Need help with test results

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
musicfreak
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 11:06 pm

Need help with test results

Post by musicfreak » Fri Oct 09, 2015 1:01 am

Hi guys,

I've been sick for 31 years and finally I've been diagnosed with UARS. Can anyone tell me in my results if there's anything that shows increased breathing? I don't know how to interpret the results.

What does Flow lim. Br. without Sn (FL) mean?

When you look at my pulse print out can you see anywhere where my heart rate went up? The peak at 7am is because I woke up for a bit and went to the washroom. I would say at 3, 6, 8, 9am it looks a bit high which maybe shows increased breathing?

I used an Apnealink Plus Sleep Apnea level 3 test by Resmed. Where I am in Vancouver BC they don't test for UARS at the sleep lab.

I 'm sending away my application tomorrow for coverage which I know is extremely hard to get. I don't have time to see my doctor first to get feedback from him about the results as I have a deadline so I was wondering if you could tell me anything. I will be making an appt. to see him.

https://sleeptestresults.wordpress.com/

Thanks for any insight you can offer.
Last edited by musicfreak on Fri Oct 09, 2015 9:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Pugsy
Posts: 63941
Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 9:31 am
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Need help with test results

Post by Pugsy » Fri Oct 09, 2015 7:51 am

musicfreak wrote:What does Flow lim. Br. without Sn (FL) mean?
Flow limited breathing with or without Snore (Flow limitation)
I don't know what the FS might mean but pretty sure FL is flow limitation.

Means breathing where the air flow is maybe reduced but not reduced enough or last long eough to earn a hyponea or apnea flag which takes a certain % of reduction that lasts for at least 10 seconds.

Snores are usually an indication of some sort of flow limitation but not always.

Your sleep study is unremarkable in terms of OSA. As you already know I suspect getting an order for cpap with these results is going to be an uphill battle.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

Guest

Re: Need help with test results

Post by Guest » Fri Oct 09, 2015 8:23 am

Pugsy wrote:I don't know what the FS might mean...
FS = number of flow limited breaths with snoring.

User avatar
Pugsy
Posts: 63941
Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 9:31 am
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Need help with test results

Post by Pugsy » Fri Oct 09, 2015 8:43 am

Guest wrote:FS = number of flow limited breaths with snoring.
Gottcha, thank you.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

JDS74
Posts: 3397
Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2011 2:57 pm
Location: South Carolina

Re: Need help with test results

Post by JDS74 » Fri Oct 09, 2015 8:54 am

The peaks in heart rate correspond mostly with arousals according to my neurologist. My charts looks very much like yours in this regard.

_________________
Mask: Oracle HC452 Oral CPAP Mask
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: EverFlo Q 3.0 Liters O2 PR DSX900 ASV
Oracle 452 Lessons Learned Updated
DSX900 AutoSV with HC150 extra humidifier and Hibernite heated hose
Settings: EPAP Min-10.0, EPAP Max-17, PS Min-3, PS Max-10, Max Pressure-20, Rate-Auto, Biflex-1.
Sleepyhead and Encore Pro 2.21.

musicfreak
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 11:06 pm

Re: Need help with test results

Post by musicfreak » Fri Oct 09, 2015 11:51 am

@Pugsy

I looked at a few results of others that had sleep apnea and they seemed to have a lower score for "Flow lim. Br. without Sn (FL)". That's what peaked my curiosity and made my post here. With what you said would a high score point more towards UARS?

I scored 0 for FS but I would think that doesn't mean anything in regards to UARS. As I said I'm a complete newbie when it comes to interpreting tests so I could be wrong.

I know coverage will be extremely hard to get. I'm not expecting any miracles but I'm still going to try. I'm trying to educate them about UARS and how them how going undiagnosed for 31 years has damaged my body. I have found papers/studies saying the increased breathing can cause hypertension and affect the cardiovascular system.

@JDS74 Thank you for confirming my test is like yours. I find it hard to see the difference in the couple oximetry tests I've had done but this test seems to show it more clearly.

I have been diagnosed mainly with CFS/FM all my life. I initially was told all my problems were in my head! When I was finally diagnosed with UARS I almost didn't believe it and was shocked because I'm not aware this is happening in my sleep. I've never talked to others with UARS. If you're saying my test is like yours and I assume you aren't feeling well then I feel more convinced that this is truly my problem. Maybe I have finally found the place where people know what I'm going through!

