My ASV experience

[jbgilm]

I've been using some sort of PAP therapy for years now, and it was of varying success. Last year my doctor recommended that I use a bi-level machine, the Resmed Aircurve 10. It worked fantastically for several months, and then the number of events per hour began soaring to 40/hour. I went in for another sleep study and they diagnosed me with central sleep apnea.This is puzzling because I have none of medical conditions that normally are associated with CSA, such as heart disease. My ASV machine is a Resmed Aircurve 10 ASV. I've had it about a month, and so far it's very good. The number of events plummeted and in some nights it has been below 2.

An ASV works be maintaining a relatively low level of pressure most of the time, and then, when it detects that breathing has ceased, increases the pressure pretty dramatically in order to restart breathing. My problem early on was that I would drift off to sleep and stop breathing before I was deeply asleep. The ASV would then roar to life and the rush of air would wake me up before I was fully asleep. Then I would start over, drift off, stop breathing, and be woken up by the rush of air. Pugsy solved the problem by suggesting that I use the ramp. It worked! I have it set for 20 minutes, and I'm usually out before the end of the ramp period.

I suspect that the surge still wakes me up sometimes, but since I was asleep it's hard to know for sure.

[mper!?]

Hi,
_ could you post some Oscar Charts (full night and 10-min duration windows) prior of being on ASV? ...just curious on the CA's diagnose......as I have seen many times people moving to ASV to battle WSJ/back-to-sleep transition, false CA's (...taking into account you said: This is puzzling because I have none of medical conditions that normally are associated with CSA, such as heart disease.)

good luck

[jbgilm]

I don't know what WSJ means and I don't have any Oscar charts, but I'm trying to put part of the report on my sleep study in here. They identified 2 obstructive apneas and 44 central. My wife found it amusing that my sleep latency was 1 minute. That is with all of the electrodes and whatnot attached. I've always been fast to fall asleep. Staying asleep is another thing. I had 53 periodic limb movements per hour. My wife has always hated those.

[zonker]

I don't know what WSJ means and I don't have any Oscar charts, but I'm trying to put part of the report on my sleep study in here. They identified 2 obstructive apneas and 44 central. My wife found it amusing that my sleep latency was 1 minute. That is with all of the electrodes and whatnot attached. I've always been fast to fall asleep. Staying asleep is another thing. I had 53 periodic limb movements per hour. My wife has always hated those.

SWJ means Sleep Wake Junk, for what it's worth.

i'm hoping someone with experience with asv machines come in to comment. mper is trying to baffle you with bs. someone will be along shortly.

in the meantime, you'd do well to download the oscar software and start tracking your sleep apnea. it will generate some charts over time. those can be posted here for the experts to look over and advise. (i'm not an expert).

see the links in my signature for the software and the newbie to show you how to post charts.

good luck!

[Pugsy]

I think in question might have been prior cpap/apap reports which might have pointed to centrals being SWJ false positives and I just don't see it here.
The diagnosis of central apnea wasn't made off of past cpap reports but instead based on a sleep study done in a lab. What might or might not have showed up on past cpap/apap reports (if any were available which it sounds like they aren't) is irrelevant.

People do get diagnosed with central sleep apnea right from the onset and get put on ASV right from the beginning and we move on.

I have no reason to doubt the diagnosis or the need for ASV.
I see no reason to go on a witch hunt either.