Ugh - all my obstructives are now centrals :(

As title suggests, all my obstructive apneas have now become centrals. Not sure why as I haven't increased the pressure in my therapy over the past week and have since reduced the pressure.

2 weeks ago
- Using S9 and Activa
- AHI was between 0.1 and 0.3 on an average night
- Mostly Hypopneas and not Obstructive Apneas
- Pressure was 10cm

1 week ago
- Using S9 and Swift FX
- AHI = 0.5
- Had upped pressure from 10cm to 10.6cm to try and reduce as my AHI had steadily increased from 0.1 on a daily basis up to 0.5
- Getting more Obstructive Apneas but very few leaks

I noticed that by increasing the pressure up to 10.6cm also increased the AHI even further between 0.9 and 2.0

4 days ago
- Using S9 and Swift FX
- AHI 2.0
- Reduced pressure back from 10.6cm to 10cm (my normal pressure)

I noticed that my AHI since reducing had reduced back to an average of 0.7

2 days ago
- Using S9 I switched back to my original mask which is the Activa nasal mask
- AHI is now between 0.5 and 0.7 and not able to get back to the 0.1 I was previously seeing

Good news is that I now have no obstructive apneas
Bad news is that what used to be obstructive apneas have now all turned into centrals

Now at the same pressure 10cm and same mask and machine I'm getting central apneas instead of obstructive apneas. As the pressure is the same as it was 2 weeks ago, the mask is the same and the machine is the same, the only thing I can think is that there's something going on with my brain. I'm going to get a wider time frame to see if this changes much, but I'm usually lucky to only get Centrals one day a month (if that).

I assume you are on straight CPAP...have you thought about dropping the pressure at bit to see what happens?

Dave,
Some musings:

I experimented just holding my breath and I was getting some central and some obstructive aepneas. Conclusion: The software algorithm to detect the differentiation is not bulletproof. Maybe you should let it run and collect additional days of observation without fiddling with the settings.

Alternatively, check out the actual wave patterns.

All your AHIs are soooo low (including the 2.0 "four days ago") that I would not worry for one second about your treatment, Dave.

Nor would I be the least bit concerned that there've been a few centrals showing up.

I wouldn't worry AT ALL about either of those things.

A mere handful of centrals means nothing, even if they weren't there before and appeared later.

viewtopic.php?p=6176#p6176

christinequilts accidentally guested wrote:Most people- even those without sleep disorders- have a few central apneas while sleeping. A common cause is when you roll over...have you ever noticed when you're exercising or lifting something heavy that you hold breath unless you actually think about your breathing? The same thing can happen at night as you toss and turn. THere are other things that cause centrals too- there is a certain amount of variance in our breathing patterns when we sleep just like there is when we're awake.

I wouldn't worry about central events unless there were a significant number per hour

I'd not worry for one instant that:

dave21 wrote:there's something going on with my brain.

You said:

dave21 wrote:- AHI is now between 0.5 and 0.7 and not able to get back to the 0.1 I was previously seeing

There's sooooo little difference between AHI 0.7 and AHI 0.1 (and even AHI 2.0) why be concerned in any way about trying to "get back to the 0.1?" Those small differences are practically meaningless in my opinion. But I'm not a doctor. Nor have I been concerned about decimal points (or even a few whole points) of difference in my own data.

We're all different in how we approach monitoring our own therapy, but if it were me... I'd use the mask(s) that were most comfortable for me to sleep in, relax, let the therapy do the good job it's apparently already doing.

Given those nice low AHIs, and the fact that it can be perfectly normal to have some centrals sometimes, I'd not even look at the data results for a week or more if seeing such miniscule changes in the data were the primary thing that was making me think I should tweak the pressure.

Great post Rested Girl. I completely agree with you.

I must admit I was annoyed to get an AHI of 0.7 (almost entirely AI BTW) whereas earlier this week I was sitting on 0.0 and 0.1 but it's all perspective. I was getting an AHI of 2.4 with the S8II so less is a bonus but not significant. I do think the AI's (6 of em) I scored last night were not apneas as I normally only ever have 1 or 2 a night and usually never have any..

As RG suggests, with that level of AHI, if you feel rested, you should be fine. Do you feel rested? You certainly have more energy than I do. Good night.

Subject: Ugh - all my obstructives are now centrals

dave21 wrote:there's something going on with my brain.

OCD?

No I don't think so, only apart from being Obsessive enough to keep my stats low and reduce my Apneas and Hypopneas I don't suffer from OCD (thankfully) although I know a number of people who do.

I'm also quite relaxed (not stressed in any way) and not drinking any caffeine, something else must be happening. Hopefully it's just a fad for a few days and it'll (my brain) or I'll snap out of it.

dave21 wrote:I'm also quite relaxed (not stressed in any way) and not drinking any caffeine

When I used the word "relax" in my reply to your post, I meant "Relax" as a polite way of saying... "stop doing that, Dave." Stop thinking about every decimal point of change you see in your data. Stop thinking about the few centrals that have happened.

