Update: diagnosed with sleep apnea

[mvd]

The doctor diagnosed it; I'm going for my sleep study on Monday. Here are my symptoms:

- I will snore loudly, especially at the beginning of my sleep at night. I will catch my breath through my mouth. Breathing through my congested nose is very hard. Not sure why my nose is always so congested. I have developed a bit of insomnia where it takes a while to get to sleep. After I wake up after a few hours, it appears I can't get back to sleep again.

- I wake up terribly, most notably if I attempt to get back to sleep to get 9 hours of sleep or more. As I have noted, my system appears to cut off sleep. It didn't do that at first.

- When I wake up, I have a dull ache and brain fog - even feels kind of hungover (I don't drink). Sometimes all kinds of headaches will occur during the whole day, when I think about the disease or concentrate hard especially.

- I can not nap, even when it seems like I really need one, which is often. When I do, it appears my snorting will wake me up before I can get into a real sleep state. Mind feels worse after I attempt these naps.

- Sometimes at any time, mind feels like it might "give out," but it hasn't of course.

- The whole day, my mind feels just drained of energy. Not as alert and fresh as I should be. My days are boring and extremely abnormal as I have to strain to concentrate. Lots of TV with just a little reading and computer. Even stores overwhelm me. This has really destroyed my life.

- Mind feels a little better at night, but still not normal at all.

- I have loud tinnitus

- My hand that's under the pillow will get numb easily

- Used to wake up in a kind of panic, but being relaxed stops those for the most part.

- I have pretty persistent gas and bloating, and some twinges of nausea (I'm assuming it's from a lack of good sleep)

- I have high anxiety, which I take anxiety medication for. Since I'm always too sleepy/tired/drained to get super excited, this is just to calm my nerves. I also have some hypochondria, which has annoyed people. But no wonder I have some hypo.

As I posted on another board, this all started after a virus in late November of 2007. Blood tests were normal (liver function just a little bit high; doctor wasn't concerned,) and a CAT scan showed no abnormalities.

Any suggestions on how to cope, or if the doctors could be wrong? Can't stand to be feeling this way much longer. The sleep specialist in my pre-study consultation was not worried either.

[Warpy]

1. Gas, bloating and nausea?

Try laying off foods with a significant fat content after about 2 PM and see if this has any effect. What you're describing could possibly signal the barest beginning of gall bladder trouble, as could the slightly elevated liver enzymes.

No pizza for a bedtime snack, in other words. Eat an apple, instead.

[mvd]

2. My other doctor..

wanted to check my gall bladder and liver just as a precaution, but my new doctor nixed that. She thinks it is sleep trouble. I guess it could be, as sleep disorders can have a very bad effect. Before I got this, I would sit up in bed and fall asleep in that position without control. I would also get up early and go back to sleep. The virus really triggered something, though.

Thanks for your suggestions! :hi:

[elleng]

3. mvd,

your new doctor nixed other docs suggestion to check gall and liver as precaution, because she 'thinks' its sleep trouble? Get another 'opinion?'

[mvd]

4. Pretty much so

She said the checks weren't needed. First she said it was all anxiety, and then she changed it to sleep apnea later. My mom and dad are convinced she's right, and I don't drive or have much money, so I think any second opinion will have to wait until after the sleep study. Right now, it's all hypochondria to people if I start doubting. The sleep consultant said that if symtoms persist after the study, they should be worked on. He agreed that nothing stands out as a concern, but the two work in the same health facility.

I'm telling myself my doctor is right, or else I'd worry too much. :hug:

[mdmc]

5. thats what my girlfriend has

she has a machine that works like a charm.

[The empressof all]

6. If it is sleep apnea...Your Cpap will become a best friend

When you use your c-pap you will begin to feel better in a few days. I actually lost some weight and fluid when I finally began to sleep deeply. The anxiety disappeared and I felt 1000 times better. Good Luck!

[mopinko]

7. get a bed wedge

DH has pretty severe apnea, but refuses the cpap. a while back he had an abscess in a tonsil that sent the whole thing rolling down hill. he was really bent out of shape emotionally. while we worked through the medical end of it- study, tonsillectomy, etc. i insisted on sleep hygiene measures, as well as a wedge to sleep on. i still have not found a double or queen size, so we have one of those mattress toppers, folded in thirds, extended over the top third of the bed. it has worked a miracle.
he uses those nose strip things, and that has helped as well. he has a deviated septum, also, but refuses to get that fixed. he has had constant sinus congestion until he started using them.
between the 2 measures, he is about 90% better. he barely snores, and although there is still some apnea there, instead of 6-10 gulping tries for air at his worst, it is now usually 1 or 2.
he is a different person. we came thisclose to a divorce at the height of this, now i think he is one of the best hubbies on the planet. he is calm, happy, trusting, understanding.
sleep is so freakin' important, but i have yet to meet an m.d., other than sleep specialists, that don't look at you like you are crazy when you talk about it. and i have talked to a lot of them about it.

[BlackVelvet04]

8. I suffered from many of the same symptoms you have

mentioned including and especially the sleep apnea as well as vertigo. Mine was "cured" by taking Reacted Magnesium 3 - 4 times a day.

I am completely free of sleep apnea, vertigo and anxiety. Even the muscle pain and the TMJ is almost gone.

Many of the symptoms than come in a group like anxiety, sleep apnea, TMJ, etc. are symptoms of a lack of magnesium.

[lizerdbits]

9. I had almost everything you have

but no anxiety, snoring, or tinnitus. My sleep study said 'idiopathic hyperarousal' since my breathing was normal. I was surprised since my dad has sleep apnea, I was sure I was going to have it. I can identify with that 'end of the rope' feeling and the hangover feeling, mostly from being on various meds that did nothing but give me bad side effects. I was becoming concerned with functioning at work as well as driving. I actually felt better on nothing! We're still trying to figure it out. I think it might be hormonal for me because the last time I felt great was when I had a period in September. The doc I'm seeing now is just giving me various drugs that affect neurotransmitters that haven't helped so I'm thinking of going to a different gyno or an endocrinologist though I'm now on BCPs which have helped the bloating. The nearest sleep specialist that takes my insurance is 60 miles away. I took an OTC sleeping pill last night which helped but DO NOT TAKE THEM IF YOU MIGHT HAVE SLEEP APNEA! You might not wake up when you stop breathing. :scared:(It's also not a good long term solution but I tried it due to feeling so burned out.)

I think the wedge sounds like a good idea. I hope you get answers and relief!

[Duer 157099]

10. How did your doc diagnose without a sleep study?

I thought the only was with with an actual sleep study, since the symptoms are shared by so many syndromes.

If it turns out to *not* be apnea, have your thyroid checked, or google around some about hypothyroid and see what you think.

Let us know how it goes. :hi:

[flamingyouth]

11. My fiance was pretty much diagnosed without the study.

The study just confirmed what the doctor already strongly suspected.

The CPAP has been a freaking miracle for him. I'm so glad I asked (well, forced...) him to go to the doctor to ask about his severe snoring and weird sleeping habits.