Posted by dirtywater on October 01, 2008 at 21:09:19:In Reply to: Struggling with CPAP, What's next? posted by SleepyJohn on October 01, 2008 at 15:04:49:
Maybe the pressure of the CPAP is inducing central apneas? The higher the pressure the more chance of central apneas, I think.
I too have had surgery that was unsuccessful, and for the moment I am pursuing the problem from a different angle: I just started seeing a new doctor who is convinced that many people have what he calls "complex" sleep apnea, in which there is not only an obstructive issue, but also a neurological issue with the respiratory control system. In my case he thinks my brain is too sensitive to fluctuations of CO2 in the bloodstream. To make a long story short, he is having me try a non-vented mask with increased "dead space" which allows me to rebreathe some exhaled CO2, rather than all the exhaled CO2 blowing out through the vent holes. The theory is that the added CO2 will stabilize my respiratory control.
The doctor is Dr. R. T. at BIDMC in Boston. If his theories are right, then he is on the cutting edge and it is going to take a little while for the rest of the industry to catch up to him. If he is wrong, then I guess I am screwed :-) Seriously though, a few years ago people thought his ideas were strange. Now he is starting to get respect.
If you want to learn more, search the internet for an article called "Recognition and Management of Complex Sleep-Disordered Breathing" by the above-mentioned doctor. I think I was able to obtain it for free, but I had to register for MedScape or something like that.
Also check out:
http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/issues/articles/2008-04_02.asp
- Re: Struggling with CPAP, What's next? SleepyJohn 05:09 10/02/08 (0)