I have always wondered about whether or not sleep apnea had any bearing on getting Parkinson's or advancing progression at a faster rate. And would using a CPAP machine (breathing machine) make any difference. I have used a CPAP machine for about 5 years

How many of you have sleep apnea?

I read an article recently about misfolded proteins in sleep apnea. Although a bit technical, here is an excerpt:

source: Univ. of Pennsylvia School of Medicine
Medical News
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=36503

Peggy

Hi Peg,
I have had sleep apnea for years. I only know that since my wife tells me, otherwise I am not aware of it. I know I should seek medical help, but there always are higher priorities.
It will be interesting to see how many of us have this problem.
Best wishes
Ron

that sleep apnea is the ceasation of breathing for short periods of time in your sleep. I understand that people who snore are often found to have sleep apnea. If we can live with it for years, what is the downside? Is it possible to have it for awhile and then not have it. How would I even suspect that I could have it? Would like to know more...

From the American Sleep Apnea Association:

There are three types of apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed; of the three, obstructive is the most common. Despite the difference in the root cause of each type, in all three, people with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Mixed apnea, as the name implies, is a combination of the two. With each apnea event, the brain briefly arouses people with sleep apnea in order for them to resume breathing, but consequently sleep is extremely fragmented and of poor quality.

Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes. Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated. Several treatment options exist, and research into additional options continues

The ASAA goes on to say that sleep apnea is very common (as common as diabetes) yet many go undiagnosed. As Ron said, his wife told him that he gasps for air; the same was true of me and my husband. Hubby told me I wake him up gasping for air, none of whicih I remember. After he continued to complain, I had a sleep study. They hook you up to all sorts of wires (heart, brain, blood pressure, etc. and you spend the night in either a hospital or sleep clinic. You aroe monitoreod as to how many times you gasp for air and actually stopping breathing for short periods, among other readings taken.. I had my study 5 years ago and stopped breathing 40 times in a 5-hour sleeping period. That's not real bad, but bad enough to require a CPAP machine (continuous positive airway pressure).
Peg
The downsid (in my uneducated opinion) would have to do with the brain receiving proeper oxygen levels

My husband has very bad sleep apnea, but he does not have Parkinson's. The down side to having sleep apnea is you do not sleep well, so you are tired during the day. For years, I wanted my husband to go for a sleep study because of his snoring, but he would not go. Finally it got so bad that he would fall sleep many times a day- while sitting at the breakfast table reading the paper, while having a conversation with someone, and while driving. That is what got him to go for the sleep study- he got scared when he started to doze off when driving. When he got his CPAP machine, he loved it immediately. He could sleep like he never had before and he could stay awake during the day. Now he cannot sleep at all without his machine. If he goes anywhere overnight and forgets his machine it is a big problem.

I also have parkinsons and have had both for about 4 years now. I use a cpap machine, but am still extremely sleepy during the day. Taking provigil during the day to stay awake.

Apnea began about the same time as PD symptoms in 1988, if not before.

I was tested twice at Univ of South Florida at the instruction of Dr. Zesiewicz aka Dr. Z.

Not bad enough for a CPAP, but close. This was 10 years ago. Today I don't know what the outcome would be.

Has anyone tried a TAP...not the same as a CPAP, but I thought I would ask.

thank you Chicory, MaryC and Carolyn for responding.

I posted the question of the connection between PD and sleep apnea on the Ask t he Doctor forum at the NPF site ( www.parkinson.org ) and Dr. Michael Okun (whom I highly respect) had this to reply:

So the jury's still out.

Peg
PS - Carolyn - that was interesting about TAP (mouthpiece type device for breathing difficulties) I had never heard of it. I may see about trying that (I have trouble finding a comfortable mask with the CPAP)

Peggy,
One has to be able to sleep before they can have sleep apnea.

Anyhow it will be interesting to see the results from this question.

GregD

I have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and occasional central sleep apnea. I have been using a CPAP machine for about three years. Body weight can be a factor in OSA. I've lost 60 pounds in the last nine months and find I don't need it as much as I did when I weighed 250 pounds. The weight loss has been intentional and I hope to lose another 10-20 pounds.

At the worst, I was having apneas 40 to 60 times per hour (depending on which side I slept on) and was only getting 2 to 4 percent of the amount of deep sleep that is considered normal. During my first few weeks of CPAP use, I started waking up after only a few hours of sleep. My sleep therapist told that this was normal and meant I was responding positively to the therapy. The explanation goes something like this: Over many years, my body had become accustomed to getting x amount of deep sleep during the usual eight or so hours of sleep. When I began using the CPAP device, I started getting x amount of deep sleep in just two or three hours. Thus I woke up at 2:00 AM feeling like I had slept the entire night.

The results from using the CPAP machine are mixed for me. I am getting better quality deep sleep. Unfortunately, my other problems also keep me from sleeping. I take clonazepam to control myoclonus, but the clonazepam inhibits dream sleep. The best part is that I can rest peacefully during the night. This helps my wife's health.

One thing that definitely should be considered by sleep apnea sufferers is the effect on their sleeping partners. My wife worried so much about me stopping breathing, that she wasn't getting any sleep and developed the same symptoms. Now, I don't need the CPAP device as much (due to the weight loss) but my wife can't sleep well until she hears the device at work. Once she is assured that I'm breathing, she can sleep peacefully herself. (Sometimes, after I know she's sound asleep, I take off the mask and sleep with out it.)

I still have a great deal of fatigue during the day. When I rest during the day, I usually do a lot of dreaming. I don't use clonazepam during my daytime rests, so I'm able to dream. My conclusion is that there isn't a perfect solution for me. I don't have to try to work any more, so I'm free to rest when I need to rest. I'm glad for that. I don't like to feel so tired so often, but overall, it seems best to be able to rest when my body tells me it needs rest. When I was still trying to maintain my job, it was just miserable to try to stay awake when the fatigue was intense. I guess those of you who have experienced it, know what I mean. For those who haven't, I simply don't know how to describe it.

Finding a comfortable mask is a challenge. I've tried many, and do have several that I tolerate OK. I switch masks occasionally, because I have yet to find one that doesn't irritate me after a while. Two are nasal pillow types and one covers my mouth, too. The latter is good for when I have a cold. I also have chin strap that I use to keep my mouth from opening--avoiding air pressure loss due to leakage.