sleep apnea

[scripto]

Hi,  30 yr old male,  250 pounds 5' 10".    My symptoms have been:

palpitations
depersonalization/derealization syndrome, chronic
morning migraines
feeling that something is pulling at my heart and making me feel weak and lightheaded
short lived anxiety attacks
unusually sleepiness
Waking up in my sleep unable to breath with sinus tachycardia over 160 that abates once awoken.

consistently high-normal red blood cells.  
I even had high normal RBC's 3 years ago when I still weighed 200 Lbs,  and without these symptoms.

I had a million tests that revealed nothing (nuclear stress, heart CTA, echo).    
Last hope was the sleep study I had last night,  but it only showed mild apnea,  he said 5-20 events per hour.   I was actually hoping for severe apnea.   Now I don't even know if I should bother with Cpap to try to fix my severe symptoms, as I wonder if they can even possibly be the cause of all I experience from such mild apnea?   One the the doctor did tell me was that I didn't have REM sleep before, but I did after Cpap was put on.    But the whole night was a fight to stay asleep,  I bet I slept no more than 3 hours total.

What is your opinion,  do you think the Cpap could be my miracle cure with all these symptoms, but only mild apnea?    Can it cure my mild polycythemia and improve the symptoms I listed, even though the apnea is only mild?  I was given the prescription for 11cm cpap.

Thanks.

[National Jewish Health]

All the symptoms you describe and the high red blood cell count could be attributed to obstructive sleep apnea.  I would question the validity of a sleep study that only lasted 3 hours, with you fighting “to stay asleep."  You should definitely give the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device a fair trial.  You also need to have further discussions with the sleep specialist, about his/her impressions of your symptoms.  Is that specialist willing to attribute your symptoms to a sleep disorder?

If not, then the most likely explanation is that most, if not all your symptoms, are on an emotional basis and you should pursue that possibility.

[maggiemag]

What was your AHI?  It sounds like more than mild sleep apnea to me with up to 20 events per hour!  Of course, I am not a doctor.  But I think that people can have severe sleep apnea with mild symptoms, and more severe symptoms with mild sleep apnea.  Yes, even if mild it needs to be treated.  Be sure to get a copy of the report if you don't already have one..