EDS ECHO Summit: Fatigue
Virtual Summit, October 21, 2023
In this presentation, we will cover how sleep may be disturbed in individuals with Ehlers-Danlos syndromes/Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (EDS/HSD). The focus will be on the most common Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder, i.e. Obstructive Sleep Apnea and how it is relevant to EDS/HSD communities. Assessment tools, clinical presentations, investigation and management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea will be discussed. Complaints of insomnia and Chronic Insomnia Disorder will be briefly discussed including how they pertain to Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders. Central disorders of hypersomnolence (narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia) will be succinctly discussed as lesser-known manifestations of dysautonomia.
Dr. Champagne is a trained and certified Sleep and Chest Physician with thirty years of experience in the field of Sleep Medicine. She is currently the medical director of three sleep medicine clinics and two sleep medicine laboratories. She is interested in sleep and Obstructive Sleep Apnea among women, in lesser-known clinical presentations of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, interaction of sleep and psychiatry as well as measurement issues with the sleep tests. She has worked in the capacity of a sleep expert in some neurology clinics including a migraine and headache clinic and with a population afflicted with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Her interest in Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and Hereditary Connective Tissue Disorders was sparked by solving two mystery cases of fatigue, poor sleep and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. She realized how frequently this population consults in sleep medicine clinics yet, the underlying condition is seldom recognized. She now proactively looks for an underlying connective tissue conditions in her clientele to address the specific needs of this population. Poor sleep and fatigue are two of the three core complaints of EDS population whilst being also the most common complaints in sleep clinic populations. She hopes to bridge the sleep medicine communities with the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes communities.
