CPAP Use and Anemia

[Diggers4pg]

Does anyone know of any correlation between CPAP use and anemia?

I’ve been using my CPAP for almost a month and during that time I haven’t changed my diet or really anything else. Last week I started noticing that I was very cold intolerant and generally tired again. I believe that it is anemia. I’ve started taking iron daily and that does seem to be helping. 

My gut is telling me that there might be some correlation. My ox sats were really low before treatment. Now, I am assuming that they are much better (AHI down to low 2’s vs. 77). Is it possible that the additional oxygen in my blood stream is requiring more iron?

I am not a medical professional at all - just trying to think through this. 

Does anyone have any knowledge about this?  I may be totally off base.

[Melman]

Have you seen a Doctor? A number of conditions could cause your symptoms; anemia, hypothyroid, vitamin D deficiency to mention a few. I doubt it caused by CPAP use but don't know.

[Diggers4pg]

I see my doctor in about two weeks. I already know and treat for hypothyroidism.

[sptrout]

I don't see any connection between anemia and CPAP, but I would never take iron supplements without a proven need for them. Iron, too much or too little, can cause big problems and it is best to stay away from it until told otherwise after a complete blood test. Funny, but I have iron overload problems (high ferritin), and my wife, we just found out yesterday, is iron deficient due to low ferritin levels. (We are both 67.) For some reason PCPs do not normally check for iron problems during normal annual exams, but should. If your`s do not, insist that they do because iron can be deadly.

[Diggers4pg]

Thank u

[ardenum]

Does anyone know of any correlation between CPAP use and anemia?

I’ve been using my CPAP for almost a month and during that time I haven’t changed my diet or really anything else. Last week I started noticing that I was very cold intolerant and generally tired again. I believe that it is anemia. I’ve started taking iron daily and that does seem to be helping. 

My gut is telling me that there might be some correlation. My ox sats were really low before treatment. Now, I am assuming that they are much better (AHI down to low 2’s vs. 77). Is it possible that the additional oxygen in my blood stream is requiring more iron?

I am not a medical professional at all - just trying to think through this. 

Does anyone have any knowledge about this?  I may be totally off base.

There's not much to think about, tell the doc you think anemia and order some blood work, mind you there are a few anemia types out there. If you're doing lab work might as well rule out all of them, like sickle cell, issues with bone marrow etc.

[mesenteria]

CPAP use and anemia, no, but untreated OSA and almost any condition you can think of...quite possibly.  When the body undergoes stress, and the result is chronic elevated levels of cortisol, there are books written on this topic.  You can expect bad sleep, heart problems, vascular disease, cancers, and other disorders and deteriorations, some of them very hard to treat and to reverse.

This may provide some illumination, with the inference that sometimes a person is better off, at least in the short term, eating red meat:

https://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage....5313880069

[Diggers4pg]

Thank you so much!  I actually got some natural Vit D yesterday and I feel better today.  I'm going to get blood work next week and try and narrow down what the issue is (or if there is one).