CPAP and autoimmune disorders (O/T?)

Hi everyone. I haven't been on here in a while. I've been busy putting a crib together, taking baby classes. Our little boy is only 10 weeks away from entering the world!

Just wanted to know if anyone on here has an autoimmune disorder, and how did it correlate to your apnea (treated or untreated), if at all. I'm sleeping great. My AI has been 0.0-0.1 most nights and 0.0-0.02 L/s leaks. Usually, I feel very refreshed.

However, I find that I am getting what I would call "flares" where I get very tired, a bit chilly (no fever), some palpitations and abdominal upset (mostly diarrhea). With it comes this feeling of great malaise and anxiety (occasionally a break-through panic attack). Luckily, I'm able to carry out most of my daily tasks at work and at home. A few times, including my most recent flare that I'm in now, I have noticed a redness on my cheeks and nose, which feels hot/prickly but doesn't itch. First thought: LUPUS. I'm wondering if Crohn's or CFIDS (chronic fatigue) can cause a rash as well.

I've been on a wild goose chase trying to find out what's wrong with me. I know I can be a bit of a hypochondriac, but these flares aren't part of my imagination. My regular blood and lipid panels always comes back normal/within range as did my full thyroid panel (including thyroid antibodies). My doctor did a 1,25(OH)D test, even though I begged him to do the 25(OH)D test. The 1,25(OH)D test was within range; however, I'm thinking of ordering a home 25(OH)D test from VitaminDCouncil.org (ZRT Labs).

Anyway, if anyone has any thoughts on this from their own experiences, I would surely appreciate it. I have attached a picture of myself that I just took to hopefully show you what my face rash kind of looks like. I also break out in what look like pimples in that same area before it gets red. It looks pretty mild compared to some photos of the "butterfly rash" I've seen online. Does that look familiar to anyone with lupus?


Click for bigger version

(Dang, I need to trim my eyebrows! )

Kenny to me the photo looks just to be a bit of Rosacea accompanied by a zit But then I'm no skin expert.

As an Anxiety sufferer I'm guessing the anxiety and the anxiety like symptoms you are experiencing could be triggered by the up and coming major event that is going happen in about 10 weeks time?

I hope everything goes well for you all

Uncle_Bob wrote:Kenny to me the photo looks just to be a bit of Rosacea accompanied by a zit But then I'm no skin expert.

As an Anxiety sufferer I'm guessing the anxiety and the anxiety like symptoms you are experiencing could be triggered by the up and coming major event that is going happen in about 10 weeks time?

I hope everything goes well for you all

Hey, Bob. I'm definitely taking that into consideration, too. Could be mild Crohn's, too. It just so happens that the rash only seems to appear when I feel like this. There's some definite anxiety that comes and goes with the upcoming baby. For the most part, I'm doing really well, except during these "flares."

EDIT: Your avatar is making me hungry and making my gut hurt. LOL.

Based on my experience and the experience of others with food 'allergies', I would look for a food pattern. I skin test negative to wheat but get a distinctive rash on my cheeks and unpleasant digestive symptoms from eating wheat. I have the same digestive reaction to some other foods. Years ago on an email list I 'talked' with some people who have some interesting changes in mood/attitude when they are exposed to some foods they don't tolerate. It is luckily rare but I have a similar response to some perfumes/scents. I am using allergy in the older 'bad response to something' sense, not the narrow definition used by most doctors.

tattooyu wrote:Just wanted to know if anyone on here has an autoimmune disorder, and how did it correlate to your apnea (treated or untreated), if at all. I'm sleeping great. My AI has been 0.0-0.1 most nights and 0.0-0.02 L/s leaks. Usually, I feel very refreshed.

However, I find that I am getting what I would call "flares" where I get very tired, a bit chilly (no fever), some palpitations and abdominal upset (mostly diarrhea). With it comes this feeling of great malaise and anxiety (occasionally a break-through panic attack). Luckily, I'm able to carry out most of my daily tasks at work and at home. A few times, including my most recent flare that I'm in now, I have noticed a redness on my cheeks and nose, which feels hot/prickly but doesn't itch. First thought: LUPUS. I'm wondering if Crohn's or CFIDS (chronic fatigue) can cause a rash as well.

I would be willing to bet that 90% of your issues are directly related to your anxiety. I have had, and continue to have issues related to anxiety/depression and they definitely manifest it physically in me. I've gotten my panic-attack issues relatively resolved, however I still have quite a bit of anxiety. I also agree with the other poster that mentioned food (another issue related to anxiety). I tend to eat with my anxiety (not good!), and have breakouts (pimples, and other skin issues) due to the foods that I eat during that time. I also can overeat which, thankfully for me, doesn't lead to diarrhea, but i could see where eating the wrong kinds of food could be doing that for you. For example, years ago, I used to be able to eat pizza, and other "greasy" foods without any issues, now it can cause diarrhea and abdominal upset for me. That's part of growing older, and the changes in your body, and eating healthier.

Try and concentrate on what you need to do for your wife and child to be. Consciously think about what you are eating, and doing with regards to your anxiety. That should help.

