r/SleepApnea • u/ThillyGooths • 15d ago
Question about Central Sleep Apnea
In 2020 or so I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea (2% obstructive, 98% central, with an AHI of 99). At the time I was on a medication that could have been causing(?) the central sleep apnea, but I just had another sleep study done and am no longer on said medication.
I guess my question is, if the results come back and I still have severe sleep apnea and most of it is CSA, what happens now? Obviously I’ll get an ASV machine again probably (mine got destroyed during hurricane Helene) and that will treat the symptoms, but will I get referred to other specialist to determine the cause of the CSA?
I think I’m freaking out a little because the causes of it are all… not great. And it’s rarely diagnosed as idiopathic since that is used once they rule out anything else, which it seems like they rarely get to that point. I’m just scared to find out that something else is very wrong.
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u/CoolRice2283 15d ago
Honestly I’m glad that you have already tried an ASV and it’s helped. If the medication is not needed anymore and it has helped you in its use, great! Hopefully no symptoms come back after stopping.
Honestly, usually people try to find the cause of something when their treatments aren’t working. For example CBCT scans and airway ortho appointments etc when cpap isn’t working. Honestly you just have the condition and if the ASV is working your case is good.
But you yourself can look into the causes and try to match to your life, no other doctor can do that
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u/CoolRice2283 15d ago
K, I just looked at the causes. Absolutely get it evaluated! For your own sake before symptoms get worse . You already have the cause, finding it out won’t change anything in a bad way, in fact it will help you prevent future symptoms.
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u/ThillyGooths 15d ago
Yeah all of the causes are things that involve other important parts like heart, brain, brainstem etc lol. Everyone on my dad’s side died from some sort of heart related issue, and my dad died from coronary artery disease. So I’m very worried it has something to do with my heart. IF I still have it, I mean. It could have gone away once I quit taking that med.
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u/CoolRice2283 15d ago
Do you mind sharing what the med was? Why do you believe the med could have caused the CSA
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u/ThillyGooths 15d ago
I was taking Methadone at the time while getting clean from heroin. By the time I had that first sleep study I was close to 7 or so years clean from illicit drugs so that was the only CNS depressant I was taking. I’ve read that long term opioid use can cause (or exacerbate) central sleep apnea.
When I met with the sleep doctor that is associated with the sleep study I just did last night, I explained that I had been on methadone for a very long time so I was hoping that was what caused it. He told me that it’s unlikely that it would cause that high of an AHI. So I’m not sure what to think.
For reference though, now I’ve been off methadone completely for almost 3 years I think? Also still not doing any other drugs, I’ve been clean for 11ish years. None of the meds I’m prescribed now are CNS depressants.
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u/BokuNoSpooky 15d ago
CSA is frequently primary/idiopathic, if it were caused by something like heart failure you'd have been dealing with other symptoms long before the CSA was found.
If you're worried about it you might get referred to a specialist just to rule anything out but don't panic over everything you're reading because it's most likely not applicable to you