ER visit

[kaiasgram]

Hi Dawn -- The ER doc's interpretation makes sense to me. According to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) website, one cause of acidosis (which involves the excess CO2 that the ER doc mentioned) is indeed obstructive sleep apnea.

ER visits are no fun, but maybe this one was a blessing in disguise if it resulted in information that you can now use to make sense of the symptoms you've been struggling with. Did the ER doc specifically mention respiratory acidosis? The same NIH site lists some of the symptoms of respiratory acidosis as confusion, fatigue, lethargy, shortness of breath and sleepiness. Then you add sleep deprivation to sleep-disordered breathing...

I'm so glad you feel some relief and some hope that recovery is in your future. Try to rest, relax, and get lots of support for adjusting to CPAP. I know you want to switch out your machine and I think that's a good idea (I'd do the same thing), but for the time being it would be most helpful for you to trust the machine you're currently using. It is not a total brick. It's giving you an AHI and that AHI is indicating effective treatment when you're able to use it. Seriously, that counts for a lot.

Thanks for posting the update.

[archangle]

What's your AHI level?

It's really a shame you got screwed with the A10 CPAP model. An Elite or better would show if you're having long apneas, and if you're having central apneas.

[kaiasgram]

What's your AHI level?

It's really a shame you got screwed with the A10 CPAP model. An Elite or better would show if you're having long apneas, and if you're having central apneas.

She can confirm, but the highest AHI she's reported so far is 0.7. She has an appt w/ her doc and plans to push for a full data machine.

[zonk]

AHI might be low, but if your sleep is fragmented and not sleeping with CPAP adequate hours during the night ...
AHI might not be that relevant for evaluation
On the hand if you sleep solid 8 hours or whereabouts ... its a different matter altogether

[kaiasgram]

AHI might be low, but if your sleep is fragmented and not sleeping with CPAP adequate hours during the night ...
AHI might not be that relevant for evaluation
On the hand if you sleep solid 8 hours or whereabouts ... its a different matter altogether

True, and she's not yet getting large enough stretches of uninterrupted sleep time to make too much of that AHI. Until she has a full data machine AND is able to sleep some decent stretches of time on it, this (and a leak number) is all the machine data we have. At least the AHI isn't screaming "trouble" at this point.

[mzdawn74]

Dawn,

I have never been diagnosed with acidosis but am relieved to hear you are ok with the exception of the liver issue. Sheesh, just what you needed right? Anyway, here is to better health for you, including successful pap therapy.

49er

Thanks 49er. It was actually a good thing I went, so that I can treat these two issues. Now I have even more incentive to use my cpap regularly, and lose weight!

---

If I had chronic respiratory acidosis, I would do the following: besides waiting for the body to react and regulate, I would help it do so by drinking lots of water. If my water/fluid intake is really good, no worries. If not, I would try to get an extra cup of water down every 4 hours. If, for some strange reason I happened to be on a low-sodium diet, primarily salt restriction, I would temporarily [like 3 or 4 days] slightly increase my table salt consumption - to obtain more chloride [of course there are a lot of foods with small quantities of chloride in them]. water and chloride help speed body's natural readjustment.

getting the right oxygen in and CO2 out with CPAP is the other half.


QAL

QAL,

Thanks for the suggestions. I will start with the extra water, and go from there!

[mzdawn74]

Fatty liver is sometimes found in people with diabetes. It's usually asymptomatic.

pH is the logarithm (base 10) of the hydrogen ion concentration. pH 7 is neutral = the pH of water. In the blood, CO₂ shifts the pH slightly less than 7. If you breath rapidly, you will expel more CO₂, shifting the pH toward base (i.e.- a slightly larger number.) That's called respiratory alkalosis.

FYI: I too found myself in the ER on Friday. I felt short of breath. My labs came back normal and they sent me home.

justMongo,

Thanks for sharing that information. Yes, respiratory alkalosis is what the DR said I had. Sorry to hear you were in the ER too. Hope you feel better.

