Fibro and Sleep Apnea: I'm just curious... - Fibromyalgia Acti...

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Fibro and Sleep Apnea

jcrawford profile image
18 Replies

I'm just curious about sleep apnea being connected to or related to fibromyalgia.

I don't know if I have it, but according to my friends, I'm showing symptoms of sleep apnea on top of already having fibromyalgia and endometriosis. I often wake up with shortness of breath, feeling like my heart is racing when it's actually normal or slow, and now I've been caught to have stopped breathing during a nap. I've brought this up to my physician before, but they didn't think it was anything to look into at the time. I do plan on making an appointment tomorrow to be sure.

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18 Replies
sandstone profile image
sandstone

I have fibro and have been diagnosed with sleep apnae too

agtf1 profile image
agtf1

I experience the same, will be interested to hear what your gp says. X

millymoll profile image
millymoll

i have sleep apnea as well if i dont wear my cpap mask i am really tired and make noises not only snoring but like a wild animal lol and stop breathing 200-300 times in a 4 hour period

hope this helps

shirlthegirlx profile image
shirlthegirlx

i have sleep apnoea too, obviously I'm ok through the night whilst wearing the mask, but when i fall asleep during the day, my hubby says my snoring would wake the whole street up lol :) xx

Nicky7 profile image
Nicky7

I have fibromyalgia and when I go to doctors they put everything down to that and I have been having a lot more diffrent pains in wrists and hands and a doctor that doesn't work at surgery told me I now have carpal tunnel so I would tell your doctor your worries about this and get refarerd to hospital ....

paddysmum profile image
paddysmum

Diagnosed in 2009 I too have to now wear CPAP mask every night. I was so tired pre-diagnosis that I was even falling asleep at my desk at work. Wasn't until I had a weekend in London with my sister (who is a nurse) that I was told about my terrible snoring and long periods of stopping breathing (she was frightened to sleep because she was so worried and had to keep nudging me to breathe) that she made an appointment with my GP and accompanied me to describe my symptoms to him before I was referred to hospital for diagnosis and treatment. Hence I am now on CPAP machine for life, however, while I now have restorative sleep at night, I haven also been diagnosed with CFS/ME alongside my fibromyalgia so still feel drowsy throughout the day. Get checked out because if you have apnea you are more likely to suffer strokes or even heart attacks during unrestorative sleep. hope this helps!

kazilou profile image
kazilou

Hi all, I have fibro, hypertension, racing heart and sleep apnea. Medication for my blood pressure has been swapped and increased, I started my cpap machine 3 nights ago and my blood pressure, which I have to monitor twice per day and text results to gp, has decreased. It may be coincidence And the medication but my heart rate is also down and my sleep is better.

angied profile image
angied

I was diagnosed with fibro but wasn't until my brother was diagnosed with sleep apnea that my hubby said I stopped breathing in my sleep ,very tired all the time went to sleep clinic and was told yes I have obstructive sleep apnea can't have the op so have cpap machine and mask ,since I've up my meds and as soon as I put my mask on im asleep don't even wake for a wee which I used to up to 6 times a night, I also snore extremely loudly which is part of it they said as im not overweight it was a genetic thing ,

If you think you have it ask for another opinion as its a dangerous thing to have I still gave episodes with the mask but constant aur going thru isn't affecting my brain it's a simple test done overnight at home

timj53 profile image
timj53

Yes I have sleepapnea which I believe caused Fibromyalgia!

Reykua profile image
Reykua

Hi Jcrawford,

Well done for making Another appointment to check on this - because the likelyhood of you having it after the description you've give above is quite high and the least your doctor can do is refer you to the ENT and Sleep Clinic to double check and rule it out.

I also had endometriosis which cleared up after the birth of my daughter by cesaerian - strange I know, but great. Anyways, it turned out a few years later that I had Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea which later brought on Diabetes2 and now I have Fibromyalgia.

I don't really know if or whether there is a link between these various conditions but I was told by my doctor that my diabetes was definitely was as a result of my sleep apnea and that my Fibro was worsened by lack of good, restful and restorative sleep so from his point of view, one has definitely brought on the others.

