Advice needed (got ahold of my sleep study)

canuck88 · Post by **canuck88** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 11:39 am

I just got a copy of my sleep study from my doctor... not so good.

In 5.6 hours of sleep I had 86 central apneas, 0 obstructive, and 14 hypopneas during my sleep study. I suspected as much, but I'm pretty disappointed.

My AHI on my back (supine) was 27.4 (I spent 65.6% of my time on my back), and on my sides was only 0.5 (for a combined total of 18.1).

My SaO2 fell to a low of 89%, but spent most of the time between 90-100% (only at 100 during REM).

My time in REM was only 11% (37 minutes), my arousal index was 20. I spent most of my time (55.8%) in stage II. I had no sleep hypoxemia, no nocturnal myoclonus, and no cardiac abnormalities.

The mean duration of my apneas was 15.7 sec and 20.0 for hypopneas.

My results for the past 2 weeks on CPAP have been better:

AHI 9.4
Central Apneas 7.7
Hypopneas 1.6
Average apnea duration - 12.7 secs

So the Central apneas have basically been cut in half, and have reduced in length by about 3 seconds each time... but I'm still worried about this type of apnea.

Anyone have any feedback on these numbers?? Is there anything else I can be doing to help it? It's too bad they don't make a special matress that would keep me on my side - I'd be at 0.5 AHI

pedroski · Post by **pedroski** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:22 pm

Hi canuck88,

I'll leave suggestions regarding your figures to the old hands, but with regards sleeping on your side, my brother has sown a tennis ball into the back of a T shirt which he wears to bed and it keeps him off his back. His figures are much worse on his back as well.

Peter

CollegeGirl · Post by **CollegeGirl** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 5:29 pm

canuck - are you really only using a RemStar Pro2? Someone else correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought people with central apneas were usually given machines like the BiPapST! Canuck, those machines breathe for you if you haven't breathed after a certain period of time.

Regular CPAP machines (like the Pro2) are generally only for people with OSA - people with CSA (again, as I understand it) use different kinds of machines.

canuck88 · Post by **canuck88** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:55 pm

CollegeGirl, I'm in Canada - and in Canada, socialized medicine means you get whatever they give you - which in this case is a CPAP, not a BiPap. And, you can only get a new machine every 5 years unless you pay for it yourself... and with the good Bipaps for central apneas costing $3000+, I'm outta luck.

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 1:56 am

We don't have socialized medicine in the U.S. and still many have a hard time getting their doctors to order specialized equipment.

About sleeping on your side. Make yourself something. You've seen the items for babies - two foam wedges connected by cloth to keep them in position?

Directions: Lay three pillowcases side by side and stitch (or velcro) them together. Put pillows in the cases on either side, using the middle one just as a connector. (Hopefully the width will be about the same size as you while side sleeping. Adjust accordingly) Put a particularly large firm pillow in the one for behind your back. Sleep with it supporting your torso to avoid rollover.

Good luck.

Kathy

Kathy

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:16 am

you have the right machine for the central apnea seen. What is your current pressure? what ever that is I would drop it by .5cm and see what those centrals do, if they don't drop, lower by another .5cm the next night.

Ignore the hypopnea for the time being those are insignificant.

Advice needed (got ahold of my sleep study)

Advice needed (got ahold of my sleep study)

Test results