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Finding AHI at home
#1
Idea 
Finding AHI at home
Hello,

Last night, I went for my second sleep study - without my mother this time. It was a disaster. I think I slept for only 2 hours in total. The technician said I might need to redo the study.

My first sleep study showed that I suffer from mild sleep apnea (AHI: 14.5). That was 2 years ago. Since then, I have gained weight and have been feeling much worse. So I asked to be re-evaluated.

Since that didn't go well, I came up with an idea. I'm gonna use my mother's AutoSet to try and determine my AHI at home. I'm gonna set it at the lowest pressure, so that it records as many events as possible. I'm not sure whether I should keep EPR on.

What do you think? Will it work or am I just wasting my time here?

PS: On the left, there's my mother's info. I don't have a machine/mask on my own yet.
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#2
RE: Finding AHI at home
DOOM_NX, if I were you I would get the sleep study done to make sure you get it right, your health is the most important thing here. If your going to do it the way you suggest, I would have the low on 4 and the high on 20 and see how you go for a week or two. You can then start to lowwer your high pressure if needed. The EPR is more for comfort, it's another thing that will be a bit of trial and error. At least you seem like you are willing to use the CPAP now. Good luck and keep us updated.
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#3
RE: Finding AHI at home
Unless you are one of the rare people, you may find that you sleep worse in the beginning. While it may even help you, personally I would allow another study to be scheduled, and even if it means going without sleep for a few days, do what you can to make sure that you do sleep during the next study.

The 'problem' with your idea is that even those of us that have been on a CPAP/BI-PAP for sometime have random good and bad days, and "AHIs" and the count of them is not the only thing looked for during a sleep study.
*I* am not a DOCTOR or any type of Health Care Professional.  My thoughts/suggestions/ideas are strictly only my opinions.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your Soul, the other for your Freedom."
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#4
RE: Finding AHI at home
(10-07-2013, 07:33 PM)Peter_C Wrote: Unless you are one of the rare people, you may find that you sleep worse in the beginning. While it may even help you, personally I would allow another study to be scheduled, and even if it means going without sleep for a few days, do what you can to make sure that you do sleep during the next study.

The 'problem' with your idea is that even those of us that have been on a CPAP/BI-PAP for sometime have random good and bad days, and "AHIs" and the count of them is not the only thing looked for during a sleep study.

There is so much more to a sleep study than finding the correct pressure and you are doing yourself a disservice by not having a sleep study of your own. That is all.
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#5
RE: Finding AHI at home
Thanks for the answers.

I'm not against a 3rd (and a 4th and a 5th...) sleep study. It costs only 80 USD over here - the rest is covered by insurance. I'm just super curious to see what my AHI is like at the moment. I've washed the mask and I'm getting ready to see how it feels like...

Whatever the outcome of this experiment, I will return the machine to my mother and follow my doctor's instructions.
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#6
RE: Finding AHI at home
Good idea
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#7
RE: Finding AHI at home
(10-07-2013, 06:59 PM)DOOM_NX Wrote: My first sleep study showed that I suffer from mild sleep apnea (AHI: 14.5). That was 2 years ago.


You didn't start CPAP therapy then?

Sleepster

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#8
RE: Finding AHI at home
(10-07-2013, 08:21 PM)Sleepster Wrote: You didn't start CPAP therapy then?

No. At AHI 14.5, I was diagnosed with mild OSA and the doctor said I should try losing weight. I guess my young age (23 y.o.) played a role, too.

Well, I lost some weight, but then I suffered from depression while I gained it all back. And 30 pounds more. Now, I feel like my energy is very limited. I can't even take up exercise or successfully follow a diet. I keep thinking that my sleep is problematic since I never wake up refreshed. That's why I scheduled another sleep study. Maybe I need a CPAP machine, too, in order to fix my life.
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#9
RE: Finding AHI at home
(10-07-2013, 08:33 PM)DOOM_NX Wrote: No. At AHI 14.5, I was diagnosed with mild OSA and the doctor said I should try losing weight. I guess my young age (23 y.o.) played a role, too.

That seems strange to me. Weight gain and depression are caused by OSA. It could very well be that you've had OSA your entire life and as you gained weight it got worse.

An AHI of 14.5 is on the very high end of mild, bordering on moderate. I'm no doctor but it seems to me that CPAP therapy is called for. See if you can get your doctor to prescribe an APAP. If your first sleep study showed no signs of CSA you should be good to go with an APAP.

If I were going to experiment with an APAP I'd set it wide open (4-20) and see what happens.
Sleepster

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#10
RE: Finding AHI at home
Well, the results of the 1st sleep study were:

Study duration: 350 min
Sleep duration: 275 min
Sleep state S1: 5 min (1.1% of sleep)
Sleep state S2: 154 min (54% of sleep)
Sleep state S3+S4: 61.5 min (21.6% of sleep)
REM sleep: 54.5 min (19.1% of sleep)
AHI: 14.5 (Apneas: 2.2 of which OSA: 0 - CSA: 2.2 - Mixed: 0, Hypopneas: 12.3)
DI (Oxygen desaturation incidents per hour): 24
Avg blood oxygen level during sleep: 97%
Avg blood oxygen level during desaturation episodes: 93%
Lowest blood oxygen level recorded: 84%
Blood oxygen level when awake: 99%
Avg heart rate: 59 bpm
Bradycardia episodes: 0
Tachycardia episodes: 6 per hour of sleep

I will experiment tonight in CPAP mode (pressure 4) and tomorrow in AutoPAP (4-20). Then, I'm gonna load the files on ResScan.
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