I was originally diagnosed with sleep apnea several years ago (late 90’s). I acquired a C-PAP and used it from then on. Starting about two years ago I began having difficulty tolerating the mask due to nasal congestion. Even before that I was on Allegra and Singular. Eventually I stopped using my C-PAP. As a result I developed poly-cythemia vera, although it cannot be confirmed, the physicians involved feel the cause is possibly due to the nighttime oxygen deprivation from not using C-PAP. Poly-cythemia vera is a blood disorder in which the body produces excess  blood cells. I had another sleep study done using BiPAP but it didn’t help. Subsequently I had a “UVP-3â€� with internal nasal reconstruction done, a.k.a. sleep apnea surgery. About 1 month ago I had another sleep study done. It was to be  a 1-night study with titration done midway if needed. Well the titration wasn’t needed. Several days later my doctor called to tell me that I no longer had sleep apnea! As a result I no longer (supposedly) need or use C-PAP. But my question/comment/ is due to this situation. After the surgery last July once I was able to I started using C-PAP again and tolerated it very well. I felt great, no more of the “usual symptomsâ€�. However, before I stopped using C-PAP per the doctor’s call that I was cured, I felt better using C-PAP. Does anyone know of any contraindications why I shouldn’t start using it again if I feel better using it? Why wife who is a RN says I shouldn’t.

Hi Eab,

As you know, polycythemia vera is a serious illness.  Unless it has spontaneously gone into remission with your apnea "cure", I feel that the development of PCV with OSA at the same time was an unfortunate comorbid condition and not a causation.  If your doctor's hypothesis that the OSA caused the PCA is correct, then when you are no longer experiencing low O2 sats., your bone marrow should shut off the abnormal production of RBCs.

If you feel better with your CPAP, then that would suggest to me that you have a need for it.  Please be aware that UP3 has a low success rate and can revert back to pre-surgery apnea levels, or worse, after surgery.  You are absolutely right in that a sleep study is the only way to definitively know how your apnea is doing.  Did you see your last sleep study?  I would want to see the evidence for my "cure".  You seem to have a good grasp of the situation.  However, if you have problems with congestion again, there are quite a few more noninvasive things to try.

Post what your last sleep study looked like.

Vicki


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That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.