extreme tiredness- other causes?

Many complain of being very tired and seem to blame it on PAP.
This may be true if PAP is not doing its job, but what happens if the PAP IS doing its job and the patient is still very tired?

Some seem to still blame PAP.

Mine is but a single persons empirical observation, but I wonder how many others may be able to recognize the possibility of drug causes.

My doc recently switch me from zocor to vytorin.

I have been tryin to get into walking more for exercise and was doing pretty well in increasing my time.
Lo and behold, after about 2 weeks of Vytorin. I can hardly climb my steps and get VERY tired after about 1/4 the distance before Vytorin.
I dug some holes for plants and could almost not get up the steps.

I looked up statins and tiredness- google vytorin tiredness- and see some very clear connections.
I'll bet LOTs of those here are on cholesterol drugs- Statins-.
Wonder if anyone has made this connection and if it is valid.
I plan to call my docs office today.

tomjax

Tomjax,
Just googled "Vytorin Side Effect Tired" and looks like you're far from being the only one. Hopefully you mentioning this will trigger someone else to also consider and research their medications as a possible cause of tiredness. Hope you find a med that doesn't have this side effect and feel better soon.
Kathy

Tom, as Kathy said you are not the only one. Here's one article from Ivanhoe:
http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels/p_chann ... oryid=9762

From the article:

The research comes during a time when statins are now being questioned by doctors and patients alike. Dr. Golomb says, "From the reports that come into us, people are experiencing severe muscle weakness, which is also linked to cognitive problems."

And, just in case you think Statin drugs are safe, Dr. Golomb continues:

"We're really interested in the balance of risks and benefits of these drugs. There are lots and lots of people looking at the benefit side. There are so few people evaluating the [risk] side. You can bet that the $20 billion a year in statin drug company revenue is going to make sure that any promising lead looking at potential benefits will be followed."

Regards,
Bill

The med may be the first thing to consider-followed closely by a crowd of other conditions that cause fatigue-hopefully your doc will consider not just one possibility. Be sure he/she & you keep your minds open to other possibilities and co-existing health problems.

tomjax wrote:Many complain of being very tired and seem to blame it on PAP.
This may be true if PAP is not doing its job, but what happens if the PAP IS doing its job and the patient is still very tired?

Some seem to still blame PAP.

Mine is but a single persons empirical observation, but I wonder how many others may be able to recognize the possibility of drug causes.

I'm very glad you brought that up, Tom. CPAP can be doing exactly what it is supposed to do -- keep the airway open so a person can breathe during sleep. Some people who are told "Once you start using cpap you'll feel sooooo much better!!" can be discouraged to the point of stopping their cpap treatment when they don't see improvement in how they feel. Even the ones who are told, "It might take weeks or months" can also become dropouts when they use their machine religiously for weeks and months, yet still feel no better.

Many times, when a person first begins using cpap, the equipment in and of itself can cause a person to feel worse and get less "sleep" than before. The equipment itself can take time getting used to. The message board is a lifesaver in that regard, helping people with hints about ways to make the whole thing more comfortable and "doable."

However, there can be so many other reasons a person does not "feel better" or have less sleepiness or have more energy despite cpap doing its job perfectly. You hit on a very important one, Tom -- side effects from some meds. Very important to look into.

Sleep disorders in addition to simple OSA can be problematic. PLMD (periodic limb movement disorder) or insomnia, for example.

Other health issues in general can also play a part. Pain, as with arthritis, can disrupt sleep.

Poor sleep hygiene can interfere with feeling better. Generally a cool, dark, quiet bedroom is best. A mattress that has seen better days and is no longer supportive and comfortable might be disturbing sleep. A snoring or tossing/turning bed partner might be causing disruptions to the other's sleep.

You're right, Tom. Even if CPAP/anyPAP is doing what it's supposed to do perfectly and letting a person breathe freely all night, there can be other reasons for not feeling well. Just because we can't see what cpap is doing, and might not "feel" any different, a person who was diagnosed with OSA does need to stick with their CPAP treatment. Prevent further damage from apneic episodes at least!

It can take some detective work to track down other reasons why a person still feels bad, or as for you begins to feel bad again, even though their cpap treatment is effectively eliminating OSA.

tomjax wrote:Mine is but a single persons empirical observation, but I wonder how many others may be able to recognize the possibility of drug causes.

I doubt many people make the connection between how they feel and what their particular drugs' possible side effects are. You, as a pharmacist, Tom, were more aware of looking closely into that. Thanks for the heads up!

Go get blood work done. My wife (not on xpap) was always tired. After having her blood tested, she discovered she had low iron.

I'm beginning to suspect my medicine too (Accupril). Been on CPAP for two months and my stats appear fine. I'm going to hope that APAP, combined w/ the proper diet and exercise I'm trying to follow now will help me lower my blood pressure enough to get rid of the meds.

I am also on Vytorin and too often feel tired and pretty much like an old Man lacking the energy or vitality to want to do much. Often my Legs are feeling weak too.
I know it iis because of my taking this Medication. But" If I don't i could face another bypass again. What is one to do? I kind of feel like doomed. If I don't take this medication things could go back to blocked arteries. Seems as if my Cardiologist does not want to acknowledge these side effects .

Tom
That was me that you described . I found the statins were causing major problems for me too, muscles being the biggest. Went off all statins and i am fine, no more muscle pain.......have to watch my diet much more now and try to keep my cholesterol down by watching what I eat.
You are not alone with this problem. My doctor tried to switch me to another cholesterol lowering drug that didn't contain statins, but our health care would not pay for it, and I certainly can't afford it...so I watch my diet and have my blood tests done on a regular basis.
Good luck
N