Can anyone with central tell me what their symptoms

[Nate154]

were like before treatment. Thanks.

[n0hardmask]

Nate, Interesting question.. I know there's plenty of discussion of general apnea symptoms, but we don't go into this knowing we had obstructive, central or a mix of types.
Speaking for myself, I felt like crap for over 18 months on APAP, so I upgraded to a bi-level S9 (from an S8), so I could get a better idea what kind of events I was having.
2 months on that and I know I was having both obstructive and central events; so I got myself an S9 ASV. I found out I was having lots of centrals; the ADAPT seemed to treat the CA's and reduce the Apneas tremendously.
Still feel crappy, but I figure I'm still in serious sleep dept.

I see in another post you're looking for a cheapo-brick bilevel. I suggest that won't do much good; without DATA, you don't know what you have. Delve into the huge readings here and you'll find lots written on that. Welcome to the forum.

[tomma]

I just started therapy on an ASV a couple weeks ago because of centrals. After a few months on an APAP without good results I went to that. Starting to look good now, my AHI over the past 4-5 days has been in the 2's, with one day at 1.5. Absolutely unheard of for me.

Anyway, symptoms....I don't think I had anything different from the 'normal' apnea symptoms really. Excessive daytime sleepiness, irritability, morning headaches, heart palpitations, etc etc. All of those are on the mend now I'm happy to say.

[chunkyfrog]

Unless we're wearing an EEG or someone is watching us sleep,
the only way many of us could tell the difference is with efficacy data--
like on the S9 Autoset (and that's just a "best guess"--but better than no data at all).
If your machine is a brick, you are at a huge disadvantage.

[4betterO2]

were like before treatment. Thanks.

are you trying to find out from how you feel as compared with other users' experience, whether or not you are having centrals?
are you currently using a PAP machine, which model?
If it is a BiPAP with full data, it will show. If it is a CPAP, even with full data, no way to tell, since it usually corrects centrals or hides them.

[Pugsy]

If it is a CPAP, even with full data, no way to tell, since it usually corrects centrals or hides them.

Huh?
The newer CPAP machines like the S9 and PR S1 machines that offer full data will indeed flag centrals. At least the machine thinks they are centrals.
CPAP doesn't correct them at all...doesn't hide them either in the new technology machines.

[Nooblakahn]

I just started asv therapy last monday, so a little over a week. As others have said... symptoms are the same as with osa. Feeling tired headaches from oxygen desaturation etc. Im one of the lucky ones. I didn't have to suffer through standard cpap/bipap before going on asv. My sleep lab put me on that after failing cpap bipap and bipap st titrations. Truth be told I think I failed the asv titration... but at home it is treating me well. The efficacy data is priceless as others have said. Its comforting to know that my asv is less than 5... it helps reinforce how much better I feel. I would want that data no matter which mode of treatment I was on. How else could you be sure the treatment was working?

[sleepstar]

CSA is a tricky one. The problem is there often isn't symptoms. People with CSA can often not feel tired and sometimes don't present with typical OSA symptoms
My dads a classic case (although this is one person). AHI of 100, complex sleep apnea, hasn't felt tired all his life. He uses treatment consistently though, which is hard when you "feel no benefit". He realizes how breathing disorders increase your risk significantly of health problems.

[4betterO2]

The newer CPAP machines like the S9 and PR S1 machines that offer full data will indeed flag centrals. At least the machine thinks they are centrals.
CPAP doesn't correct them at all...doesn't hide them either in the new technology machines.

1)__ are you talking about straight CPAP (i.e.: same pressure for inhaling and exhaling, continous flow not on-demand), or CPAP in general terms (including BiPap and ASV besides "straight CPAP")?
2)__ or to put it differently, and more interestingly, which straight CPAP (i.e.: same pressure for inhaling and exhaling, continous flow not on-demand) models, from ResMed and PR, are capable of showing centrals?
My 2012 hospital-based sleep study did not show centrals when under CPAP titration, only after shifting to BiPAP, and of course I think it would have done so if it had been possible, as I think they used a modern machine. (?)
3)__ The reason why I feel straight-CPAP corrects centrals, is that they are corrected in ASV machines by the machine initiating a breath and effecting air pressure without the patient starting the inhalation on their own. In comparison, by effecting continuous air pressure, (non-responsive,) without respect whether the patient is inhaling or exhaling, the straight-CPAP machines do the same thing the ASV does when finding centrals, though without intending to, and doing it in onging manner. Am I wrong in that impression?

[Pugsy]

3)__ The reason why I feel straight-CPAP corrects centrals, is that they are corrected in ASV machines by the machine initiating a breath and effecting air pressure without the patient starting the inhalation on their own. In comparison, by effecting continuous air pressure, (non-responsive,) without respect whether the patient is inhaling or exhaling, the straight-CPAP machines do the same thing the ASV does when finding centrals, though without intending to, and doing it in onging manner. Am I wrong in that impression?

I see your point but reading it the way you originally made the blanket statement sounded like straight cpap/apap (not the ASV models) would effectively treat someone with complex or central apnea and they won't. Like they did it on purpose...they don't and in fact for some people can make the centrals worse.

When an ASV machine initiates a breath in an effort to overcome the central cycle...it's a big burst of air.
That's what's needed. If CPAP treated centrals the way you are thinking....everyone would have plain straight cpap machines and there wouldn't be any need for cpap/apap machines.

[Nate154]

I am trying to compare how I feel to others symptoms. I struggled with cpap for years; haven't had a good, conclusive sleep study. My bulk sleep only seems to be 4 or 5 hours before a restless wake up. It then becomes extremely uncomfortable to continue lying down and only helps to sit up.