Kenny's CPAP Thread

[roster]

........
After 3 nights I've turned ramp off. ...

I never liked ramp and think this feature is one of the reasons some newbies fail. The concept of ramp tells a newbie that the CPAP process is going to be so uncomfortable that you need to slip into it gradually. That attitude is setting some newbies up for failure on a psychological level.

I want the machine at prescribed pressure from the first minute. I need to check the mask for leaks at the prescribed pressure. I don't want to fall asleep at a low pressure and then later have the mask start leaking when the machine finally ramps up.

Phooey on ramp.

[nomoore]

I can't breathe with ramp on. In fact sometimes I feel that it is easier to breathe out with a higher pressure because my sinuses start to close up without enough pressure. I guess for some people the restriction is all in there throat when it relaxes while they're asleep. I have that some too but my sinuses pose much more of a problem. I guess I really am a prime candidate for a FFM but with taping my mouth and using enough pressure I am able to make the nasal mask work just fine.

[tattooyu]

Just got a call... it's official: I have severe sleep apnea.

I thought maybe since I don't snore very loud or often, that it would be mild or moderate. I'm just really upset about it and scared to death. My father had apnea and died in 2001, albeit from complications of diabetes. Since I'm fairly young (turning 36 next month), I'm hoping I can minimize any further damage I might have done by getting my machine ASAP. She doesn't think any permanent damage has been done; I just don't know right now...

I'm going back tonight at 9:00 pm for the titration study. I am trying to keep positive and affirm to myself that I will be able to fall asleep with the mask on this time.

I don't have the full report, but here are some numbers they gave me over the phone:

• In a 98.5 minute period, I had 73 events.
• My lowest oxygen level was 73%. (This floored me; I just couldn't believe it went so low.)
• Average oxygen level was 90%.
• Longest apnea was 12 seconds.

What do you think about that information? Do you think I should have a cardiologist check me out?

[tattooyu]

BUMP

(Just in case this got lost in the masses)

[nomoore]

Yup. Looks like severe sleep apnea to me. Why mention of a cardiologist? Are you having any heart issues that need to be checked out?

[tattooyu]

Yup. Looks like severe sleep apnea to me. Why mention of a cardiologist? Are you having any heart issues that need to be checked out?

Being that I have panic disorder/anxiety issues, my mind immediately went to, "Maybe the apnea I've had so far has damaged my heart?", because of all the stuff I've read that can happen with untreated OSA. It's probably just negative self-talk; I just hope I haven't done irreparable damage.

The diagnosis of SEVERE has bummed me out today, but I'm coming around in knowing that good sleep, and lower risks, are not that far away. They hope to have my prescription ready or pre-approved by the time I get back from Vegas next week.

Do you think they would have told me right away if I had any CSA events? CSA is a worse condition right?

[tattooyu]

I just got a return call from the sleep center, and it turns out I did have one CSA event. That really concerns me that my brain isn't telling my body to breathe. I want to read more about CSA, but she said that I'm worrying too much over one CSA event.

Yes, I'm a worry-wort, but...

Help! I'm freakin' out over here...

[rested gal]

Kenny, you can relax. Easier said than done, I'm sure, given that you said you have panic/anxiety disorder issues.

But you can relax now, knowing that your OSA was found out at a relatively young age for you, and you'll soon be breathing easily at night.

A lady here in town that I've been helping with her CPAP wasn't diagnosed until she was well into her sixties. Had probably had it since her youth, as she had always snored and had excessive daytime sleepiness for most of her life. Her O2 dropped down into the 40 percent figures during her sleep study! CPAP has turned her life around for the good!

You're right to take this seriously. Wouldn't hurt to get a cardiology workup just to ease your mind. But I'm betting you've caught this in a timely fashion and are going to do extremely well on CPAP.

