Central Sleep Apnea

[sheepless]

i hope you're right but keep in mind that ca is highly variable night to night. also, without a psg it's not possible to conclude you don't need apap because if you're masked up, it's treating your oa, obstructive hypopnea & rera. in addition, for reasons I don't understand, apap may help ca to some extent even though it isn't designed to. the ca component of my apnea fell from around 35/hr to around 5/hr with apap.

[cruzer43]

Understood.  Much to learn yet.

[cruzer43]

As you can see in my 3 year graph, there is considerable volatility in the number of my CSA episodes from one day to the next.  
At least for me, volatility just doesn't make sense if there's a constant neurological problem.  


If the number of my CSA episodes are similar from day to day, then it would be hard for me to argue against a constant neurological problem as the cause.  I would have to just accept it and get on with my life.

If the number of my CSA episodes are not similar from day to day, then it’s reasonable for me to conclude that there isn’t a constant neurological problem. 
In fact, it seems that the greater the volatility, the less likely it is that there is a constant neurological problem. 

Consequently, I do not believe that there’s a constant neurological problem that is causing my CSA episodes.  So, I have to ask “what is causing the difference between my good days and my bad days?”  That’s where I’m at.  I have never accepted that there’s nothing I can do to reduce the number of my CSA episodes other than just using my machine.  There has to be something else.

When you look at my graph for 2021, you will notice that, since June, there has been a significant lowering of the “peaks.”  Coincidence?  Could be.  However, the longer the peaks stay low, the more likely it is that I’m doing something that is directly affecting the severity of my CSA episodes.

I am a testing database of one and finding secondary causes will take a while. 

It’s beginning to look like the only thing you can do for me is to keep my posting available to those suffering from CSA and hope they will see it and respond.  I’ve been looking for CSA researchers but am not finding much.  Any suggesting would be appreciated.

[sheepless]

I hear you. and you could be right.

I'm responding as a ca sufferer (originally diagnosed ca, later with mixed apnea). I'll just say that intuitivelly I don't see that neurological problems are necessarily constant and that the inconsistent nature of ca - I would say idiopathic ca - is pretty common knowledge on this site.

still, I'd love to hear what diet changes you feel affect your ca.

[SarcasticDave94]

Why are there differences in good or bad days? Central Apnea are consistently inconsistent. Untreated, they are always up and down.

I still think your goal is amiss. Instead of searching for why you have Centrals or what causes them, why not focus on what treats them? Again as before, the answer to treating is the ResMed AirCurve 10 ASV.

[cruzer43]

Dave,

From my point of view, as a CSA sufferer, I have to choose between:
1. finding the cause for my CSA,
2. treating the symptoms of my CSA, or
3. finding the cause and treating the symptoms. (That's what I'm doing).

When people say that the causes for Central Sleep Apnea are "consistently inconsistent" (and many do), it gives others permission to go on to more pressing projects.  That hasn't helped CSA sufferers in the past.

It's true that CSA episodes, whether or not they are being treated, have been going up and down without a reasonable explanation (so far).
Ask any apnea sufferer (CSA or OSA) "If there is something that you could do to eliminate your apnea, would you do it, or do you just want to continue treating your apnea?"  What do you think they would say?  For me, the answer is a no-brainer.

I truly don't understand why you seem to have no interest in fixing the problem.  I suspect that most of the staff feels the same way as you do.  That's unfortunate but a reality.
I won't bother you anymore, but please keep my post on line in case there's a CSA sufferer who might be interested.

[SarcasticDave94]

I have told you what will "fix" the negative health effects, ASV. As for no interest in helping, you're 100% wrong. I have tried to help. That is why I stressed ASV will be the best answer to remedy your Central Apnea. No, I cannot tell you what causes CA in anyone, yourself included. And if I did know what causes them, how will they help more than telling you the treatment, the answer? I tried to do you a favor in skipping the endless circles of why why why, what what what. I did tell you what will certainly treat them. If treated to levels I've had in the past for mine, you'd really not care what caused them. But as has been in the past, you come here to search a bit or to tell us there's a need to search why and what causes CA, but refuse the solution.

You have been searching for years with no real, solid answers or solutions. Pride keeps you from accepting my suggestion to get an ASV. I can't help you any further.

[sheepless]

cruzer43, I think it's laudable to look for underlying causes. no question in my mind that something(s) cause(s) ca if only we could figure it out. I'm sure there are medical professionals and scientists working on it but it seems to me the end user may have insight that investigators don't so more power to you.

it's also good that you want to treat the symptoms while looking for the causes. however, apap isn't designed to treat ca and asv is so you might be well advised to look into the machine designed to treat it.

I don't think the problem here is lack of interest but that there's nothing to go on. you haven't said what dietary changes you feel have affected your ca and whether you have at least somewhat systematically tracked and analyzed your diet changes vs data reported by your apap.

more information might produce more useful replies.

[Sleeprider]

Look up "Idiopathic" which is the term that describes your central apnea.

Based on years, and many cases of CA, I agree with Dave. The frequency and occurrence of central apnea is consistently inconsistent. This is part of why it is so hard to study or even verify in clinical studies.

[Gideon]

I would suggest that you buy and use an ASV and continue your research on the root cause of your CSA. I am sure that many here would be very interested in finding new ways to mitigate CSA. There are many things that we have learned from users that we suggest others use in their therapy, this includes settings changes on a VAuto to assist with CSA and many changes to assist with OSA.