Fatigue, Tiredness, and Lack of Energy Improve with Treatment for OSA

Abstract

Scientific inveStigatiOnSObjectives: Many patients with obstructive sleep apnea complain of fatigue, tiredness, or lack of energy in addition to sleepiness, or instead of sleepiness. We explored whether self-defined fatigue, tiredness, and lack of energy improve, like sleepiness, after treatment with positive airway pressure (PAP). Methods: We conducted a prospective survey of adults referred to a University-based sleep disorders center and confirmed to have obstructive sleep apnea on polysomnography. Surveys were mailed to 1539 patients 6 months to 3 years after they were prescribed PAP for home use. Results: Participants (n = 313) included 183 who reported using PAP ≥ 5 hours per night, 96 who were considered inadequately treated because they had no active treatment or used PAP < 5 hours per night, and 34 treated by surgery or other means and therefore excluded from subsequent analysis. At follow-up in comparison to baseline, subjects adherent to PAP reported less fatigue, tiredness, lack of energy, and sleepiness (p < 0.05 for each). Improvement of each symptom except for lack of energy was significantly better (p < 0.05) among PAP-adherent subjects than among inadequately treated subjects. Conclusions: Patients' complaints of fatigue, tiredness, and lack of energy, like sleepiness, can improve substantially with good adherence to PAP for obstructive sleep apnea. Therefore, patients who prefer a range of common, related terms other than sleepiness to describe their problem may benefit from investigation and treatment for any underlying sleep-disordered breathing.

Mechanisms of reduced sleepiness symptoms in heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea

“…Gender differences are also not consistently controlled for, which may contribute to varying degrees of fatigue in OSA (Chotinaiwattarakul, O'brien, Fan, & Chervin, 2009;Lee et al, 2014;Quintana-Gallego et al, 2004) and HF patients (Ekman & Ehrenberg, 2002).…”

Sleep Abnormalities in Multiple Sclerosis

“…Treatment: Treatment of sleep-related breathing disorders in MS is not different from treatments used for the non-MS patients including lifestyle modifications such as weight loss, smoking cessation, alcohol reduction and respiratory support using the continue positive airway pressure (CPAP) [59] or bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) [60]. While CPAP generally delivers a single pressure, BiPAP delivers an inhale pressure and an exhale pressure.…”

“…Alternatively, various dental appliances have been used in order to maintain an open air way but occasionally surgical approaches are recommended. Treatment of sleep-related breathing disorders in MS could led to significant improvement of fatigue and tiredness [59].…”

Incremental shuttle walk test in the assessment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome

“…Once patients have OSAHS, they complain of intolerance to exercise and both muscle and general fatigue (Aguillard et al, 1998;Chotinaiwattarakul et al, 2009;Vanuxem et al, 1997). It has been shown that OSAHS is associated with selfreported lack of exercise (Peppard and Young, 2004).…”