[Symptoms] Severe OSA/Brain Fog/Depression/Confusion/Anxiety/Immune Deficiency

[sleepyman67]

The depression and anxiety are followed and treated by multiple counselors and psychiatrists. The weird thing is nothing is working in that realm and they have tried everything. Is it just a coincidence that the OSA and psychiatric problems began at the same time as the OSA diagnosis?

There may not be any solution to my problems at this point. I will continue to focus on losing more weight and eating healthy. That is my only hope at this point in addition to my Christian Faith! If I can get down to my ideal body weight then maybe I can get rid of BIPAP and things will improve.

I will post more data in the next week coming from my BIPAP. In addition, I will post my most recent sleep study summaries with patient identifiable information removed.

I have to thoroughly explore all options. I have read that taking magnesium citrate and thiamine 500mg may help to restore some of he brain function. Of course there are no well controlled studies to support this theory.

Thank you for your support!

[sleepyman67]

           

John,

I have attached three screenshots of the flow rate data zoomed in on a few aberrations.

Please share your thoughts.

sleepyman67

[70sSanO]

Maybe someone with more knowledge will see something and chime in, but those shapes don't look bad. Usually if there are flow limitations that will cause daytime sleepiness, the tops, (occasionally the bottoms), of the shape are flatten. A car crusher look, so to speak. I just don't see anything that jumps out as sleep apnea related.

As I said, hopefully someone will chime in and confirm or discredit what I have said.

John

[Dormeo]

I agree with John. I don't see clear signs of flow limitations (flat top, dented top, pointy top). Each view seems to show a brief arousal. An arousal might represent a wake-up, or it might represent a change from one sleep stage to another, or none of the above.

It will be good to see your redacted recent sleep study. That could contain useful information that would help the experts advise you about your settings.

Given your history of treatment for depression and anxiety, you might find this article useful:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5548844/

It gives a very nuanced summary of the scientific findings concerning relations among sleep, depression, and anti-depressant medications.

[mesenteria]

Sleepy, I am not ignoring or discounting the way you feel about your circumstances, or that they are real and verifiable using common objective assessment measures.

Do you have other physical limitations?  


What is your diet like?  

Your finances?  

How much of a social network do you have (do you meet with a group or with friends at least once a week...any other outlets or places where you gather for a common purpose, such as singing or playing games)?

How much exercise do you get in a week, what type, and have you been less involved that way in recent weeks?

Across the medical profession and the mental health profession, the single greatest contributor to improved mood and bodily health is daily movement...AKA exercise.  A brisk walk, jogging, cycling, rowing, swimming...anything requiring you to get your heart rate up to 130 BPM or more, depending on your age and general health, is going to do wonders for your mood and sleep.  Maybe not this week, but it will almost certainly come in time.  It's like some medications and dietary changes; nothing immediately gratifying in the way of achieving your goals, but eventually you start to see, and to enjoy, results.

[sleepyman67]

Sleepy, I am not ignoring or discounting the way you feel about your circumstances, or that they are real and verifiable using common objective assessment measures.

Do you have other physical limitations?  Not at the moment.


What is your diet like?  no gluten, no dairy, no meat, lots of veggies, beans, fruit, brown rice

Your finances?  does not affect my state that has been going on for 19 years

How much of a social network do you have (do you meet with a group or with friends at least once a week...any other outlets or places where you gather for a common purpose, such as singing or playing games)?

Church twice a week, bible study weekly, divorce care classes.

How much exercise do you get in a week, what type, and have you been less involved that way in recent weeks?

Walk 6 miles a day and bike 13 a day 7 days a week. Just lost 35 pounds with no improvement. The exercise does not improve my symptoms, but I am doing it anyway and continue to loose weight.

74 inches tall - 285 pounds

Yes I know I am overweight and I am working on that!

Across the medical profession and the mental health profession, the single greatest contributor to improved mood and bodily health is daily movement...AKA exercise.  A brisk walk, jogging, cycling, rowing, swimming...anything requiring you to get your heart rate up to 130 BPM or more, depending on your age and general health, is going to do wonders for your mood and sleep.  Maybe not this week, but it will almost certainly come in time.  It's like some medications and dietary changes; nothing immediately gratifying in the way of achieving your goals, but eventually you start to see, and to enjoy, results.

[Madbeggar]

Hey, sleepyman67 -
I have no good advice for you, but I applaud your efforts regarding exercise and diet. And you deserve congratulations on your weight loss. I hope you soon find relief from your angst.

