Sleep Apnea!?!

PookahGirl · 06-26-2009, 01:21 AM

Well I went to the pulmonary doctor last week to see how my asthma id doing and he decided I needed a sleep study done. Now about a week or so later I get a call saying that I have sleep apnea and have to go back in a few weeks for another sleep study so they can try the different treatment options out.

Has anyone else on the boards gotten this Dx? I am now starting to think that maybe some of my other problems are linked to the apnea and just not a coincidence now. They are listed below. WOW who would of thought sleeping, or at least trying to could be dangerous.

* GERD (dx 02/05)
* IBS (dx 02/05)
* skin tags (mostly neck)
* dark patches on neck and inner upper thighs
* spare tire effect from fat in middle waist area
* headaches (used to be migraines, now headaches for days at a time)
* osteoarthritis (dx 2000)
* TMJ (dx 2000)
* bone spurs w/ plantar facitis and tendonitis (dx2003)
* cysts in my breast, told they were caused by caffeine (dx age 13)
* ulcer in my throat (dx 09/03)
* stomach spasms since age of 10
* chronic sinusitis and rhinositis with ocasional tonsilittis, postnasal drip
* allergies (dog, cat, feathers, 2 types grass, 5 types trees, 4 types of pollen 2 types mold, 2 types dust mites, coffee, peanuts, cinnamon, fish, and shellfish) (test done 03/05 and redone 06/09)
* gallbladder problems, was removed 01/10/05
* cervical strain (neck problems) (car accidents (3) )
* 2 twisted vertibrate (sp?) (car accidents (3) )
* asthma ( recently diminished)
* chronic bronchitis (goes hand in hand with allergies and sinus issues)
* my newest one is IR (dx 07/29/05)
* bi-polar disorder with generalized anxiety disorder (dx 2003)
* sleep apnes (dx 06/09)

Had egd done in 03/09 and colonoscopy in 05/09 to rule out other GI issues. Follow up with dr in 07/09.

Indira · 06-26-2009, 01:54 AM

OMG that's a long list you got there. I can say that some are associated witht he apnea and some sound more like pcos.

I don't have apnea but my hubby does. his problems include loss of short term memory, but can remember what I told him 2 years ago verbatim LOL. Also irregular heart beat among others.

As long as they give you the machine to sleep with you will be fine....it is kind of uncomfortable at the beginning but soon you get used to it. Also you will see the difference in how well rested you feel in the morning after using the cpap machine.

Let us know how it all turns out for you.

JenniferV · 06-28-2009, 12:13 AM

Hi,

I have sleep apnea and use a CPAP machine. At first, I struggled using the machine. I still do sometimes...but I know I need to do it. I had enough problems feeling sexy in the bedroom thanks to PCOS and now I feel and sound like Darth Vadar! However, using the machine has made a HUGE difference...life changing. I am a different person and its all because I was sleep deprived and oxygen deprived. Many of the symptoms I had like depression, anxiety, fatigue, fogginess, lack of concentration, and no energy, I just chalked up to PCOS. However, sleep apnea and lack of oxygen also causes that and much more. It increases your risk for heart attack because over time it can put a lot of stress on the heart and damage the heart muscles. It can also increase the risk of stroke, diabetes, and cause weight gain. My doctor told me that it even increases your chances of getting cancer because your cells need oxygen to regenerate and repair. If you are constantly in a state of suffocation while sleeping, you cells do not get the oxygen they need to function.

Once I was diagnosed, I was shocked. I thought sleep apnea was an old fat man's disease. I started researching it on the web and learned that women with PCOS are more likely to have sleep apnea because of the way they carry their weight.

Good luck...if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Tina Castle · 06-28-2009, 01:20 AM

PCOS and Sleep Apnea go hand in hand.

Sleep Apnea is a symptoms of PCOS.

I had SA from ages 9 to 11 and it wasn't treated until I was 11. I didn't go to a sleep study, but I had to see an Ears, Nose, and Throat Specialist who worked miracles on me.

It is curable and please know you don't have to suffer through it.

I also have:

dark, patchy skin (since I was 11)
bad allergies (to everything since I was like 10)
depression (started at age 16)
asthma (since I was 2 years old)

KatCarney · 06-29-2009, 04:30 PM

Sleep apnea is VERY common in women with pcos. If you run a board search, you'll find many, many threads and studies.

Smorgan128 · 09-02-2009, 03:55 PM

I just came from a new Endocrinologist, and he seems to be under the impression that a sleep disturbance such as sleep apnea can actually worsen the PCOS, or Insulin Resistance or both and in some cases cause it. Also this can cause some of the other things associated with PCOS, he claims, such as hypertension. I was curious as to any studies that may associate the two before I undergo the testing to prove/support this new doctors theories.

Also another question does anyone know if there is any relationship between genetics and sleep disturbances? Both of my parents have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, my mother several years ago and My father just recently. Neither diagnoses is related to their weight as my father is not even 180lbs recently and the weight loss came prior to the diagnosis.

ChaoticChris · 09-03-2009, 05:53 PM

I have apnea and thank the stars my hubby is such a Star Wars nerd and doesn't mind sleeping next to Vader. After I got my diagnosis of moderate to severe apnea I was told that I should strongly suggest my immediate family members to come in for a sleep study as well, as it is possibly genetic.