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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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 @Emory: WW sounds like a...Submitted by emory on February 28, 2006 - 8:00am.
Berko wrote:
@Emory: WW sounds like a really good idea, but it's a cost issue for me. If I can't get it done without it, I will keep that in mind and give it a try. It is absolutely geared toward women but there are men that go to the meetings and do the work. You can probably roll your own if you're interested -- there are Points Books and information online so you could theoretically play along at home and maybe do alright! But I think part of the process is having the support of a lot of people who are struggling with the same thing you are. Considering that it sounds like you genuinely have some health problems now it would stand to reason that they will only get worse if you DON'T do something about it. It is possible that your insurance company would foot the bill. If you're employed by a biggish company you could also speak to your HR department about this -- companies like my employer love to bend over backwards and do anything reasonable to improve the productivity of their employees. Human Resources is one of those self-involved "gotta prove my usefullness" departments so they always in my experience love a project like this. You're not sleeping at night, Berko. You're having 8 hours of seizures and arrested airflow. There is no shame in seeking help. Only in letting something as simple as this kill you. You said it yourself -- the solution is easy. Loose weight. » POSTED IN:
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