PS: I'm going through a spell of high AHIs that I can't figure out, so your numbers are really great!

Thanks everyone. I am on a strict gluten-free diet, even though I tested negative for celiac. I could still have a gluten sensitivity. This past Saturday, I had two tiny brownie bites -- totally stupid I know. Would that cause a reaction this far out? I have had reactions to foods at a max of 3 days, but never this delayed. I know it could be all the anxiety, but it doesn't feel like it...

In a few short weeks the greatest gift in life , a new born will grace your door step. Embrace the miracle everything will be ok. Sending you an early grats

pdean44 wrote:In a few short weeks the greatest gift in life , a new born will grace your door step. Embrace the miracle everything will be ok. Sending you an early grats

Thanks. I really appreciate that.

Food allergies and other allergies can really be a challenge, as I'm sure you know with a wheat intolerance.

If you're not diabetic and your a confirmed sugar fiend, it might be worth reducing your sugar intake -- even drastically. Read ingredients labels. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is sugar. 'Cane sweetener' or 'Cane juice' is sugar. Honey is sugar. Even beet juice and carrot juice are full of sugar. You may not be a sugar fiend, but if you are... consider learning more about how it impacts your life. You might be surprised.

Hey Kenny didn't i remember you saying you changed your anxiety meds recently?

If i remember you were taken off the benzo's as required and put on daily dose of something. If so what was it? You might want to check its side effects.

Just a thought.

P.S I'll go and find a new avatar if causing problems

DreamDiver wrote:Food allergies and other allergies can really be a challenge, as I'm sure you know with a wheat intolerance.

If you're not diabetic and your a confirmed sugar fiend, it might be worth reducing your sugar intake -- even drastically. Read ingredients labels. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is sugar. 'Cane sweetener' or 'Cane juice' is sugar. Honey is sugar. Even beet juice and carrot juice are full of sugar. You may not be a sugar fiend, but if you are... consider learning more about how it impacts your life. You might be surprised.

No, I eat very, very healthy, and my glucose and a1C are well within normal range. I allow myself one dessert (normally a GF one) a week. That's great advice, though!

Uncle_Bob wrote:Hey Kenny didn't i remember you saying you changed your anxiety meds recently?

If i remember you were taken off the benzo's as required and put on daily dose of something. If so what was it? You might want to check its side effects.

Just a thought.

P.S I'll go and find a new avatar if causing problems

Bob, it was a while back. I tried Celexa (SSRI) for three days and never again will I put one of those in my body. I had a reaction very similar to what I'm feeling now in this flare, except much much worse. Terrible. Felt like I had a sunburn and was SO edgy. Right now I'm taking 0.125mg clonazepam (Klonopin) every three days and that keeps things at bay most of the time.

I'm also on the food allergies bandwagon here. Other possible culprits: yeast, eggs, milk. Could be exacerbated by the "stress". There are many many links with food allergies causing behavioral changes (but WHY doctors insist that food, the body's fuel, can't affect the mind, is beyond me).

Mine are more like "intolerances", i've tested celiac negative, no wheat antibodies, yet the only thing that cured my migraines (and weekly "upchucking" events) at the young age of 12 was cutting out wheat. (and then corn and HFCS, sugar, chocolate, nuts, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, etc...). Funny thing with my intolerances, however, is that they tend to rotate. I went years not eating potatoes after a really frightful migraine episode, yet I can eat them again now, but then something else took its place (currently eggplants). I too sometimes get rashes like in your picture, but on my arms. As DD said, cutting out sugar really helps (look for hidden sources). And for the really big fans of alternative medicine, there's always the candida link (e.g. http://altmedicine.about.com/od/popular ... dadiet.htm).

A good luck and early congrats from me too!!!

Well, I was thinking about having my doctor run an ELISA test to check for food allergies/sensitivities, but apparently there are no set standards for IgG antibody testing, so I don't know if it would be accurate.

tattooyu wrote:Well, I was thinking about having my doctor run an ELISA test to check for food allergies/sensitivities, but apparently there are no set standards for IgG antibody testing, so I don't know if it would be accurate.

The only thing that you can do in modern medicine for food allergies currently is an elimination diet and food challenge testing regimen. It can tell you a lot about yourself with regards to what foods trigger health issues and what foods actually make things better for you. It sounds like you're already a health-oriented kind of guy, so you probably already know about this. If you haven't already tried this method, it might be worth a shot.

Kenny, I think Rosacea has been mentioned and your rash looks exactly like my dear friend's rash that was just diagnosed by a Derm as Rosacea. It came after having emergency surgery for gallstones. They removed her gallbladder. The surgery went well but there were family complications after she came home(a mother can raise 4 children but not even one can take care of a mother). That stress and anxiety brought on an attack of Rosacea that looks exactly like yours. She was given an RX and I remember her saying Dr told her to avoid all sugar and acidic foods, as well as other foods but she didn't mention them to me. How about a visit to a Derm if it doesn't resolve itself? Another thought, Paul56 just posted that after quite a long time his same mask is suddenly giving him skin problems?