Fluctuation in events per hour

kteague wrote:

cyclist56 wrote: My AHI was 12.5, with 10.5 being hypopneas. So it seems that your suggestion that I might not need the APAP in the long run is correct. Periodic limb movements were very high, almost 50/hour, with 18 resulting arousals per hour. I only slept 2 hours and 23 minutes. I'm reluctant to take klonopin for the PLMs. I go back in mid August for follow up. In the meantime, my psychiatrist gave me a script for Provigil. Filled it today, will try it tomorrow.

Those were periodic limb movements not related to respiration, right? If so, then I hate to be the party pooper here, but now that you mention the number of limb movements in your study, and particularly the ones with arousal, I'm suspect that your apnea may not be as mild as your report indicates. If your report says your movements were related to breathing then just skip the rest of this. It is not unusual for periodic limb movements and apnea events to mask each other. Your limb movements may actually be worse too. When both sleep apnea and periodic limb movements are present, they vie for prominence. When either is resolved, there's a possibility of the unresolved sleep disorder worsening as it is able to more fully manifest when not constantly disrupted by the other. As to your proposed medication route, that makes me a bit concerned. It is a slippery slope of sedatives to sleep and stimulants to wake up. If it turns out you must, then you must. But since you are already concerned about taking meds, I would suggest you try to address any possible contributors to your leg movements and then see what you are left with. A ferritin level was already mentioned. Current thinking is it should be near 100, not simply in the "normal" range. Also have them test any levels that might pertain to muscle and nerve function, like magnesium and Vitamin D levels, and some B vitamins are important to nerve function. There are plenty of DIY tips to try to help mitigate the symptoms. Not everyone must be medicated. But some do, just do it with an abundance of knowledge.

SewTired wrote:Cyclist, were the periodic leg movements associated with some kind of brain activity or were they more Restless Leg Syndrome? If you want to experiment, get a combo of magnesium, zinc and calcium from any drug store. This was recommended to me and although I don't have a shortage, it appears to be working. Took a couple of weeks before I really noticed a difference. Downside was some stomach pain. The pharmacist told me yesterday to take with some food. Iron is another option, but you need to get that ok from your doctor. Extra iron can make some people very sick and as I discovered, it only worked for about 8 months to quell the restless legs that were waking me.