Respiration rate - please help

palerider wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 07, 2018 5:29 pm

Fiji wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 07, 2018 4:53 pm

Hi Pugsy and Pale Rider --

Thank you both again for your help. Mon/Tue are two of my more brutal work days so I apologize for the delay.

No apologies necessary.

Fiji wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 07, 2018 4:53 pm

His response was, "Most likely she developed CPAP-induced central sleep apnea. That would explain her variable RR at night and worsening gas exchange and asthma symptoms. She should stop using the CPAP today and will need to do a titration study to figure out her optimal positive airway pressure settings she needs to use at home (CPAP vs. BIPAP vs. another mode)."

I would say that's *highly* unlikely, given that your machine attempts to detect and flag central apneas, and it's not flagging *ANY*.

zero, zip, none, nada. *IF* you were having CSA, or CompSA, then there would be at least some being flagged.

I'd look very suspiciously at the advice from that pulmonologist, who's not even (I'm guessing) seen any data.

You are right. He went off symptomology as a favor to my colleague. I don’t think this is a pressure issue. I do think this is a gas exchange issue. All I can tell you is that as a lifelong asthmatic, who worked on breathing techniques that helped with my symptoms, the cpap has disrupted my overall breathing. You don’t have to believe me. I’ll let you know what happens in the official appointment.

Fiji wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 07, 2018 8:08 pm

I do think this is a gas exchange issue. All I can tell you is that as a lifelong asthmatic, who worked on breathing techniques that helped with my symptoms, the cpap has disrupted my overall breathing. You don’t have to believe me. I’ll let you know what happens in the official appointment.

I don't disbelieve you, the only thing I question is whether sleepyhead is providing an accurate Respiration Rate, because I've seen it get the RR wrong with a number of different people's breathing.

The only way to know is to zoom in and look at the individual breaths over a couple minute period, where you can count the breaths on the flow rate chart.

Hey, Fiji, did you know many people with asthma benefit from a magnesium supplement? Blood tests don't show the ionic form we need. Magnesium help lung tissue relax. When I started taking 500 mgms/day magnesium citrate for palpitations and migraines, side effort was no more short breath. Worth investigating. Magnesium used to be in our water BUT it's washed out in city water processing, so the estimate is 3/4 of city dwellers are more or less deficient. Too, it's involved with >300 chemical processes in our body.

palerider wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 07, 2018 7:22 pm

zonker wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 07, 2018 5:37 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 07, 2018 5:29 pm

zero, zip, none, nada. *IF* you were having CSA, or CompSA, then there would be at least some being flagged.

boy, am i an old guy? i read that as "CompUSA"!!!

So, like, when you started, did you just chisel messages on rocks and throw them at your correspondent?

why, you young whippersnapper! i oughta...hey, wait! i'm only assuming you are younger than me. i'm 64. not asking your age, but can i call you a young whippersnapper?

zonker wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 08, 2018 11:46 am

palerider wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 07, 2018 7:22 pm

zonker wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 07, 2018 5:37 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 07, 2018 5:29 pm

zero, zip, none, nada. *IF* you were having CSA, or CompSA, then there would be at least some being flagged.

boy, am i an old guy? i read that as "CompUSA"!!!

So, like, when you started, did you just chisel messages on rocks and throw them at your correspondent?

why, you young whippersnapper! i oughta...hey, wait! i'm only assuming you are younger than me. i'm 64. not asking your age, but can i call you a young whippersnapper?

Well, yes, yes you can, gramps.

Muse-Inc wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 07, 2018 11:37 pm

Hey, Fiji, did you know many people with asthma benefit from a magnesium supplement? Blood tests don't show the ionic form we need. Magnesium help lung tissue relax. When I started taking 500 mgms/day magnesium citrate for palpitations and migraines, side effort was no more short breath. Worth investigating. Magnesium used to be in our water BUT it's washed out in city water processing, so the estimate is 3/4 of city dwellers are more or less deficient. Too, it's involved with >300 chemical processes in our body.

Thanks for the info and for taking the time to reply back! I do take mag citrate nightly and have for several years. A high quality one too, promise!

Hi Friends - I wanted to give an update on what's happening, in case anyone else who has the same issues stumbles across my thread. My first word of advice -- if you have asthma and you have NOT seen a sleep pulmonologist -- get thee to the MD!

So, I had a titration study and found that my apnea symptoms completely resolved at 7 - so I did not have an issue with pressure.

I saw a sleep pulmonologist who looked at the studies and showed me the comparison.. my respiration rate on average, was consistent with and without CPAP (except for the 41 BPM spikes) - my theory was shot down! However, he asked me about my asthma closesly - which I have had my entire life and is very well controlled. He asked me specifically about when I exercise and I said that I did normally need a puff or two on my rescue inhaler. He then told me that the forced pressure from CPAP can be a lot like exercise and can easily flare the lungs of asthmatics who are sensitive to exercise (so, if you are an exercise only asthmatic - this may apply to you). In short, he increased my dose of my long acting inhaler (sigh.. who wants that?) and told me to wait a week to retry CPAP. I have now been back on CPAP for a week and my asthma symptoms are very stable.. no constant shortness of breath. I have not noticed any difference with fatigue yet... but I still wake up many mornings with the cpap mask sitting next to me on the pillow (NO recollection of taking it off!) but I'm still getting at least 4-5 hours in.

I hope my reluctant adventure with this can be of help to somebody else... while I'm not singing CPAPs praises (i'm still waiting for the miracle) -- at least Im not short of breath and miserable all the time from it.

Have a great week.

Hi Friends - I wanted to give an update on what's happening, in case anyone else who has the same issues stumbles across my thread. My first word of advice -- if you have asthma and you have NOT seen a sleep pulmonologist -- get thee to the MD!

So, I had a titration study and found that my apnea symptoms completely resolved at 7 - so I did not have an issue with pressure.

I saw a sleep pulmonologist who looked at the studies and showed me the comparison.. my respiration rate on average, was consistent with and without CPAP (except for the 41 BPM spikes) - my theory was shot down! However, he asked me about my asthma closesly - which I have had my entire life and is very well controlled. He asked me specifically about when I exercise and I said that I did normally need a puff or two on my rescue inhaler. He then told me that the forced pressure from CPAP can be a lot like exercise and can easily flare the lungs of asthmatics who are sensitive to exercise (so, if you are an exercise only asthmatic - this may apply to you). In short, he increased my dose of my long acting inhaler (sigh.. who wants that?) and told me to wait a week to retry CPAP. I have now been back on CPAP for a week and my asthma symptoms are very stable.. no constant shortness of breath. I have not noticed any difference with fatigue yet... but I still wake up many mornings with the cpap mask sitting next to me on the pillow (NO recollection of taking it off!) but I'm still getting at least 4-5 hours in.

I hope my reluctant adventure with this can be of help to somebody else... while I'm not singing CPAPs praises (i'm still waiting for the miracle) -- at least Im not short of breath and miserable all the time from it.

Have a great week.