Was told I need to go on a asv - update

[Foxtrot3000]

Hello I was just told today that I have central sleep sleep apnea and I am kinda worried. My ahi without a cpap was 22.9 and and on a cpap/bipap my ahi went up to 27.2 my o2 without cpap stayed above 92 when I was on the. Cpap/bipap it dropped to 80. So what I have to do is get on an asv but I drive semi for a living and can only get home one day every other week so should I be worried about like dieing in my sleep or anything? Thanks for ur help. Also what should I be asking the sleep techs and doctors since I will have to go in for a second sleep study for 2 weeks then another 2 weeks for the results.

Foxtrot

[STL Mark]

I was reading some of your past threads where you talked about renting the machine because of the cost. ASV machines are about four times the price of traditional CPAP machines. But the good news is, they are made for central apnea. So it will be able to treat your condition well.

There are no poorly made ASV machines, but there are a few outdated ones. The two primary units to look for are ResMed S9 VPAP Adapt with a Ref number on the back of 36037 or higher. And a Respironics DS960P labeled on bottom. If for example you were given a DS950 from Respironics you are getting an older machine so you should get a considerable discount for buying it. The same would go for a ResMed 36007 version of the S9 VPAP Adapt. Average suggested retail price on the current model machines is about $4500 so hopefully you will have some insurance option to cover part of it. If not and the price is unreasonable for you, one option would be to buy a used machine or buy one from a broker or dealer. You would need to ask your firm if the source of the machine was important or if invoices had to be produced.

Good luck with your upcoming study. You will be on an ASV Machine that night (or a lab machine that emulates it) so you will be able to see what it is like.

[JonathanCPAP]

FoxTrot,

I was diagnosed with Complex Sleep Apnea too, which is what you have too. This condition is where the patient has obstructive apneas, but then when they receive CPAP therapy, they start getting large amounts of central apneas instead.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?

After I started CPAP therapy, my central apneas have basically all disappeared. It appears that my central apneas may have caused by sleep problems during the sleep study, or by my body's complete lack of familiarity with the CPAP equipment.

My advice to you, is that if at all possible, you try at least 2 weeks of CPAP or APAP before buying the expensive ASV machine. If I had purchased an ASV it would be a HUGE FREAKIN WASTE OF MONEY, because my AHI now is down to 1.9 per hour. And like I said, my central apneas are minimal. So you have very little to lose with trying APAP before buying an ASV

[Foxtrot3000]

FoxTrot,

I was diagnosed with Complex Sleep Apnea too, which is what you have too. This condition is where the patient has obstructive apneas, but then when they receive CPAP therapy, they start getting large amounts of central apneas instead.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?

After I started CPAP therapy, my central apneas have basically all disappeared. It appears that my central apneas may have caused by sleep problems during the sleep study, or by my body's complete lack of familiarity with the CPAP equipment.

My advice to you, is that if at all possible, you try at least 2 weeks of CPAP or APAP before buying the expensive ASV machine. If I had purchased an ASV it would be a HUGE FREAKIN WASTE OF MONEY, because my AHI now is down to 1.9 per hour. And like I said, my central apneas are minimal. So you have very little to lose with trying APAP before buying an ASV

Insurance may say that I have to do just that. Not totally sure at the moment because I have not had a chance to call them up yet. Mean I don't mind paying for the machine on insurance because if I have to buy one out right then there is almost no way I would be able to afford it so while I am waiting for my next sleep study I have to do a lot of reasearch. While I was home I took the time to visit the local dme and they seem like very nice people and did estimate what my costs will be on the initial payment and then future payments but I won't really know what my costs will be until the doc presribes said machine. Thank u both for the good advice and I will keep y'all updated on how things go but it will be at least two weeks before I can get back into the sleep lab.
Part of that two weeks is because I am a Otr trick driver but the other part is because my last sleep study got denyed when it was submitted to insurance because they forgot to percertify it so now I have lots of hoops to jump though. I am detrimened not to let that happen again because I can't afford the full price of a 3k buck sleep study. With insurance it drops to 600

Foxtrot

[danielqk]

I have the same problem but don't know why cpap can cure central apnea ?

All my apnea are central >6 recorded on Repironic s9 autoset or bilevel Repironics system one.
But when I switched to Cpap, my AHI was not improved much but feeling a lot better.

My assumption is that these centrals are Obtruction apneas, but I know
In these machines, the forced oscillation technique (FOT)is for determining
the patency of the upper airway. The technique involves
the production of high frequency, low amplitude pressure
waves during apneas, and the measurement of the
changes in flow that result from them. If the upper airway
is open the increases in pressure significantly increase
flow, but if it is closed very little flow results. By measuring
upper airway resistance in this way the algorithm can determine
whether the apnea is associated with a closed or
open airway and can determine whether it is appropriate to
increase the pressure or to make no response

[NateS]

I have the same problem but don't know why cpap can cure central apnea ?

