New Member - Mild Apnea. Do I need CPAP?

[Snorilla]

Hi Everyone. Hoping I can get some thoughts. 

I am on the fence about trying CPAP therapy as my apnea is mild. My doctor told me it probably wouldn't make a difference, but at the same time he thought maybe it might help because I do have severe PLM and maybe the apnea was feeding into the PLM. 

Keep in mind i did not even sleep much during the test. 


AHI 6.6
AHI NREM 1.3
AHI REM 24.6
AHI supine 8.3
AHI non supine 0.0 (however I have woken myself up from snoring many times on my side)
% TST on back 79.7
Obstructive apneas 36
mixed apneas 0
central apneas 3
hypopnea 0

PLM number 205
PLM Arousal number 4
PLM Index 34.6
PLN Arousal index 0.7

As a significant number of arousals were preceded by evidence of flow limitation - treatment of sleep apnea should be considered. 


I am so tired all the time and I do know it has to do with some other things as well, but I am open to trying to tackle this side of the problem. Also, I do try to sleep on my side, but I really feel best on my back. My shoulders get sore and sleeping on my stomach is something that I can't do. My BMI is normal, but sometimes I edge right up to the overweight border. 

Thanks for anyone willing to help me out.

[kwhenrykerr]

Try it. It helped me

[chill]

I think it is worth trying.  Your supine and REM AHI is high enough to warrant treatment.  When I had my first sleep test, my AHI was something like 9.9.  The doctor scared me off CPAP, told me to lose weight, and stop drinking.  Six years later I crawled back into a clinic desperate for treatment.  Don't waste years of your life while it gets worse.

[Snorilla]

Try it. It helped me

Was yours only mild as well?

[Snorilla]

I think it is worth trying.  Your supine and REM AHI is high enough to warrant treatment.  When I had my first sleep test, my AHI was something like 9.9.  The doctor scared me off CPAP, told me to lose weight, and stop drinking.  Six years later I crawled back into a clinic desperate for treatment.  Don't waste years of your life while it gets worse.

Does that mean that when I was in REM my apnea was moderate? I guess that is why I only dream when I am on my side. It is very hard for me to concentrate during the day. Well already with just your two responses, I just might try it. I was prepared to have everyone tell me I really don't have it. 

Did your dr scare you off cpap because he thought you wouldn't stick with it or because it feels awful. That's another question. How do you exhale while a wind tunnel is shooting down your throat?

[trish6hundred]

Hi Snorilla,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I want to encourage you to Try it, you might find that getting your mild sleep apnea treated with CPAP therapy will help you.
Good luck to you as you start your CPAP journey.

[Snorilla]

Hi Snorilla,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I want to encourage you to  Try it, you might find that getting your mild sleep apnea treated with CPAP therapy will help you.
Good luck to you as you start your CPAP journey.

Thanks for the welcome! 

I was on the fence, but now I am thinking I probably should. Can I ask if it is uncomfortable trying to exhale while wind is shooting down your throat? 

Thanks.

[AshSF]

How was your sleep architecture in your sleep study report. What %age of time sleeping was in R.E.M. Stage and in slow wave sleep.

One of the reason you feel tired during the day could be that you are not getting enough time in these deeper sleep stages that are necessary for the brain to rest.

When the body sees a flow limitation, it has 2 options to fix the impending apnea -
either knock you out of a deeper sleep stage to a shallower one and screw the sleep architecture
Or let the apnea event happen but maintain the sleep stage.

It may be that your body is using the latter of these 2 options and thus your AHI no is mild but your sleep architecture is messed up.

In both cases, a Cpap will help.

[eseedhouse]

How do you exhale while a wind tunnel is shooting down your throat?

Quite easily, actually.  The pressure from the highest setting of the available CPAP machines is only about 1% of ambient sea level atmospheric pressure.  And most machines come with an exhalation pressure relief to make it even easier.  You might feel a bit strained for the first few nights, but your chest muscles will quickly adapt.  If you can blow up a balloon you can generate with your own diaphragm far more pressure than any commonly available CPAP machine.

[chill]

Don't get hung up on the meaning of Mild, Moderate, and Severe AHI.  That is only describing frequency, not severity of the actual effects. Sleep apnea is like pregnancy, either you have it or your don't.  Mild sleep apnea is like being mildly pregnant for the first three months.     Those designations are mostly useful for research purposes to divide cases into categories.  Mild allows for a couple more viable treatment options (like a dental device).  You certainly sound like you have sleep apnea.  Difficulty concentrating during the day was my #1 symptom.

I think his point of view was that most people start CPAP but don't continue with it so it was better to try and avoid starting.  And the reason that most people don't continue is getting a poorly configured machine and no useful support.  We can help with that.

There is no "air shooting down your throat".  Unless my mask is leaking, I am rarely aware that I even have it on.  Several times a week, I will wake up and go to scratch my nose only to realize that I have a mask on.   The machines will blow a lot of air if the mask is not on your face.  Once the mask is on, they blow a small bit more than you normally breathe to increase the pressure and a bit more for the venting.  You would have to really concentrate to feel the very slight breeze there is.