INCREASE IN AHI AND PERIODIC BREATHING

Hey guys I've been using a cpap machine for about 10 months now and for the most part it has been successful. However occasionally I go through periods of spikes in my AHI and a weird increase in periodic breathing percentage.

I was averaging around 5 AHI and but recently that's increased to 15 along from an increase in my periodic breathing percentage from 0% to about 5%. I'm also rising out of bed with alot of stomach and back pain.

Does anyone have any idea as to why this is happening.

-Ken

kencool70 wrote:Hey guys I've been using a cpap machine for about 10 months now and for the most part it has been successful. However occasionally I go through periods of spikes in my AHI and a weird increase in periodic breathing percentage.

I was averaging around 5 AHI and but recently that's increased to 15 along from an increase in my periodic breathing percentage from 0% to about 5%. I'm also rising out of bed with alot of stomach and back pain.

Does anyone have any idea as to why this is happening.

-Ken

Hello Ken,

Good for you for going 10 months on CPAP. Many people give up. It looks like you've been monitoring yourself somewhat and happy with an AHI of 5? Do you feel rested during those times? At what AHI do you feel like crap on a stick? Do you want to feel better? The reason I ask is everyone seems to have their own sensitivity to feeling good at a specific AHI level.

The periodic breathing can be part of central apnea events, or not. There are no changes you can make to your CPAP to treat periodic breathing; the best you can do is treat the underlying cause. That means a visit to your doctor and full disclosure of all your symptoms, the backache and stomach pain, any weight changes. Also note if you've had sore throat or any other issues. IF all things have been the same over 10 months and now you see this change, a 200% increase from 5 to 15 - from low mild to moderate apnea - probably worth a trip to the doctor for a look over.

Someone might chime in here and ask for you to load Sleepyhead, load your machine and mask specifics and probably make changes to your settings, it will help your OSA portion of the AHI - but any changes to the periodic breathing are coincidental. (I have periodic breathing issues as well that I manage by treating the underlying cause. No amount of adjustment will help it.)

Take care Ken.

Kind regards,
GB

* Periodic breathing refers to an abnormal respiratory rhythm and occurs in cases of central sleep apnea syndrome and Cheyne-Stokes respiration. An example of periodic breathing is the sudden experience of apnea, or inability to breathe. Shortness of breath might also occur after a cluster of normal breaths. This condition affects people of all ages. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-periodic-breathing.htm

Thanks for getting back to me GB. Ya I check the readings on the machine but I've never logged into sleep mapper. I plan on scheduling a sleep study soon to see whats up. This increase has happened in the past and lasts for a few days but this time it's really messing with me. I just recently moved to sleeping in a bed. I had been sleeping on a couch so I could continually prop my head up. My wife insisted I give the bed another chance so I am.

As to the point of my normal 5 AHI readings and my feelings when I wake up; well it's never the same. Some weeks I feel great and some days it feels like I haven't slept at all. I have alot of problems with the initial falling asleep. It's during this period of time that my apneas will literrally jolt me awake. I still wake up sometimes and my breathing sounds like a harmonica. When I relax my breathing I get much friction as I inhale and exhale. It's like that hiccup sensation. I'm sure this is where the stomach pain is coming from.

Thanks again for getting back to me.

Ken:

Back pain and periodic breathing may indicate some cardiac issues. I would schedule an appointment with your sleep doctor who can look at your data and check you to see if a trip to a cardiologist is in order.

It could be just a bout of air swallowing called Aerophagia, and, while painful, not harmful. But checking is in order.

From the comment "periodic breathing" I assume your CPAP is a Philips-Respironics machine.
Can you update you User Control Panel entry to show the actual model you are using. With the humidifier water tank removed, the model number is on the bottom of the blower unit and will be something like 460 or 560, etc.

If it is a ResMed CPAP, the model number is on the top of the machine written out.

I second what JDS says a cardiologist visit is needed to rule out or treat if an issue is found.
I do think having a look with Sleepyhead is not a bad thing because it can show how many or how long these episodes are. And it might also be helpful to have a printout to show your cardiologist. But if downloading and getting this info causes you stress get it checked out first he can always consult with your sleep doctor for any info he needs.