thebestdog - Therapy Thread

[Sleeprider]

Those periodic spikes could certainly be related to a PLM. Notice how regularly they seem to occur. The closeup shows a spike where you reach your normal inspiratory flow then a sudden jump to a higher flow and rebound to a larger exhale. That is what I would expect to see.

[thebestdog]

I see now they seem to be regularly spaced. I never thought about this before, I know have involuntary movements in my arm and leg now and then and they make me gasp- so that might account for the spike on the inward flow. But I never thought I would be having them in my sleep.

I'm not going to get a sleep study any time soon because sleep centers are few and far between where I live (UK) so I'm going to have to figure out a DIY approach to this.

I have a viatom O2 ring pulse oximeter, which has a motion detection sensor- putting it on my toe might be a better idea. If I could match the timestamps of the movements on my leg to these spikes then I would know for sure- well that's if it is sensitive enough to the movements. I know it sounds silly but I have to try it.

Thanks for your reply- you have given me something to think about!

[Sleeprider]

Consider making a summary of the frequency and count on those periodic spikes / movements, then discussing that with a doctor or consultant. This is a general medical condition and you should not need an additional sleep study if you have a history of this from a prior study, or are simply aware of the problem and can document it. In addition to your flow graph, you could verify the movements using an inexpensive night camera. I assume you want an appropriate prescription for RLS/PLM, then you can work out dose and efficacy considering any side-effects. Here are six different medications frequently prescribed for PLMs. I don't know how NHS will handle this, but I would try to treat it outside of the sleep breathing disorder realm. https://www.drugs.com/condition/periodic...order.html

[thebestdog]

My GP will have it in his notes that I was complaining of legs jerking so he should be able to prescribe for that.

I have a friend will lend me a camera which will record for 5-6 hours. So I'll be able to see what's happening on Saturday night. 

So far with my therapy on the new machine I am getting much better scores on the pulse oximeter but still can't stay asleep for more than two hours at a time. I think cpap was totally wrong for me and now I'm just used to waking up at those times after six years of cpap. Maybe with the new settings on my avaps things will settle down after a while.