Xyrem is supposedly able to put people into deep sleep quickly and reliably - but good luck trying to get a prescription. It's approved for narcolepsy only, and is available from a single mail-order pharmacy in the USA.

I know of it only because of my own (unsuccessful) quest for deep sleep. I suffer symptoms which include what you've described. I'm 56-years-old now, and have been plagued by a slew of strange symptoms since the age of 18 or 19. I've seen many doctors about my situation - each one quickly decides I'm "depressed" (and perhaps I am) and goes no further in their investigation, and so I switch doctors every few years in order to get a fresh pair of eyes on my predicament. Along the way, I've tried a variety of anti-depressants and other drugs - some of them have been my idea, based upon my own research, and some I've taken merely to humor the doctor who's convinced that my ill health is due to an emotional problem.

And while my initial symptoms - at least the ones that hampered my lifestyle - were mostly physical, in recent years I've experienced a steep cognitive decline that is now debilitating. I spend quite a bit of time on the verge of tears because I find myself unable to "think" through simple problems, or perform daily tasks - like making coffee - because I've forgotten how. Reading has become very difficult. My working memory (some days) is about four seconds. Everything I do takes three or four times as long as it used to, if I can do it at all.

I eventually concluded that I suffer from something in the Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome spectrum. (One of my symptoms is idiopathic myalgia.) And sleep issues are pretty universal in that spectrum. In fact, some believe that many of the symptoms of those maladies are due simply to not getting deep sleep, or not benefiting from the secretion of growth hormone that goes along with that.

I've struggled for years - decades, really - to get a solid night of sleep; I can usually doze off just fine, but often wake up multiple times and have difficulty falling back to sleep. It seems as if I go years without dreaming. Yet, even when I make it through the night without waking, I don't feel "rested" in the morning.

In a recent overnight study at the hospital - this time wired up with electrodes - I experienced only 16 minutes combined stage 3 and 4 sleep (more or less confirming my suspicions). Thus, my own quest for a better sleep drug. I've lobbied multiple doctors for the aforementioned Xyrem, with no luck.

Several years ago, I tried out a CPAP for about three months. (A sleep study indicated that I experience mild apnea.) It made no difference in my energy, blood pressure, or cognition, so I quit using it. My current doctor wants me to try it again, so I am - which is how I recently ended up on this forum. I'm trying to be more involved this time, a process which is difficult due to the now increased brain fog - but I'm willing to do anything to improve my health and my cognition.

You gotta keep trying, right?

[bearbayou]

Sleeoyman: "...why am I so anxious, depressed, brain fogged, fatigued, and severe memory issues..."
So sorry to read what's happening.

I am completely new to this wonderful, informative forum. Amazing people, awesome help. ---- Sure hope I'm not breaking rules by posting. I'm offering suggestions only, based on my experience of what helps me personally. Take it all with a grain of salt, please.
So here goes: -- I am new to the sleep apnea world, BUT I've messed around with Auto-immunity issues (AIP) for 11 years. Have you checked out the AIP online world? Also, are you out walking most days, or doing some kind of exercise, appropriate for you ? Drinking enough water? How about volunteering? Do you have a hobby (gardening, photography, whatever that you might've done long ago or always wished that you had explored, which might help your outlook) ? Have you had your thyroid levels checked, especially 'Free T3" and "Free T4" ? (this literally saved my life, 20 years ago)-- so many doctors missed what was going on with me. Thankfully, now there's plenty of info, even about how to find a doctor who treats you rather than your lab work..
=== For a long time I wasn't doing most of the things I just mentioned, and then I started, little by little. Ultimately, all of them, plus getting back to a spiritual path (which includes meditation), have truly changed my life (and quality of my sleep == even before my recent sleep apnea diagnosis & equipment meet-up-- which says a lot about how dark my world was; I am deeply grateful for so many things in my life today. NOTE: When I fall off the wagon==which I do== (and for me, eating something that really isn't ok for my personal body/mind, I become so depressed, anxious & ache all over) THEN I get back on that wagon & see the difference and wonder why I haven't learned my lesson yet ) BTW: Googling I found that unwanted side effects of Sunosi include anxiety, and insomnia. ---- May light start to enter your life more. All the best.

[Dormeo]

Sleepyman, you were thinking of posting your redacted sleep study. Might you want to pursue that?

I'm glad you are taking care of your body, and I share your hopes that with some further weight loss, you'll start feeling better. But I can't shake the sense that you have medical problems that haven't yet met the right doctor. So I hope you find him or her.