Do let us know how you get on with your appointment and do emphasise how worried you are and hopefully it'll all get sorted out. Wishing you all the very best.

I think it is quite common to have sleep apnea with fibro. My Gp referred me to sleep clinic in August last year and I was found to have sleep apnea. I didnt know I had it as I have insomnia so dont sleep very well and my husband said he doesnt hear me snore but the monitor I had to wear to bed overnight showed I woke 58 times in one night they said because I had stopped breathing. I have been given a CPAP machine (breathing machine) to wear which I am struggling with a bit but I know other people on here use one and get on with it as I get claustraphobic. maybe ask your GP for a referral to sleep clinic. Gentle hugs Joolz.x

jezz21 profile image
jezz21

I have Fibro, type 2 diabetes, reflux and complete sleep apnea. My brain does not send the signals to breath I can stop breathing up to 100 times per hour. I use a cpap machine as well as an oxygen machine. I am just waiting for an appointment at a different hospital as my hospital cannot treat me as it is a rare condition. There's a different type of machine they can give me as well as medication (already on enough of that!) over 30 tablets a day. I also have hypothyroidism and M.E.

But saying all that there's people who are a lot worse than me with different conditions.

tulips123 profile image
tulips123 in reply tojezz21

your lung condition sounds like mine - 'Alveola Hypoventilation Syndrome, which I understand is rare, even more so for women and at my age (53). We are supposed to inhale/exhale so many times per minute, but in this case the brain doesn't send the right signal. I've had an oxygen concentrator since 2011. This machine takes in the air around, filters some of the rubbish and increases the oxygen content which is then delivered through a long tube to the nasal specs. and inhaled through the nose. Mine is set at '2 litres per minute', but I'm having symptoms and will need reassessment again soon. (blueish tinge around the mouth and & my finger nails, especially in the morning.) The machine itself sits in the lounge and I have a long lead attached to the nasal specs which follows me wherever I go. It sometimes gets caught in doors etc. which can be very frustrating at times, especially when pain is so bad all I want to do is sit down but I have to go back to untangle!

I also have hypothyroid, diabetes, asthma(not connected to AHS), RA, FMS etc. etc. the list goes on and on. Like Fibro, AHS is still not understood very well, but i'm positive it's all connected. You're the 1st person I've spoken to with this condition since I was diagnosed 4 years ago, and I would be interested in hearing how you get on. All the best! Tulip XX

grandmakim profile image
grandmakim

I have fibro and sleep apnea. The CPAP helps massively and I feel much better on a morning when I have slept with it on. Ask to be referred to sleep clinic. It is easy to diagnose. Good luck xx

TheAuthor profile image
TheAuthor

Strangely enough I am having a sleep test on the 14th. I had one previously but as an insomniac I never slept during the whole of the test! Typical!

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken

Kath-Hope2Sleep profile image
Kath-Hope2Sleep

There's a huge link with fibromyalgia and sleep apnoea, and in fact it's estimated that 80% of people with fibromyalgia also have sleep apnoea (mostly undiagnosed). When people are treated for the sleep apnoea many find the fibro pain decreases and some even get cured. Here's a good link to understand why untreated sleep apnoea causes or exacerbates fibromyalgia sleepdisordersguide.com/fib...

Kath-Hope2Sleep profile image
Kath-Hope2Sleep in reply toKath-Hope2Sleep

PS I should add that I don't have fibromyalgia myself, but do have severe sleep apnoea for which I run a forum and other support groups. My comment about how treating sleep apnoea improves fibro symptoms are from many of our members who have both fibro and sleep apnoea, and hope my reply helps. I joined this community tonight as the original question caught my attention via Google.

timj53 profile image
timj53

I have Sleep apnea which I believe caused Fibromyalgia. I was diagnosed with Sleepapnea and supplied with a sleep machine which has stopped my sleepapnea. Apparently I was never getting enough sleep as I was stopping breathing up tp 3 minutes before I breathed.

My biggest problem is my memory due to Fibromyalgia.

Tim Jones

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