Sleep apnea or nocturnal panic??

[Pelin38]

How related is the “nocturnal panic” to sleep apnea (OSA)? Is there a clear difference..I think that OSA is the way my panic attacks continue at night.. beacuse just like panic attacks, sleep apnea has ups&downs and (not sure I’m still on experiment) reacts well to antidepressant..  I’m confused- I don’t think CPAP is the solution in my case..anyone in a similar condition??  

[Pelin38]

Thank you Dr.Rajput..Actually I have the results of PSG I’d like to tell you about (dated 29 Jan 11);
8 OA + 3 CA (total 11 - apnea index 2,3)
133 hypopnea - RDI 29,9
Lowest O2 des. 90% (average 98%)
Total Arousal Index 12,5 Resp.Arousal Index 3,3
Which  means I have “severe OSAS”.
But at the same time, I have daytime panic attacks in the form of remaining breathless.. its nothing to do with “sleep” only..if I’m ok during the day then I’ll be ok at night too.. its kind of periodical depending on how I feel at a certain period of time..
I’d been on antidepressant for a while (1 a day, then ½, ½ every other day so on) .. after I stopped taking the ad. it’s come back more severely ..in fact, it seems that the antidepressant worked/works.
Additionally I have allergic rinit + continuous postnasal drip..which are all “factors”, aren’t they?
I mean, the doctors never care about the root cause..they just want to put me under CPAP treatment which I dont believe “is” a tretment..
I believe that the OSA is some “result/side effect” rather than being the condition itself ..

[Pelin38]

Thank you Dr.Rajput..Actually I have the results of PSG I’d like to tell you about (dated 29 Jan 11);
8 OA + 3 CA (total 11 - apnea index 2,3)
133 hypopnea - RDI 29,9
Lowest O2 des. 90% (average 98%)
Total Arousal Index 12,5 Resp.Arousal Index 3,3
Which  means I have “severe OSAS”.
But at the same time, I have daytime panic attacks in the form of remaining breathless.. its nothing to do with “sleep” only..if I’m ok during the day then I’ll be ok at night too.. its kind of periodical depending on how I feel at a certain period of time..
I’d been on antidepressant for a while (1 a day, then ½, ½ every other day so on) .. after I stopped taking the ad. it’s come back more severely ..in fact, it seems that the antidepressant worked/works.
Additionally I have allergic rinit + continuous postnasal drip..which are all “factors”, aren’t they?
I mean, the doctors never care about the root cause..they just want to put me under CPAP treatment which I dont believe “is” a tretment..
I believe that the OSA is some “result/side effect” rather than being the condition itself ..

[Dr Rajput]

Hi, from your history it suggests that you are having Sleep-disordered breathing. It is important to rule out type of sleep apnea like Obstructive apnea, Central apnea and Mixed apnea. You need to undergo tests to rule out the type of apnea.

Few of the tests include Apnea index, Apnea-hypopnea index, Respiratory disturbance index, Desaturation and Arousal index. It can be initially manged by supplemental oxygen.

Nightmare disorder, or dream anxiety disorder, which is a sleep disorder characterized by frequent nightmares or vivid dreams. Nightmare can be defined type of a dream wherein the individuals will be left in a situation where it jeopardizes their life or personal safety, usually occur during the second half of the sleeping process, called the REM stage. It can be associated with disordered breathing.

I suggest you to consult sleep specialist for further evaluation and treatment accordingly. Take care and regards.