Disabling fatigue--have you ever been this down?

AHI15 and Liann, I have also experienced disabling fatigue (almost 2 months on effective CPAP tx) and though I don't have a "victory" story to share -- at least not yet -- I want to just say that you are not alone. Today I moved out of my private practice office because I haven't been able to work enough to pay the rent, and my son is helping me pay rent where I live.

Liann, you commented about how little is known about the long-term damage caused by SA, and I agree. In the research world there has been some investigation of neurological damage in SA patients, but in the clinical world medical investigation/assessment seems to stop once a patient's apneas are controlled by cpap -- or the patient may be put on provigil or similar med. I do have an invested primary care practitioner who continues to search for answers as to why I'm still doing so poorly despite effective cpap therapy, and I really appreciate her for that.

You also mentioned wondering about disability. I've wondered about it too though I sure don't want to go down that road. I love my profession and really want to get back to work.

Best wishes, and thank you for your willingness to be honest about what you're going through. It helps more people than you may ever hear from.

kaiasgram wrote:AHI15 and Liann, I have also experienced disabling fatigue (almost 2 months on effective CPAP tx) and though I don't have a "victory" story to share -- at least not yet -- I want to just say that you are not alone. Today I moved out of my private practice office because I haven't been able to work enough to pay the rent, and my son is helping me pay rent where I live.
Liann, you commented about how little is known about the long-term damage caused by SA, and I agree. In the research world there has been some investigation of neurological damage in SA patients, but in the clinical world medical investigation/assessment seems to stop once a patient's apneas are controlled by cpap -- or the patient may be put on provigil or similar med. I do have an invested primary care practitioner who continues to search for answers as to why I'm still doing so poorly despite effective cpap therapy, and I really appreciate her for that.
You also mentioned wondering about disability. I've wondered about it too though I sure don't want to go down that road. I love my profession and really want to get back to work.
Best wishes, and thank you for your willingness to be honest about what you're going through. It helps more people than you may ever hear from.

It's the prospect of getting successful "treatment" of OSA, ie., no more AHI>5, and still being bushed that scares me. My hopes have been very high lately, as I have good reason to believe that my primary problem is simply quality sleep deprivation due to OSA, but then again I'm prone to insomnia so I have good reason to worry about ability to comply, etc....

I'm doing good with not expending my energy much by worrying about it lately though. Maybe that's just because I have no energy left? Not sure, but it has been strangely calm in my mind for a while. I hope it's not brain damage.

I sure hope you don't have to become disabled. Good luck. Thanks for the input.

AHI15 wrote:It's the prospect of getting successful "treatment" of OSA, ie., no more AHI>5, and still being bushed that scares me. My hopes have been very high lately, as I have good reason to believe that my primary problem is simply quality sleep deprivation due to OSA, but then again I'm prone to insomnia so I have good reason to worry about ability to comply, etc....
I'm doing good with not expending my energy much by worrying about it lately though. Maybe that's just because I have no energy left? Not sure, but it has been strangely calm in my mind for a while. I hope it's not brain damage.

Go with the calm and the high hopes, don't attribute that to brain damage. Maybe there's a part of you that is anticipating relief from treating your sleep apnea. You might continue to be bushed for a while, that is typical at the beginning of treatment so don't assume it's not going to get better. And if you do struggle with insomnia after starting cpap, or if the insomnia gets a little nastier, you will now be able to address it without the added complication of an underlying sleep apnea disorder. In fact, for some people insomnia is actually a manifestation of sleep apnea, so maybe your insomnia will even improve once you're on cpap. Keep your hopes high as you can going into this.

Thanks for your good wishes too. Although I know cpap is better for me than sleeping with oxygen deprivation all night, I too really miss the respite that "simply" going to bed used to offer me. It's true that we don't always recognize the value of things until we don't have them anymore; I miss the freedom to just lay my head down and drift off -- in bed, on the couch, on a plane, on a work break, or on rare occasions, on a massage table -- without having to think about the consequences. Like any other loss I guess we have to grieve and eventually come to terms with it and move on. Again, I hope it helps you a little to know that others understand the journey you're on.

I have disabling fatique on and off and I own a business with my husband (who is not very understanding about this and thinks I need to fight through it). So I have no choice but to try to push through. But there are times I don't think I am going to make it, but I have so far. I just started CPAP therapy this week and after 2 good nights of sleep with it, I am still exhausted, I just hope this will work and soon! I also have hypothyroidism and for years thought that was my problem, but I would increase my meds and it would work for a very short time and then I am tired again, so someone suggested sleep apnea and it turns out I have severe sleep apnea, so I am hopeful this will help me.

Fatigue: I think I wore those leggings for the last 35 years before I was diagnosed with OSA.
Finally; I have the means to feel better than I did for years--hey, decades!
It has been the easiest thing for me, --except for the mask fit thing--
(those people have no idea how hard it is to get something to fit my weird little face.)
Aside from that, cpap is a gift, my life. I am so very grateful.

chunkyfrog wrote:Fatigue: I think I wore those leggings for the last 35 years before I was diagnosed with OSA.
Finally; I have the means to feel better than I did for years--hey, decades!
It has been the easiest thing for me, --except for the mask fit thing--
(those people have no idea how hard it is to get something to fit my weird little face.)
Aside from that, cpap is a gift, my life. I am so very grateful.

CF: That is beautifully worded.

jjlady: I encourage you to keep using the CPAP. It took me a little while to get the therapy working good for me, but it was well worth it. I feel like I have been given my life back.

I was diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivities over 20 years ago. I was very disabled - sometimes had to crawl to get to the bathroom; could no longer do basic household chores at all. Luckily I was able to find doctors who could think outside the box to help me. I did a lot of work on my diet. I learned how to avoid the chemicals I am sensitive to. I took a lot of supplements. About 12 years ago I was well enough to work full-time. Although my recovery slipped when I had mold exposures at home, I am still working full-time and can do some household chores. Keep working at it and you'll get better too!

lorena wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 03, 2019 11:27 am

I was diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivities over 20 years ago. I was very disabled - sometimes had to crawl to get to the bathroom; could no longer do basic household chores at all. Luckily I was able to find doctors who could think outside the box to help me. I did a lot of work on my diet. I learned how to avoid the chemicals I am sensitive to. I took a lot of supplements. About 12 years ago I was well enough to work full-time. Although my recovery slipped when I had mold exposures at home, I am still working full-time and can do some household chores. Keep working at it and you'll get better too!

You are playing in the Way Back Machine, the post is 7 years old, you are talking to a Ghost, Jim

Some days my fatigue levels are not much better than you describe. It's hideous and I can only offer my sympathy.

The dragging exhaustion, the blank mind...it also seems worse in the long dark evenings and cold weather. I can relate. I lay down this pm to sleep and relax and honestly felt I might not have the energy to breathe. Yet at the weekend I had quite a lot more energy.

As others have said, this seems to be quite commonplace and hope things soon start to pick up for you.