How many members have both Epilepsy and Sleep Apnea?

[forward2007]

I have been officially diagnosed with partial complex seizures since I was 5 years old. But I am 90% sure I also have Sleep Apnea. On many occasions I have woken up breathing very fast with my heart racing. I went to my regular Dr. and was given one of those take home devices that measured my heart rate for 24 hours. Of course nothing happened that time! Nothing was ever done since then. This was about a year and a half ago. I know Sleep Apnea can only make Epilepsy worse with the way it lowers the quality of one's sleep. I am curious about what any other members did to get diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. I read several of the threads and saw someone spent $5000 on tests.

[brain]

I know some people have both and
some don't.

Edited:
I have NOT been checked for Sleep Apnea,
only for Epilepsy which had been confirmed.

[BIGMAN131307]

As far as I know I don't have Sleep Apnea. I was never diagnosis with it. But there is a slight possibility that I may have it. If I read correctly, I may suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The only time I have problems breathing while sleeping, is when I lie flat on my back. I noticed this problem a few days ago by accident. Since I was little I've always slept with head and shoulders elevated. I never experienced any problems breathing. Perhaps that masked the Sleep Apnea in my case.

[RobinN]

I don't want to sound like a walking advertisement... but neurofeedback I know can help with sleep disorders. When Rebecca first started her therapy, that is one area that they wanted us to keep careful notes on. At the beginning Rebecca found it difficult to fall asleep, but Sue Othmer worked with her weekly to make sure the sleep was the best it could be.

[Birdbomb]

Me!

I had a sleep study done 2002 after I was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2001. Then I had VNS implanted in Sept 2002. Due to complications of a knee replacemnet in 2004 another sleep study was done and I was diagnosed with life threatening, Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. I must sleep with a CPAP and oxygen. Sometimes if the humidity is high, I may have to have oxygen in the day too.

If you suspect SA, please talk to your doctor. There is good evidence that epilepsy and SA go together and if you get the SA under treatment, you can improve you E symptoms as well.

[forward2007]

Me!

I had a sleep study done 2002 after I was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2001. Then I had VNS implanted in Sept 2002. Due to complications of a knee replacemnet in 2004 another sleep study was done and I was diagnosed with life threatening, Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. I must sleep with a CPAP and oxygen. Sometimes if the humidity is high, I may have to have oxygen in the day too.

If you suspect SA, please talk to your doctor. There is good evidence that epilepsy and SA go together and if you get the SA under treatment, you can improve you E symptoms as well.

Is Sleep Apnea something you talk to your Neurologist about or your regular Dr.?

[matthurlbut1]

Hi- I have both Sleep Apnea and Partial Complex Seizures- lucky me huh. I just had another sleep study done because I had a VNS implanted and have done research and found that people with SA who have VNS implants have to be monitored real close because it slows their breathing down at night. I have an awesome team of docs. Head of neurologist at the University of Iowa and excellent Sleep Center that work hand in hand. My seizures are not very well controlled right now. It sucks. I am 47 and it inhibits my work. Feel free to email me.

Matt

[Birdbomb]

forward2007

My first Sleep study was done by my neurologist. The next one by the pulmonologist. It's monitored by my primary.

[skillefer]

I haven't been diagnosed with sleep apnea, but I suspect that I have it. My dad had sleep apnea, my brother has been diagnosed with sleep apnea, and my hubby says I snore like a sawmill and occisionally stop breathing when I sleep. But that usually only occurs when I'm laying on my back, and I try to make certain that I sleep on my side.

[Birdbomb]

Those symptoms are pointing in that direction. If I lay on my back, I stop breathing too.

I've had neighbors comment on my snoring LOL

[speber]

I have BOTH sleep apnea and epliepsy...but neither (luckily) interfere too much with my life.

I've had the big E since I was 8...and have seen many different forms of it over the years, but have settled into 'Hollywood Style' t/c big-daddy mother's every 6 months or so. Believe it or not...I fixing to celebrate 1yr seizure-free in July!---(fingers-crossed)

Now the Sleep Apnea...

I was diagnosed with this a couple of years ago when I started to become 'overly-tired' to the point where I HAD to take naps...and seizure frequency was picking up. My neurologist at the time suggested I see a sleep specialist (who as luck would have it was my VERY FIRST neurologist EVER now specializing in this field!).
Long story short...I had a couple of overnight sleep studies where they determined I was waking up from deep sleep more than 7 times a minute due to completely stopping breathing!
This is due to physiology I can't explain...but somehow the airway becomes shutoff and you SNORE...then you STOP BREATHING UNTIL YOU WAKE UP ENOUGH TO RIGHT YOURSELF!

Anyway, I'm on a CPAP machine...NO supplemental OXYGEN required...and am sleeping better than I have in a long time! If you suspect a sleep disorder you should get it checked out IMHO.

Peace
Speber

[hawke86]

I have both epilepsy and sleep apnea. Sometimes it can suck.

[skillefer]

Those symptoms are pointing in that direction. If I lay on my back, I stop breathing too.

I've had neighbors comment on my snoring LOL

When we lived in an apartment, our neighbor next door, as well as the one downstairs would pound on their walls trying to wake me up so that I'd quit snoring....

Of course...my cat used to wake me up with her snoring too.....

[ziggidypoo]

BOTH!!!

and "ziggidypoo" - actual name is Popsie (my cat) does snore too, Carey rarely does.

My deceased husband snorted and stopped breathing from our first beginning - I feared his death for 20 yrs before it happened due to obesity/ sleep apnea(untreated)/ diabetes/ hypertension/ and later COPD/ and CHF.

I have said these 2 tips before but let me say them again:

SERIOUS:

#1: if you are sitting on the toilet straining breathe don't hold your breath - he died because he held his breath and his weakened heart burst

#2: if you feel like you are having a heart attack and are alone - COUGH and keep COUGHing until you can get help or it goes away - it does the same as CPR compressions on the heart.

THESE were BOTH told to me in all seriousness by both drs and EMTs

[Bernard]

I added a poll to this thread. Anonymous voting.

One study found 33% of epilepsy patients with sleep apnea. It will be interesting to see how the CWE membership matches up.

[RanMan]

I have recently been dx'd with Chronic Obstructive Sleep Apnia.
After my sleep disorders test the Dr. showed me the EEG from one night, I would stop breathing up to 50 times/hour and had 3 seizures and that I was waking up "post ictal" (moody and spaced out)
I have recently purchased a CPAP machine which provides constant air pressure and have noticed a vast improvement.
No more snoring (the whole family sleeps better now), more energy when I wake up, better REM sleep, improved memory (less short term memory loss), and most of all ~ NO MORE NIGHT SEIZURES.
Now maybe my Neurologist can reduce my meds.
I'm surprised that finally after 28 years I finally get an answer.

Randy

[ziggidypoo]

I have to use CPAP machine w/ Oxygen whenever I nap or sleep at night or get out of breath walking (not been able to walk much since hospitalization, even must have help in room) - due to pulmonary probs I really felt my end was close last night - today much better. Just sleep alot and must use cpap/o2 a lot.

I just hope I can be of help to others.

[darkmarkshark]

I know c-pap's are supposed to help reduce partial seizures in patients who also have obstructive sleep apnea, but has anyone noticed an increase in seizures with their cpap use?

[Meetz1064]

HAD sleep apnea, but I no longer do. I dropped 110 pounds, and it went away........

[RanMan]

darksmarkshark;

It actually reduced night time seizures.

Randy