Central Sleep Apnea & Myasthenia Gravis
 

I have placed a thread on the Myasthenia Gravis site, but thought I would share on this site as well....I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea in the early 90's as I took a sleep study at a Desert Storm physical. I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis in November of 2006, three months before retiring from 41 years of military service. My apnea has gotten much worse in the past year. I have had two sleep studies in the past month that diagnosed central and obstructive sleep apnea and received my Bi-Pap last week. The physician has started me off with a pressure of 10/18. I have documents from Mayo Clinic that state that Myasthenia Gravis can be a cause of central sleep apnea. Has anyone else had diagnoses that suggest that a neurological disease/disorder can cause central sleep apnea?

NO, I have never heard of this but will study up.

I not only just got dx with mild apnea but more so that I dont remember to breathe during the DAYTIME !!

My neuro thinks it may be narcolepsy but I am not sure.

Hope more respond to this post.

Good luck to you though!!

Jan

Go to CPAPTALK.com for more help. Nothing on Neurological disorders, but lots of help with
Sleep Apnea.

I have severe problems and they took me off the Respironics BiPap Auto and put me on the
Respironics BiPap Auto SV unit. It can handle a lot more problems than the BiPap Auto. You may not need the SV, but you will find a lot of knowledgeable people about the machines and symptoms.

Again, no doctors there, no Neurological experts, but it is a good resource. Best wishes for you and hope your 41 years nets you some good treatment. The Air Force screwed me on my last flight physical in '87 and the VA is still at it. Long story. My daughter works for the VA. She was a Ratings Specialist, says the huge push right now is to get the Iraq claims taken care of. WWII, Korea, Vietnam be damned. That is politics. Best wishes for you. You deserve it.

MG & Central Sleep Apnea
 

Thanks for the good wishes! I recently had an appointment with my neurologist who confirmed that Myasthenia Gravis and other neurological diseases can cause central sleep apnea. I also have documents from Mayo's confirming. Good luck!

MG & Central Sleep Apnea
 

Thanks for the good wishes! I have just started to work with the VA as myasthenia gravis is a presumptive condition for Gulf War vets. The big challenge is going to be convincing them that the central sleep apnea is caused by the nerve disease. It may work out as my Desert Storm physical diagnosed sleep apnea shortly after the Gulf War. I started my military career as a scout in the infantry on active duty in February, 1966 and retired 1 Feb 2007 as a Colonel in the Army Reserve. It was a long career, but very rewarding as I got to meet and work with the best people in the world. Take Care!

2-1-09
I too have central OSA (diagnosed 1987) and MG (since 2006 or before) and my neurologist informed me that there is research to tie the two together. You may want to contact the Myasthenia Foundation Of America () for more information. They also have a spring seminar where all of the experts speak and the latest state of the art treatment info is disseminated. My problem is getting the VA to consider this service connected (medic in Vietnam 1970-71 in I Corps with 1/6th Infantry, 198th INF Bde, 23d INF DIV. (Americal, aka "Metracal Division"). Exposed to agent orange, C-rats, VC, ARVNS, NVA and lead. Has anyone had any luck getting service connection from DVA? Check out the MGFA and stay well.
Tom

Thanks for the reply
 

I am pretty sure that some of the chemicals we have been exposed to cause a lot more problems than the VA wants to admit. I may be lucky as Myasthenia Gravis is a VA presumptive condition for Gulf War vets. Getting them to agree that MG is the cause of the apnea is probably going to be a lot more difficult. Keep in touch as my neuro is aware of the research to tie the two afflictions together. If she comes up with some rock-solid evidence, I'll certainly share it with you. Thank you very much for your service. I was in the infantry in the mid-60's but lucked out and got sent to the 8th Infantry Division in Germany for three years.

Hi, I've developed a sleep apnea, but haven't been thru the studies yet. You might check Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Neurotalk here and put those two words together. I know some with RSD that have sleep apnea. When I get more information, I'll PM you. loretta

DX with 99% Central Sleep Apnea with over 1100 apneas
 

in one night. My sleep onset time is 30 seconds. I fall asleep everywhere, even while on the toilet and even standing in front of the refrigerator. I am on oxygen which has helped the most. Bipap didn't work well. I haven't been rechecked since my two diagnosis a year apart 2005/2006. Quite frankly I am really scared. It was after I received the diagnosis and they told me I shouldn't expect to live past six months that I began staying up as late as I could because I was afraid to fall asleep. I sleep on the couch because when I sleep in the bedroom no one checks on me and I can sleep for days on end and my husband just lets me stay there. I do not have a supportive home life. I wasn't diagnosed for five years even though I went to doctor to doctor complaining of EXTREME fatigue and falling asleep at weird times. They just kept calling it empty nest syndome. I knew better, but never thought of central sleep apnea. I also do not make ennough cortisol or ACTH, the pituitary hormone. I also have an extreme immune deficiency. Which came first? Who knows. To be ill with four illnesses and having to see all those specialties as well as any labs and MRI/EKG, etc. etc. I do not have enough time or strength to see all the doctors that I need to see. You know the ones. That will see you a few appointments because they don't believe you have what you say you have and they are going to prove you are crazy. but the labs come back confirming as they studder while sending you packing because they don't have a clue.My last neurology appt didn't even last one whole visit as he was screaming at me that I should have never been referred to him and that it was irresponsible for the other doctor to send me and was absurd that I even would come because he didn't have the expertise in Central Sleep Apnea. I gathered from his yelling at the top of his lungs that he wasn't about to learn about it either. In the past three years 90% of my doctor appointment have been first visits where the doctor refused to take me as a patient. So I am very low on doctors at the present time. I have been on IV infusions monthly for the immunity problems.
Regarding my sleep apnea, the sleep doctor explained it like this. "Out of a 60 minute hour, I am not breathing 40 of those minutes." Its no wonder I can't stay awake. Presently I take stimulants to wake me up, but the dose is large and it is barely getting the job done. I maybe get what I call a window of about two hours per day of alertness, but not sustaining alertness. It only lasts for as long as I am awake. Tomorrow I start over.
I don't think I have that MG, though I don't know whaT IT is.
Perfectly Peg

My doc suspects MG. Positive clinical assessment, positive EMG, positive symptoms. Symptoms started the same time as my sleeping disorder. Went to a sleep doc and she said my sleep problems were neurological.