central apnea and not feeling any different

[wlbecker]

Is there any evidence that "Centrals" don't really feel any different? I mean I understand that it is healthier for me, but I do not really notice a difference after several months. Now, mind you, I have have only successfully used the machine for ~2 months, but started this journey in Feb 2009. For the first 7 months I hated it and threw it on the floor after 3 or 4 hours. I hated that F'ing machine (TFM, as I like to say). I went through 5-6 masks of varying type and size until I found one I liked. Now I only have nights like that once a week or so. I just was wondering if anyone else felt no different.

[Julie]

Are you getting any data from your machine's smart card or even the screen? What do the numbers tell you? It's a bit hard to help without knowing more of what's happening. And no, you won't be aware of centrals any more than you are of regular apneas when you're asleep.

[wlbecker]

No, not that the apneas feel different-I don't feel any different. I guess it is more of a survey: If you have mostly non-obstructive apneas, do you feel any better on APAP??

[Scarlet834]

I've seen posts from OSA sufferers who are waiting to feel better also, so I don't think the concern is limited to CSA. I agree with Julie's question--can you get to your data to identify what's happening to you at night? If you can't get to it, does the machine record apnea events in a way a medical professional can get to it instead? Without knowing if you still experience a significant number of apnea events at night it's not possible to know whether that or something else is keeping you from feeling your best, or more importantly, if there is something obvious to be done about it.

Your machine is supposed to be able to treat central apnea. I have absolutely no idea how it triggers you to breath when there is a central apnea, but I'll go out on a limb and say that if it was treating your breathing during sleep to the extent it's intended to, you ought to feel better. I would not want you to assume that being healthier without feeling better is enough. Please keep seeking a solution.

[BlackSpinner]

An apnea by any other name is still an apnea - lack of oxygen is lack of oxygen and the end result is the same.
You have only been really being treated fro 2 months - your body is still going through an adjustment period. It could be you are not getting REM sleep yet.

[wlbecker]

The numbers: Leak=0, AHI=5, AI=0.1, Avg Pressure=8.8, VT (tidal volume)= 233-775, RR=11-15, MV=4-9, Time=7 hours
These numbers are very consistent 1 week, 1 month and 3 months

[-SWS]

If you have mostly non-obstructive apneas, do you feel any better on APAP??

Wondering if there is also an underlying obstructive component to your SDB as well. If so, then you just might be one of those with complex SDB (or CompSAS). And that seems to be a whole different ball of wax regarding intractable daytime symptoms...

Getting residual AHI down to 5 or lower with a PAP machine doesn't always manage to alleviate symptoms. And, anecdotally, that statement seems even more true for the complex SDB population. Below is an interesting behind-the-scenes Wikipedia discussion I stumbled across using Google. It nicely summarizes some of the recent discoveries and outstanding challenges regarding the CSDB/CompSAS phenotype: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki?title=Talk ... _breathing .

If your SDB does happen to entail an obstructive component as well, and your non-AHI symptoms seem intractable, then consider consulting with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Good luck!