---

So glad you are out of the hospital! Not sure if CPAP will help, but fortunately fatty liver is something that you can resolve with diet changes. Below are some helpful links about it. Basically, it's a dietary imbalance caused from too much simple sugars & Omega 6 in the diet. People have been able to reverse it by a drastic reduction of carbohydrates and the addition of Omega 3 in their diet.

http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topic...r-disease/
http://wholehealthsources.blogspot.com/2...ersal.html
http://wholehealthsources.blogspot.com/2...rt-ii.html


Wish you all the best!

Thanks for the links and warm wishes!

---

when people are short of breath, are the ER personnel not checking for possible signs of a pending heart attack?

Yes, of course. I had an EKG. Chest X-ray. and was on monitors...

The blood panel includes cardiac enzymes; and clotting factors like the D-dimer.

good to know because I have known a few that went to the ER only to be sent home and not too long after they had a heart attack. hope they did the same for Dawn

Hi Me50,

Yes, I had the same testing done. Plus an ultrasound of my abdomen.

[mzdawn74]

Hi mzdawn74,
I hope you get to feeling better soon, just keep on trying to gett used to and using your CPAP machine.

Thanks Trish!

---

I'm really sorry about the trip to the ER! That's always scary. On the bright side, it appears you got some relief from going. As every piece of the puzzle fits together, you'll gain more and more insight and understanding. I've not been diagnosed with what the doctor told you, but thought the doctor's comments were interesting. I still think you should run this by your own doctor when you see him. In my experience, 'sometimes' ER doctors tell you things they think you want to hear (SA), especially when they don't think there is a major problem. I'd trust my own personal physician more.

Have a relaxing weekend!

Thanks!

[mzdawn74]

Hi Dawn -- The ER doc's interpretation makes sense to me. According to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) website, one cause of acidosis (which involves the excess CO2 that the ER doc mentioned) is indeed obstructive sleep apnea.

ER visits are no fun, but maybe this one was a blessing in disguise if it resulted in information that you can now use to make sense of the symptoms you've been struggling with. Did the ER doc specifically mention respiratory acidosis? The same NIH site lists some of the symptoms of respiratory acidosis as confusion, fatigue, lethargy, shortness of breath and sleepiness. Then you add sleep deprivation to sleep-disordered breathing...

I'm so glad you feel some relief and some hope that recovery is in your future. Try to rest, relax, and get lots of support for adjusting to CPAP. I know you want to switch out your machine and I think that's a good idea (I'd do the same thing), but for the time being it would be most helpful for you to trust the machine you're currently using. It is not a total brick. It's giving you an AHI and that AHI is indicating effective treatment when you're able to use it. Seriously, that counts for a lot.

Thanks for posting the update.

You're welcome!

Yes, the DR did mention respiratory acidosis. I agree it was a blessing in disguise. So if you add all of my medical conditions together it explains why I feel as crappy as I do. It provides a lot of relief to my anxiety, now it's just getting it treated!

Yes, I would like to switch machines. However if I'm unable to do so I am OK with my machine that I have now. It may not have all the data others have, but it's a start.

Thanks,
Dawn

[mzdawn74]

What's your AHI level?

It's really a shame you got screwed with the A10 CPAP model. An Elite or better would show if you're having long apneas, and if you're having central apneas.

Hi,

AHI for last night was 0.00! No events, but I only used the machine for 3 hours. I know, I know, I need more time on the machine. I'm working on it!!

I agree, I want a different machine. I am seeing my doctor on the 29th which is exactly 30 days from when I got my current machine. If he I'd unwilling to change it I might down the road have to buy one myself. Do you know of a good place to look for used good quality machines?

Thanks!

---

AHI might be low, but if your sleep is fragmented and not sleeping with CPAP adequate hours during the night ...
AHI might not be that relevant for evaluation
On the hand if you sleep solid 8 hours or whereabouts ... its a different matter altogether

My sleep is still very fragmented. I did manage to sleep for 4 straight hours last night though with no wakings (without my machine). I am working on getting used to it, today I wore it while watching tv. The mask is really tight and smashes into my nose...I have to figure a way to loosen the headgear.