Central Apnea

[seajay]

Does Central Apnea ever go away? Or decrease a lot

[OkyDoky]

It would depend upon the causes.

Conditions that can cause or lead to central sleep apnea include:
1. Problems that affect the brainstem (the brainstem controls breathing) including brain infection, stroke, or conditions of the cervical spine (neck)
2. Parkinson disease.
3. Obesity.
4. Certain medicines, such as narcotic painkillers.
5. Heart failure.

If you change the conditions that you can change, such as obesity or use of certain neurologically sedating medications, it might decrease the Central's.

[seajay]

I can't change many of the things that cause it except the weight. Perhaps that's why the sleep study changed as I had lost 50 lbs due to illness but have gained it back...darn it. Alpha Sleep did a study on me and not only changed the machine I used but dropped a lot of the figures and I feel like I don't get any air. Someone did tell me to change the PS from 0.0 to 4.0. That seemed to help but the sleep is still not good. Thanks for your help.

[icipher]

It would depend upon the causes.

Conditions that can cause or lead to central sleep apnea include:
1. Problems that affect the brainstem (the brainstem controls breathing) including brain infection, stroke, or conditions of the cervical spine (neck)
2. Parkinson disease.
3. Obesity.
4. Certain medicines, such as narcotic painkillers.
5. Heart failure.

If you change the conditions that you can change, such as obesity or use of certain neurologically sedating medications, it might decrease the Central's.

How does obesity cause CSA?

[OkyDoky]

The information came from here. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency ... 003997.htm
Look at the link for obesity hypoventilation syndrome. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency ... 003997.htm
It has to do with the Co2/O2 balance.

[BleepingBeauty]

Does Central Apnea ever go away? Or decrease a lot

I don't know if centrals can ever go away or decrease all by themselves (if that's what the question meant). My centrals are well-controlled with my ASV machine. I had loads of centrals in my early sleep studies, but I hardly ever see centrals on my data now. But if the question is related to the possibility of them decreasing via therapy, in my experience, that does happen.

I've been using the ASV for over five years now, so it didn't happen immediately, and my usual AHI for the past couple of years is under 1 (mostly hypopneas). (FWIW, I'm overweight *and* I sleep on my back, which should be a double-whammy.)

How effective is your therapy? Are you looking at detailed data?

[Papit]

Does Central Apnea ever go away? Or decrease a lot

Interesting question, seajay. I had no Central apnea based on my initial sleep tests. They seem to have developed after a while using CPAP. Eventually, my Centrals outnumbered my treated Obstructives and I was retested and prescribed one of the best ASVs, the ResMed S9 VPAP Adapt. My Centrals were immediately dropped to zero, totally eliminated. The machine is well-known to be highly effective in treating Centrals as well as Obstructives. My AHI is now consistently between 0 and 2. Only occasionally do I see AHI go higher than that. I hear that Respironics has a similarly very effective ASV machine.

I don't know what kind of readings I'd get in a new lab sleep test without xpap. I guess my old Obstructives would show up again, but not sure about Centrals.

Maybe other ASV users who have been back for later lab sleep tests can jump in here with their follow-up sleep test results.

[seajay]

Sleepingbeauty

I don't know how to interpret the data. I did move the Min PS from 0.0 to 4.0. The biggest change is the EPAP is going up. I have a daily average of 1.5 AHI and I feel terrible. I'm not getting the sleep I use to. I am going to try to get a repeat ASV titration on the ResMed machine. Maybe it's all in my head but I do not want the Respironics machine! Thanks for your help.

[seajay]

Papit

The ResMed S9 you are using is the one they made me give up because they did the study on the wrong machine. I agree with you, the ResMed gave me no problems and I slept like a baby!

[M'ohms]

I don't know what kind of readings I'd get in a new lab sleep test. I guess my old Obstructives would show up again, but not sure about Centrals.

Last year, I went out of town for 2weks, and rather than take my ASV, I took my auto BiPap. Didn't sleep too well. When I got home and downloaded the 2 weeks' worth of data, you could see oodles of centrals. First night back on ASV...no centrals.

[Papit]

Papit

The ResMed S9 you are using is the one they made me give up because they did the study on the wrong machine. I agree with you, the ResMed gave me no problems and I slept like a baby!

I would make an early appointment with my sleep doc and ask him to specifically prescribe the ResMed machine by make and MODEL (S9 VPAP Adapt or, better, the corresponding newer A10 model). Be courteous but firm. If the machine you want is appropriate for what the test results showed, you have the right to ask for it to be prescribed.

[JohnBFisher]

...First night back on ASV...no centrals...

Of course, if you look at the waveform data you will see (as you obviously know), that there were no centrals because your machine steps in before the central can occur. I know that when I fall asleep the pressure really ramps up. It used to awaken me. Now, I feel the pressure increase, and feel reassured that my machine is looking out for me .. and just fall into deep sleep.

[BleepingBeauty]

Sleepingbeauty

I don't know how to interpret the data.

Well, you could learn to do that right here (many of us have).

Perhaps the Respironics machine just isn't right for you. Or maybe it can do the job just fine and you only need to tweak the settings to make the machine more effective. (Without the detailed data, your guess is as good as anyone's.) Personally, I'm very comfortable having no sleep doctor and taking care of myself w/r/t my apnea (with the helpful advice found here). If I'd never found the forum, I'd have been included in the 50% or so of those diagnosed but not treating their condition.

I hope you find effective therapy.

[seajay]

Thanks Sleeping Beauty. I'll have to do something my AHI went to 4.5 last night. I did eat some grapes while I was watching the football game !