Can Sleep Apnea Cause Vertigo/Dizziness?

[1freebird]

I have severe sleep apnea.  I sleep with a c-flex machine and my pressure is at 16.  I still wake up feeling very tired and not rested at all.  I have had 3 sleep studies done.

My question is this.  Can sleep apnea during the night cause me to feel dizzy during the day due to lack of oxygen during the night?  I have vertigo that has lasted for over 10 years and the last few years it has increasingly become worse.  I have had every test ran possible.  MRI, CAT Scan.  Saw 3 neurologists and 4 ENT's and every test shows I do not have BPV one Neuro in Cleveland Ohio told me vestibular migraines.  I had really prayed that I was finally on to something.  I have had problems with migraines with aura since childhood.  But I have been taking Lamictal (Lamotrigrine) since June and it only appears to be getting worse.  I have not had any migraines with aura but I may have only had them every 6 months anyway.

I do not know what to do...I am at my ropes end.  I have tried everything.  Even a mouth piece to help my TMJ thinking that may be causing it.  Any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  I am wondering if getting oxygen added to my cpap would make a difference on how I feel.  I am always in a "fog" and feel like I have "sea legs"  it affects my work enormously.

Please Help!

Thanks so very much!!!!

[Giccki]

My name is Vicki! I have Mitochondrial Myopathy, Sleep Apnea, and IDDM.  I have been suffering from severe dizziness for four years.  I have had blood work, sleep studies, Vestibular Therapy, MRI's, Hearing tests, EEG, etc...and no body can tell me why I am so----dizzy. Please someone help.

[Chuck12]

You might want to check the Menieres support group at http://www.menieres.org/forum/.  Many chronic vertigo sufferers( menieres disease) have found relief from upper cervical alignment from a very specialized type of chiropractor (NUCCA).  Check it out on their forum.  I am  probably going to try it myself.

[1freebird]

Well I just moved back to Tulsa Oklahoma from Cleveland Ohio.  In 2006 I had an SVT ablation done on my heart.  I had this since I was a child and they found an extra pathway that would jumpstart my heart and it would race at 180+ beats a minute.  They went in and carterized it.  Would they not have been able to find the foramen ovale and septal arterial defect then?  I have not heard of either of these.  Can you please provide me with more information or at least point me to some good websites so I can look into this more?  Thanks!  I appreciate everyones feedback!

[JAVINZANI]

IF YOU HAVE MIGRAINES WITH AURAS - I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU SEE A FIRST RATE CARDIOLOGIST....THEY ARE NOT COMING TO THE POINT WHERE MANY OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE HOLES IN THE HEART...ONE CAN BE PATENT FORAMEN OVALE....ANOTHER CAN BE SEPTAL ARTERIAL DEFECT....THIS CAUSES OXYGEN RICH BLOOD FROM THE LUNGS NOT TO REACH THE BRAIN AS WELL.......YOU CAN HAVE THIS CHECKED OUT...FIRST TEST IS IMAGE OF HEART WITH SALT SOLUTION TO CAUSE BUBBLES...THIS WILL SEE IF BUBBLES GO OUT OF YOUR HEART...IF IT DOES ANOTHER TEST WITH TUBE DOWN YOUR THROAT THAT TAKES BETTER PICTURES.....IF THIS TOO IS CORRECT (AND THEY WILL PUT YOU OUT - NOTHING TO IT)....THEN THEY WILL HAVE YOU DO AN OVERNIGHT STAY IN THE HOSPITAL - PUTTING YOU OUT AND GOING UP THE GROIN TO PATCH UP YOUR HEART...I HAD THIS.....AND IT WAS A PIECE OF CAKE AND I WAS OUT THE NEXT DAY.

[1freebird]

I am not quite sure on the MRA what it all entails.  I have had a MRI with and without contrast done and both turned out fine.  I will have more blood tests ran.  It has been a while.  I will also have another sleep test done I guess.  Yes the CPAP does help during the studies.

I am slowly "weaning" off the lamictal.  It to me was making things way worse!  Short term memory and brain fog was killing me on top of the vertigo.  I do have high  blood pressure but I take meds and it usually keeps it within range.

I have had several "head Traumas" in life but all the CT scans and MRI's with and without contrast and all the vestibular ENT testing turned out perfectly fine all 3 times.

I do consume alcohol on a nightly basis which I know does not help my sleep apnea.  But even when I quit drinking for an extended period of time I still have the vertigo.

I have been looking into and under active adrenal gland and maybe even a thyroid problem.  I did have Mono back in college over 14 years ago....So I don't know what to do.  I truly appreciate everyones feedback and input.  Any other tips I would truly appreciate.  Thanks to all of you and best wishes!

Larry

[KatEyes]

Do your MRI and CT scans specifically say they ruled out Chiari Malformation? That can cause symptoms similar to yours. And did you also have an MRA to check the blood vessels? And did your tests include the same of the neck?

I went for years seeing neurologists and turned out my trouble was in my upper neck (bulging disks). I kept describing headaches in the back of my head but turns out it was technically my neck and radiating into the head. Did your sleep studies show that your cpap treatment is successful in treating your apnea?

Sorry to ask so many questions - not for you to answer but just prompts for things to ask you doctor.

[BJ_1]

I have sleep apnea and have had trouble with dizziness, migraines etc in the nite.  I have ended up at emerg because I could barely walk also. Like those see legs you are talking about. With me, they found that my blood pressure had spiked very high and it was causing some of the problems.  I'm on blood pressure pills now and it seemed to make the dizziness etc less.  I'm scheduled for a MRI also.  I'm on Lamictal too.
Don't know if I've helped you at all but at least I can relate to what you are experiencing.
Take care

[Curtis1960]

Freebird, sleep apnea probably is not the cause of your dizziness unless the dizziness is related to fatigue from not sleeping properly.  There are so many possible causes of your symptom.  When is the last time you had a physical performed?  Blood tests could possilby reveal the source of your problem.  

If you're still tired despite being on CPAP then you might need another sleep study.  I had the same problem and the third sleep study showed I have complex apnea and the doctor ordered a different type of machine - a BiPAP Auto SV.  It's helped some, but I'm not where I want to be yet.

I would talk to your sleep doctor about adding oxygen.  Oxygen is normally used on patients who have central sleep apnea - the one where the brain doesn't tell the lungs to breathe.  If your apnea is obstructive, then oxygen is usually not required.  Again, only your doctor could tell you what's the best course.  

Dizziness, fatigue, migraines and vertigo are certainly worth talking to your doctor about very soon.  

Best of luck!

Curt