Chart Envy

[Technopauper]

Jaswilliams - thanks, feel like such a dummy for not figuring that out - must be sleep deprived :-)

I am now at 15.6 for two nights with only 1 Obstructive event in two nights .................think I can go lower again ! I've learned to do these things gradually though otherwise my centrals go crazy so will hold here for another 5 nights before continuing down ! Last night was 2.89 overall, a few centrals and hypos only other than a short period of centrals when I was obviously lying on my back - this has the greatest impact on increasing centrals with me I've learned

What's really great about lower pressures is that my mask doesn't have to be so tight which makes it far more comfortable - onwards.........

Think I'll go through this chain when I have a bit of time and write a learning summary as there has certainly been a lot for me and hopefully other readers of this chain

Rob

[Technopauper]

So, I think its fair to say my body hates 15.8.....almost as much as it hated 10.5 !

Question is do I continue on down from here or go back to safe and stable ? The argument for continuing down is that OSA has not crept in yet, its nearly all centrals with a smattering of hypos - try reducing by a cm ?

Can it happen that a certain pressure just brings on centrals even though I've been considerably higher and stable ? Ie not high pressure induced just single pressure induced ?

Thoughts please learned ones ?

Rob

[Sleeprider]

Once again we are reminded that the only consistent fact about complex apnea is it's inconsistency...back to ASV.

[Technopauper]

Sorry I just don't buy it, last night I knocked the pressure back up to 16.4 and after a skinful of beer watching the Flames hump the Flyers (Go Flames Go) I managed 11.4 - not great but quite a reduction from the hideous last week.

I honestly think my body reacts really badly to certain fixed pressures, pressure changes and timezone changes but when things stabilize I can average below 3 - don't see how this can be complex, can it really ? I actually don't feel that bad surprisingly, I guess OCA really doesn't drive O2 content down the same way as OSA does ?

Will monitor at higher pressure for a few more days then report back, Tuesday its back to a 7 hr time diff so hopefully we'll level out low again before then.

Has anyone else had / seen this type of phenomenon before ?

Rob

[Technopauper]

Captain slog continues........ 30th Dec

I raised the pressure back up to 16.4 for a couple of days then back to 17 - been through a 7hr timezone change on 18th and back again on 28th and have to say I've never felt better through jet lag and really never had better numbers.

Numbers seem to suggest that indeed my body was reacting badly to the lower pressures and has again found its new normal ?

Has anyone else found the same, body reacting badly to certain pressures rather than necessarily higher pressures (i.e. pressure induced OCA) ?

Sleeprider - honest question that I'd really like to understand your answer to - are you still convinced that I have complex apnea but am just managing to mitigate it with fixed pressures and conscious decent sleep hygiene. Its just seems like when I hit a rough patch the conversation turns there again - I really want to know am I deluding myself and this is indeed symptomatic of complex ?

Other learned ones - same question, I've only really been hearing from Sleeprider recently (which I very much appreciate) but would love other views too ?

Rob

[Sleeprider]

Your latest results look excellent, and the trends are again in the right direction, but two weeks ago, and two cm lower pressure, this was you. You're not going to convince me anything is consistent and working on 10 good days. I think it looks very promising, but we've seen this before.

[Gideon]

Complex/Mixed/Central Apnea on your machine will be consistently inconsistent. I'm very happy that you are having a good period. Your doctor would pronounce you cured. We can wait for the bounce.

[Technopauper]

Stardate 26th Jan, the slog continues.....

Have been set at 17 now for almost a month, been through 2 major timezone changes without really a bump and feeling much better generally especially when 'in zone' for at least two weeks.

The bump a couple of weeks ago was when choked up with the cold, which seemed to make me more prone to sleeping on my back - does the bad trend attached look positional ??

I've ordered a fannie pack (bum bag for Brits amongst us) to fill with tennis balls for the next time it hits to try a bit of positional therapy. Have been using tap/bottled water for the last two weeks in the UK and its amazing how quickly the water reservoir 'minerals up' - discovered last night that wine vinegar works just as well as white vinegar for cleaning as couldn't get white vinegar here in London.

Its becoming very normal and almost comforting to have the mask on my face now at night and the structured breathing seems to send me off to sleep really quickly - have faith newbies it gets easier.

So the question for the learned ones - treated or delusional ?

Thoughts and comments on both questions please - last chart for me shows just how far my treatment has come, may not be perfect but certainly huge progress that I can generally feel

Rob

[Technopauper]

Sorry let me be clearer with one of my questions - would sleeping on my back cause that block of CAs or does it cause OAs ?

i.e. could the cause of that block of CAs on chart one be caused by sleeping on my back ?

Thanks in advance

Rob

[Gideon]

I am not seeing a positional element here.  

Your CPAP was never intended to and doesn't treat Centrals.  With a CPAP CA levels will be inconsistent consistently.  This is fodder to talk to your doctor about.

Make a list of days where your Obstructive numbers (AHI-CA) are under 5 (treated) and your CA is over 5.

This is the first criteria for qualifying for an ASV.