CMS50 got me a new machine

[Greg6657]

Long story short, I kept telling my doctor that I was wiped out feeling all the time, and it seemed to be getting worse. He did all of the labs and sent me for a sleep study. Here is the report on it. We also went over my original sleep study, 151 AHI, with 19 centrals an hour average.

Gee stay on my same settings.... Doc something just isnt right . I then decided to get the cms50 and watch my stats for a while. It showed that thru the night my O2 would drop then spike all night long. Some nights it was as low as 71%. Well I saved them on my laptop and decided he needed to see them. We set and looked at about 3 weeks worth and he disected the lows and then looked at me and said I think its time for a new machine. . I just looked at him and said I told you something wasnt right. He definitley agreed and asked if I had looked at a new machine? So I loaded up the Internet and showed him the S9 VPAP™ Auto BiLevel Machine. He looked it over and said, smart choice. Sorry pugsy but I didnt have the heart to tell him it was one of the ones that you suggested.
So anyway I am getting a new machine and its all because of the CMS50 proving that it wasn't me but there was something wrong.
Can anyone help explain the "Findings" section to me? "The latency to the first and only REM that occured was 306 minutes." It looks like it took 5.1 hours to go from stage 1 to REM.
Did anyone else notice that I went from normal stage 2, absent stage 3, straight to REM? OK who ever stole my stage 3 I want it back. please!!!
Lets see no "restoritive sleep" humm could that be why I've gained weight, had an increase in BP, and am now diabetic?
Anyway thanks to everyone that helped, listened and read my rants. Thanks Pugsy for all the advice and help you gave me. I'll be visiting you for some SH hopefully real soon.

[sleepstar]

Hi.

I'll summarise the findings:

It took you almost an hour to fall asleep. Normal sleep latency is around 10-20 minutes, reduced is 0-10 minutes, and anything above is seen as delayed. (This is the criteria we use at our lab, others may vary slightly).

Your sleep efficiency was quite poor. Basically you were asleep 59% of the time. Ideally we say 80% efficiency is normal.

Prominent alpha intrusion - this just means your signals were a bit hard to read :p This would most probably be due to the medications you're on (particularly cymbalta, pristiq and vicodin). A lot of people have this. I had alpha intrusion in my sleep study and I have 0 OSA

It took you a long time to get into your dream sleep - 306 minutes. Normal is usually around 45 minutes to two hours or so. This would be because your sleep apnea is so severe you couldn't properly get to sleep! Reduced stage 3 (this is your slow wave sleep, your 'restorative' sleep) once again, the OSA wakes you up so frequently you don't get a chance to get into this stage of sleep.

Looks like you've also displayed another feature - leg movements. This is really common, about 15% of the population has it. However, you have some leg movements in your sleep that are actually causing arousals (disturbing your sleep). Do you have restless legs? This may also be something to look at. (have a look at 'periodic leg movement syndrome'). The main priority would be getting your OSA under control - then you possibly won't even have leg movements. However, speak to your doctor, especially if you do suffer with restless legs.

Your high blood pressure would most probably be due to the OSA... OSA puts strain on the heart.

[Nooblakahn]

Congratulations on the new machine. This illustrates perfectly that you are the best advocate for your health

[Pugsy]

The bill's in the mail.

Glad to see you are getting to try the new machine. I am pretty sure you are going to like it.
Sleepstar covered the sleep study explanation so I can't add anything to that but I will add a bit of personal history so you know you aren't alone. I have my own battles with chronic pain.
That pain stuff and how it messes with our sleep is a booger to get controlled. Damned if we do and damned if we don't sometimes. Don't take the meds and heck, might as well not plan to sleep very well because it hurts to move and with every little movement we wake up a gazillion times a night....so no normal sleepy cycles there.....but then if we take pain meds to help us get a handle on the pain...well...those meds can also come with some unwanted side effects to our sleep cycles.
So we just have to sometimes pick the lesser of 2 evils.

Let's hope the new machine will enable you to better address your OSA so that you have a better chance of feeling better.
At least take the OSA sleep fragmentation out of the mix.

I can tell you this..while I still don't feel like running a marathon at least I don't wake up feeling like I just ran a marathon.

[jweeks]

Did anyone else notice that I went from normal stage 2, absent stage 3, straight to REM? OK who ever stole my stage 3 I want it back. please!!!

Greg,

With all of those O2 level changes, you might have been having arousals that you were not aware of. That can bust you out of a lower sleep level, and even keep you from getting to stage 3. If this happens over time, your brain might learn to not even attempt to go there. If the VPAP machine is successful once you get dialed in, and these O2 level issues are solved, you likely will see your sleep architecture improve. For example, your brain might learn all over again how to sleep, and you will get at least some stage 3.

When I was suffering from the worst of my RERA stuff last year, I was getting only about 15 minutes of stage 3 on any given night. Lack of stage 3 does have an impact over time. It feels to me like a low level pain any time I want to move, almost like having a 20 pound weight loading me down. I am glad that issue is behind me (due to body changes and new pressure settings).

-john-

[Greg6657]

Sleepstar,
I have to thank you for speaking English and you get a Gold Sleepstar. The only draw back is if my wife reads "Prominent alpha intrusion - this just means your signals were a bit hard to read" She is gonna look at me and say see I told you, your brain dead! She use to say I didnt have a heart till I had a heart attack and had a stent put in, the doctor showed her the Xray and the stent placement. Yep right there next to my heart.

Nooblakahn,
Thanks and I am looking so forward to getting it I just cant wait!!!!
I have to agree and if it wasnt for people like you and the other advocates here I probably would have never decided to get it and monitor my nights or should I say days. I also would highly recommend it the CMS50 for anyone that thinks they may be having an issue or just likes data.

Pugsy,
All I can say is I LOVE YOU, you are an inspiration to me and I'm sure everyone else. You also have the patients of a Saint, and you are always there for me and everybody else I dont see how you do it. As for the pain issues apparently when we were young we must have had a really good time seeing how beat up we are now.

jweeks,
John is this an admission that you stole my stage 3
"It feels to me like a low level pain any time I want to move, almost like having a 20 pound weight loading me down." You know I think that is one of the best decriptions I have seen given the way I feel. But I might have to add another 10 lbs.
"If the VPAP machine is successful once you get dialed in" Just wait you'll probably Hear HELP PUGSY

Oh an Pugsy, The check is in the mail also

Thanks again everyone