Another 95 Percent Pressure Question

[PaulaO2]

Joke I saw the other day: According to the BMI chart, I'm too short.

[Sleepster]

I don't know what I'll do if my pressure needs get higher as I get older. I can't really lose any more weight - I'm just barely over the target weight on the BMI scale and I would just about have to lose muscle in order to lose weight. My neck isn't very large. I think my apnea is so bad because of jaw structure. I had a "deep bite" as a child and instead of trying to move the jaw forward like the Dentist wanted, the Orthodontist waited until I was a teenager and moved my bottom teeth forward. At the time he said that it was the best route because my jaw already looked normal from the outside. I still have my tonsils too, that might have something to do with it.

You could have a good doctor look at these issues. Usually if the tonsils are not swollen they're probably not an issue, but every person's anatomy is different.

Dental devices can be used to force the lower forward. You just wear it at night like a night guard. It may be that you'd have to wear one of these in addition to needing the CPAP therapy.

Surgery is another option for patients whose OSA is so bad it can't be treated adequately with CPAP therapy. And after the surgery CPAP therapy may, or even likely will, be needed.

The good news is that as you adapt to CPAP therapy the AHI measured by the machine tends to drop. Perhaps your pressure will drop, too.

Anyway, there's no sense in getting ahead of ourselves. Adapt to the CPAP therapy and take it from there.

[jgjones1972]

You could have a good doctor look at these issues. Usually if the tonsils are not swollen they're probably not an issue, but every person's anatomy is different.

My Internal Medicine Specialist sent me to an ENT he thinks is really good. ENT said risk/reward doesn't warrant any surgery.

Dental devices can be used to force the lower forward. You just wear it at night like a night guard. It may be that you'd have to wear one of these in addition to needing the CPAP therapy.

I'll look into this if my pressure needs increase.

Surgery is another option for patients whose OSA is so bad it can't be treated adequately with CPAP therapy. And after the surgery CPAP therapy may, or even likely will, be needed.

I really trust and respect my Internal Medicine Specialist and he says he can't recommend any of the current surgical procedures. He says we'll cross that bridge when we come to it and that new procedures may be available in the future.

The good news is that as you adapt to CPAP therapy the AHI measured by the machine tends to drop. Perhaps your pressure will drop, too.

Anyway, there's no sense in getting ahead of ourselves. Adapt to the CPAP therapy and take it from there.

I was one of the lucky ones and took to PAP like a kitten takes to milk. I remember the first time I put a mask on at a DME. Pressure was at 5cmH2O (minimum setting). I put it on and thought "OHH YEAHH". I thought I needed more pressure and argued with the Respiratory Salesologist because she wouldn't set the minimum pressure any higher. I spent the next few weeks (until I found Apnea Board) "fake snoring" into the mask in order to get the pressure high enough so I could go to sleep. Since I have had control of my own settings my AHI has decreased substantially with calculated raises in minimum pressure, but 95% pressure stays close to the same as it was half a year ago. I know that this probably isn't enough time to be certain, but I'm not entertaining any notion that my pressure needs will decrease substantially. I'm keeping an eye on it though, thanks to all of the help I've gotten here.

[Airstream]

Thanks jgjones, the info is appreciated. /Jeff.

[SuperSleeper]

Joke I saw the other day: According to the BMI chart, I'm too short.

Or the more politically-correct "I'm vertically challenged".