Question About Complex Sleep Apnea...

Hi, I have severe complex sleep apnea and was just diagnosed last year. In 2002 I also had a bilateral total joint replacement on my jaw/tmj area and all of the masks that I have used have made my severe chronic pain on my face and jaw worse. Still to this day I have not gotten used to using my machine and don't use it 99% of the time. I KNOW how bad that is for me especially how bad my complex sleep apnea is but I am in a difficult position. I have tried so many different masks and not one has worked for me. Anyhow, what I wanted to say was that I "thought" complex sleep apnea is when your brain fails to send a signal to your body to breathe? At least that is why my sleep doctor told me. Is this true or was I given the wrong information? I am having really major issues trying to get used to my machine and my oxygen that I am supposed to use along with my machine. I never feel good and am always so tired that I feel like I am wasting my life away. This sleep apnea is a difficult medical issue to deal with. I read so many success stories and I am so jealous and just wished that I had the same success as most of you. I am literally at my wits end and don't know what to do. But I really wanted to see what the true definition of complex sleep apnea is. Thanks so much as you all are so knoweldgeable in this field sometimes it blows my mind how much you all know. I don't know very much about this at all. I feel very stupid compared to all of you. Anyhow, thanks in advance if you can clear this up for me. My machine that I use is listed below and my pressures which are high are listed as well. I just hate how it feels when I do put on my mask. Plus if you have any tips on how to get used to the machine and masks would be so appreciated! K.. Thanks so much! TmjTerri

TT,
Lots of threads on that topic. Do a search.

Central apnea is when the brain doesn't trigger breaths.

Complex is similar but somewhat different in origin. I believe I'm correct here...but it's when someone with osa starts in cpap therapy and the pressure from the cpap initiates clear airway apneas. Then it's referred to as complex apnea.

Would a nasal pillow be tolerable?
J

First, the obligatory comments. Sleep apnea kills slowly and painfully, like the death of a thousand cuts. Or slowly and silently. Or suddenly.

Even if you don't feel better or get better with CPAP, not doing CPAP will make you worse every night. For some people, CPAP is like putting out a fire in a forest. Putting the fire out won't bring the trees back immediately, but it saves the trees that are still standing.

Sorry you're having trouble with CPAP. Post on here what your specific problems are.

I don't want to be rude, but sometimes, you've just got to suck it up and do it. Or give up and die. Maybe you can get some help here, but you are the one who's got to do it.

Unfortunately, if you've got apnea, it's not one of those "maybe" things like gaining weight, eating right, exercising, taking the pills the doctor wants to give you, etc. If your apnea is bad enough, you die a little every night in your sleep.

Now to your question.

I think that if you're not doing your CPAP, it doesn't matter much whether your apnea is obstructive, central or complex. Your heart, brain, and all the other organs are being strangled repeatedly during your sleep. Different types of apnea have to be treated differently, but the effects of apnea are mostly the same.

Here's how ResMed defines complex sleep apnea. Normally, I trust CPAP manufacturers about as much as I trust used car dealers, but the info seems pretty good. I don't put too much faith in wikipedia, but this article seems pretty good, too.

The type of machine you have is the type used for central or complex apnea.

TT,
Sorry my initial post was so terse. I was short on time but wanted you to get started. Have you read the links that Archangle posted? And he spoke the truth. Out bodies need both sleep and oxygen and apnea deprives us of both.

Are you aware that there are total face masks that go under your chin and even cover your eyes. The larger the bearing surface, the less pressure at the contact points. I just looked on cpap.com

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/total- ... onics.html

And I wanted to ask you...even though you aren't using the cpap, are you at least wearing the oxygen? I'm in no way suggesting that the O2 can replace cpap...but it will keep your desats (oxygen drops during an apnea) from dropping as much and I've read that the addition of O2 can actually reduce the onset of central apneas in some patients. If you don't have any nasal cannulas, go to where you get your oxygen (or concentrator) and buy a few and start at least wearing that until you find a way to resume cpap. And don't dally...this is important stuff you are neglecting.

And while it's not always a good idea to take strong medication with apnea...it can interfere with stages of sleep and cause increased central apneas...it would be better then no cpap at all. Plus your machine can handle the centrals. So pain and or sleep medication may be indicated in your case. Talk to your Doc.
Jamis

TmjTerri
I just wanted to point out that this is an interactive forum...meaning you need to reply back and engage in dialog so people can help you get back on track. I'm bumping your thread to the top, but you'll need to chime in or the thread will fall into oblivion.
J