Flood of centrals

[ehunter]

How long have you been taking Phenergan? Do you take it every night?
Do you experience the clear airway events only when you take this medication?

There may be some correlation between the meds and CA events. This is something to discuss with your sleep doctor.

I also wonder if you are rolling over on your back during the time you see the CA events?

Thanks OpalRose,
I have wondered about the Phenergan myself. I don't have that much detail but I don take it all the time and suspect it could be cause. I've only done this recently but will stop. I tend to sleep on side/back so possible too.

[Sleeprider]

ehunter, you need to know that Sleepyhead labels any periodic breathing pattern detected by the machine as CSR. Very rarely does the pattern actually match the unique CSR signature of a gradual waxing and waning of respiration, separated by a CA. If you zoom in on the pattern you will quickly see it doesn't match the CSR pattern. You can change Sleepyhead's label to PB and Periodic Breathing by editing the field labels in File/Preferences, on the Events and Waveform tabs. You should do this for your own peace of mind.

If this pattern occurs again, I recommend you reduce or turn off the EPR function. It can trigger these patterns and CA in many people. While it is a comfort feature, it's implementation is really bilevel, and it's not appropriate for everyone.

Final note. Your attachment includes your real name and DOB and other personal information. It's probably not a problem, but I use my online name "Sleeprider" in the patient profile information in sleepyhead so that it does not appear in any online graphs or reports I might post.

[ehunter]

Thanks Sleeprider

[Slim1950]

Have I found the answer to my problem here? RichB said
"The other common cause is CO2 washout that raises blood pH and makes the brain think that you have done enough breathing. CO2 washout is commonly caused by the differential between EPAP and IPAP. Bringing the EPAP setting closer to IPAP can reduce CO2 washout."

This is my biggest problem. In that in between stage just before going to sleep, I quit breathing. And then of course I become fully awake in order to consciously inhale my next breath and start all over again, only to repeat the cycle. I have a bipap machine though. Shouldn't that mitigate this?

[Sleeprider]

The simple answer to try no Flex or EPR and see if it makes a difference. If straight pressure with out different IPAP/EPAP pressures does not relieve the centrals, then you need to look at something else, but that is the starting point.