Sleep-Onset Central Apnea And Brain Fog

Hello, can anybody help me to find a solution to my problem? Basically, at the beginning of June last year I started having dizziness and frequent bouts of not breathing as I drifted off to sleep. 6 months earlier I was diagnosed with hyperventilation syndrome. I've read online that the thing I was experiencing was called sleep-onset central apnea, where it also said everyone has it (although they don't notice it). Common advices included getting rid of stress and ignoring the problem. While getting rid of stress via antidepressants (SSRI) worked, I can't stay on them any longer because they cause insomnia. One thing is interesting: if I tried to ignore the problem instead of waiting out until it disappears (which is rare and only when I'm dead tired), next morning I was waking up with brain fog and trouble thinking which would usually last for 2-3 hours. If i waited out, my head was clear the next morning. I repeat, antidepressants help but I can't stay on them any longer.

Get off the meds for a while - it can take weeks for effects to disappear, if not more, and then see what's what... hard to speculate now as to what will happen.

I'm curious about more details, for instance, are you using a CPAP machine that reports centrals during the time you're falling asleep, or have you had a sleep study that showed this? Just wondering how certain you are that what you are experiencing is indeed sleep onset centrals? And if you are, how do you know iwhether or not they are continuing during the night? (Some meds can cause central sleep apnea.) Let us know what type of testing or monitoring has or is being done, and we might be able to make some suggestions.

firstlast wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:44 pm

Hello, can anybody help me to find a solution to my problem? Basically, at the beginning of June last year I started having dizziness and frequent bouts of not breathing as I drifted off to sleep. 6 months earlier I was diagnosed with hyperventilation syndrome. I've read online that the thing I was experiencing was called sleep-onset central apnea, where it also said everyone has it (although they don't notice it). Common advices included getting rid of stress and ignoring the problem. While getting rid of stress via antidepressants (SSRI) worked, I can't stay on them any longer because they cause insomnia. One thing is interesting: if I tried to ignore the problem instead of waiting out until it disappears (which is rare and only when I'm dead tired), next morning I was waking up with brain fog and trouble thinking which would usually last for 2-3 hours. If i waited out, my head was clear the next morning. I repeat, antidepressants help but I can't stay on them any longer.

Please consider talking with your doctor about weaning off the anti-depressant. It's very important that you don't suddenly stop taking it. I wish you the best in sorting all this out.

Lucyhere wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 05, 2018 11:39 pm

firstlast wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:44 pm

Hello, can anybody help me to find a solution to my problem? Basically, at the beginning of June last year I started having dizziness and frequent bouts of not breathing as I drifted off to sleep. 6 months earlier I was diagnosed with hyperventilation syndrome. I've read online that the thing I was experiencing was called sleep-onset central apnea, where it also said everyone has it (although they don't notice it). Common advices included getting rid of stress and ignoring the problem. While getting rid of stress via antidepressants (SSRI) worked, I can't stay on them any longer because they cause insomnia. One thing is interesting: if I tried to ignore the problem instead of waiting out until it disappears (which is rare and only when I'm dead tired), next morning I was waking up with brain fog and trouble thinking which would usually last for 2-3 hours. If i waited out, my head was clear the next morning. I repeat, antidepressants help but I can't stay on them any longer.

Please consider talking with your doctor about weaning off the anti-depressant. It's very important that you don't suddenly stop taking it. I wish you the best in sorting all this out.

+ 1000

Talk to the prescribing physician. Dpeneding on the dosage and the brand/type, some anti-depressants, if abruptly discontinued could cause sever mental disturbances.

Perhaps another type of anti-depressant may be less disruptive to your sleep.

firstlast wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:44 pm

frequent bouts of not breathing as I drifted off to sleep

How do you know this is happening? Do you see it in your Sleepyhead graphs?

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