noticeable change in breathing pattern

[Maribeth]

My husband developed sleep apnea over the past few years. It was the typical loud snoring, pause in breathing followed by a big loud gasp repeated all night. Over the past month I'm noticing a change. His breathing pauses up to 15 seconds then he starts breathing normal quiet breaths. No more snoring or huge gasping breaths. We just did a sleep study before the change and are still waiting for the results. Is there some other issue we should be checking?

[Sleeprider]

Sounds like you're on the right track for answers with the pros. Common forms of apnea include obstructive, and central or clear apneas. With OA the airway is blocked by throat tissues or the tongue and air does not move. The apnea is often resolved with an arousal and accompanying noise of a gasp or snore. Central apneas are more complex and can be a cessation of breathing with an open airway. CPAP patients can experience CA events as a result of neurological cessation of breathing, or being unable to exhale against the pressurized air and other causes. These patients may be treated on bilevel CPAP machines that provide exhalation pressure relief, or assisted ventilation pressure that physically causes a patient to take a breath when they don't voluntarily initiate a breath.

His sleep study should identify types of apnea that occur and their responsiveness to CPAP pressure. A change could be due to new drugs other causes, but if he has a tendency for CA it should have shown up in the recent sleep study. I take it from your comment he has not yet started treatment?

His results were known at the time he took his sleep test. They just didn't tell you because the doctor has to review and approve the results and the report. You can ask for the preliminary results and they will likely tell you. Be sure to get a copy of the report for your records.

[trish6hundred]

Hi Maribeth,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Hang in there for more suggestions and much success to your husband as he starts his CPAP journey.