My centrals worries - still not feeling rested

[WildMtnHoney]

Rather than continue to hijack someone else's thread (sorry 'bout that, poor taste on my part ) I figured I should start my own.

So yesterday my AHI was the highest I'd seen so far (but still low, just 4.2) and most of 'em were CAs. I wasn't worried about most of them, because they had that arousal look, but then there was a "run" that looked "real". Not that many, and not that long, but I keep waking with headaches, feeling like I could REALLY use a nap during the mid to late afternoon (I do my best not to take one, but if I find myself sitting quietly, I zonk out) and generally feeling "blah."

To get more data, I ordered a CMS50D+ and got it yesterday. The best news is that I'm not desat'ing much at all, nor that low (just to 80%) and only for a very few seconds. The "bad" news is that I only saw desats that low after my run of CA's this morning.



I don't think this is anything to worry about at all, really, but I will bring it up to my Neuro when I see her, because CPAP doesn't really do anything about that, does it?

Also, I'm beginning to think I have "health anxiety" -- but honestly when does it cross the line? My GP thought I was overreacting when I asked her to check my thyroid for what she felt was just a "sore throat" (I told her it was my NECK that hurt when swallowed, though) and it turns out my T4 is high and I likely have thyroiditis (see the endo tomorrow). They felt I was "overly sensitive" when I went in complaining of lower right abdominal pain, because people my age don't get appendicitis -- and I didn't have that, I have diverticulitis on the right (even more rare).

All in all -- I've been more right when something pinged my "this isn't right!" radar than I've been wrong, so it's difficult for me to chill and trust that the dr's are going to do that right tests, etc.


EDITED:
That should have read HAD diverticulitis, I have a diveritculum.

[WildMtnHoney]

Well, it seems that whatever has been pinging my radar, must have hit the Dr, too!

I just got a call from Apria (my DME) that they got a faxed Rx for an overnight home sleep study. Seems there is a question about if I need to be using supplemental O2 at night in addition to the CPAP (I was on just O2 prior to the OSA dx, because my previous dx was sleep apnea NOS for what appeared to be central hypopneas, but they took the O2 away and wanted to try just CPAP).

I pick up the home study device next Tuesday.

[WildMtnHoney]

So maybe I shouldn't be worried about centrals at all. My very first sleep study, the one where they called it "NOS"? I looked that info back up. I spent a good part of that night below 88% spO2, but it seems the pulmonologist thought I was just hypoventalating, without "true" apneas at all, and that's why they put me on O2. And now I'm wondering if that's why I'm feeling so "blarg" most days still - because according to today's info, I spent some time this morning doing that again. My spO2 went down, but there are no apnea or even hyponeas marked. I woke feeling like poo.

[WildMtnHoney]

Ok, ONE more thing I've noticed as a trend -- although my 95% tidal volume is around 500 most nights, my weighted averages and averages are half that - closer to 250ish. So I'm breathing that shallowly on average? Isn't that a "bad" thing?

[Pugsy]

My tidal volume is only slightly higher than yours on average and sometimes the average is around 250..most nights around 280 with maximum sometimes of 600.

Tidal volume has a very wide range of normals depending upon multiple factors including sex, where we live, stature, obese or non obese,etc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lung_volumes
I am not quite 5 ft tall, small boned and petite in stature...not horribly obese but could stand to lose 20 lbs....I have no lung disease issues.
My tidal volume isn't going to be nearly as much as my 6ft 2 in hubby with huge bone structure and lungs probably twice as big as mine.
I don't "shallow breathe" at least I don't think I do.
Some people do though.

When in doubt about lung issues...consult the doctor and get a little quick spirometry test to start with.

[dazza]

My tidal is high

[WildMtnHoney]

My tidal volume is only slightly higher than yours on average and sometimes the average is around 250..most nights around 280 with maximum sometimes of 600.

My tidal is high

Variance!! I dig it!!

When in doubt about lung issues...consult the doctor and get a little quick spirometry test to start with.

I did that once a few years ago, and forgot all about it until you just brought it up, so somewhere I have a piece of paper that would TELL me what my tidal volume is.

OK, no I'm off to the Endo, to talk about this thyroid thing.

Thanks for dealing with my never-ending anxiety. I'll start taking deep breaths (pun intended) and try to stop hogging the board.