Sludge wrote:
In a review of some of your posts, I cannot find a single desaturation.
You're right: Not a single official O2 desat has been scored on any of the sleep tests. And min O2 has been at or above 90% on all sleep tests, including both diagnostic tests.
So here's the question(s): What exactly are you trying to fix with xPAP? If it is offered that sleep architecture, total sleep time, sleep stage percentages, arousals from any cause and sleep efficiency are no better (or perhaps worse) with therapy, then can it really be said that the less tangible benefits (longevity)(that's about it) exist?
You asked this pertinent question three years ago when you were masquerading as NotMuffy: See
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=62755&st=0&sk=t&sd#p586591. It was relevant then, and it's relevant now.
Back then my answer was a long and winding post at
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=62755&st=0&sk=t&sd#p586747, but the start of my reply was:
robysue wrote:NotMuffy wrote:OK, I have a question (or two):
What exactly do you hope to accomplish?
- Live longer
- Sleep better
- Feel better
Do you think AHI 0.0 will accomplish that goal(s)?
Well that is the $64,000 question, isn't it?
Right now I'd say that the only reason I keep paping is that
I do feel better with PAP than without it. The three papless nights in the last year lead to substantial hand and foot pain in the morning and no increase in terms of daytime functioning, although there was less daytime
sleepyiness on those days.
Based on those three data points, I can't seem to sleep well without the PAP: I wake up feeling nonrefreshed and unrested; and I feel really bad physically the next day (in terms of both pain and fatigue), although daytime sleepiness is not huge issue.
With PAP, I wake up feeling decently rested on most days, but not very well rested on others. I seldom feel genuinely refreshed, however. I occasionally have really good days, like yesterday, where I wake up feeling rested and refreshed. They are not as numerous as I'd like however. On almost all days, I feel pretty decent physically in terms of pain and fatigue, but the daytime sleepiness is much much greater with PAP than without it.
So right now, my goals with PAP are:
- wake up without the hand and foot pain
- wake up feeling rested and refreshed
- feel physically well during the day in terms of being pain-free and not too fatigued
- feel mentally well during the day in terms of being NOT sleepy and NOT cranky.
On almost every day, goals 1 and 3 are met.
On most days, goal 2 is partially met. I'd like some improvement here, though.
On most days, goal 4 is not very well met, although this is NOT as bad as it was back during 2010 and 2011. I'd really like some improvement on goal 4, and I suspect the "solution" is to get more actual sleep with fewer wakes (I'm not naive enough to believe I'll ever get to no wakes, nor do I believe that's necessary.)
In a plan that would include modifications, have you ever considered an objective trial of Provent (lab version with HST)? Removing any chance of aerophagia and relative invasiveness of xPAP might offer huge gains, and with Provent you should have a pressure buffer even beyond what you typically use now.
Have not considered this, but perhaps I should.
If you're stuck with 5-6 hours of sleep (not bedtime)(holding off on fiddling with DSPS for the moment), how about enhancing existing sleep with low-dose trip or gaba? [/list]
These have not been suggested by any of the sleep docs. I know it's a naive question: But how would they enhance or improve my current sleep in a way the Ambien does not?