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Insomnia - Adult  (Expert Forum)
 | 
Is this some kind of apnea?
Answered by
UMass Memorial Medical Center
Questions in the Sleep & Insomnia Forum are being answered by Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs.

Is this some kind of apnea?

by Paulsangel, Apr 14, 2009 04:02PM
My boyfriend is 36 years old.  He has gained weight as the sleeping disorder has became worse.  He is currently around 20 pounds over weight.  His symptoms are morning head aches, light headness, depression, forgetfulness, mood and behavior changes, trouble concentrating, loss of energy(becomes physically weak), nervousness, wakes up and feels like he never slept, horrible anxiety, snores sometimes, coughing or gaging on something though he only remembers if I ask if he is alright, and occasional pounding heart.

He had a sleep study two weeks ago came back and his family doctor told him he thought he had Hypopnea and referred him to a specialist.  Now the specialist is telling him that he thinks he is having stroke like events.

The sleep study findings are (this is with him on his medications)
Sleep Latency: 17
REM latency:80.5
average osat: 96.3%
number of epochs: 788
Sleep efficiency: 93.5%
Total awakenings:11 Index 1.8
AHI: 1.3
Minimum OSat: 86.0%
WASO: 7

EEG: seemed normal.  There were frequent arousals during the study that were associated with respiratory events and periodic limb movement

He spent 70.7% in stage 2
19% in REM
6.5% wake
and 3.9% in stage 1

respiratory events went as follows 1 obstructive apnea, 1 apnea, 7 hypopnea, 19 oxygen desaturation, 27 respiratory

Arousal summary
17 leg movements sponstaneous was 211


His heart rate ranged from 50 to 114 throughout the night
I dont know what all of this means and so many of these symptoms qualify him for so many different things.  We did rule out some basic things so now we are on to actual sleeping disorders.  We are desperate to find an answer so he can live a full life.

by Gregg D Jacobs, Ph.D., Apr 14, 2009 04:10PM
Please post this question for Dr. Park in the Sleep Breathing Disorders forum since he is the sleep apnea expert.

Dr. Jacobs
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