Central Sleep Apnea

[cruzer43]

I was diagnosed with Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) in 2004.  I don’t have any significant Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).  I was told that there’s nothing I can do for my CSA, and that I should just continue using my CPAP.  However, I have found that there is something I can do to lower the number of my CSA’s. 


Everyone knows that pain killers are a major cause of CSA’s.  However, I have found, at least, one additional major cause of my Central Sleep Apnea episodes.  Now, I want to share that cause with as many CSA sufferers as I can.  Hopefully, I will be able to find other CSA patients, through your website, who are interested and able to confirm my finding.

I have already presented my findings to my doctor and she has agreed to talk to her patients (those who have a similar CSA problem) to see if it will work for them.  My question to you is, how do I go about getting attention from other CSA sufferers through your website.  This could be a significant finding and could easily result in considerable help to all CSA patients.

Here’s some background:
I have been tracking the number of my CSA episodes since 2004.  I record the total number of CSA episodes [at 10 seconds or more] per day (not per hour) and compare them to the foods that I consumed during the day. 

Up until June 1st 2021, the number of my episodes would peak between 30 and 40 per night.  Since then, (now 5 months +) the number of my CSA episodes has been peaking between 10 and 15, with an average between 6 and 7 episodes per night.  That’s significant!

Currently, I’m working on finding minor causes for my CSA episodes.  My goal is to get those peaks to below 8 episodes per night.
At this point, I don’t know if the solution works only for me or if it will work for everyone.  

I’d appreciate any help you can give me.

[SarcasticDave94]

I've not done any studies on what causes my CA. I do know there is a machine called ASV that does in fact treat the Central Apnea. The doctor that told you CA cannot be treated is wrong. I used the ResMed AirCurve 10 ASV to treat an AHI of 124 CA to sometimes zero per night.

Regardless of how you get them under control, my sincere best wishes to your success. But again I'll say, there is a PAP that treats the Central Apnea.

[Sleeprider]

Cruzer43, as Dave mentioned, there is a very effective positive air pressure therapy for your CSA, an adaptive servo ventilator (ASV). It uses pressure support on a breath by breath basis, as needed, when needed to assist you in breathing. As long as you breathe spontaneously, it stays out of the way, but it treats central hypopnea and apnea very effectively. Many members on this forum use ASV, which looks just like your CPAP. Find a doctor that knows how to treat your condition! Discuss ASV with them and get the therapy that works so well.

[cruzer43]

Dave,

Thank you for replying so quickly.  
When you say that there is a machine/device that treats Central Sleep Apnea, do you mean that when you use it, your apneas decrease (get better)?  Or do you mean that when you use the machine your body is better protected from the damage caused from the CSA?

I've been studying the causes of my CSA's for many years.  I'm a test tube of "one" and therefore it has taken a very long time.
Over the years, I've found a relationship between what I consume during the day and the number of my CSA episodes.  I'm trying to focus on eliminating the cause of my CSA rather than trying to fix the damage that it causes.

I would be very interested in getting in contact with a CSA research team (if there is one).  Any suggestions?

Roger

---

Thank you for your response.
I've heard about the treatment.

I replied to Dave who had a similar request.
I don't want to repeat what I said to him, but I asked him a couple of important questions.
Would be interested in your response to those questions.

[Sleeprider]

Cruzer, go to page 28 of this document and read about ASV https://document.resmed.com/en-us/docume...er_eng.pdf

[OpalRose]

Cruzer,
You've been trying to figure out the cause of CSA for a very long time.  I don't know if there are research studies going on to determine the "why" of it.  
If you are serious, contact a major teaching hospital if there is one in your area and ask about it.

You started a thread here in 2013 concerning CSA, and you were focused on using Coconut Oil.  But then you sort of abandoned the thread.  I am curious as to what happened with your study.  

http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...leep-apnea

There is no doubt that certain foods we eat can affect our sleep in negative or positive ways, and it's good to try and see what we can eliminate from our diets to help, but...

I can't say for certain without seeing a chart of your data, it sounds like you may need an ASV machine.  Of course you already know this.

[SarcasticDave94]

In answer to what does it mean the ASV treats Central Apnea, it means it can effectively eliminate the Central events and then reduces the negative effects of the Centrals. I had used the same ASV and I was feeling better for using it. My poor health feeling, morning headaches, etc. were reduced with ASV.

[sheepless]

yes, asv will resolve ca & will very likely get your ahi below 1. you've mentioned dietary changes that you feel have reduced your ca. for the benefit of the rest of us, what are they?

[cruzer43]

Thank you for the reference.
I knew of the ASV system, but didn't know how it worked.
After reading the article, it seems that it's goal is to respond sooner and therefore have you spend without air.

Am I close?

[cruzer43]

You are right in that years ago I thought coconut oil was helping me to reduce my CSA episodes.
It turns out that when I started using coconut oil, I had also stopped consuming other things.

The "coconut oil" solution worked for about three weeks and then "stopped" working because I went back to my normal eating habits.  Unfortunately, during the experiment I had changed two or more variables at the same time and came to the wrong conclusion.  The worst thing you can do while experimenting is to change two or more variables at the same time.

It's been a long process (since 2003) for me because I had to begin eliminating only one food at a time from my diet.  As it turns out, at least for me, there are multiple foods that hinder my breathing.  Fortunately, there appears to be only one major cause and probably a few minor causes of my CSA episodes.  

Because I've been able to identify the major cause of my CSA episodes, there are nights where I don't have any CSA episodes of 10 seconds or more.  In fact, recently, I've had nights where there were only 7 events all night.  Those 7 events included: all events less than 10 seconds, all events at 10 seconds or longer, all OSA events, and all RERA events.  Had I known in advance that was going to happen, I wouldn't have needed to use my APAP.  That is a significant change from expecting between 30 and 40 events, of just those greater than 10 seconds, every night.

I believe that I'm on the right track but still have many, many questions to resolve.