something ominous going on that was undiagnosed. I know I was just glad to have some answers and to know something could be done. I also deal with limb movement issues. So many here have other things contributing to their sleep problems, but we address everything we can the best we can in hopes we are left with a more than tolerable situation. Best wishes as you go forward.

No answers at all from my anemia issues. The doctors just tell me to eat better and take a vitamin. Doing vitamins regularly does help. I'm on them currently, so if they checked I'd probably be more 'normal'

Thank you again for all your awesome words.

I haven't had detailed iron studies. They've been focused on heart and GI, and trying to make sure I'm not diabetic