Even if a person has had damage, CPAP can help the body mend itself. Here's a quote from a study where people with known CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) showed heart improvement on CPAP:

"Sin et al.84 demonstrated the effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in heart failure patients and central sleep apnea: ventricular function significantly improved after 3 months, associated with a relative 81% risk reduction for mortality or cardiac transplantation. Recently, in a randomized trial in 55 patients, CPAP therapy for 3 months improved ventricular function and reduced sympathetic activity in patients with heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).66 Likewise, CPAP therapy in OSA patients reduced daytime blood pressure and heart rate, and was associated with a significant reduction in left ventricular end-systolic dimensions and increases in ejection fraction.46"

http://eurheartjsupp.oxfordjournals.org ... uppl_D/D66

Do you think they would have told me right away if I had any CSA events?

Even if you had some scattered central apneas, no big deal. The one central on your study is absolutely nothing to worry about. Nothing at all. Zip, zilch, nada.
Links to Central Apnea discussions
viewtopic.php?p=22702

CSA is a worse condition right?

No. Not getting air is not getting air, whether the cause is brain not sending a timely signal to "breathe now" (central apnea) or the body is trying to breathe but can't get air through (obstructive apnea.) It used to be more difficult to treat Central Sleep Apnea than Obstructive, but that's changed considerably now with the advent of "Adaptive Server Ventilator" machines to treat centrals.

What you've got is what the vast majority of sleep disordered breathers have... good old Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Easily treated with a glorified leaf blower! You've joined a club that's getting more popular as more family doctors are becoming aware of "sleep apnea" and are sending their patients for sleep studies. Every doctor should consider sleep apnea even in routine checkups...they don't yet, but they should.

[tattooyu]

rested gal and others,

Thank you so much. I'm sitting here in tears (of joy) from all your kindness and reassurance. I'm starting to relax. The leaf blower reference made me laugh and smile... much needed today.

Apnea... panic disorder... maybe it's the chicken and the egg story? I think my autonomic nervous system is set to ultra-sensitive from lack of good sleep. I've been through an extremely rough 2008: while pregnant, my wife's appendix burst, then seven weeks later we lost our preemie son, and then a beloved pet one month after that. I'm sure my body's resources are being depleted even further than usual.

I'll have to relax considering I have my titration study tonight! I wasn't able to sleep with the mask on the first time, but I'm hopeful that I will be able to sleep tonight.

Depending on how I feel, I might have a cardio workup done for peace of mind. I did have a treadmill stress test 3-4 years ago that was perfectly normal but things change, you know?

Much gratitude for my platitudes!

[mdbarthe]

Don't fret too much, Kenny. Your numbers are very similar to the ones found when I had my first sleep study two years ago. I've had a cardiac catheterization and was all clear and I am much older than you. My quality of life has gotten much better since I started the CPAP therapy and I feel much better. You're on the road to better health, my friend!!

[tattooyu]

Don't fret too much, Kenny. Your numbers are very similar to the ones found when I had my first sleep study two years ago. I've had a cardiac catheterization and was all clear and I am much older than you. My quality of life has gotten much better since I started the CPAP therapy and I feel much better. You're on the road to better health, my friend!!

Thanks madbarthe, I really appreciate it. I just want to feel better. In a way, this may answer why I've had all sorts of other problems in the last few years: reflux, re-occurrence of digestive issues, palpitations, fatigue, panic, etc., and hopefully I'm on the road to feeling better overall!

I searched, but I couldn't find any info that says whether or not getting down to a normal weight could cure apnea, thereby removing the need for CPAP treatment. Not that wearing a mask is such a bad thing... just curious.

[Kiralynx]

I just got a return call from the sleep center, and it turns out I did have one CSA event. That really concerns me that my brain isn't telling my body to breathe. I want to read more about CSA, but she said that I'm worrying too much over one CSA event.

Yes, I'm a worry-wort, but...

Help! I'm freakin' out over here...

Kenny,

It's highly normal at this stage of the game to be coming unhinged. I mean, breathing is something we all just sort of expect is happening normally, right? And then to find out that no, it's not happening normally is a real panic-maker.

Especially if you're a researcher -- and you obviously are -- and you now know the consequences of that not-breathing business.

