Comment by binary132
It sounds different from what I’ve been dealing with, but I got diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2023 and getting on a cpap has made a world of difference to my health and energy levels, including making my chronic migraines go away basically completely since starting cpap therapy. I am simply writing this in the hopes that possibly exploring this diagnosis might help you. I used to often wake up exhausted and feeling like I’d been hit by a truck or as though I had a bad hangover. This also no longer happens to me.
I appreciate the suggestion. They tested me twice for sleep apnea.
The first time it was borderline so we decided that was unlikely to be the cause. That was also just a few months after COVID when my symptoms were extreme and persistent and I was also experiencing major insomnia.
The second time was a year later when I was supposed to be getting the multiple sleep latency test for narcolepsy. I had an awful time getting to sleep and only had a few hours. They didn't complete the narcolepsy test because they said I had severe apnea. The doctor prescribed me a CPAP and insisted it would fix everything. They went so far as to say that it's never narcolepsy and that in 10 years they had only seen one case, which is concerning given that narcolepsy is not that rare in the general population and it should be much more common among people who are tested for it. The doctor's over confidence and condescending tone made me greatly question the diagnosis.
I did try the CPAP for a little over a month. I simply couldn't make it work. I started with a nasal mask but the first time I opened my mouth I awoke in a panic as air was rushing through my nose and out my mouth. It happened a couple more times and it was clear that wasn't going to work. I then tried a full mask and while that wasn't as bad, I found it extremely hard to fall asleep. Even though I didn't find it uncomfortable, I simply didn't feel sleepy while wearing it. The moment I took it off I would be exhausted and would fall asleep. I also had trouble breathing with it. When the pressure started to rise I wasn't able to breathe out against it so I would suffocate. It woke me many times. Much later I was told that there should be a release valve for that and a different mask might help, but I had already given up on it.
Other circumstances also make me doubtful that sleep apnea is the cause. It has slowly but steadily been improving over the last two years, which shouldn't happen with SA. I have also used various sleep trackers, including recording myself, and with rare exception there haven't been any significant signs of apnea. I snore, but not loudly. I never stop breathing for any length of time. I cough occasionally but I also do that regularly while awake in bed because of post nasal drip. Even the CPAP when I was using it recorded only a few significant events. Aside from that single test, all other evidence has suggested against it.
My wife does have significant sleep apnea. She struggled similar to me with wearing the CPAP but she was recently prescribed APAP and it has worked well for her. Even with the CPAP there was a clear difference when she used it.
I have no doubt it works for many people, but unfortunately it didn't seem to help me.