Seizure from a blocked CPAP mask?

[Sonnyboy]

Which Resmed machine and does it monitor data?

Sleepyhead is a free software that lets you monitor cpap treatment.
Would be helpful to know what his data showed before this episode occurred.

Find out if his machine is data capable, if so download sleepyhead and start monitoring treatment.

[avi123]

Sparky621: " it most certainly was a seizure - in fact is was a tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure. I wouldn't write "seizure" if I wasn't sure. I am a former EMT and was there attending to him before the ambulance arrived, so I know what a seizure is. And he's not a little kid - he's an adult. He sleeps on his stomach (not any more!) and they believe his mask was fully blocked."

Sparky, did you tell the sleep docs who tested your son for sleep disorders that your son suffers from grand mal CONVULSIONS? But there is nothing to be done if a person has grand mal convulsions and the cause is not known, except to secure the tongue from being bitten. If a clogged mask could cause a convulsion then it should be verified in a sleep study.

p.s. please continue to post here and tell your story.

[Julie]

Oh don't bother... he knows it all, being a member for one day.

[Sparky621]

Which Resmed machine and does it monitor data?

Sleepyhead is a free software that lets you monitor cpap treatment.
Would be helpful to know what his data showed before this episode occurred.

Find out if his machine is data capable, if so download sleepyhead and start monitoring treatment.

Yes it is monitored. We are waiting for the RT to get back to us about the data.

[BlackSpinner]

Get sleepyhead installed and look at his data. Nobody will care as much as you do. If you are not sure of what you are seeing just post it here and people will explain it to you. If he was a diabetic would you bother to check his glucose levels or would you leave it to some one else?

"monitoring" can mean they look at the hours used and nothing more. Sleepyhead can show you breath by breath what happened - IF they gave you a machine that does more then record hours in order to pad their profit.

[LSAT]

Sparky, did you tell the sleep docs who tested your son for sleep disorders that your son suffers from grand mal CONVULSIONS? But there is nothing to be done if a person has grand mal convulsions and the cause is not known, except to secure the tongue from being bitten. If a clogged mask could cause a convulsion then it should be verified in a sleep study.

p.s. please continue to post here and tell your story.

Avi....The OP said..." He is 23 and has NEVER had any seizure or other neurological problems."

[Sonnyboy]

Re: RT
That's great!
Let us know what you find out.

If there is an SD card in the machine you can take a look yourself, using Sleepyhead, and post the graph on this forum.

Consider downloading sleepyhead so you can learn to monitor the treatments.
You will learn a lot and you will be happy you did this.

[Sparky621]

Sparky621: " it most certainly was a seizure - in fact is was a tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure. I wouldn't write "seizure" if I wasn't sure. I am a former EMT and was there attending to him before the ambulance arrived, so I know what a seizure is. And he's not a little kid - he's an adult. He sleeps on his stomach (not any more!) and they believe his mask was fully blocked."

Sparky, did you tell the sleep docs who tested your son for sleep disorders that your son suffers from grand mal CONVULSIONS? But there is nothing to be done if a person has grand mal convulsions and the cause is not known, except to secure the tongue from being bitten. If a clogged mask could cause a convulsion then it should be verified in a sleep study.

p.s. please continue to post here and tell your story.

No worries, avi. I understand that message boards like these get all sorts of cranks and know-it-alls, so it just goes with the territory. This board has been beneficial: I learned that we can review the machine data via "sleephead" and see for ourselves what's going on. I downloaded the software and took a look at the data.

And I also want to clarify that the ER Doc plainly stated he was guessing about the mask and suggested we check that the CPAP machine is operating correctly. I just heard back from the RT that according to the data, and she said there was nothing unusual going on when he had the seizure.

HOWEVER ... using the sleepyhead software and reading the data from the SD card, it shows an "OA" event within the window we think when the seizure occurred. The RT mentioned nothing about this. She stated everything looked normal so now I'm even more confused.

[avi123]

del

[Sparky621]

Which Resmed machine and does it monitor data?

Sleepyhead is a free software that lets you monitor cpap treatment.
Would be helpful to know what his data showed before this episode occurred.

Find out if his machine is data capable, if so download sleepyhead and start monitoring treatment.

Yes it is monitored. We are waiting for the RT to get back to us about the data.

Most RTs are not familiar with CPAP software. But this software could not distinguish if the stoppages in breathing were caused by apneas or seizures. You need an EEG to tell the difference.

EEG was normal, CT scan normal, blood panel normal, nothing in the drug/tox screen. He's going for an MRI and another EEG-related test later this week. Neuro doc stated that for many patients there is no explanation for a first-time seizure and often the patient never gets one again. I guess we'll see.

[Sonnyboy]

Which Resmed machine and does it monitor data?

Sleepyhead is a free software that lets you monitor cpap treatment.
Would be helpful to know what his data showed before this episode occurred.

Find out if his machine is data capable, if so download sleepyhead and start monitoring treatment.

Yes it is monitored. We are waiting for the RT to get back to us about the data.

Most RTs are not familiar with CPAP software. But this software could not distinguish if the stoppages in breathing were caused by apneas or seizures. You need an EEG to tell the difference.

It will not evaluate for seizure, not saying it will.

It will tell you about respiratory rate, volume changes, air flow changes--- not that any of that will be helpful in this situation---but it will provide cpap treatment data and this would be a good thing for you to start monitoring. Simple as that.

[chunkyfrog]

" . . . Could lose a few pounds"; "big man"
Maybe the "spontaneous" seizure isn't.
Keep pushing for a definitive diagnosis; and don't let him give up on cpap, if you can.

[Sparky621]

Oh don't bother... he knows it all, being a member for one day.

LoL ... wow. That's says volumes about you, Julie. I know nothing about CPAP technology which is why I took the time to post messages here. All the responsives have been helpful ... except for yours.

Last time I respond to you btw, so go nuts.

[Sparky621]

" . . . Could lose a few pounds"; "big man"
Maybe the "spontaneous" seizure isn't.
Keep pushing for a definitive diagnosis; and don't let him give up on cpap, if you can.

No ... his GP still wants him on CPAP. He disagrees the mask had anything to do with the seizure. So many docs, so many different opinions.

[palerider]

Julie, it most certainly was a seizure - in fact is was a tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure. I wouldn't write "seizure" if I wasn't sure. I am a former EMT and was there attending to him before the ambulance arrived, so I know what a seizure is. And he's not a little kid - he's an adult. He sleeps on his stomach (not any more!) and they believe his mask was fully blocked.

So quite honestly: you're opinion is condescending. I am curious, however: what did you do when you "spent decades working in neurologists offices"?

so, you weren't there when it happened, and you (and the doctors) *GUESSED* that he had a seizure.

research the effect of high co2 in blood. if he did, somehow, manage to block his mask vent perfectly, and had a perfect seal, his co2 levels would rise, and his respiratory drive would go through the roof, trying to blow off the co2. this would *surely* cause him to move somewhat from that *perfect* position he'd have had to have achieved.

bedding won't seal a cpap vent to that extent, unless he sleeps on a rubber sheet.

I suggest you check your nasty attitude and look somewhere besides cpap for the cause of the alleged seizure.