I did not want to sleep connected to a glorified hair-drier for the rest of my life. I'm claustrophobic and the idea of a MASK was rather more than I could handle. But, Lucky for me. I found this Forum. (Came here looking for help for my brother-in-law, and then was diagnosed myself a few weeks later!)

You already have your titration set up, right? Call your sleep center and ask to talk to their mask specialist. Go up during the day and try out masks. They should let you try them under pressure and lying down. I must have spent three hours trying on masks, but I made it through the titration without too many conniptions, and I'm still using the same mask (albeit with a different nose-piece) three months later. Don't just let them hand you any mask! THe mask is the key to success! And so is having data!

Me, I have complex sleep apnea -- I tested at moderate in the original study. Then they put me on CPAP, and I got worse! So I have a super-fancy machine which compensates for that, and I'm sleeping better than I have in years.

You will, too!

[birdshell]

Kenny, I was gratified to read that you have been putting in so much effort, and you have had some very good advice. IMHO, that is the best thing that you have done for yourself and it will pay off.

From experience, I would say that you already have the MOST important criteria for success. As an apneic treated with CPAP--well, that is the best news of all for you. What is that amazing element? Why, you have told us:

I just want to feel better. In a way, this may answer why I've had all sorts of other problems in the last few years: reflux, re-occurrence of digestive issues, palpitations, fatigue, panic, etc., and hopefully I'm on the road to feeling better overall!

Wanting to succeed and putting in the necessary effort is most likely ALL you will need to get adequate treatment. I know that it seems (from my nearly 3 years on this forum) that there are those who succeed because they will do what it takes to feel better. There are others, unfortunately, who come here to complain and want someone else to fix them. Apnea treatment requires a bit of effort and a lot of the "can-do" attitude of a pioneer, while also seeking that which is better.

You know that someone did help each and every one of us, and I think that we are all survivors of a little bit of adversity. I, for one, have deep admiration for the CPAP users who came before me. The few small improvements made to masks, machines, and knowledge just in my time make me think that those pioneers were truly brave and able to tolerate a lot. We have it easy compared to them.

I know that for me, the most important thing was to feel better and I wanted to sleep less than half of my life away. I went from sleeping 12-14 hours per day to now averaging something between 8-9 hours. No matter HOW advance the CPAP treatment might be, I've accepted the fact that I'll never get to 4-5 hours, as one of my college roommates managed. Ahhh, good thing I liked, and still do, like her.

I searched, but I couldn't find any info that says whether or not getting down to a normal weight could cure apnea, thereby removing the need for CPAP treatment. Not that wearing a mask is such a bad thing... just curious.

AFAIK, there is no such information. It does not require weight gain to have apnea; it is just one factor that contributes to the condition. And, if one loses weight, then the apnea may not be so severe...but it may still be there. Treatment may be adjusted, or not. More pressure doesn't mean better treatment...sometimes a severe apneic will have a very low pressure with good treatment results, while a mile apneic might have to use a high pressure to get adequate treatment. Further, lots of "regular" weight folks are still here and using their CPAP machines.

Surgery doesn't seem to help all that many folks, either. If undergoing some kind of surgery, it may or may not help the apnea for life. It seems that there is an alleviation of symptoms at first, but a large number of folks are back on CPAP eventually.

I have found friends here at the forum, ones whom I've met in real life. You don't have to go to these extremes, but there is a lot of intelligent life here on the forum. That isn't always so easy to find in this universe, is it?

That kind of thing happens through weathering adversity together. We have, and we will, and we are glad to have you among us--fighting to breathe easily at night and to live better every day.

Have a great titration tonight!

And, don't forget to ask for another mask to try if the one you are using isn't working for you.

Karen,
Who doesn't mind being wired

[tattooyu]

Thank you birdshell! THANK YOU, THANK YOU ALL!

I just hope I can relax and know: I'll be okay, I'm not dying, I'll be able to sleep tonight for the titration...etc.

[tattooyu]

Do you think it's likely I'll be put on a BiPAP machine for one CSA event?