Central Sleep Apnea

[gjensen]

Anyone else here have this? How about Transition Sleep Apnea?

I think I have this figured out, but I am concerned about getting properly diagnosed. I intend to go prepared. I was able to get the appointment for Tuesday. That is a long ways away when you can't sleep.

This seams that that this will be a difficult type to diagnose and treat. Go figure.

I have been diagnosed with small fiber neuropathy. Anyone have any good information on how it relates to these types of apneas.

What is happening to me is that my breathing drive becomes too depressed and eventually stops during the transition. I am startled awake with my CO2 levels too high. This is why I have so much trouble breathing afterwards. My body is trying to get rid of the excess CO2.

I do not even have to go to sleep for this to happen. All I have to do is become especially relaxed.

I wonder how much high CO2 levels is the root of our breathing problems. I have not looked into it, but I suspect that we experience changes in our breathing process that lead to rises of CO2. Then we respond by trying to rid ourselves of the excess. I am not speaking of orthostatic shortness of breath.

Recently I was going through some tests. I noticed two of three blood tests had high CO2. One was normal. I also noticed high CO2 levels being a cause of high CSF. Which I have. I could go on and on, but it is pointless. A lot of it would be speculation.

I am going to do some digging. I took a long break from doing any research. Had grown wary of it when I was getting myself diagnosed.

If anyone has any tips, I would appreciate it. I would like to get some sleep. I think I have about 15 hours for 4/5 days. I think the more tired I am, the worse it gets.

[looneymom]

Have you tried any P5P, the active form of vitamin 6? It will turn excess glutamate into GABA. Tyler has high levels of brain glutamate. I recently started Tyler on a new B-complex and have noticed improvement with his tremors. I think it may have something to do with having the P5P. In the mornings, I don't see the tremors very much at all but later in the afternoon they seem to pick up off and on. I have ordered this supplement to try with Tyler at nigh. Since he has had the strep infection, he is back to dealing with sleepless night. He may be getting 3-5 hours of sleep at night. He has black circles under his eyes by noon everyday.

I'm wondering if a certain brain chemical levels can make the CO 2 levels worse. I have never caught Tyler gasping for air at night but I have seen this during the day time hours. It will happen out of the blue and he is just sitting there watching tv.

Tyler has had a sleep study done but he does not have sleep apnea. I'm thinking his sleep problem has to do with possibly high glutamate low

gaba levels.

If your sleep study does not show anything, might see if your doctor will check brain neurotransmiter levels.

[Katybug]

Interesting. I have had several blood tests with high CO2 even though I do not have a problem with my O2 getting low. I have wondered about it but haven't addressed it with anyone.

[gjensen]

Don't hold me to anything yet, but it looks like the C02 would have to get very high before the 02 starts dropping.

Part of what has me wondering is lately being more tired, I am having more of a problem. Especially early in the morning. A change in our respiration can affect how much CO2 we exhale. A response to high CO2 is hyperventilation. Often starting by a need to deep breath, sometimes rapid breathing.

Probably not new to a lot of people, but this is new to me.

[Goschi]

Yesterday I had a sleep lab study and was diagnosed with a rather severe form of sleep apnea, most likely a central type.

The pulmologist from the sleep lab is absolutely convinced that almost all of my symptoms will resolve, as soon as I get CPAP-therapy. However, he doesn't know much about POTS, but it was quite striking that for every single symptom I mentioned (except STANDING tachycardia) he told me it's so typical for sleep apnea. I am getting curious.

My neuro-POTS doc on the other hand was quite surprised that I have sleep apnea, as he always tried to convince me that all my symptoms, particularly daytime sleepiness, breathing problems when falling asleep, arousals when waking up in the middle of the night short of breath, etc. are uniquely a result of my POTS.

Now he is actually confused. He too starts to be curious how much of my whole condition might actually improve from treating the sleep apnea.

I am just willing to wait and see. Anyway, I just got another proof that IT IS always worth looking for underlying and/or additional conditions!

[gjensen]

Goschi, I had no sleep concerns before the onset of my dysautonomia. I believe that mine comes with this. It would be nice to get some symptom relief by managing one.

I hope that for you, you will see much improvement.

I went back and looked back at a thread of reports from a monitor I wore six months ago. There is a number of misc. arrhythmias in these reports. It was interesting to note that there was a lot more at night when I would have been asleep than in the day.

I see the pulmonologist Tuesday. I want this symptom to give me a break, but I want to have it the night of the sleep study. I really need some help with this.

Goschi, I would recommend visiting a sleep apnea forum. Most on them have obstructive sleep apnea, but there is exceptions.

[corina]

Good luck on your appointment gjensen, I hope your symptoms will come up full blown at the night of your sleep study to give your doctor a good idea of what happens.