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First post- 3 weeks in
#1
First post- 3 weeks in
Hi, great forum and I suspect I can learn a lot here.

OK
Went for a sleep study about a year ago and could not sleep there. I suspected that would happen but gave it a try. Kicked it around until about June, then took the home sleep study and diagnosed with Apnea. As a side note I live in AZ and have had Valley Fever for about 1 year.
I am Male, 62 years old. 5'11 220 lbs
High BP, sometimes go pre-diabetic and due to the VF cannot use BP meds

Finally got my APAP. Airsense 10 with Nasal Pillows.
I am a very light sleeper and never make more than 6 hrs.
The 1st night I toughed it out for 7 hours with the mask and was a zombie the next day. Tired, headaches, etc

That was the last 7 hour session. Most are 2-4 hours then I wake up and seem to have lack of oxygen and headaches. At that point I pull the mask and feel like I am breathing better and go to sleep as I need to get up at 5 AM for work (cube rat).

I must be doing something wrong as I expected to sleep better with the CPAP. M Dr. Prescribed 5-20 pressure. I will include a screen shot of my stats. Any help, ideas, opinions will be appreciated.
Thanks
Steve

[attachment=2773]
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#2
RE: First post- 3 weeks in
My guess is that 5 is a little low for you. Using the free sleepyhead would help see what is going on
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#3
RE: First post- 3 weeks in
I think you will come along soon.. It does take some folks a bit longer then others.. That's the whole range of your machines PAP pressure from 5-20. Seems strange that a Physician would RX that big of a range unless he/she is using it to get a feel for the proper settings since you only took the home sleep test.
Yesterday is history; Tomorrow is a mystery; Today is a gift; Thats why its called "The Present".  
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#4
RE: First post- 3 weeks in
Hi Steve4cr,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
It sounds like you may be a bit airstarved at that low of pressure.
Hang in there for more ideas and good luck to you with your CPAP therapy.
trish6hundred
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#5
RE: First post- 3 weeks in
Welcome aboard!

Which nasal pillows do you have? A headache might indicate a problem with the venting and re-breathing CO2. Do you pull the bedding over your head?

I will also suggest that you try some different masks. I have a hard time with nasal pillows, but no trouble breathing with a full-face mask. Everyone is different, you need to find what works for you.
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#6
RE: First post- 3 weeks in
Id raise my min pressure until I felt I was getting plenty of air.
Probably 7 to 9 range min pressure.

Get sleeyhead software. Its free. Then you can see what your events are .
5 min usually makes folks feel smothered.
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#7
RE: First post- 3 weeks in
What was the recommended fixed CPAP pressure?

Start with a minimum of 2 below and 2 above and see what happens. The 5 minimum is far too low. If you are not sure then your 90% pressure (which is just below 10) is a good guide so I'd go with a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 12.

It seems as if you've got your EPR set at 2 and I'd leave it at that. it means that you might go as low as 6 on exhale so that should be OK. If you still feel a bit suffocated then you get two choices. Raise the minmum to 9 or lower the EPR to 1.

If you are not sure how to change the settings then we can help you do that.
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#8
RE: First post- 3 weeks in
Welcome to the forum.

The general idea is to straddle your (average) 90% pressure with min about 2 below and max maybe 2-3 above. So you can hike the min as advised, and lower the max substantially. But it's advisable to make small incremental changes to the min, say .5 or 1 cmH2O at a time, then wait several nights before making another, especially since you're a light sleeper.

But here's the thing: your numbers are already good! (After 5 mos. APAP, I'd kill for numbers like that.) So could be other stuff going on. Do try to learn SleepyHead, keep reading, and post some SH graphs when you can.

Some early on things to try/check:
- Sleep on your side.
- Use SH to confirm low level of mask leak.
- Check for snores.
- Ensure that pressure doesn't max out often.
- Watch for improvement in bp and fewer night time bathroom breaks.
- Use the auto on auto off function (not sure what it's called on the Resmed) so if you rip the mask off while sleeping, the machine will shut off automatically. If you put it back on but don't remember doing so, or don't remember the time, there'll be a precise marker in the data.
- Watch for clustered events in SH. (If they're common, the corresponding flow region may contain clues to what's going on.)
- On the SH flow graph, make a 3 or 4 minute window and scroll around. Familiarize yourself with breathing patterns where you're pretty sure you were sleeping. They should be quite regular. Learn your "signature." Check whether it alters substantially from night to night.

I'm having issues similar to yours - feeling crummy most days, but with AHI higher than yours. I'm beginning to wonder what else is going on. But I have noticed drop in bp and fewer bathroom trips, so I figure the therapy is worth it even for that.

As Trish says, hang in there.
We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
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#9
RE: First post- 3 weeks in
Welcome Steve4cr! You can learn a lot here! Lots of very knowledgeable people on this board.

Sounds like you would benefit from downloading SleepyHead and looking at your data. Post results here and get opinions on it. Also as others have suggested you would probably benefit from tightening up your pressure range which is usually best done gradually.

APNEABOARD - A great place to be if you're a hosehead!!  Rolleyes  

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EVERY ACCOMPLISHMENT BEGINS WITH THE DECISION TO TRY!
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