I wondered years ago if I had a sleep disorder but I assumed the doctors would test me for that if they had any concerns but no one ever did. I had to push for it basically because it was the last thing I hadn't looked into.

Does anybody know if there's a sleep lab in Seattle that tests for UARS? The closest lab I found was in Oregon.

Thanks for your responses guys.

User avatar
ChicagoGranny
Posts: 14409
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 1:43 pm
Location: USA

Re: Need help with test results

Post by ChicagoGranny » Fri Oct 09, 2015 11:57 am

musicfreak wrote:Does anybody know if there's a sleep lab in Seattle that tests for UARS?
This is a good place to start a search, call and ask - http://www.sleepeducation.com/find-a-facility

musculus
Posts: 221
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2013 8:35 am

Re: Need help with test results

Post by musculus » Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:08 pm

Usually a good insurance plan would cover CPAP or oral appliance for UARS if you have a diagnosis. However your result doesn't show RDI, which I think only an in-lab sleep study would show.

UW Medicine Sleep Center should be good
http://www.uwmedicine.org/services/sleep-institute

Your symptom is very typical of UARS.

_________________
Mask: Quattro™ Air Full Face Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: sleepyhead
Last edited by musculus on Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Pugsy
Posts: 63941
Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 9:31 am
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Need help with test results

Post by Pugsy » Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:17 pm

musicfreak wrote:With what you said would a high score point more towards UARS?
In all honesty I don't know.
One might assume that a higher score for flow limitations in general might point to UARS.
A lot of "mights" and "maybes".
I was a bit surprised that their FL numbers, as to less than below so and so, were as high as they were.

As you know home studies scored by a machine come with their own set of limitations so I don't know how reliable the results are. Given that your values are so well below even a gray area I don't know even if we allowed for some errors just what we might could stretch on these results.

I am scratching my head here as to what to offer you that you don't already know.
Given what I do know about UARS (and that's mainly what I have read and input from forum members who either think they have or have been formally diagnosed) and the fact that cpap is usually the first go to therapy, I might just opt for trying cpap on my own. It's really tough to gauge anything though because the typical markers (AHI, pressure, FLs, snores) on the machine's software reports are already going to be low for you. You would have to go by how you feel and that's really hard to evaluate as sometimes the changes are so subtle we barely notice a change.

We have several forum members with the UARS diagnosis and there have been some recent discussions about the ups and downs of this slippery beast. You might do some forum research for those recent discussions to maybe get some ideas or pointers.

Sleep apnea or UARS isn't the only possible culprit in restorative sleep issues.
Lots of things can affect our sleep quality and how we feel during the day and not all of them can be fixed with a cpap machine.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

User avatar
Minnie Maunder
Posts: 27
Joined: Sun Jul 12, 2015 2:54 pm

Re: Need help with test results

Post by Minnie Maunder » Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:18 pm

musculus wrote:Usually a good insurance plan would cover CPAP or oral appliance for UARS
He's in Canada. Government medical care. All bets are off.

User avatar
Pugsy
Posts: 63941
Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 9:31 am
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Need help with test results

Post by Pugsy » Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:20 pm

Everyone please note that OP is in British Columbia...Canada...and they do things differently than here in the US. Insurance coverage can vary widely among the provinces even with a clear cut diagnosis of OSA.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

musicfreak
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 11:06 pm

Re: Need help with test results

Post by musicfreak » Fri Oct 09, 2015 1:43 pm

musculus wrote:Usually a good insurance plan would cover CPAP or oral appliance for UARS if you have a diagnosis. However your result doesn't show RDI, which I think only an in-lab sleep study would show.

UW Medicine Sleep Center should be good
http://www.uwmedicine.org/services/sleep-institute

Your symptom is very typical of UARS.
What is the difference between RI and RDI? My results show RI. I wish I could have a sleep test done. It's very frustrating that most labs don't test for UARS.

I will be back later to respond to others as I have to get to the post office.

Thanks.

musicfreak
Posts: 69
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 11:06 pm

Re: Need help with test results

Post by musicfreak » Fri Oct 09, 2015 8:36 pm

@Chicagogranny Unfortunately I'm in Canada so I'm not able to use the link but thank you for looking.

@musculus Thank you for the link. I don't see anything about UARS on the site though. Have you heard people that have UARS get tested there? I will look into it if I ever go to the US to be tested.

