Subject:. Sleep apnea
I went recently to be tested for apnea and when I asked the doc how long I would have to use the mask, his reply was that once you have it, you always have it. I thought about that comment later with reference to my PD husband who was diagnosed years ago (pre-PD dx) after a hospital lab test. after three months of using the mask, he stopped using it . In retrospect that was a really bad idea but in those young days, he thought he was immortal!
Since he has so much trouble sleeping and I see that other PD folks write about the same difficulty - I always thought it was either the PD itself or a side effect of the meds or both. Now I am not so sure that is the only problem.
The first problem we faced in doing a current test was that one must be asleep in order to do the preliminary test. gave him 800mg valerian extract and got him to sleep (finally!).
We got the preliminary finger monitor study (very easy) and went yesterday to hear the results. He had 382 breathing events during the four hours they were able to get on the monitor (it got misplaced during the night so only registered about half the time). His oxygen level dropped to a low of 75% with a count of 42.3 Oxygen drops per hour.
That means he has severe central sleep apnea.
He will now go overnight into a sleep lab to get more specifics... What part of the events are due to uncontrollable causes and what part can be corrected.
I am giving you these details so you will see how harmful disrupted sleep can be and to encourage you to rule apnea out as a possible malefactor by being tested.
The doctor originally told me in my appointment that apnea causes or contributes to all sorts of problems down the road, not just sleeplessness or fatigue. He expects in Don's case, that combining the apnea mask with the oxygen he already takes for his heart, it will help with the heart failure. It makes me wonder if the untreated apnea was a cause in the failure in the first place.
Think about it...a drop in oxygenation of the tissues multiple times while trying to get rejuvenating sleep....that can't be good! Actually, it is terrible.
So if you have sleep problems and/or fatigue or (surprise!) wake up to pee frequently, perhaps apnea is a problem.
I found a free book by Steven Park MD which can be downloaded to kindle. Going to read it now and report back.
Oh, ugg...the first two paragraphs hooked me.
Help need sleep advice 
Thoughts on monitoring my loved one at night.
Body pain not a symptom of PD?
Parkinson's & sleep
