Cecil, they are typical symptoms, they were two of a few that I had although even though I was diagnosed with depression I never felt depressed I was always tired, exhausted etc but not down I was on antidepressants for two years and they didnt help because I had sleep apnea. I was diagnosed a bit over two years ago after having sleep apnea for 48 years, I have now been off all meds for over a year and feel fantastic and now over life. I used to get 1-2 hours non quality sleep now I get 7-8 hours quality sleep, I go to the gym everyday and walk 5 kilometres everyday (about 3 miles). It saved my life a d is the best thing I have ever done. Please ask any questions anytime and we are all here to help and support you as for some people it is hard to get used to. I would be trying to get your appointment as early as possible, you have servere sleep apnea and each one of those 55 times per hour you wake up in shock so get your CPAP as soon as possible, go into it with a positive attitude and you will get better soon.

Sorry Cecil, I forgot to say welcome, the reason why you get the aches is the lack of oxygen in your blood. Each time you have one of those 55 apnea's per hour, you go into whats called the 'fight or flight' mode, your blood rushes from your arms and legs to your heart and brain. You wake up each time either conciously or subconciously so you are basically never really asleep that is why you are exhausted during the day. We go through a number of sleep cycles each night and you are basically never getting through any sleep cycles. You think your sleeping but your not. You may have a foggy head or headaches during the day. The aches and pains are coming from your sleep deprivation, your bones and body are telling you that you are not getting proper sleep. Hope this may clarify things a bit more.

Thank you Tez,
Often I wake up with body aches and need to go back to bed for a few hours then I feel better. The body aches come back after being up for several hours. Between that and the headaches it stills a little like coming down with the flu.

In the past 6 months to 1 year I have called off work a few times and each time it has been because I am exhausted and achy. Not to mention the brain fog and crankiness. I get so frustrated with feeling this way. I know people think I am just whining about nothing.

I too have been doing the antidepressants. I do have some issues I need to work through and I am working through them, I do admit to anxiety but I haven't felt depressed. I have been in depressions where I don't want to get out of bed but this is not the same. This is being so tired I can't keep my eyes open.

I'm just venting I guess. My 2nd sleep study isn't til October 2nd. It is the soonest I could get. The plus is that I will get my cpap or bipap that morning.

Thanks for responding. I am just glad they found something wrong with me. At least it is fixable :-)

Cecil, some people need antidepressants for other issues, a few bits of advice, start writing down any questions you have as it can get daunting trying to remember eveything. A bipap is only used for people with central sleep apnea or breathing difficulties that need oxygen, so you will probably get a CPAP, tell them you want an Auto machine either a Resmed S9 Autoset or Phillips. The Auto machines are much better for your comfort and are data capable which means you can read your own data daily if you want. I can show you how to get free software to run on it and show you how to read the data. Don't let them give you anything with the word Escape or Pro in it, these are the base models and not reallly worth it. Your AHI is 55 which is an important number so remember it. Ask them or us on here as many questions as you like and hopefully the 2nd October will come around quickly. In the short term, try not to sleep on your back, this can increase the numbers of apnea's you have, try to sleep on your side as much as possible.

welcome cecil, sleep apnea causes cronic fatigue, your CPAP will help you a lot

Welcome dear. Your CPAP therapy will help you a lot, as long as you use it all night, every night, and whenever you nap too. I had a little trouble getting used to it at first, but now I'm an old pro. Accent on the old. LOL. So don't be discouraged if it takes a little while to get used to.

I tried the face mask, then the nose mask, and settled on the nasal pillows.

I hope October comes quickly for you.

Welcome Cecil. Your symptoms are classic. Sleep apnea causes all of that and more. It's good you've been diagnosed now and will have your CPAP soon. Shame they're making you wait a month.
You will have lots of questions here in the beginning. Don't hesitate to ask anything. There are no stupid questions.
The biggest thing to remember as you start treatment is that a positive attitude is key in adjusting to your new sleeping habits. You will have to learn to sleep differently, but it CAN be done. We've all done it.
The payoff is huge. You will feel better, have more energy, your mind will be clearer, you'll do things you've been wanting to do but were too tired to do. Your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, Afib and countless other health issues will go way down. If you have a weight issue, the real sleep you'll finally be getting will make it easier to accomplish that.
I too have severe sleep apnea. At my sleep study I woke an average of 99 times an hour. My longest time without taking a breath was 45 seconds. When my oxygen level dropped to 75% the sleep tech came in and put me on a CPAP then and there. Luckily, for the next 4 hours they were able to titrate the machine and set the pressure I needed to get real sleep.
Before CPAP therapy I couldn't drive a block in the car without feeling horribly sleepy. I would fall asleep in the middle of reading a book aloud to my grandsons. My memory was gone as was my mood. I'm a whole different, better person since starting on CPAP therapy. My machine literally saved my life.

Hi Cecil,just read your post and my husband has also just been diagnosed with severe Sleep Apnea. His sleep study showed that he stopped breathing 53 times in an hour. He snores extremely loud and has been complaining for years now that he's always exhausted during the day,he says he sometimes feels like he was out drinking the night before and has only had a few hours sleep(he doesn't drink alcohol and is in bed by 9pm every night). He is on antidepressants though and was diagnosed with depression,stress related due to his job. Your symptoms sound a lot like my husbands,except he falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. We will be going to purchase a machine soon and i pray this will help him as well as you. I will watch to see your progress and keep you updated on ours. Blessings x