Sudden onset of sleep apnea - anyone?

[Fourtay]

Hello,
I used to be able to sleep the whole night without waking up once, and then all of a sudden, bam.
In 2015 I was 30 years old. I started to feel tired and fatigued / worn down / achy lack of energy. I smoked at the time and a BMI of 20.8. 5'10" 145 lbs. No significant neck diameter or weight. Rather slim/normal.
I had a sleep study done and it showed central and obstructive events.

I was just wondering if anyone has had a rapid onset of sleep apnea? It feels odd to me that I'm hit with apnea all of a sudden.

[kteague]

Can't help but wonder if it was sudden onset or if you reached a tipping point. The person with sleep apnea is often the last to know - until time takes its toll. You mentioned centrals - were you diagnosed with central sleep apnea? Do you have a copy of your report that could give us more detail? Are you on any meds known to potentially cause centrals? Obstructive sleep apnea is not always caused by weight. It can also be due to the anatomy of the throat and jaw, and can affect folks of any size. Are you on CPAP treatment?

[sleepy-programmer]

I'm 34, didn't receive my diagnosis until last year. I'm also skinny, 5'10" 160lbs. I have it because, like kteague said, of the anatomy of my throat and jaw. They're too small and my tongue is too large. I considered myself sleep "functional" a couple years ago but honestly I think I've had it since my late teens. When I think back on my 20s I was easily exhausted and stressed out. Constantly. I was just better able to handle it. Every year it got slowly worse and worse.

Not saying our stories are necessarily similar but that's mine.

[Fourtay]

I am currently on CPAP therapy however it is not going great. I wake up 5+ times per night, not fully rested. Struggling with aerophagia. I have been in constant communication with the Nurse practitioner at my sleep department here in town, but his main focus is on the apnea numbers of the machine. I feel ill-treated.

[metsfan302]

What are your AHI lvl's now on the Cpap? I would think with all the centrals you will find yourself on a Bi-Pap/and or ASV.

[Fourtay]

What are your AHI lvl's now on the Cpap? I would think with all the centrals you will find yourself on a Bi-Pap/and or ASV.

Right now they're between 5-8. I'd like to talk with my provider about Bipap or ASV. I dont mind just buying it if he will write the script, I wonder if I should just ask directly. I Feel like ive been a thorn in their side about my cpap adjustment, but I guess thats acceptable as my cpap quality is not great?

[sleepy-programmer]

What are your AHI lvl's now on the Cpap? I would think with all the centrals you will find yourself on a Bi-Pap/and or ASV.

Right now they're between 5-8. I'd like to talk with my provider about Bipap or ASV. I dont mind just buying it if he will write the script, I wonder if I should just ask directly. I Feel like ive been a thorn in their side about my cpap adjustment, but I guess thats acceptable as my cpap quality is not great?

It's your health. Go be a thorn in their side.

[kteague]

It may be you will need a different machine, but you don't really know that yet. Is the data from your machine being monitored by the sleep doc - or by yourself? It should be able to give you some useful information to guide your decisions. Doctors have to justify prescribing more sophisticated machines, like showing that CPAP didn't resolve your issues and you need the upgrade. I suggest you gather your facts (machine data) and make your case as much as possible before taking it to the next step. How certain are you that your persistent sleep issues are caused by central events?

[Chris8243]

I wouldn't say I had a "rapid onset" as much as a shocking diagnosis. I've had problems sleeping for many years, attributed to depression.
I went to a neurologist for an unrelated issue & he casually asked "Do you wake up feeling refreshed?" What?!? I thought it was a rather bizarre question. No, never. I hate waking up, hate getting out of bed, have a headache every day. He ordered a sleep study. He owns the sleep lab, which I did not know at the time. So when I got the results, I did not believe it because I thought he was just trying to make money from me. I never went back. Diagnosis was "mild sleep apnea."

But since it was out there, I eventually went for a second & third opinion and here I am. Do I wake up feeling refreshed now, after more than a year using CPAP? Not exactly, still have trouble sleeping, but I do sleep through the night half of the time & I no longer have morning headaches.

[princetontiger]

Any update on this?

I'm physically fit, and like yourself, I developed rapid onset sleep apnea late last year. Initially, I would jump (literally) out of bed, and gasp for air. Then, it morphed into waking up 2-3 times a night. This, in turn, led to having a pretty fast heart rate when I woke up and feeling fatigue in the morning. My body has since "adapted," and I feel anxiety-free, but not getting the right sleep still. I decided to write a timeline of my issues, and it all started with weird sleep.

I'm finally seeing a sleep doctor next month at Weill Cornell.

I have had zero issues with sleep from age 18 to 30, and I was not sick. I have an amazing job, and I was not stressed at work. Same apartment, no diet change. Just, suddenly unable to sleep properly on my back. I am not a smoker.

One more thing: I noticed once or twice, this was accompanied by some acid reflux. I eat a bit earlier now so it's not an issue, and I don't have a problem. No intestinal issues.