Mostly spontaneous arousals - can CPAP help?

[joepro7]

I read on the web that sometimes a standard Polysomnogram can not detect UARS and that spontaneous arousals can be caused by upper airway resistance but not registered by the test as such. I completed a sleep study recently and had <5% REM sleep and 66% sleep efficiency due mostly to spontaneous arousals with AHI of 10.4. I'm wondering if I should push for a CPAP titration study to see if it will help, it certainly feels like OSA when I try to sleep on my back. Currently my doctor and one sleep doctor I've talked to aren't recommending CPAP (the sleep doctor is a neurologist and wants to try various drugs.)

[SelfSeeker]

Here are some links to UARS:

http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/dis ... /sleep.htm

http://www.apneasupport.org/viewtopic.php?t=5443

http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/content/full/115/4/1127

http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/cgi/conte ... 161/5/1412

http://ajrccm.atsjournals.org/cgi/conte ... 161/5/1413

for you.

Did you do a complete PSG? If yes do you have your report, graphs included. What does it look like.

Ask your neurologist, why does he think drugs would work? What type of durgs?

With UARS, the body awakes at the least amount of oxygen falling, so the oxygen does not fall low.

Sometimes you can become arosed so often that you think you are awake for a long time, instead of constantly being awoken. If you are given drugs and they keep you asleep, your oxygen may drop even more, because the the thoat is still closing.


I would definately go the CPAP route, do you want drugs that may play around with your brain? Try the CPAP, you may even find that you are sleeping soundly, once the interfaces are figured out.

Is the AHI of 10.4 of apneas and hypopneas. If yes they need to be treated with CPAP.

Without seeing your sleep study I can't say for sure, but my first reaction is yes to your question, insist on the titration. If it does not work and the results look like your sleep study, then at least you tried it.

I had half spontaneous and half respiratory arousals, I am sleeping much better. I still wake up, but I am not spending the hours that I though I was awake, which were actually arousals. I am sleeping much better, not great yet but much better. I thought I had insomnia, but now I do not think so anymore.

[Snoredog]

No cpap will not help with those spontaneous arousals. They call them spontaneous because they don't know what actually causes them but they are suspect in interrupting your sleep efficiency.

Now if your Neuro stumbles onto something that works to address them be sure to come back and report your findings.

Seems when they don't know the cause of what something is they tell you they are insignificant. To them maybe.

[rested gal]

AHI of 10.4. I'm wondering if I should push for a CPAP titration study to see if it will help, it certainly feels like OSA when I try to sleep on my back.

No doctor here, but I'd sure be pushing for a titration study and/or an autopap trial at home.