I have been newly diagnosed, out of the blue. I mentioned being tired to my MD and he ordered a sleep study. I was expecting no results. What I ended up with was a split study and a lot of unanswered questions. During the first half of my SS I fell asleep for 105 minutes. My stats were alarming to me.
This is my breakdown of events-
AHI-95
RDI 99.4
67 obstructive events.
24 central apneas,
5 mixed apneas,
67 Hypopneas
and 12 RERA.
I spent 95% of my time in stage 2 sleep. Zero in stage three and zero in REM.
My question is what do I ask my specialist at follow up? How can I set myself up for a good start at managing this?
The second half of my study was horrible. I wore a mask for 3 hours and only slept 2 minutes. I had 5 centrals in those 2 minutes.
The sleep tech wanted me to leave I think. So she let me go.
Not looking forward to this adventure.
I need help knowing what to ask in follow up. All advice and encouragement appreciated.

(11-15-2015, 08:00 PM)Tez62 Wrote: Welcome SpeedyD, the good news is you have been diagnosed and can now move onto the treatment. My first suggestion it to read up on Sleep Apnea on here and other sites as much as possible and write down your questions so you don't forget anything.
Most CPAP's are simliar, get an Auto and Data capable machine if possible.
The mask is the hard part, there are 3 options, Nasal prongs that go in your nose, a Nasal Mask that goes over you nose but not your mouth and a Full Face Mask that covers your nose and mouth this is mainly used for mouth breathers. You may need to change masks a few times as this is the most important part of your treatment. The one you choose needs to be comfortable for you to use and allow you to get the proper treatment.
You will get a lot of suggestions, just take them in and ask as many questions on here that you like, good luck and keep us updated.

(11-15-2015, 08:06 PM)SpeedyD Wrote: Thanks. I have read so much for the last 2 weeks. A lot of info and then different requirements in different regions. When I did my split study I used a full mask but it felt like it closed my nostrils and it didn't really seal. I am a mouth breather and side sleeper most of the time. Looking forward to becoming informed but still wishing it would all go away.

(11-15-2015, 10:03 PM)Sleeprider Wrote: What stands out to me in your story is that during the titration portion of your sleep study, you had a number of centrals. That combined with a considerable number of central events during the diagnostic study means you may not resolve your problems with simple CPAP. I suspect they will treat you for obstructive apnea, and will probably specify an auto CPAP since you didn't have enough time to determine pressure levels.

What you want to discuss with your doctor is to ask his thoughts on the number of central events. If these continue to be present as you begin CPAP therapy, you may need a different machine that can treat complex apnea. That would be an ASV (adaptive servo ventilator) that can trigger higher pressure to cause a breath when you don't initiate one yourself, and that lets you breath on your own with positive air pressure when you do initiate breaths. Ask your doctor what his plan is moving forward to evaluate if the omplex apnea is a concern that needs addressed. Hopefully, you go home with a machine and have good results. If not, you may need to be prepared to go back and discuss complex apnea and an appropriate therapy for that.