Initial sleep study results - Doc thinks I may be dead...

[wp6529]

ResMed ApneaLink+ results:

AHI: 91
OAI: 54
CAI: 29
MAI: 7
ODI: 73
Lowest desat: 71
# of desat: 481
etc.

Fun stuff...

[retired_guy]

Yeah, you might want to consider a cpap machine of some sort or another.

[trish6hundred]

Hi wp6529,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Looks pretty serious to me, you should get a CPAP machine as soon as you can.
Hang in there for more responses to your post and much success to you as you hopefully, start CPAP therapy.

[quiescence at last]

I reckon the dr was right. chuckle - naw not even laughing...

I hope you have skated on the major diseases that spring forth from apnea.

I am surprised they didn't immediately hand you a loaner until order for a CPAP machine is being processed.

Does ApneaBoard.com have a Emergency Response Team member close to your location? I would personally drive my unit over to your house this afternoon, and give up my own sleep, to ensure you got yours.

PM myself or an Adminstrator with your location.

QAL

[wp6529]

I'm in N. TX. The doc has me setting up for a CPAP titration at the local hospital due to the low saturation. Hopefully they can get me in reasonably soon.

I rather expected this and have been looking at potential equipment. The ResMed S9 VPAP Adapt looks good to me, there are a few things I don't like about the 10s and I haven't read anything bad about the S9s.

I expect I'll survive a bit longer waiting for my shiny new toy, this didn't come about overnight. I seem to be reasonably healthy otherwise for 45 so hopefully I'll be in great shape once I get going with a CPAP/VPAP.

[archangle]

He ded.

Actually, your numbers are bad but they aren't really that unusual. You need CPAP, but if it hasn't killed you yet, you probably won't fall over dead in the next week or two.

Get a copy of your full sleep report.

Read the useful links in my signature line below for information on how to not get screwed too badly by the system on your machine.

Insurance may make you go through the charade of trying CPAP and "failing," bilevel and "failing," and then getting an ASV machine.

I'm not that familiar with ASV, but the PRS1 ASV machines are pretty good, and I think they have more "tweakability" than the ResMed. (I MIGHT have that backwards, though.)

[retired_guy]

In the meantime, let's start managing this thing as best we can with what we've got. When you sleep, make sure the head of your bed is elevated some. Mostly, make sure you sleep on your side, not your back. Do whatever you need to do to accomplish that.

You'll be fine, the good news is you have your diagnosis, so treatment is not far away.

[Homerec130]

I'm not that familiar with ASV, but the PRS1 ASV machines are pretty good, and I think they have more "tweakability" than the ResMed. (I MIGHT have that backwards, though.)

I have PSR1 BiPap Auto SV advanced machine (950P) [per Sleepyhead] that work's quite well. It runs on ASV and my doc is happy with my numbers. Good machine, excellent data recording/reporting capabilities.

Homer

[Lucky]

Hi WP6529,
Welcome to the wonderful world of Sleep Apnea. This is my first post on this site.

I received a similar diagnosis about a month ago. After a 3-day home sleep study I went in and joked with the doc before he delivered the bad news: "So I am lucky to be alive, right Doc?" He responded: "Yeah, that's about right. It's really bad." He then gave me these figures from the first night(mare) of the sleep study:
AHI = 87
RDI = 84
SpO2 <90% = 52% of the time
SpO2 <85% = 44% of the time (!!!!)
Low desat = 60% (there were several of these)

That is why I chose the alias "Lucky" because I am lucky to be alive and to have any brain or organ function left!

After 3 weeks on Philips Respironics APAP here are my numbers from last night:
AHI = 2.36
OAI = 0 (!!!!)
CAI = .56
HI = 1.81
Average pressure: 8.5 cm H20
Max pressure: 11.7 cm H20

I used my recording Oximeter last night for the first time:
Basal SpO2 = 93%
Time SpO2 <88% = 54 seconds
Lowest desat 85%
I am not sure if the Contec oximeter (a CMS50IW) is really working 100% correctly as it seems to have issues dialing in on my index finger. When I place it on my pinky my SpO2 goes up 3%. Nevertheless, I will take these numbers any day over what was happening to me before!

After treatment I feel like a different man. No longer nodding off in the afternoon. Nodding off driving (!!). A total change in ability to focus on task. And more energy, energy energy!

You will not believe the difference correcting this problem will make.

Blessings and best wishes for a new life full of unobstructed breathing and O2 saturation.

[DeepBreathing]

Welcome wp6529 and Lucky. Yeah, scary high numbers but as others have said you're on the way to recovery.

The VPAP Adapt is a really nice machine, very gentle and it adapts to your breathing. In my experience it is far superior to the Respironics. However, other people have said the exact opposite! It's true the Respironics is more tweakable, but the Resmed seems to have the smarts to adapt without too much manual intervention.

I think it's important to try both machines for at least a couple of weeks and see which is the best fit for you.