theophylline helps?

[apnea2142]

Has anyone found that theophylline helps sleep apnea? I was taking it but it didn't seem to do anything. I got a slight headache from it, maybe it helped or it has an effect if you take it for longer?
like some sites say that it does help central apnea. it says that it helps the respiratory center somehow? it seems toxic at higher doses
anyway I can't use ASV that well

[JohnBFisher]

I doubt that it is as effective as ASV at treating central sleep apnea. I continue to recommend that you would with your doctor to find an effective therapy for you. We simply can not provide medical advice. You need to work with your doctor.

[SleepyToo2]

Theophylline relaxes the airways for patients with asthma, so it is unlikely to have any benefit on central apnea unless there is an element of asthma in your diagnosis. Keep in mind that it is rarely used these days because of the side effects that include headaches (as you found). Theophylline is found in small quantities in tea, and in slightly larger quantities in cocoa powder. I would be very suspicious of any claim that it can help central apnea. However, it may stop the centrals by keeping you awake (similar to caffeine). Definitely work with your doc to figure out the best therapy. From my reading here and other places, I believe that ASV machines can take a bit of getting used to, and need careful adjusting - definitely something to work through with your doc.

[Guest]

Theophylline relaxes the airways for patients with asthma, so it is unlikely to have any benefit on central apnea

Theophylline is also a respiratory stimulant which increases the urge to breathe. I imagine that it could be useful in treating central apneas.

[aa]

yes on the mayo clinic site it said it could help, but I didn't find it really helped dramatically taking it for a few days
my pulmonologist said it doesn't help sleep apnea, but there are studies that seem to say it does

[apnea2142]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22215916
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17017919
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16217173
see there is some evidence that it helps, but maybe not a lot and there are side effects
but central apnea is such a rare disorder that no one cares about maybe this drug is overlooked. somehow it stimulates respiration and maybe that helps centrals

anyway if I had about 40 central apneas on a sleep study and didn't feel I slept all night or maybe only an hour is that result correct? I had a 72% O2 level on another study and I get headaches when I wake up with bad fog

[apnea2142]

could it be that too much coffee or caffeine desensitizes your brain sleep center so that you get csa?

[JohnBFisher]

could it be that too much coffee or caffeine desensitizes your brain sleep center so that you get csa?

NO! Otherwise half the world would have central apneas.

For whatever reason you have some central apneas .. and not all that many from what I remember. We have folks here who struggle with real issues. You need to work with your doctor to be certain that your ASV therapy is effective and tolerable for you.

[Katwoman]

You've got 3 threads going, asking similar questions you've already asked the board over and over again under the sickwithapnea17 name...

I feel badly for those people that have not figured out that this persona is the same as others you've used and try to help you.

This is a waste of everyone's time.

[JohnBFisher]

... I feel badly for those people that have not figured out that this persona is the same as others you've used and try to help you. ... This is a waste of everyone's time. ...

Oh, I recognize this is the same person. Here are my thoughts on it.

If the person is real they have personality problems that are WAY beyond the scope of this board to address.

If the person is not real, they also have personality problems that are WAY beyond the scope of this board to address.

Why do I answer it? Because we have people come here who might not know the situation and ask themselves if the misinformation is true. For example does theophylline help with central sleep apnea. Or does caffeine cause CSA? It is not for this poster that I respond. I respond for others who read the threads. However, I always assume the person is real. They might well be. If so, I try to treat them as I would want to be treated.

Answering these questions for those reading the threads is not a waste of time.

[Katwoman]

... I feel badly for those people that have not figured out that this persona is the same as others you've used and try to help you. ... This is a waste of everyone's time. ...

Oh, I recognize this is the same person. Here are my thoughts on it.

If the person is real they have personality problems that are WAY beyond the scope of this board to address.

If the person is not real, they also have personality problems that are WAY beyond the scope of this board to address.

Why do I answer it? Because we have people come here who might not know the situation and ask themselves if the misinformation is true. For example does theophylline help with central sleep apnea. Or does caffeine cause CSA? It is not for this poster that I respond. I respond for others who read the threads. However, I always assume the person is real. They might well be. If so, I try to treat them as I would want to be treated.

Answering these questions for those reading the threads is not a waste of time.

Yes. See your point. Good of you to take your time to do this.

Some people have not yet connected the dots. I could see that you already had.

The waste of time comment was directed to OP, meaning they are wasting their time and everyone else's.

You doing damage control is not a waste of time.

[chunkyfrog]

It is not unusual to see a newly-diagnosed person reacting in the classic manner.
Horror, denial, anger, and desperately seeking ANY alternative --(no matter how unlikely)
It's always sad, too. --even if the person is slightly unlikeable.
It means that their suffering will continue. . .
This is always a waste; and it saddens me.
But we must each follow our own path--even those who walk into danger.

[apnea2142]

I don't know why you all ignore this evidence that theophylline may help centrals. these are real medical studies. this is a new field so more research is needed

[chunkyfrog]

See if you can get your doctor to prescribe it, then.
Keep going to different docs until you get one who agrees with you,.
Good luck.

[howkim]

I just looked in MEDLINE (the main database of peer-reviewed medical articles in the world) for central SA and theophylline. There were 7 articles, 5 of which were about CSA and heart failure, focusing of the effects on the heart. One was not relevant for the question. The other was iffy in my reading of the abstract.

Theophylline is in the drug class of phosphodiesterase inhibitors. As a class, these drugs have significant problems with side effects. Theophylline itself is now rarely used for the treatment of asthma because of them despite its bronchodilating effect.

I was on theophylline when I had bronchitis about 20 years ago. I remember only that it had a serious negative on my sleep.