How do I know if it's gone?

I had OSA as a middle schooler and was temporarily cured with a Tonsil and Adnoid removal. I dropped some weight and was fine for at least 5 years, though I still snored. I was rediagnosed at 28 after putting on 50lbs with horrible snoring, tiredness, and waking up gasping. At the time I was around 25+% body fat. I was 100% compliant with my machine and fine sleeping on it.

Fast forward 2.5 years and I've been down to 10-14% body fat for 6+ months now. Over 6" alone off my waste. I'm on an anti inflammatory diet called Paleo. I have been feeling a ton better for a while now, so I decided to start playing with my machine. I was lucky enough to talk my doctor into an APAP, so even if I drop my pressure, it will raise if I need it to. I've been slowly dropping my pressure, now to the point, where it is sometimes so low that I'm inhaling too much carbon dioxide (the pressure isn't forcing out the exhale fast enough to get oxygen). I register one AHI or less on my machine and the pressure seems to stay constant on what I have it set on.

I purchased a zeo about a year ago and have been tracking sleep patterns with it. At first my intention was to just try to improve my sleep quality. I tracked my sleep patterns for 6 months with the CPAP and another 3 without. I seem to sleep less, be less tired, and have better sleep quality (more rem and deep - based on the Zeo) without my machine now. I don't feel tired much with ~8 hours of sleep and wouldn't nap even with the option.

My wife has been watching for snoring and in the last 3 months, she only noticed it once and it was light (without CPAP). I used to snore like a freight train and and now don't snore at all unless on my back and even then it's light, if at all.

Could I possibly no longer have OSA? I was terrified the first night I didn't use the APAP that I would be exhausted the next day, but I feel as good or better than on the machine. I've tried the machine a few times since and feel more tired on it than off it.

I'm really wanting to avoid another sleep test until I can afford it. With my insurance it costs over $700 a pop. I'd like to be pretty sure before I go in for the test. Has anyone else beat it? How did you know? Anything else I should try? I'm thinking a pulse oximeter - any recommendations on a good one?

You WILL have to have another sleep test to see if you are indeed better. I have an ahi of o to o.3 but thats with my machine, there's no way of knowing what it would be without the machine unless I took another test. If you are able to go without it..HURRAH for you...but get tested, its your health.

A new good sleep study will show you how well you are a pulse ox will help too, but most likely your are so deep in De-Nile, that you won't bother doing that. The good news if you still have sleep apnea or it comes back later, and it usually does, you can live out the short bliss of your life, treading in De-Nile. In the end Nature will sort it out for you. Jim

"What's a little pressurized air among friends?" It's called life.

FYI: the technology is so much better now.
If you need therapy at all it is possible to do it with a lot less discomfort and stress.
Get your sleep study. Apnea can destroy your health.
If the diagnosis is positive, we are here to help you.

He's not in denial or he wouldn't be questioning anything...

Yes, it's possible that you're 'cured', but fairly unlikely given other similar stories we've heard... The way to be sure is with a new study. An oximeter will give you a little information while you wait, but I wouldn't count on a few nights with one telling you the whole story.

Good luck - you never know, after all, and certainly I'd want to find out...

You may also be one of the few lucky people with 'positional' apnea - the kind that more or less disappears if you don't sleep on your back, but again, you really need a professional study to be sure.

@nanwilson - I will definitely be getting tested again. Just trying to decide whether it is worth a test or if I should go back on the machine. I don't want to waste the $700+ dollars on a your better, but you still need your machine.

@goofproof - See above. Not in "De-Nile." I was 100% compliant, I'm all about maximizing the best sleep possible. I didn't get the Zeo or go down this road to get off the machine. Just like many of the people on here, I'm trying to constantly tweak things to get the best sleep possible, whether its limiting caffeine after 1pm, using a hose blanket to prevent rain it from raining in my nose, or using an APAP. Of course, we'd all prefer to not use the machine, but getting great sleep is more important to me. I just need input from others on if what I'm seeing is normal or if it's just a smoke screen. I probably wouldn't have even tested some of this if I hadn't stopped snoring, that I found really odd. One heavy snore or gasping breath and I wouldn't have any of these questions, but I don't seem to have those anymore.

By using a Full Data XPAP with the software, you can find out where you stand along with a O2 meter. That's a little like doing a sleep test on a small scale, by lowering the pressure you can tellif you need the machine. a APAP is better for this as it can find the range you need.

If the test shows no events @ 4 cm, and your O2 stays over 92, you may be free for a while, however over time things change usually not for the better. I wish you well, but for me XPAP isn't a problem I can't handle, I wish they all were that easy. Jim

jnickell wrote:I had OSA as a middle schooler and was temporarily cured with a Tonsil and Adnoid removal. I dropped some weight and was fine for at least 5 years, though I still snored. I was rediagnosed at 28 after putting on 50lbs with horrible snoring, tiredness, and waking up gasping. At the time I was around 25+% body fat. I was 100% compliant with my machine and fine sleeping on it.

