Mirapex and Sleep Apnea

[Frunobulax]

I wasn't tested for sleep apnea while on Mirapex, but I was later diagnosed with a medium, non-obstructive apnea (on opioids).
What I can tell: I did not put on weight while on Mirapex, but my snoring intensified significantly. My wife also reported occasional pauses in my breathing while asleep. After a while I developed severe sleepiness during the day, which was new to me at the time.

I do think that there is a connection, even though the daytime sleepiness could be caused by the changes in the GABA/glutamate balance caused by Mirapex.

[Rustsmith]

There is yet another possibility. Most WED patients also have PLMS and this causes restlessness during sleep. In my case, the PLMs were so bad that I was having arousals about every 6 minutes.

An unconscious coping mechanism for untreated PLMs that can be adopted is to sleep on your side. That way the legs can move with less disruption, except possibly for a bed partner.

Now once the PLMs are treated, there can be a tendency to roll onto your back. For people who are either somewhat overweight or who are small and have narrow jaws, this position can result an increase in snoring and sleep apneas.

If this happens, did the Mirapex cause the apneas or was it latent condition that the untreated PLMs were masking?

In my case, my sleep test (before starting mirapex) found that if I rolled onto my back, the apneas were much more likely to occur.

[badnights]

For people who are either somewhat overweight or who are small and have narrow jaws, this position can result an increase in snoring and sleep apneas.

I remember hearing a long time ago that people with obstructive sleep apnea could tape a tennis ball to the small of their back, which would prompt them to roll back onto their side during sleep.

[ViewsAskew]

For people who are either somewhat overweight or who are small and have narrow jaws, this position can result an increase in snoring and sleep apneas.

I remember hearing a long time ago that people with obstructive sleep apnea could tape a tennis ball to the small of their back, which would prompt them to roll back onto their side during sleep.

My husband had done that. He says it helps somewhat, but not enough. And, he still snores on his side....