High Initial AHI score and Co-morbidities

Hello,
My name is Stefanie, I am 28 years old and my initial AHI score was 109 something. I was first diagnosed with Sleep Apnea at 3 years old and had my tonsils and adnoids removed. I suffered from insomnia for many years from the fear of sleep. I was too young to take medications to sleep, at the time. At twelve I was diagnosed with acute depression. Fatigue, Depression and memory loss are all listed as co-morbidities of Sleep apnea. Do you think it is likely my symptoms of depression, which are not eliminated by anti-depressants, will improve?

How long have you been on xpap?

Apnea patients often get diagnosed with depression, though at age 12 would be a bit different. But you still haven't really told us anything... are you on C or Apap now? At what pressure(s)? What machine? What mask? For how long? Any meds? How many hrs do you sleep? Are you using software? And a lot of other things... info please and any (other) questions. If not yet on Cpap, when are you starting? And yes, it certainly should help whatever symptoms you have, but if you are someone who has clinical depression regardless of Cpap, it might help, but not necessarily cure it.

I was given my first cpap machine today. Pressure is 10, but it might go up. Nose mask, not a full mask. My medications are for anti-depression and a mood stablizer - lamictal, abilify and lexapro. I do not take any sleep medications. I do not have high blood pressure... asthma or any other breathing/oxegyn conditions. The only medical conditions I have are high chlorestral, poor eyesight and acid reflex. Am I missing anything else?

Julie wrote:Apnea patients often get diagnosed with depression, though at age 12 would be a bit different. But you still haven't really told us anything... are you on C or Apap now? At what pressure(s)? What machine? What mask? For how long? Any meds? How many hrs do you sleep? Are you using software? And a lot of other things... info please and any (other) questions. If not yet on Cpap, when are you starting? And yes, it certainly should help whatever symptoms you have, but if you are someone who has clinical depression regardless of Cpap, it might help, but not necessarily cure it.

I will need to look at my machine later to get the other infomation. thanks!

Uhhh - you need to carefully go over those meds with your doctor because at least a couple, if not all, can certainly affect your sleeping with Cpap and whether it's a matter of diff. doses, time of day you take them, or just plain weaning off (to perhaps change to something else) it's important than you know how they'll affect things. You may well be a lot better off on Cpap, but you don't want it to be compromised by inappropriate meds.

Why have you gone 25 years being untreated if you were first dx'd at age 3? I know a little girl who is on cpap and she is now 9. I believe she was dx'd at 4.

EDIT: The above sounds kind of harsh but not meant to be. I'm just wondering why your doctor didn't treat you if they knew what you had.

Welcome Stephanie,

CPAP, once you get used to it, should be helpful. You should have more energy and be able to cope with much more emotionally and cognitively. It may take a while to get used to it, and it may be unpleasant until you do, but there is lots of great help here! Please stick with it. Most of us seem to find that once we get accustomed to it, we wouldn't want to sleep without one.

From what I also read hear, there is a link between obstructive sleep apnea and acid reflux. I had issues with reflux at night before I started CPAP, and have been taking Prilosec for years. Since I've been on CPAP, I have had virtually no episodes of reflux, and I'm down to one pill every other day. Unfortunately, Prilosec is quite addictive, and I'm having lots of trouble tapering off of it completely.

Good luck, and keep us posted with your progress. Ask lots of questions!

Jim

It is possible that the depressive symptoms will improve. It should at least alleviate the exhaustion that may be feeding into the depression. Are you using CPAP, yet?

The anxiety related to sleep seems very long term and it seems unlikely that CPAP will eliminate that.

Are you seeing a therapist? That is the treatment of choice when several different antidepressants haven't been successful.

In a couple of months when your cpap therapy is working well and you are using it every time you sleep, you will need to sit down with your doctors and review your medications. Sleeping well affects how medication affects your body.

Jim- pulmonologist placed me on Famotidine 20mg either for GERD, CPAP therapy, or both. I don't know much about it but it seems to be working well and don't know whether 'addictive'. You might want to look into that medication and discuss with your physician or pharmacist.