Another approach to Provent

pats · Post by **pats** » Sat May 19, 2012 9:28 pm

SleepingUgly wrote:
pats wrote:I stuck to Provent for a complete night, without switching to APAP, for the first time last night, and I'm feeling fine this morning. I'm reasonably sure I'm going to be able to adapt. Now I'm trying to decide whether to stay with Provent tonight, or alternate a night on Provent with a night on APAP so that I stay acclimated to both.
How many nights have you been on Provent? Were you waking during the night last night but still sticking with it or sleeping through?

Four nights. The first three nights, I gave up part way through the night and switched back to APAP. Last night I did not feel quite as stuffy, and stayed with Provent. I did wake up several times during the night. I feel fine today, no naps, no tendency to fall asleep.

Gerald? · Post by **Gerald?** » Mon May 21, 2012 2:10 am

pats wrote:
Gerald? wrote:I keep hoping to check in and see some people with oximeter readings comparing nights on Provent to nights on CPAP, but no joy.

Just wondering if any of the Provent users have done this?
I plan to do it once I'm through the basic getting used to Provent.

However, my sleep doctor said my oxygen levels were not that bad in the untreated sleep study, so it may not tell us much. Zeo readings may be more interesting. It appears that I do breathe in light sleep and my brain somehow forces me back there from REM or deep sleep whenever the oxygen begins to drop.

Thanks Pats, that would be great if you could. Even if it shows some improvement that would be at least some indicator.

I agree the Zeo would be interesting too.

SleepingUgly · Post by **SleepingUgly** » Mon May 21, 2012 9:20 am

Pats, I sent you a PM. No idea if notification for PMs is working...

pats · Post by **pats** » Mon May 21, 2012 9:45 am

SleepingUgly wrote:Pats, I sent you a PM. No idea if notification for PMs is working...

Notification is not working but the status line near the top of the page shows the correct number of new messages. I did notice your message a few minutes ago, and replied to it. I've also kicked-off a "Using Provent" thread where I want to gather together the fragments about using Provent scattered around the threads.

pats · Post by **pats** » Tue May 22, 2012 8:25 am

NightMonkey wrote:My previous post says, "everyone should have an analysis of positional affects on their condition before experimenting with Provent".

This week, I am really, really glad I'm treating APAP, Provent, and position as mutually complementary therapies, pursued in parallel, rather than doing only position first.

I twisted my left arm about a week ago. (I saw my primary care physician yesterday and she said "rotator cuff inflammation".) If I try to sleep on my side, my left arm ends up in a position that makes it ache, and that my doctor has told me to avoid. Sleeping on my back is much more comfortable, and keeps my arm in a good position. If I were depending solely on position, I would be stuck with an unpleasant choice between sleep apnea or exacerbating my arm injury and losing sleep due to arm pain. As it is, I can do what is right for my arm for the next couple of weeks, and depend on other therapies to protect me from sleep apnea.

pats · Post by **pats** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:28 am

pats wrote:Of course "fully-informed" includes knowing the altitudes. One of the first things I did during the consultation was hand him a simplified itinerary - no fluff about the scenery - annotated day-by-day with the altitude at which I would be sleeping that night. As I expected, he read it carefully before giving me any advice. I'm sure he would have asked if I had not handed him the information.

We did not discuss general issues of altitude and sleep apnea, only my case and my vacation plans. Remember, it was a doctor-patient consultation, not a seminar on sleep apnea management. That is why I emphasize the fact that his advice is specific to my case, and anyone else considering similar travel should get their own medical advice.

As far as the general issue of the advisability of my travel is concerned, in addition to the sleep specialist I've consulted my own primary care physician and the HMO's travel advisory service. My PCP's response, when I called her attention to the sleep apnea diagnosis and reminded her of my travel plans, was "I think that you will do fine in the Andes.". The travel advisory service issued prescriptions for an antibiotic to use if needed for digestive problems, which they do for travel to any area without very good water and food safety, and a drug that helps with high altitude adjustment.

The medical advice I got about Provent and my travel plans turned out to be correct in practice. I am still in La Paz, in a hotel at about 10,000 feet, but I plan to spend tonight on a pressurized aircraft, and be home, close to sea level and back on APAP, tomorrow night.

The only time I had a hint of the beginnings of a headache on waking, I also had reduced skin elasticity, and both problems were cured by plenty of non-alcoholic fluids at breakfast. Pushing lots of very dry, low pressure air through my lungs was apparently using up more water than I realized. I had no unexplained daytime sleepiness. I was able to do all the activities I wanted to do, including walking all over Machu Picchu. I even got out of the train and took a couple of photos at the highest point on the route from Cuzco to Lake Titicaca, at over 14,000 feet.

I had two incidents of daytime sleepiness. One was on a bus ride after a morning of high altitude exertion - climbing to the top of the ruins at Ollantaytambo. The other was after a night when restless leg syndrome had prevented me from getting a full night's sleep.

I'm really glad I decided to use Provent for my travel. I do think it should only be done on informed medical advice, and only if Provent does stick to your skin and you can adjust to it at home first.

Another approach to Provent

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