Has anyones "ADHD" gone away after CPAP

[Jerseyguy]

Been diagnosed with ADHD since I was 11. Has anyone figured out that there ADHD was really untreated sleep apnea? It can start in childhood.

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[palerider]

Been diagnosed with ADHD since I was 11. Has anyone figured out that there ADHD was really untreated sleep apnea? It can start in childhood.

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It's a thing, yes.

[chunkyfrog]

OSA has been misdiagnosed as SO many other things . . .
Everything from depression to "female problems".

[Jerseyguy]

Wow
"Consequences of untreated obstructive sleep apnea include failure to thrive, enuresis, attention-deficit disorder, behavior problems, poor academic performance, and cardiopulmonary disease"

From https://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/0301/p1147.html

Are children with ADHD symptoms tested for OSA these days?

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[chunkyfrog]

I doubt it.

[Jerseyguy]

Yeah let's put them on small doses of a dangerous drug that people get addicted to and we arrest people for if they don't have an RX for. Instead of performing a test or you could even just have the parents record the kid sleeping at night. I'm sure there's a way to set it up cheaply.

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[RicaLynn]

<--- I've had ADHD all my life, but wasn't diagnosed until I was 32. I've had sleep apnea most of my life, but wasn't officially diagnosed until I was 38. Treating my apnea (very effectively, too) has not eliminated my ADHD symptoms, but it has made it somewhat easier to deal with. Sometimes the two ARE comorbid.

[Gryphon]

I was diagnosed ADHD, ADD, yada yada yada... long list of stuff... as a kid also. They tossed every med they could at me and nothing really worked. As I got older the manic moments were worse but so were the depressive sides. They kept trying to treat depression but for the longest time no one ever thought to asked me how I was sleeping etc... it's not like I was ever suicidal or anything. But I can sort of remember times were if my house had been on fire I would have been too tired to care.

After treating my apnea the ADHD is still there and the hyper activity is even more so.... but I'm not zombie exhausted anymore. Going to bed at night is much nicer though my sleep hygiene is still crap even after almost 15 years of successful apnea treatment, I'm kind of stubborn like that. Sleeping isn't something treated with dread to be avoided if at all possible anymore.

I think my ADHD and or other perks and querks "high functioning autism spectrum" are all still there but now that a good part of my brain that was oxygen starved is working better I'm better able to manage my experiences and interaction with the people and the environment around me. Rather then spending most of my time on autopilot being sadly unaware of a lot of the nuances and ques my own body and others around me were giving.

The last years that have gone by with treated apnea vs the time before are so vividly different as to make my past nothing but a muddy bad dream that I woke from and started living my real life only after XPAP.

So to answer the original question. I guess it depends on if apnea was the cause of ADHD for you or if it was just a complicating factor that added to the burden of ADHD. If the former then you may see a vast improvement on all fronts as your apnea is treated. If the latter, you may find yourself better able to take a step back and evaluate your situation in real time and manage the issues a lot better. Ether way I think it's a win win.

Wish you all the best.

Rest well,

Gryphon

[CPAPSteve]

I would say my symptoms still remain but I'm better able to cope with it now. I have a burning desire to DO things constantly but now I'm far less moody when things don't go my way. I'm more "chill" about situations. The true test will come when I have to study for a very long course that I'm taking.

So I would say CPAP doesn't cure ADHD but it did help eliminate one of the comordbid factors that can make things worse.

[Julie]

A bit like Gryphon - HD part has ramped up if anything as I get older, though never had the ADD part anytime... strange! The meds do work, but my hair falls out, so I only take something once in a long while... An interesting side story is that 40-50 yrs ago before anyone was seriously aware dexedrine was addictive, a drug rep at the hosp. where I worked gave out samples like candy and I took some for e.g. few wks, couple of mos, can't remember, but never had withdrawal (let alone knowledge of OSA) when they ran out - knew nothing of adhd then but thought the pills would help with diet.

[chunkyfrog]

Cpap has given me enough energy that I don't need to get worked up into a rage to get stuff done.

[CPAPSteve]

A bit like Gryphon - HD part has ramped up if anything as I get older, though never had the ADD part anytime... strange! The meds do work, but my hair falls out, so I only take something once in a long while... An interesting side story is that 40-50 yrs ago before anyone was seriously aware dexedrine was addictive, a drug rep at the hosp. where I worked gave out samples like candy and I took some for ? e.g. few wks, couple of mos, can't remember, but never had withdrawal (let alone knowledge of OSA) when they ran out - knew nothing of adhd then but thought the pills would help with diet.

Yep I remember a diet pill called "dexatrim" which I believe was in fact dexedrine.

I'm the daydreamer/get it done kind of ADD person so studying for school was like a death sentence. Thankfully I managed through my college years and was able to mostly function as a productive individual. With CPAP it certainly ups my game and now I have more juice to get things done.

[CPAPSteve]

Cpap has given me enough energy that I don't need to get worked up into a rage to get stuff done.

lol, good point. I used to be super OCD about a lot of things and I would lose my sh*t on all sorts of silly things and although I still do get upset or annoyed at things that aren't done or get wrecked by the kids that I just shrug it off and say "meh". The wonders of what rest can do for the mind!

[chunkyfrog]

Sure is funny how "let it be" can come out of a hose.

[total_nonsense]

I was diagnosed ADHD, ADD, yada yada yada... long list of stuff... as a kid also. They tossed every med they could at me and nothing really worked. As I got older the manic moments were worse but so were the depressive sides. They kept trying to treat depression but for the longest time no one ever thought to asked me how I was sleeping etc... it's not like I was ever suicidal or anything. But I can sort of remember times were if my house had been on fire I would have been too tired to care.

Have you noticed any improvement with your manic and depressive symptoms after CPAP?