High red blood cell count and sleep apnea connection?

Auricula · Post by **Auricula** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 1:48 pm

A friend who sees a nephrologist for a kidney disease was told her red blood count is very high and she may have sleep apnea. She does not have daytime fatigue. I did not have time during our brief conversation to ask about other symptoms. Does anyone know of a connection between high red cell count and/or kidney disease and sleep apnea?

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 1:52 pm

He may have thought she might have sleep apnea because she may have complained about needing to urinate overnight, so he therefore checked her kidney function and other things. Her red cell count is not directly related to apnea, and in fact shows that her oxygen level may be very good (opposite of what you might find with apnea), but there could be 1,000 other reasons for the high count and I wouldn't try to play doctor just yet . Whether the high hemoglobin is even related to her kidneys or just a result on a lab sheet with loads of other info. it could (and could not) be related to will take more time to investigate.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 3:41 pm

There is a connection to blood count and OSA. I just went to a nephrologist to discuss some of my lab results and he told me my blood count can be affected by my OSA. The body will create or cut back on blood cell count based on the amount of oxygen we get. So untreated OSA and newly started CPAP therapy can affect your blood cell counts, according to my nephrologist.

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 5:22 pm

OK, from that point of view you're right (or your MD is)... and I did try to make that connection in my note, but maybe it wasn't clear.

Moby · Post by **Moby** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 7:19 pm

Yes, I've been thinking my high Hb (147) must result from my sleep apnoea/deoxygenation. Like living at high altitude, where low atmospheric oxygen causes the body to make more Hb to carry the limited oxygen around. That's why some athletes train at altitude, and why some cheat by taking erythropoeitin (which makes the body produce more red blood cells), or by having transfusions of their own blood. They have more available oxygen in their blood as long as the extra red blood cells survive.

.Maybe that's why we get the short lived "buzz" once we're fully oxygneated again on CPAp, and may explain why I felt better after just 20 mins awake on the machine when they fitted my first mask.

I heard that the body soon gets rid of the extra haemoglobin once we return to normal altitude, so that would explain the bump back down to earth after the first few days "running around like a kid on caffeine" as someone here put it.

Di

mardollx52 · Post by **mardollx52** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:02 pm

I was having high hemoglobin in the 16.9 range, which is upper limits for a woman. I was giving blood regularly to bring it closer to normal. After skipping a month it went up to 17.1 and the blood bank would not let me give blood unless I got a prescription, so I ended up having to a hematologist. He would not give me a prescription so I could keep giving blood because he thinks that it is high because of my sleep apnea (secondary condition). He said, "your body obviously wants your hg to be that high".
I have been on a machine for 4 years now, and it does seem that this problem started about the same time.I am a terrible mouth breather, and I have had the hardest time finding a mask that is just right. There always seems to be some annoying feature in all the ones I have tried so far.
I would dearly love a full face mask that doesn't leak, and one with a diffuser. What a wonderful feature a diffuser is!- why don't they all have one by now??? I would love the Resmed Quatro Fx, but the hose on it is sooooooo noisy! Who could possibly want to sleep next to a woman wearing such an airblowing contraption? I don't want to sleep with myself wearing it. I really like the diffuser on the Mirage FX. If only I could exchange air pieces between the two! The Mirage FX is nice, almost perfect for me, but I have to wear liners with it to keep the skin around my nose from breaking down and developing multiple whiteheads and zits (and I am over 55).
I guess I wasn't being closely monitored enough to know that I wasn't getting enough O2. I have to see a pulmonologist now to see if we can correct the problem. New sleep study? We shall see. Perserverance and patience.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Jan 29, 2016 3:29 pm

I have it is a 16.9 hight is that good or bad

Sleeprider · Post by **Sleeprider** » Sat Jan 30, 2016 9:40 pm

It's called polycythemia, and there are many potential causes, including Sleep apnea. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycythemia
I wouldn't assume that is the cause unless you can rule out other problems assuming you have effectively controlled SA with CPAP.

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Sat Jan 30, 2016 10:17 pm

Also, if you have a Medittaranean heritage, you're more likely to have polycythemia... just a tidbit of medical trivia.

High red blood cell count and sleep apnea connection?

High red blood cell count and sleep apnea connection?

Re: High red blood cell count and sleep apnea connection?

Re: High red blood cell count and sleep apnea connection?

Re: High red blood cell count and sleep apnea connection?

Re: High red blood cell count and sleep apnea connection?

Humidifier

Additional Comments: ozzie heated hose.