Hello Guest, Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.

or Create an Account


New Posts   Today's Posts

[Treatment] Newly diagnosed Sleep Apnea & low Testosterone
#1
Question 
Newly diagnosed Sleep Apnea & low Testosterone
Hi,

Over the last year I've been feeling progressively tired and lacking energy and enthusiasm to do anything not absolutely essential. Eventually after presenting my GP with a report from a Pulse Oximeter of SPO2 levels while asleep he referred me to my local hospital for a sleep study. The sleep study was relatively simple, a night in one of their sleep study rooms with a pulse oximeter and sound/visual recordings. While on the night I didn't get much sleep and only recorded ~ 16 SPO2 desaturation events/hour, which I understand is around the minimum level that the NHS considers for CPAP treatment. However I also left them with home generated reports from the previous month that showed more regular values of 30-40 SPO2 desaturation events/hour, the consultant therefore made a diagnosis of OSA with instructions not to drive and inform the DVLA. i have another appointment on the 6th Jan which I believe/hope will start me on a home CPAP trial.

Other tests performed by my GP revealed low Testosterone levels, side effects of which can also be similar tired feeling and lack of energy, I've been referred to a specialist regarding this as well and have an appointment on the 4th Jan. While my GP wasn't aware of any link between OSA and testosterone levels I've now found several articles suggesting that there is a link.

The above article also suggests that treatments for testosterone deficiency can cause OSA to become worse and interfere with CPAP treatment and that levels often increase over time with CPAP treatment. While I'll be guided mainly by what the specialists have to say it would be reassuring/useful to hear experiences/advice from forum members.

Regards and thanks HZone.

-----
Moderator Action: Link Removed
To maintain our status as an educational organization, the only commercial links allowed in this forum are to CPAP-related manufacturer websites. This is stated in the Apnea Board Rules with details given in the Commercial Links Policy section.
-----

Post Reply Post Reply
#2
RE: Newly diagnosed Sleep Apnea & low Testosterone
If you need both CPAP therapy and HRT, just do it. While untreated sleep apnea can be made worse by use of testosterone in some men, I'm not aware of any study that suggests it affected apnea treated by CPAP. I was diagnosed with OSA in 2008, and low T in 2014. HRT therapy, testosterone cypionate by in injection at 80mg/wk s.c. did not affect already treated OSA, in fact it has become much improved among other things.
Sleeprider
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com

____________________________________________
Download OSCAR Software
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing Therapy
Organize your OSCAR Charts
Attaching Files
Mask Primer
How To Deal With Equipment Supplier


INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Post Reply Post Reply
#3
RE: Newly diagnosed Sleep Apnea & low Testosterone
Thanks Sleeprider just the sort of feedback I was looking for.

Regards HZone
Post Reply Post Reply
#4
RE: Newly diagnosed Sleep Apnea & low Testosterone
One thought on this is if it appears you may simultaneously implement sleep apnea therapy and HRT, be sure to ask your sleep doctor for an auto machine. Not that I think it will actually make a big difference, any more than a cold, weight-gain or other health changes; but getting a fixed CPAP for a dynamic condition is silly. The only reason fixed CPAP exists is to increase supplier profits. [tying on my revolution headband]
Sleeprider
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com

____________________________________________
Download OSCAR Software
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing Therapy
Organize your OSCAR Charts
Attaching Files
Mask Primer
How To Deal With Equipment Supplier


INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Post Reply Post Reply
#5
RE: Newly diagnosed Sleep Apnea & low Testosterone
I will also suggest an Auto CPAP. I have made changes to my settings over time as conditions change. The auto machine reports have led to much improvement in my sleep.

Keep reading this forum and seeking information. A lot may not apply to you or you may think later that it does and do some more digging for what will help.

When I started my doctor would ask questions that I answered as I understood them. Later I would discover that my understanding was wrong. I had given the doctor bad information and going back to correct it was not easy once the wrong answer was in my file.

Sleep-well

Post Reply Post Reply
#6
RE: Newly diagnosed Sleep Apnea & low Testosterone
Hi HZone,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck to you as you start your CPAP therapy.
trish6hundred
Post Reply Post Reply
#7
RE: Newly diagnosed Sleep Apnea & low Testosterone
I should have added that I have low T and take injections. One of the effects is more red blood cells to carry oxygen. I hope this helps offset all the blood draws the docs want.

Good luck to you. Sleep-well

Post Reply Post Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Diagnosed with SA 70AHI Newbie2024 14 249 4 hours ago
Last Post: Dormeo
  [Treatment] Request for Sleep Data review compared to Sleep Study thesingingchef 2 113 03-14-2024, 05:14 PM
Last Post: thesingingchef
  [Treatment] Johnny O's ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto for severe sleep apnea (61 AHI) and OSA, CSA JohnnyO 13 277 03-12-2024, 06:44 PM
Last Post: JohnnyO
  Sleep Apnea or Something Else? RoughriderTR 5 192 03-12-2024, 03:56 PM
Last Post: RoughriderTR
  Invisalign to help sleep apnea and dental extractions as a cause of sleep apnea SingleH 6 453 03-10-2024, 12:42 PM
Last Post: RedNailz
  Complex Sleep Apnea? Suggestions? Unkikonki 55 2,818 03-08-2024, 08:35 PM
Last Post: stevew168
  Only CAs on Oscar but diagnosed with OSA - 2 months CPAP and no improvement 444zane3 4 268 03-07-2024, 02:06 AM
Last Post: Deborah K.


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

Apnea Board is an educational web site designed to empower Sleep Apnea patients.