Cured - or am I

[plasticplumber]

I have been on APAP for several years but over two years ago I managed to loose 40lb and I have since lost an additional 10lb bringing my BMI down from 35 to 22 I am now also very fit going to the gym or cycling five times a week.
Subsequently I took a new sleep test approximately eighteen months ago and was told that I no longer required my APAP machine.

I did not feel comfortable with this and was allowed to continue using my machine by my Dr.

In April his year I took the plunge and came off my machine. In June after being off my machine for a good month I had a further home sleep test and this confirmed the previous test with Oxygen and heart rate being stable.

The one comment that did concern me is this " There are just a few marks in the hypo section, these occur with a regular periodicity and represent REM episodes of under breathing a normal phenomena and your machine is not required to treat these."

Looking at old Sleepyhead flow rate graphs these under breathing episodes were quite well defined and I often wondered what they were. The thing is I used to wake with headaches when on my machine and still did when I came off it. This week I have had a bad cold and have used my machine for the first time since April as it always seemed to help when I had colds before. These periods are still visible and I have still had the headaches and have woken once or twice just as I have off the machine. Could this under breathing be the cause of my morning headaches, which by the way usually pass within 5 minutes of waking, and if so what do you do about it? My machine is supposed to go back to the NHS next week and although I do not wish to deprive any one else of its benefits my own health comes first.

[OpalRose]

Congratulations on your weight loss. Not easy to do.

What was the AHI of your last sleep test, and the breakdown of events?

If you still have your machine, and I see you use #SleepyHead, then download some recent data.
It will show you if you are still having apneas or not.

I would be concerned with the headaches. Do you have high blood pressure, and is it being treated?

[richb]

Hmmm. It seems that congratulations are in order for beating OSA at least for the time being. What seems to be lingering are hypopneas and periodic breathing. The question is how significant they are. One of your sleep studies says that your O2 levels were OK. On the other hand you are waking up with a headache. This could be the result of desaturations prior to waking up due to "sleep wake junk". The sleep study also mentioned some hypopneas resembling periodic breathing. The thing is that your present machine doesn't treat these types of apnea. It would be helpful if you would post some Sleepyhead graphs showing the specific events in question. We might be able to make suggestions and if necessary suggest a strategy with which to approach your Doctor. OpalRose makes a good point about HBP. Start checking your BP with a portable cuff when you get up in the AM. Mine was high in the AM and was controlled by my ASV machine.

Rich

[plasticplumber]

My resting blood pressure hovers around 120/65 and my resting heart rate is usually low 50s but can fall to around 40 when asleep. I know this as used to monitor my heart rate and Oxygen levels at night when I first came off my APAP. While exercising I often push it to 165 but it recovers quickly to the 80's as soon as I stop.

As I stated in my first post I consider myself to now be very fit with a 36 mile cycle ride Tuesday an hour on the Cross Trainer Wednesday with some strength training. This is somewhat different from four years ago when I could not manage three miles an hour for five minutes on a treadmill.

I hope that I have successfully attached a word document showing two of this weeks sleepyhead charts

[richb]

The SH graphs look pretty good at the macro level. Just to be sure post a few blow ups of about 2 to 5 minutes in length. Just want to check that your breathing pattern is fairly regular. Look at a couple of events and some "uneventful" periods. It looks like your cold could have contributed to some positional apnea.

Rich

[plasticplumber]

Thanks for the replies so far. I have attached the requested additional graphs.

[richb]

I think you have got it beat. Your good night looks great and your breathing pattern looks very regular. I think your cold interfered with your breathing enough to trigger some events. Just chalk it up to having a cold. Give the machine back and keep an eye on your daytime tiredness. Not many people could do what you have done.

Rich

[plasticplumber]

Well this cold has lingered for well over two weeks now, but at last I seem to have it beaten. Last night I slept thorough to three am when I had one of my random awakenings and removed my mask.

I was no longer congested and my nose was hurting from my mask, presumably because I had not used my lamosil.

looking at today's sleepyhead this is going to be my last day on my machine and what a way to go out with an AHI of 00.

I hope not to require a machine again and once its gone it's gone. I realize this is going to mean maintaining my exercise and weight and that with increasing age I may again require another APAP machine but for the time being I am coming off it hopefully for good.

I will still be lingering on this forum but for now I would again like to say thank you all for your help.

I have attached last nights results.