where should I be

Hi
I am new on your system, so please forgive me if I ask redundant questions.

I am a sleep apnea , central apnea patient. Also I have congestive heart failure, and my heart is very weak, only functioning at about 40 percent (55 percent is lowest normal level). Actually my heart is functioning a lot better since originally diagnosed at 10 percent.

I am currently using a Vpap adapt SV machine. My prescription is 9 cm.

question 1 - is that the correct machine ?

My doctor and his sleep apnea test center are quite unable to test properly for proper use of vpap , and per his own words - leave well enough alone. The first test I had showed I had sleep and central apnea. Second test was dissaster - tester untrained - I wound up in hospital overnight with suspected heart attack. Third test showed 9 cm was helping. But they were unable to titrate any further.

question 2 - HELP !!! I need a reference to a good pulminnary doctor and test facility . I am scared stiff....

Physically - I am located in Warrington, PA USA 18976

Post your general location and maybe someone can give you names of labs and docs to begin to interview. Some with central end up with docs across the country. Most here have OSA but there are a few around with Centrals and you can find their threads and posts. This post is only a starting post as I know there have been other discussions on central sleep apnea since this post was last updated.

viewtopic.php?p=22702

I can't help you with location, but yes, the VPAP Adapt SV is the machine developed for people whose cardiac heart failure (CHF) causes them to have central apneas. The typical central apnea breathing pattern for CHF is called Cheyne-Stokes Respiration (CSR).

The following link is to Resmed's info about the machine and CHF- and you may want to search for the terms in other sources as well. (You need to have adobe reader on computer to read it. http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html)


The treatment of Cheyne-Stokes Respiration (CSR) and Central Sleep Apnea (CSA)


I wonder if Resmed themselves can refer you to a knowledgeable lab - you can't miss anything if you try contacting them.

Maybe Muffy (a member who runs a sleep center), knows who may be recommended. (In real life Muffy is male, by the way). A few weaks ago Muffy actually warned us that fiddling around with ASV parameters in persons with CHF, when you don't know whay you're doing, may be very dangerous. And Muffy is not the kind of professional to issue those warning right left and center.

Welcome to the forum, and good luck.
O.

Good points from ozij, as always.

Your doctor may be able to find a cardiologist in your area who subspecializes in sleep medicine and who is computer literate enough to answer E-mails from other doctors in making recommendations of where to look to see where you should be referred. There may be several who may fit that bill. If your doctor wants to know where to start, you could always point in a direction . . .

http://www.med.upenn.edu/apps/faculty/i ... 362/p16230