Depression BEFORE Diagnosis for Sleep Apnoea

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on August 29, 2011 at 13:04

I'll start the ball rolling...... I had periods in my life where I suffered extreme anxiety and panic attacks, but always put this down to being so busy and stressed (which I was, but having undiagnosed OSA was obviously the biggest culprit).  I was also put on anti-depressants during these periods, and was diagnosed with nervous exhaustion etc.  You can read my full story here http://www.hope2sleep.co.uk/page/my-story

The good news is that when my CPAP treatment is going well, which thankfully is most of the time, I have so much more energy, which has had a positive knock-on effect with my emotions etc.  Wearing a mask for bed is certainly worth it's weight in gold rather than live the rollercoaster life I used to live!

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Permalink Reply by Richard Mundy on August 29, 2011 at 14:52

Way back in 1992  my wife, Pam, became concerned that during the night I would stop breathing; she would give me a poke in the ribs and I'd start breathing again. 

 

Obviously, only your partner can make this observation when they, too, are awake: we had no idea what was wrong and subsequently had an appointment at the local hospital.

I did a lung-function test, a polysomnography test at home and had an ECG.  The results of these tests were inconclusive and I was diagnosed as having a leaky mitral-valve.  I was not given any other information, and that was the extent of the diagnosis.  I recall noticing at the time that the machine that produced the overnight readings was not in the best condition and all notes relating to this early diagnosis are now officially  'lost'.  I was not prescribed any medication as the leaky valve was not thought to be serious.

Since 1990 my wife and I have run a corporate hospitality business securing contracts with the BBC and film companies working on location.  We were very busy, so I simply could not afford to be ill.

Fast forward to Spring 1997 and I'm sitting in my car, on a client's car-park after a very fraught meeting.  I broke into a sweat, my mouth was dry, I could not move and found it difficult to breathe. I thought I was having a heart-attack. That evening I went to my GP and was referred to a consultant for a private appointment the following morning in Shrewsbury.

I was given a very thorough examination and prescribed perindopril and frusemide, a diuretic, which I still take today. The consultant agreed there was a problem with the mitral-valve, but not anything serious, and I had not had a heart-attack.

On two occasions over the following years I was admitted to hospital with pneumonia, put on anti-biotics and sent home with the comment that I must not forget to take the diuretics.  The heart-valve was still nothing to worry about.

As the years went on I began to feel more and more lethargic and tired.  I would wake up every morning and have the mother of all head-aches; I had a pain in my chest from time to time, but around lunch-time all I wanted to do was go to sleep. 

 

And, of course, I did go to sleep: waiting for the traffic-lights to change was a favourite place.  There, and on a long journey on the M6: thank God, I didn't have a crash, or cause one, but there is absolutely no future in driving in that condition.  Thankfully, that is now in the past and I can drive again.

 

In addition, my memory was becoming unreliable.  I could not remember who I had spoken to and what I had promised, causing some real problems for the staff.  I would put the phone down, and immediately lose all recollection of what had taken place.  Despite being the owner of the business, I was becoming a liability.

In October 2004 I saw the heart consultant again, and this time I emphasized, in very strong terms, I must say, how ill I felt, and how could I feel this way when the only problem was a slightly leaky valve?  There must be something else.  She agreed and offered to contact a colleague on my behalf.

I was referred to a specialist in respiratory disorders and again I was subjected to the lung-function tests, the polysomnography tests, etc.  To cut a long story short, after many tests over many years, it was the chest consultant  who came up with the diagnosis. 

So, in August 2005, 13 years after the first intimation that there was something wrong I had the diagnosis: Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and Pulmonary Hypertension.  I had never heard of Pulmonary Hypertension before, and whilst several people had suggested I might have Sleep Apnoea, I could not believe it when I was told the sleep test showed I was ‘waking-up’ over 200 times a night: That’s twenty-five times an hour!   I was waking  every two and a half minutes of an 8-hour sleep.  Of course, I was largely oblivious of this ‘waking-up’, but it explained why I felt so dreadful every morning: for years, I never had a proper, night’s sleep.

