Apnea reading

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on November 24, 2011 at 11:17

Mine was 30, just on the border of severe sleep apnoea, but I have come across several people in with an AHI in the 80's.

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Permalink Reply by Carolyn Tipping on November 24, 2011 at 11:53

Hello. Mine was 34.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Winchurch on November 24, 2011 at 12:02

Hi Margaret,

Sorry to hear of your high reading, thought mine was bad enough at 63 per hour. A year on and 3 different machines and several masks I am now down to 28 per hour and feeling better but it can be slow progress!

Good luck

 

Robert

www.mobilityproducts4u.org

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Permalink Reply by Robert W Daly on November 24, 2011 at 12:42

66, and that was before CPAP raised it to the seventies.  Researchers at Harvard Medical School included my case in a  journal article about treating patients who cannot be treated with CPAP.  They believe that a score that high is evidence that the problem is neurological and that CPAP pressure often makes it worse. 

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on November 24, 2011 at 12:52

That's interesting Robert.  What did you have to do and was yours central, obstructive or mixed sleep apnoea?

Robert W Daly said:

66, and that was before CPAP raised it to the seventies.  Researchers at Harvard Medical School included my case in a  journal article about treating patients who cannot be treated with CPAP.  They believe that a score that high is evidence that the problem is neurological and that CPAP pressure often makes it worse. 

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Permalink Reply by Helen on November 24, 2011 at 13:01

My reading was 76 per hour on my first sleep study.  I started using CPAP in August and feel so much better. Still early days for me, my machine pressure is still very high which I am told I need.

 

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on November 24, 2011 at 13:08

That's great to hear how much better you're feeling already Helen, and will be interesting to know how low your AHI has come down to when you go for your check up.

Helen said:

My reading was 76 per hour on my first sleep study.  I started using CPAP in August and feel so much better. Still early days for me, my machine pressure is still very high which I am told I need.

 

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Permalink Reply by Robert W Daly on November 24, 2011 at 13:23

In the U.S. the official classification under the Medicare program, which covers seniors over age 65 is "Complex Sleep Apnea", but "mixed" is close enough.  The researchers believe that the essential problem is that the patients respond abnormally to changes in carbon-dioxide in the blood, and that this confuses the respiratory centers in the brain, resulting in very frequent central or central/obstructive breathing events.  Their studies indicate that, when this is present--and it is quite common--CPAP alone has little chance of helping.  Instead, they use various means of stabilizing the patient's control of breathing, which make it possible for the patient to use CPAP effectively.  Beyond that I would be practicing medicine without a license to discuss online how they approach this, but all of it has been published in Sleep or elsewhere and available to any physician to read about.  There is a vigorous scientific discussion going on about this, with people on both sides of the issue.  My own opinion is that apnea scores above 60 should automatically trigger the question as to whether this is what is happening.  Just as a disclaimer, I got pulled into this whole business because I came to them as a patient but they found out that I had a background with medical devices and was handy enough with a screwdriver to help them build some gear they needed in order to conduct some of these experiments.  This was also a positive for me because they gave me a good going-over and managed to really help me, and they were kind enough to include me as an author on a few of their papers because I built some of the experimental gear.  I know it doesn't need to be said though that only a fool would think of treating themselves and the only way to look into any of this is through your physician, who will know how to find out about what is going on and evaluate whether it has anything to do with a particular person's problem.   

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on November 24, 2011 at 21:42

Thanks for that very detailed response Robert, which is all very interesting.  Seems your own issues ended up being a blessing for helping others too.  Thankfully these problems are rare and most people are able to be treated with CPAP, BiPap or VPAP.  Hope you're enjoying Thanksgiving :)

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Permalink Reply by Terry Vella on November 24, 2011 at 22:15

Mine was 30 and after 6 months of CPAP, I'm down to 3.1 and most of those left are Centrals. I do know someone that was 120 per hour he is overweight and has had a heart attack and bypass. Margaret are yours Obstructive or Central or both and have you commenced treatment? If so, it will be interesting to see what they are after 3-6 months.

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Permalink Reply by Rosemary Kemp on November 24, 2011 at 22:49

Hi Margaret,

 

When I was diagnosed they told me that they stopped counting at 30 times per hour but that I was at the highest end of 30 to 100 times per hour. I have since lost eight stone and my health is much better three years into treatment. The cpap and apap treatment isn't exactly foolproof even now but I registered 7 apnoeas for the whole night last time it was measured. Stay with the treatment and do what you can. Best of luck.

Rosemary   

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Permalink Reply by paula jones on November 24, 2011 at 23:29

My Apnea's where 60 times an Hour,  Dont have them anymore since Cpap but im no more awake for it, x x x

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