Managing Other Medical Problems and Sleep Apnea

It has only been about 3 months that I have been using my CPAP machine on an average of 6.5 to 7.5 hours a night.

But the difference it has made in my overall health has been amazing!

Living with multiple health conditions

On top of obstructive sleep apnea, I also have myasthenia gravis, Chiari malformation, degenerative disc with arthritis in my cervical and lumbar spine (more than likely in the thoracic area also), reverse lordosis of the cervical spine, hypothyroidism, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and at times insomnia that can last for days to weeks on end.

Then there is something that's leaving lesions in my brain – still to be determined! And those are just the bigger ones. So, for me, it's not just about having sleep apnea. Some of my other medical stuff also causes problems getting a good night's sleep.

The good and bad of using my CPAP machine

I was actually diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea a few years back and for a few years, I did use my machine at least 4 hours at night, every night. There was some improvement overall, not only in the amount of energy I had but also in my thought processes – they seemed to be clearer.

All of that seemed to change when I started having trouble getting supplies – like a new mask and tubing, that kind of stuff. So, I quit using the CPAP machine because I couldn't get the supplies and I kept waking up at night with the mask not sealing right and the air seeping out.

To me, that was just interrupting sleep that I could have been getting without using the machine. And I got along well for a while. Then everything started to crash!

My serious medical scares

Twice in about a month, I ended up in the emergency room with extremely high blood pressure. Once, my blood pressure was so high, 250/150, along with symptoms that started coming from what I had been told for years was multiple sclerosis. I was kept overnight to have more testing as they were sure I was having a stroke – which I didn't.     

This was also the first time myasthenia gravis was ever mentioned as a possibility and that's when they found 2 new active brain lesions, as those symptoms came out when my blood pressure went down.

I had not used my CPAP machine in over 2 months. Could there be a connection between sleep and autoimmune diseases?

Resuming nightly CPAP use

About 10 months later, I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis. Still fighting to get CPAP supplies on a regular basis, I was back to using the machine at least 4 hours a night. But that was too little too late.

Two major flares of myasthenia gravis during this time, the second one a year after the first, left me unable to do much on my own.

Getting myself back into a healthy sleeping pattern

For the last 3 months, I am no longer fighting to get supplies, and I have been using the CPAP for 6.5 to 7.5 hours a night. The 4 to 6 hours just does not give me the full benefits. 

I am now becoming so comfortable using the CPAP at night that I'm falling asleep quicker by using it, getting my body back into a healthy sleeping pattern.