With my own experiences in mind, I would strongly recommend anyone who wakes up feeling they have not had a good night's sleep, or they feel tired during the day, to Google 'Epworth Sleepiness Scale' and the 'Berlin Snoring Questionnaire', print them off, fill them in as truthfully as possible.

If you find you are answering 'Yes' to most of the questions, then book an appointment with your GP.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on August 29, 2011 at 15:37

Thanks for sharing that story Richard.  13 years before you got your correct diagnosis, plus the years before when sleep apnoea will still have been there and gradually affecting your body :(  I hope people reading these posts who aren't diagnosed will get help from them.  I can trace my OSA right back to at least 25 years ago when I was pregnant with my first child.  Great recommendation re the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and also another cheap way to get a good indication is these  Sleep Strips which you just stick on your upper lip.  Many people have bought and used them, and they then take them to their GP's, along with a completed Epworth print-out, then they don't normally have any arguments about being referred on to a sleep specialist.

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Permalink Reply by Rosemary Kemp on August 29, 2011 at 17:16

It goes without saying that when you stop breathing every few minutes that you won't cope with your life. Mood swings and depression are just a small part of the dififculties. I definitely felt like I was in the process of dying. Really dying! I'm not even sure that having the O S A condition treated and sleeping much better completely removes the problems we develop regarding depression. My depression is much less now that I am being treated well for the OSA but I am still quite likely to become panicked. Not every night is a good one once we have the treatment going on. I don't know about everyone else but there are often nights where the mask doesn't fit so well and I am really tired the next day. Depression is never all that far away then either.

 

Rosemary  

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Permalink Reply by paula jones on August 29, 2011 at 17:26

I was irritable because of tiredness,I'd say my downer (not depression) is since iv been diagnosed, that mask and the fact i feel no better with it than without it,and im still battling with tiredness,even though with mask im having no Apneas,iv had all the usual tests all come back ok!! i feel like a pin cushion,and that horrible camera up my nose last wk,hurt so much they couldnt do it,so iv got treatment to clear my nose so they can put a camera up there, So my Downer is now rather than b4!! im staying positive (even though after typing all that it doesnt look like it) but at times i do feel sorry for myself!!  but snap outta it quickly!! :)

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Permalink Reply by Rosemary Kemp on August 29, 2011 at 17:36

That camera up the nose is totally horrible Paula! I think that we are likely to stay depressed on and off because there is not a cure as such. I hope things get better for you!

 

Rosemary

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Permalink Reply by Tigers Fan on August 29, 2011 at 19:53

I feel quite dismayed at this thread! It seems to me to be an invitation to re-live depression and thus to own it - my depression, the depression that I am, I am depression. Jeez, depression is self-centred enough without making it our own.

 

Please tell us what you do and/or have done to overcome depression, how you are reclaiming your life from depression, tricks you have learned to change your feelings when depression is lurking in the wings or is trying to take you over.

 

You are NOT depression. All things - including the worst, deepest, darkest bout of depression - will pass. The sun wull shine on you again.

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Permalink Reply by Rosemary Kemp on August 29, 2011 at 20:12

What to say?

Lots of things to not be depressed about of course! We may have such a lovely outfit to wear in bed at night - so seductive! We may have nights where the noise of the machine drives us to insanity and exhaustion the following morning .............  but of course we need to look at the positives too!

I am alive! I can walk forwards into the wind! I can lift my leg up onto the cross trainer! I can walk without back pain! I can park a distance away from the car and walk to my destination. My blood pressure is normal enough to not need to take loads of beta blockers which also make me tired! I may live longer! I can cross my legs again! I haven't got bandages around the pressure sores on my legs now that I have managed to lose some of the weight. Little children don't point at me any more and say "look at the fat lady" and laugh at me! I don't lift the chair up on my hips when I get out of a chair with arms. I can put the seat belt on without having to recline the car seat first and put it back afterwards. I don't need an extension seat belt in a coach now! Lots to be pleased about.

