Breathing problems during the night

I would like to know how many Chiari patients have problems with breathing while they are sleeping!!  Do you use oxegen or do they just monitor it?  What is the reasoning for it?  Anyone that can answer this question?  

[rod44]

HI
It is important that anyone experiencing acute breathing problems should seek prompt medical assistance.

I do not have breathing problems but as someone DX with CM/SM I have researched the whole CM/SM thing to get a better understanding of it
I think that as the brainstem is involved in regulating many of our vital systems including breathing witch is controlled by the central respiratory system located in the brainstem and depends on getting information from the body and sending signals to the body and as Chiari may involve compression of the brainstem area and thus interfere with nerve signals travelling to and from the brain ,this can cause all kinds of breathing problems.
ROD

[selmaS]

Hi LJ,

Like ROD said  sleeping issues do effect many chiarians...sleep apnea......and many use a CPAP machine to assist them during the night.

I was sent to a sleep clinic, but the dr there kept rxing meds that didn't work and then he wanted me to go to a behavoirist to learn how to get to sleep....so I didn't go back.Since I had surgery I am sleeping better, I still snore, but I am sleeping.

[Lovage]

I had decompression last year in October and that is when things got worse.  I'm one of the few that have decompression failure.  I did the sleep study about two weeks ago and then they came up with the stop breathing thing and do not know why.  They did not take into concideration that i have Chiari surgery failure.  

[rod44]

Hi lovage,
I am sorry to hear that your surgery was not successful, this sadly is one of the risks with all surgery and in brain surgery it is much more serous.
I think what you are referring to is sleep Apnea.
Sleep Apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep.
Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They often occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Typically, normal breathing then starts again, sometimes with a loud snort or choking sound. This is common in CM.
I think not taking in to consideration ANY part of your medical history is irresponsible to say the least.
ROD.

[sunnisquest]

My daughter,now 14 had surgery 3 years ago and I believe her surgery was a failure as well.  I cannot say that it didnt help her with some issues.  However, many have returned and many more are starting or getting worse. I am very frightend.  I know that Chiari systmes have to be lived with but when it comes to the heart and breathing it is frightening.  She wakes up at night and is very scared.  She has always have pulpitations and irregualar heart beats.  By now it seems she is getting DROP ATTACKS.  What have you found out?  I think there may be a tolorance of when they think it is best to go back in and try to redo the surgery. We are looking in that direction at this time.  Her headaches are worse, her scoliosis has progressed, her loss of hearing, starring siezures are more frequent, pain, vision, fainting, breathing (awake and asleep), heart pain (all different types)...

[selmaS]

  There are many failures to this surgery when non chiari specialists r used....I hate to say that, but in many cases it is one of the main reasons. Once the pt begins to have issues, this NS refuses to see what is going on....

It could be cerebral ptosis this happens when the NS removes too much bone....another issue could be not enuff was removed...the surgery could have been too conservative.

  The best thing u  all could do is get an opinion from a chiari specialist, they will be willing to help where the first NS will not see a problem.

Sunnisquest- if ur DD is having drop attacks she has a CSF obstruction....her surgeon may have failed her, but she may benefit from seeing another one with more experience....drop attacks r a sign she needs to be seen, soon!

Was ur DD checked for POTS?.....Ehlers-Danlos? and sleep apnea....

As Ray mentioned it is  a related  condition of chiari and all of us with sleep issues should be tested for it .

Lovage were u RX'd a C-Pap?

     "selma"