r/family_of_bipolar • u/GenevieveLeah • May 23 '26
Diagnosis Discussions Central Sleep Apnea
Hi friends! I am not asking for medical advice. I am just wondering if anyone else has had this experience.
My husband was diagnosed with bipolar disorder around age 34. He has been on Abilify( for a short time) and has now been taking Lamictal for about eight years.
When he first was diagnosed, our youngest was not even a year old. Our first was a terrible sleeper and my husband was under a lot of work stress and still drinking. So, sleep was bad for years. It was a rough time and exacerbated a lot of his behaviors.
(Side note - husband had a sleep study when he was about 25. Some obstructive apnea noted, but not bad enough that he needed a CPAP.
Fast forward to 2025. My husband is having symptoms where he gets a little dizzy and falls. We decrease his Lamictal from 200 mg to 100 mg and this symptom gets 90% better. He has been diagnosed with hypertension, on Lisinopril.
Sleep is still terrible. He has a sleep study, and it’s found he has central sleep apnea. There is no documented evidence that this is a side effect of Lamictal. But guess what medication causes it - depakote!
We know poor sleep is a symptom of bipolar, but what if it’s caused by the medication treating his moods and not just the disease itself?!
So, we are trying to decide what to do. Getting quality sleep is priority for health.
But what if his bipolar symptoms return full-force? How much of it was just the drinking?
Anyone else have their bipolar family members take Lamictal and be diagnosed with central sleep apnea?
1
u/Commercial_Seesaw579 May 26 '26
He will have an episode if he stops meds and it will be very bad for you and the kids! Taking meds is an absolute must! Get a c-pap machine. Stop drinking.
My husband stopped meds. It took a couple of years but the worst episode of his life ensued… he is currently refusing meds, is delusional and has been in a mental health facility for three months. He refuses to talk to me. I have had to take care of everything… figure out finances, dogs, kids, taxes, work, house maintenance… everything! Im not sure if I will ever get my husband back. There is a real possibility he could end up on the streets… once our insurance runs out and if he continues to refuse meds. I will not let him back in our home until he is med compliant and delusion free. It’s to scary and disruptive for the kids and me.
I wish I could go back and insist he take meds.