Is it possible to run miles everyday and have sleep apnea?

My hand is up...if you're looking. I had my first bout of AF two km from home at the end of a 10 maintenance run. It felt like my legs wanted to give out, and I was short of breath. Knew something was off, but I didn't know what. I sat on the curb for a bit, but my heartrate was high, and it was not really thumping like it would have normally...no lub-dub, lub-dub.

Long story short, two trips to the ER six weeks apart, referral to a cardiologist, MIBI stress test, chest X-rays, echocardiogram, and everything was squeaky clean. This is a 66 year old male, ex-Armed Forces officer, fit, still running, BMI of maybe 26. The only remaining diagnostic was an over night polysomnography. Bingo! Not only apnea, but 'severe' apnea. The cardio shrugged and said, 'Well, I guess we know why you have an irritable heart.' I have been on apnea therapy ever since with a RESMED AS-10 Elite since my apnea is not complex and doesn't need bi-level or adaptive servo functions.

If you are headed in the same direction, please consider spending some time at apneaboard.com. You needn't join or participate, just read some of the more relevant threads for you.

I would not try to figure all that out on your own. I would just take an appointment with a pulmonologist and go over everything.

Short answer , Yes. Get tested.

Totally different situation when sleeping.
1) physical position of lying down, gravity effects on lungs.
2) possible Obstructive Sleep (most common) Also effected by lying down.
3) more rare Central Sleep Apnea.

Not sure what you mean. So if someone can run 5 miles under an hour everyday than they still can have sleep apnea?

Yes. Sleep apnea can afflict teenagers (seen posts on apneaboard.com by frantic parents), tall, short, thin, obese, and all the way through the same characteristics in those more advanced in age. As I said previously, I have always been fit, not heavy, but I had begun to snore, according to my wife, and then my heart fibrillated at the end of a typical maintenance run. After multiple tests, all negative, the revelation from a polysomnography was that I had/have severe obstructive sleep apnea. Central apnea is when the brain ignores rising levels of CO2 in the blood and fails to initiate the diaphragm's tonal change to make you breathe again.

YES! get to doctor and get tested

Thank you for your post. I also have been exercising most of my life and eat very well. Since this spring, I have done 13,000 km on my bike plus some swimming and walking.
For the last 3 weeks, my heart beat has been irregular and going crazy low and skipping beats. This is scaring the hell out of me. I never had high blood pressure and my good and bad cholesterol has always been good.
I have done the tour of ERs and doctors and I have an appointment with a cardiologist for next Tuesday.

About 3 months ago, I was not feeling myself and needing naps, my doctor referred me for a sleep apnea test. Result is middle of the range sleep apnea. I got the CPAP machine yesterday and hope this will help.

I will bring this test result to the cardio on Tuesday and see from there.

Thanks again, I feel less alone…

One thing I would be interested in knowing is, how long have you had the sleep apnea? Are you able to still bike?

Apnea is strictly a night-time problem, except that it can have lasting and nasty follow-on health problems such as heart arrhythmia, obesity, bad sleep and narcolepsy, for examples. Even accidents due to falling asleep and driving through red lights...it happens! So, if you can drive safely, still figure out your finances, solve problems, shop for yourself, do your laundry, and you don't have doctor's instructions to avoid exercise for some weird reason, yes, you can cycle or do whatever fulfills you. Just get your sleep treated, almost always with a CPAP machine. Avoid the gimmicks that move your tongue or jaw forward, or that inflate your nostrils, or whatever...they almost always don't solve the problem. Instead, a CPAP machine 'splints' the airway using air pressure, which almost all of us can tolerate well and still sleep. It isn't always an easy journey adapting to CPAP, and you'll have to do trials of different masks. Some have to use chin straps to keep their jaws closes, I have to tape over my mouth to keep my lips sealed because air comes out of my mouth and wakes me up. I adapted very quickly, thankfully, while others struggle. If you would consider it, please go to apneaboard.com and start reading threads there whose title is of interest to you.