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Sleep apnea and attention deficit
Jamie Phelps | Feb 18 2006
I have been having trouble with attention deficit symptoms that have progressively worsened over the past 2-3 years. I was talking with a friend who said that he used to have similar problems and that he was finally diagnosed with sleep apnea. Once he started using a CPAP machine, his apnea was much better, his wife would not have to sleep on the couch, and his cognitive functioning was markedly improved. The research on sleep apnea that I have been reading indicates that sleep apnea can cause attention deficit troubles. I am pretty sure I'm a good candidate for sleep apnea, as I reflect two of the three common risk factors: overweight, middle-aged, male. I'm 25, so I'll let you guess which two I fit. I'm 5'10 1/2" and weigh in at around 230. The most basic treatment for sleep apnea is to lose weight. After that, tests and such have to be run that would be a strain on my student budget. I have health insurance, but $300 for a test that I wasn't planning for is a little steep. So, all that being said, anyone here have experience with sleep apnea? Did you experience attention deficit troubles as a result? How much did correcting your sleep apnea help your attention deficit symptoms? What treatments helped you? Did simply losing weight help or do you use a CPAP? I don't think I am a candidate for SA surgery, but if anyone has any experience with that, I would like to hear about that as well. I have contemplated taking medication for the attention deficit symptoms, but I would much rather fix the problem than treat the symptoms. Thanks in advance. 32 Comments
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 Geomantic8, If you think you have...Submitted by Ecgtheow on February 21, 2006 - 9:47am.
Geomantic8, If you think you have ADD, you should consider treatment and medication. The fact that you can't stick with these systems is becasue you quite literally can't. It's like asking someone who is nearsighted to read a road sign without glasses. I have been on and off meds for various things in the last few years, but only when the ADD was diagnosed and treated was I able to get back on track. Get a good diagnosis, because things like mild bi-polar and depression can mimic ADD in some people. Just so you know, stimulants like Ritalin or Adderall are not the only meds available. You can also use dopamine reuptake inhibitors like Wellbutrin or Straterra. Most people used to think that ADD went away when you went through puberty, but now we know it does not. Let me close by recommending Driven to Distraction by Hallowell and Ratey. This book is the best description.explaination for ADD that I have ever read. I know some people think of ADD as some kind of self-discipline issue. It is not. To use my example above, you wouldn't tell the near-sighted person to just try harder to read the sign. Best of luck, effective treatment can open a lot of doors that you thought were closed forever. Thanks... Ecg » POSTED IN:
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