If you're going to be concerned about such small variations in the data, you might want to stop monitoring your and just go with the flow for a week or so. Jot down in a diary how you feel each day without seeing numbers for awhile.

dave21 wrote:something else must be happening.

I don't understand why you insist that "something else must be happening" as if a small number of centrals and some normal AHI variations are an indication of anything significant at all. I don't think either of those things mean "something must be happening" out of the ordinary.

dave21 wrote:Hopefully it's just a fad for a few days

I wouldn't call the appearance of a small number of centrals to be a fad. I'd call that a normal thing to see sometimes, even if you're seeing them on several nights in a row compared to once or so a month previously.

dave21 wrote: and it'll (my brain) or I'll snap out of it.

Well, I hope what you snap out of is any concern at all that the small, normal(imho) increase in the number of centrals you've seen lately is any indication whatsoever that something's happening to your brain that needs to be snapped out of.

Looks to me like there's DSPS underfoot.

Muffy

Muffy wrote:Looks to me like there's DSPS underfoot.

Muffy

Hi there, Lark-Waker-Upper! Have a safe jog.

rested gal wrote:

Muffy wrote:Looks to me like there's DSPS underfoot.

Muffy

Hi there, Lark-Waker-Upper! Have a safe jog.

And unfortunately, time to do all the taxes.

Maybe I'll run an extension cord and ethernet cable out into the yard to try to take advantage of what looks like will be a spectacular day.

That's going to be funny.

Show up at work sunburned.

"Hey, Muffy, great color. What'd you do this weekend?"

"Taxes."

Muffy

rested gal wrote:viewtopic.php?p=6176#p6176

Thanks for the link Rested Gal, that really makes for a good read!

rested gal wrote:We're all different in how we approach monitoring our own therapy, but if it were me... I'd use the mask(s) that were most comfortable for me to sleep in, relax, let the therapy do the good job it's apparently already doing.

Yeah I have gone back to the Activa as I find this is much more comfortable although I really do love the Swift FX as it's so lightweight and unobtrusive.

Hal: Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?

rested gal wrote:

dave21 wrote:something else must be happening.

I don't understand why you insist that "something else must be happening" as if a small number of centrals and some normal AHI variations are an indication of anything significant at all. I don't think either of those things mean "something must be happening" out of the ordinary.

Hi Rested Gal, sorry let me explain and open up the picture a little more. 2 weeks ago I had to change my Parkinson's medication as it wasn't reducing the shaking/tremors I have on my left side of the body like it usually does and it has been getting progressively worse over the past year. I suffer from mild Parkinson's, it's not yet at the point to where it's massively noticeable (e.g. like the video interviews with Michael J Fox) when I take my medication and usually my Parkinson's medication reduces the shakes/tremors to almost nothing. The past two days I've woken up from sleep, tired and a blinding headache which isn't normal for me and has lasted for most of the day. My forehead feels heavy, I've also been tired and exhausted throughout the day (Classic Sleep Apnea Symptoms) but I know that I haven't had a large increase in Apneas/Hypopneas although my Obstructives have switched to Centrals (although as you mentioned they are very small numbers of centrals). My tremors have been back this week and getting worse and I've also knocked over and smashed 6x glasses of water in the past two days due to my tremors being more heightened. That's what I meant by "something else must be happening" because I'm getting other problems and seeing Centrals for two days straight on top of that also started to ring alarm bells for me. I was hoping and trying to think that the two might not be related but it's possible they are. I really hate plastic glasses, most have these stupid lips which makes you dribble when taking a drink and I still prefer to have glass but I've already purchased 3x sets this year and had to go out and purchase my fourth set today

This week I've also been very light headed and dizzy and almost been to the point of falling over numerous times if I hadn't steadied myself. This just isn't normal for me although dizziness is one of the side effects of the medication I'm on so that can happen when my body is getting used to new Dopamine Agonists.

rested gal wrote:

dave21 wrote:Hopefully it's just a fad for a few days

I wouldn't call the appearance of a small number of centrals to be a fad. I'd call that a normal thing to see sometimes, even if you're seeing them on several nights in a row compared to once or so a month previously.

With the heightened Parkinson's symptoms and dizzyness and headaches I've been receiving and the switch of my Apneas to Centrals tells me there's something not right going on upstairs in my brain and that's why I'm hoping it's some kind of fad and the Centrals go back to Obstructives soon. I'm hoping it's just a side effect of the drugs, and my brain snaps out of it and it doesn't continue for much longer.

Don't get me wrong, my sleep stats are still great and AHI = <1 so I know I'm getting good therapy from my S9, but with multiple alarm bells going off for other things and then seeing Obstructives turn to Centrals, it raised more alarm bells hence my previous comments.

snnnark wrote:Hal: Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?

Thanks snnnark, that made me smile! I love that quote from 2001!

Thanks
Dave