All my apnea are central >6 recorded on Repironic s9 autoset or bilevel Repironics system one.
But when I switched to Cpap, my AHI was not improved much but feeling a lot better.

My assumption is that these centrals are Obtruction apneas, but I know
In these machines, the forced oscillation technique (FOT)is for determining
the patency of the upper airway. The technique involves
the production of high frequency, low amplitude pressure
waves during apneas, and the measurement of the
changes in flow that result from them. If the upper airway
is open the increases in pressure significantly increase
flow, but if it is closed very little flow results. By measuring
upper airway resistance in this way the algorithm can determine
whether the apnea is associated with a closed or
open airway and can determine whether it is appropriate to
increase the pressure or to make no response

Straight cpap CANNOT cure central apneas - it AGGRAVATES them!

Centrals, by definition are NOT Obstruction apneas!
The airway is not obstructed during a central apnea - you simply fail to breathe.


Best wishes, Nate

[sawinglogz]

The reason to (possibly) try a few weeks on CPAP or bi-level is that the centrals may just be due to the ventilatory instability caused by this new way of breathing. According to that theory, once you adjust to CPAP, you won't experience the ventilatory instability, and the centrals will disappear.

I have no idea if that really happens in practice, though. I ended up on ASV immediately after my titration studies showed more than 5 centrals per hour on both CPAP and bi-level.

The machines are pretty portable, so it won't much matter where you are, other than having one more thing to carry around. Get a power strip (both for protection and for poorly placed outlets) and a bottle of distilled water, and that's about it. I know there are vehicle power adapters as well, but I don't know much about them.

[JohnBFisher]

Hello I was just told today that I have central sleep sleep apnea and I am kinda worried. My ahi without a cpap was 22.9 and and on a cpap/bipap my ahi went up to 27.2 my o2 without cpap stayed above 92 when I was on the. Cpap/bipap it dropped to 80. So what I have to do is get on an asv but I drive semi for a living and can only get home one day every other week so should I be worried about like dieing in my sleep or anything? Thanks for ur help. Also what should I be asking the sleep techs and doctors since I will have to go in for a second sleep study for 2 weeks then another 2 weeks for the results.

Foxtrot

You will need to use an CPAP/BiPAP/ASV unit as long as you drive. In fact, failure to do so can cause you problems when driving a big rig.

You are correct that your insurance company may require you to try CPAP and/or BiPAP before getting an ASV unit. However, if the numbers are so overwhelming that the sleep studies show that you need an ASV unit, then you will definitely benefit from it. You'll feel better and more alert than you've felt in years.

Don't worry about the mobility of an ASV unit (or CPAP or BiPAP). They are very light and easy to transport. Depending on where you sleep, you might need to look into using a deep cycle battery (like those used for boats and golf carts). It can charge during the day and be ready to use at night. Of course, if you tend to park where you can use power, you can just plug your unit into the power outlet. You might search for other posters in the forum that also drive trucks for a living. They've no doubt much better advice for you.

By the way, you are doing what you need to do to determine the best course of action for you.

[JohnBFisher]

FoxTrot,

I was diagnosed with Complex Sleep Apnea too, which is what you have too. This condition is where the patient has obstructive apneas, but then when they receive CPAP therapy, they start getting large amounts of central apneas instead.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?

After I started CPAP therapy, my central apneas have basically all disappeared. It appears that my central apneas may have caused by sleep problems during the sleep study, or by my body's complete lack of familiarity with the CPAP equipment.

My advice to you, is that if at all possible, you try at least 2 weeks of CPAP or APAP before buying the expensive ASV machine. If I had purchased an ASV it would be a HUGE FREAKIN WASTE OF MONEY, because my AHI now is down to 1.9 per hour. And like I said, my central apneas are minimal. So you have very little to lose with trying APAP before buying an ASV

Just because you found benefit from CPAP therapy does not mean it will help everyone. In fact, for those of us with very severe central sleep apnea, CPAP would be a killer - literally. Your experience is not mine. I'm glad it sufficed to help you. But for most of us, it's not a good route. Of course, your experience is why many insurance companies require use of CPAP and/or BiPAP before they pay for ASV units.

[Foxtrot3000]

well i am now on an ASV machine. its a PR 950 and i have been useing it since the night of the 10th and i am not having any problems with it. still manage to fall right asleep and what not but i have noticed i seem to be more alert when i am on the road and i am kinda loving it. i think when i go home next time i am going to see what other masks they have because the one that they gave me i am not liking so much. i will fill out the equipment info in a few min. thanks for your help anyone one that might have helped and such.

[JohnBFisher]

Glad your experience is going so well. It is nice feeling more alert and better able to tackle the day. May you have many more nights of good sleep!