Posted by SleepyTimeGal on May 06, 2009 at 15:53:57:In Reply to: CPAP works, but still tired posted by cubbyfan on May 03, 2009 at 16:29:45:
There are many reasons besides sleep apnea that you could be fatigued. Time to take a look at your overall health and lifestyle. Someone already mentioned sleep hygiene; it is important. Do you do shift work? Are you getting 8 hours of sleep a night? Fatigue is one of the first symptoms of untreated or poorly controlled allergies and allergies are becoming more and more prevalent. Longstanding sleep deprivation throws the hormone levels and metabolism out of whack. You may have low serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain. After trying many other approaches, my doctor put me on Cymbalta and voila!
There are many things that can be tweaked. I purchased an autopap which gave me a small additional boost, since there can be a great variation from night to night in my pressure needs. I was able to resolve a chronic pain problem which also gave me another small boost, but I was still much more tired than I wanted to be in spite of regular exercise and eating nutritiously. At that point, the doctor conjectured that the ongoing stress and inadequate sleep of the last couple of years had depleted the serotonin. I feel I am very lucky to have a doctor who listens to me and believes me.
It can be a long road, but don't give up. Do lots of research, educate yourself and be willing to implement some changes. Good luck.