@Pugsy Thanks for the info. With regards to your comment "I was a bit surprised that their FL numbers, as to less than below so and so, were as high as they were" what do you mean by 'as to less than below so and so' because the test result I gave you doesn't give a range or do you mean that I mentioned when I looked at people's tests that had sleep apnea theirs were lower? And I guess you mean you were surprised to see that their reporting of my FL numbers were that high?

The test I did was a Sleep Apnea Level 3 test and from what I read online it's comparable to polysonogram. It seems the more severe the sleep disorder is the more accurate it is so it may not be as accurate for UARS. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24218531

In googling for the study I found another place locally that does a Sleep Apnea Level 3 test but it seems like it's a different brand machine (ARES Unicorder) and offers more information like: Head Position and Movement, Sleep Wake Cycle, REM/NON REM Sleep Stages. It also says it provides AHI and RDI. I think I may have to look into this as knowing the RDI and REM/Non Sleep stages is important. I thought all Sleep Apnea Level 3 tests were the same! The sleep diagnostic place advertised the one I used (ApneaLink Plus by Resmed) and said it measured respiratory effort so I thought it would tell me something. I see RI but there's no RDI. If RI has anything to do with respiratory effort it seems to be normal on the test.

I would definitely try CPAP on my own but I can't afford to buy the machine. If I get turned down I will have to find a way to earn extra money and save up.

I'm on disability so I have to go through Social Services to get a machine. I first have to get approved for a trial and then later hopefully they will buy the machine but I know it will be an uphill battle. I got approved for a trial in 2010. I got turned down the first time because my AHI was low but then they gave it to me after I appealed it by explaining more about UARS. But then when it came to buying the machine they turned me down again because of my low AHI. I never felt better on the machine so I thought it wasn't helping. I continued to try and fix my problems but this year after still not getting better I decided to look into it again because I read how people have a hard time adjusting to the mask which is what happened to me last time. When I made an appt to see my respiratory therapist again he said my last test with CPAP was worse than room air which meant I was struggling with the mask/machine. So now he's given me a different prescription (Auto pap with C-flex and a chinstrap). I also think that if I adjust better to the machine/mask I'm not going to feel better in a week or two like people who have sleep apnea. I've had 31 years of damage to my body and I think I'll need to be on CPAP at least a few months or maybe up to a year before I will feel better. It will take time for my body to recover. I'm just going by what it's done to my muscles alone. There's no way they would be normal again in a week or two. I have lots of knots in my neck but the sides of my arms and areas of my thighs are so hard and tender because the muscles have tightened up so much.

I'm hoping I will get approved for a trial again and this time I hope I will be given a Respironics machine as I've seen they tell you how many RERA's you have? I hope this will help in my case but I have heard that the data about RERA's may not be accurate in the machines.

Half the battle is getting tested properly and it's hard when sleep labs don't test for it. Then you have the battle of insurance. Sleep Apnea is an acute disease but UARS is pretty damaging to the body in the long term since I've been sick 31 years. As mentioned before I have found studies/papers how it can affect the cardiovascular system as the increased breathing can cause hypertension. My heart feels strained, achy, inflamed (can feel the heat) and I can feel the odd small sharp pain. EKG is normal. I think my heart is stressed by UARS. If I don't get approved which is likely I feel at least maybe I've educated them a bit and have paved the way for someone else as the more doctors that diagnose it properly the more people will be needing coverage for their machines.

I will definitely research the forum to read about other members experience with UARS. Thank you so much for your help.

Have a good weekend. I'll be back on Tues. to see if there are anymore replies.

Cheryl

User avatar
Pugsy
Posts: 63941
Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 9:31 am
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Need help with test results

Post by Pugsy » Fri Oct 09, 2015 10:01 pm

I was just looking the column for normal values that is shown on your report.
where it says % FL normal is less than 60 and the other one is less than 40.
Just is odd at least to me but I don't know what their standards are.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

Guest

Re: Need help with test results

Post by Guest » Sat Oct 10, 2015 3:36 am

musicfreak wrote: What is the difference between RI and RDI?
Calculation of risk indicator (RI)
The risk indicator (RI) is calculated as follows:
RI = point score as a sum of AHI + score of FL/FS
Points calculated from AHI:
AHI x 1 h = number of points (eg, AHI = 5/h x 1 h= 5 points)
where h is the evaluation period
FL/FS point score:
Number of points = 10 x (0.8 x FL + 1.2 x FS) / If
where:
• AHI = apnea-hypopnea index
• FL = number of flow-limited breaths without snoring
• FS = number of flow-limited breaths with snoring
• If = total number of breaths