4 replies to this topic

[jonathan-g]

I was diagnosed as having severe sleep apnea earlier this year, after a period of cognitive impairment ( sleepiness, problems with concentration, mood, etc ). I have been treated with CPAP for about 6 months, but there hasn't been any real improvement in my symptoms.

I have probably had sleep apnea for over a decade, but my problems didn't become noticeable until I lived for one year in a city at a very high altitude. Therefore it is likely that the lack of oxygen combined with my severe apnea caused permanent hypoxic damage to my brain.

I read some theories that this hypoxic damage can destroy or severely injure the locus coeruleus, which is the main source of norepinephrine in the human brain.

I want to test this theory. What are some safe compounds I can try, that would strongly affect norepinephrine in someone who produces this neurotransmitter, but does nothing in someone whose brain does not produce it?

[3AlarmLampscooter]

I highly doubt you have "no norepinephrine"

I'm not really too familiar with this theory, but taking some pseudoephedrine should fairly quickly sort it out for you. It is a norepinephrine releasing agent.

[Simen]

Don't worry, your brain produces norepinephrine. The armchair pharmacology on this forum astonishes me. Any little issue is "obviously" explained by just-so stories of major dysfunctions in important hormones and neurotransmitters that would almost certainly have much more serious, potentially lethal results if real. Stop reading so much wikipedia and pubmed abstracts and go to a doctor.

[Tom_]

If you had no noradrenaline in your brain you would quickly die. By quickly I mean within four minutes. It plays an important factor in keeping the heart going.

Certainly no severe hypoxic brain injury has been caused and most of the effects of any VERY MILD hypoxia (which won't be permanent from sleep apnea) will be focused around the hippocampus (there is plenty and clear evidence for this).

How was the sleep apnea diagnosed? Via history and physical exam or via tests (and what tests)?

Are you overweight? Do you have any respitory diseases? Family history of sleep apnea or respitory disorders? Wake up multiple times a night? Smoke?

Its quite possible you have co-morbid depressive disorder, which I'm sure you know presents in many sleep apnea suffers. It is possible you have other co-morbid sleep disorders or in fact a missed diagnosis of other sleep disorders

Taking the pseudoephedrine will almost certainly make you feel better simply because it is a stimulant, in the long term its likely to have negative effects. Depending on the diagnosis an antidepressant or Modafinil is likely the best choice.

Edited by Tom_, 26 December 2013 - 01:49 PM.

[3AlarmLampscooter]

Taking the pseudoephedrine will almost certainly make you feel better simply because it is a stimulant, in the long term its likely to have negative effects. Depending on the diagnosis an antidepressant or Modafinil is likely the best choice.

Pseudoephedrine shouldn't cause any issues at reasonably low doses in otherwise healthy people, even with very long term use. I wouldn't recommend it if you've got any cardiovascular disease however.