Remember these good things "to overcome depression".Remember the good things because "the sun WILL shine on you again"!

We need to change the slant of this discussion to "what you do ...  to overcome depression". Thank you Tigers Fan!

Rosemary     

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on August 29, 2011 at 20:28

Sorry if people weren't quite clear with what I was intending when I started this discussion.  It was not an attempt to focus on current depression (that was furthest from my thoughts) - it was merely to help all the many visitors to this forum looking for help (who haven't become members) who may be suffering from exhaustion/depression/anxiety at the moment, without realizing they indeed have undiagnosed sleep apnoea.  A lot of people visit their GP's with symptoms of extreme exhaustion and feeling 'down' that they are told they are depressed and put on medication.  Most of us who are now diagnosed and on successful treatment have left those dark days behind us, thankfully and the sun is shining on us again!

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Permalink Reply by Rosemary Kemp on August 29, 2011 at 20:49

Unfortunately people with depression sometimes can't see the wood from the trees. Of course this is a valid discussion but we need to focus on the good stuff that is there waiting for us when we continue on the journey (sometimes it feels like it is taking too long) to put things right and this forum helps us to do this, It gives us an opportunity to not feel alone. I don't know about you but the often illogical feelings we have when we are depressed aren't helped by anything better than  a good night of sleep.

Tomorrow is another day and we need to have as best a night of sleep as we can and start again. I sure am hoping that tomorrow is a better day for me! I wish everyone reading this well. We will fight this thing together! Stick on your masks and don't worry about the bad stuff. Start afresh.

Rosemary   

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Permalink Reply by Terry Vella on August 30, 2011 at 5:56

Kath, Thanks for your discussion point, this is my first reply.

After seeing numerous specialists over a couple of years, I was diagnosed with Depression a year ago, after 6 months of antidepressants I was no better and was actually getting worse.

I had the some symptoms of depression, aches and pains in the bones and jaw, sore stomach all day and night, woke up after a couple of hours sleep and couldn't get back top sleep etc (these may sound similar to some of the sleep apnoea).

I knew I had something else, I finally told my GP I needed to see a sleep specialist as some nights I would get 1-2 hours sleep then go to work the next day and this would go on till I was exhausted and had to take sleeping pills to knock myself out.

My sleep study showed that I have Servere Sleep Apnoea (Central) with a AHI of 30.

I have been on my CPAP (which I call 'Silvie', a Resmed S9 Auto) for about 4 months and are starting to see improvements with my AHI 3-5.

I was also diagnosed with Gallstones and had them and had my badly infected Gallbladder removed and have not had a pain in my stomach since.

I love my Silvie and my full face mask and was never negative towards it as I thought it would save me.

Finally Depression is like Sleep Apnoea, Diabeties etc it is a illness and can be treated and managed by hardly ever cured.

Anyone that doesn't have this illness does not know what is like to feel 'Grey' for most of the day and not be able to do anything about it.

I have learn't from a user group that I attend that like Sleep Apneoa, Depression etc has different forms and not one person I have met has the same symptoms.

I have been attending classes in Australia relating to Mindfulness to try to accept my illness and learn about it as well as learning relaxation techniques to to to reduce my stress.

Although I feel better and clearer through the day I have to manage these illnesses.

When I get relapses of depression it is milder and shorter than in the past.

If I had looked at a forum like this a few years ago, I may not have had to go through as much pain, time and cost.

I feel Depression, Sleep Apnoea, Stress etc are linked but not sure which one came first (the chicken or the egg). 

Once again thanks for introducing it.  

 

    

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on August 30, 2011 at 13:25

Great to have you interacting with us on here Terry, and so pleased to hear that your relapses are getting shorter and milder.  As you continue with your successfull CPAP treatment, here's hoping that they'll get even less and before long you'll feel like a new person :)

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