Fast forward 2.5 years and I've been down to 10-14% body fat for 6+ months now. Over 6" alone off my waste. I'm on an anti inflammatory diet called Paleo. I have been feeling a ton better for a while now, so I decided to start playing with my machine. I was lucky enough to talk my doctor into an APAP, so even if I drop my pressure, it will raise if I need it to. I've been slowly dropping my pressure, now to the point, where it is sometimes so low that I'm inhaling too much carbon dioxide (the pressure isn't forcing out the exhale fast enough to get oxygen). I register one AHI or less on my machine and the pressure seems to stay constant on what I have it set on.

I purchased a zeo about a year ago and have been tracking sleep patterns with it. At first my intention was to just try to improve my sleep quality. I tracked my sleep patterns for 6 months with the CPAP and another 3 without. I seem to sleep less, be less tired, and have better sleep quality (more rem and deep - based on the Zeo) without my machine now. I don't feel tired much with ~8 hours of sleep and wouldn't nap even with the option.

My wife has been watching for snoring and in the last 3 months, she only noticed it once and it was light (without CPAP). I used to snore like a freight train and and now don't snore at all unless on my back and even then it's light, if at all.

Could I possibly no longer have OSA? I was terrified the first night I didn't use the APAP that I would be exhausted the next day, but I feel as good or better than on the machine. I've tried the machine a few times since and feel more tired on it than off it.

I'm really wanting to avoid another sleep test until I can afford it. With my insurance it costs over $700 a pop. I'd like to be pretty sure before I go in for the test. Has anyone else beat it? How did you know? Anything else I should try? I'm thinking a pulse oximeter - any recommendations on a good one?

You say that you have an APAP and that the pressure stays constant at what you set it at. Are you sure that you have the unit set on AUTO and not on CPAP? By the way, what machine are you using ?...PLEASE REGISTER AND PUT YOUR EQUIPMENT IN THE PROFILE.

If it's gone you can stop for a stop sign or red light and not fall asleep. Your not waking up many many times a night. When ever you awake you don't need a trip to the rest room, to go. The best one, is you don't wake up, or be awoken with a terrible headaches. You know longer are forgetful or are not living in a fog. Last but not least you are again a real human being and your Wife, Husband or significant other is not mad at you for being grouchy.

jnickell, The CMS-50F is a wrist oximeter with a rubber finger probe. You can get one for under $100.00 now. It's the most comfortable and keeps it's clock time so you don't have to set it every night. The software comes with it. I can track the O2 results with my Zeo and apap data. That would give you one more indicator.
The biggest indicator is how you feel. After being on apap for a year my symptoms of OSA are more pronounced if I sleep without my machine for even a couple of hours. I didn't recognize them as OSA before. I think if I am ever able to sleep without it, I'll know it. And I probably won't have a sleep study. But I won't get rid of my machine either.
Glad to hear Paleo is working for you. There are several low carb threads on this forum.
Keep us posted.

A pulse ox will only tell you if you are having desats not apneas. If you are not desaaturating the apneas are not as worrisome as if you are desaturating. You could try the pulse ox.

Despite the denial crowd, it's entirely possible you no longer have sleep apnea without CPAP.

You might also think you feel just fine without CPAP but still have sleep apnea and be doing yourself damage without CPAP.

If the pulseox shows you have desats, you still have a problem. Unfortunately, if it doesn't show desats, you're not necessarily in the clear.

Only a sleep test will show you "for sure," but even then, it only shows you didn't have apnea during the night you spent in a lab, in a strange bed, with stuff wired up to you. Even an overnight in home sleep test only shows you what happened that one night.

Unfortunately, apnea is easy to prove, but hard to disprove.

Bobby269 wrote:If it's gone you can stop for a stop sign or red light and not fall asleep. Your not waking up many many times a night. When ever you awake you don't need a trip to the rest room, to go. The best one, is you don't wake up, or be awoken with a terrible headaches. You know longer are forgetful or are not living in a fog. Last but not least you are again a real human being and your Wife, Husband or significant other is not mad at you for being grouchy.

All that doesn't mean no sleep apnea... I have never fallen asleep at a stop sign, a red light or a dreadfully boring work meeting Always slept the full night, no trips to the rest room, no headaches in the morning, etc... Only visible (audible!) sign: snoring and pauses in breathing while sleeping.
Sleep study showed an AHI of 108 I am pleased to have started treating it before any bad symptoms appeared, before it became too late.

Apart from a sleep study, nothing can tell you if you still have sleep apnea. If you still have sleep apnea, even without symptoms, it needs treatment!

Bluecat