Apnea without obstruction
 

Been some time since I posted anything but had wanted to raise a point that became relevant to myself.

About 6 months ago I had a procedure to remove the uvula, some palate and widen my airway as I had OSA.

What came as a big surprise was when I had a follow up sleep study and found that the Apnea was still there. They increased CPAP pressure again and things continue much the same.

So folks, snoring may be part of the problem but does it tell the full story?

I also have REM disorder and wonder if I actually have Central Sleep Apnea a neurological condition.

Has this happened to anyone else??????

More research please into sleep.

I have complex central sleep apnea without obstruction. At my worst breathing was not great while awake. I was given a vpap machine but couldn't tolerate it. It made me feel worse. I see you have a cpap. With central apnea it's my understanding a B or Vpap is better because it blows the air in gently as well as pulls it out.

My pulmonologist said I would breathe better during the day if I breathed better at night. But since the vpap wasn't a possibility I hoped the reverse would be true also. I found something that has helped me tremendously. I'm not a yoga person but tried it out of desperation to help strengthen my breathing. It's yoga with Maya Fiennes. You can look into it on youtube. I started with 1 minute increments and very slowly worked my way up. It is life changing. I sleep great at night and feel refreshed when I wake and have profoundly more energy throughout the day. My memory and brain fog has improved as well. I plan on buying a dvd for my pulmonary neurologist to try.

LOL. It is so strange that this works for you, I use Tai Chi with Qi Gong exercises to keep my muscle strength and breathing as good as I can. They know a few things these Asian mystics/Masters. I have been telling my Neuro guys about it but they are quite sceptical but the proof is in the pudding as they say. I am still on my feet. The exercises are not overly streneous and can be done at home. If I try to travel to club I am too tired by the time I get there.

Keep it up.

I need to make a correction. I was tested with the machine I had, a Bipap, which made me feel worse. I didn't realize a bipap is just an adjustable cpap. So you know, both bipap and cpap can worsen central apnea. I still was not able to tolerate a vpap.
If you are not feeling improvement with the cpap, talk to your doctor.
I will be keeping up the Maya. Take care.

I have struggled with non-obstructive apnea since a head and neck injury in 2001. I have found two possible solutions.

For me, my CSA is related to inflammation of the upper cervical area. By limiting such inflammation, my CSA is reduced or eliminated, My CSA will manifest while awake if I have my neck in a forward and right position for too long. This became evident during an attempt to fall asleep during an EEG with sleep session.

I also found a diaphragm pacemaker that can help those with a critical level of CSA. http://www.averybiomedical.com/ It is an extreme solution but can save a life.

Untreated, the cumulative effect of CSA can damage the heart and brain. My father struggled with untreated CSA for 40 years before it finally took his life as his brain slowly failed.

I have to sleep flat on my back with a pillow supporting the side of my head. When I sleep like this, I wake up refreshed. If I don't, I can stop breathing up to 16 times per hour. My wife stayed up and observed and counted each episode. If I have episodes of apnea, I have stressful dreams and wake up tired and foggy brained. My body also jerks during these episodes.

NUCCA, Upper Cervical and Atlas Orthogonal Chiros can help with these upper neck issues for many people.

PM me if you need more info. I follow the TBI/Post Concussion Syndrome forum.

Hi Mark, thank you for posting. I lost everything I wrote. I'll try to give a quick revision.

I have had undiagnosed autonomic issues since childhood. While hard to acknowledge, I am dealing with heart and brain issues I now believe caused from csa. I am still counting on my passion and wit to overcome this.

I was diagnosed with gbs in 2009. After repeated episodes, the diagnoses changed to a variant of cidp. Even with bucket loads of prednisone and ivig, I still had problems with relapses including breathing for 3 years.

At that point I took a different approach and have been doing very well. I'm off all meds, the last being ivig, 4 months and counting.

I have found improvements in my sleeping as my neuropathy has gotten under better control. The yoga was life changing. I also take ubiquinot and nac because it crosses the blood brain barrier.

I will look into the Atlas. I believe I have even more healing to do. My breathing is better and my heart is symptom free for the past 2 years.

I would appreciate any insight you may have.