Help to understand the numbers

[DonC]

Hello Again Everyone,
As some of you know I have been sleeping with a mask for 9 days and have imported the information for those days into SleepyHead. I am concerned that I am not doing as well as I should. My AHI is averaging 13.45 with last night being 11.17.
As you can see from the attached files I am trying to use the mask all night but do experience problems where the pressure builds up in my FFM to the point that I have Chipmunk cheeks and an extended nose. I do not know how to deal with that and end up turning the machine off. Anyway it looks like I can't cope with pressure over 13 or 14, should I change the machines settings?
Just so you know I started with an "Amara View" FFM but couldn't deal with the nose piece. I changed to the Simplus on the 14th and think it is better. I hope you can tell me.
I really do not think I am sleeping well and would like some guidance on what I can do to help the situation. The one graph that I have no idea about is the By Pressure one. Does it say that the higher pressures are causing the occurrences????
My wife is really hoping you can help me as she is having a tough time with me wearing the mask.
Help!!!!

[attachment=1795][attachment=1794][attachment=1793][attachment=1792]

[Mike1953]

http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...SleepyHead

[zonk]

You might want delete the last attachment "CPAP Statistics" with your full details

[DariaVader]

• Did you have mixed apnea in your sleep study? Did they give you a breakdown between Central and Obstructive events? You are going to need this info
  
• Did you go right to sleep? If not, perhaps that cluster of CA at the start can be thrown out....
  

IF you had centrals in your sleep study, you may need a more advanced machine to treat your apnea (ASV) but if not you can tighten the range of the apap and lower the amt of EPR. A fair number of people have "Clear Airway" events in response to pressure changes. If that night is like the other 8, you could set your pressure to max where you felt comfy - you spend the vast majority of time below that number. up the minimum as well... by a small amt at a time, until the spread is much lower. Set epr to 1 or 0.

You must also have ramp on - since your lowest pressures are just above 4 and your minimum is set to 8. the CA events are largely at that low.... maybe just turning ramp off will make a big improvement.

Also - It does take some time to get used to the device... it's not ideal! I long to be able to crawl into bed without it and sleep restfully!!! but I know it won't happen....


you should ignore the "by pressure" graph, don't think it works correctly.

[DonC]

Hi,
Thanks Zonk

After advice I tried to remove one of the charts but ended up removing them all. Here they are again.

If you click on the attachment that says statistic.doc you can see the overall details. Sorry for the confusion again.

[attachment=1798][attachment=1796][attachment=1797]

[attachment=1799]

[drgrimes]

Don, in respect to the "chipmonk cheeks", do you have problems keeping your mouth closed? If that's the case, try rolling up a hand towel making a pad to put between your chin and chest to keep mouth closed. This eliminates having to use a chin strap. Also, don't be too concerned about your results. All of us have problems getting used to cpap in the beginning. Your numbers will get better as you get used to it. I promise that will happen. I almost quit in the beginning due to many problems. They are all solvable, just keep getting advice from this forum.

[DonC]

Thanks for the advice Mike, DariaVader and drgrimes.
I am certainly going to stick with it but last night was another tough night. It looks like I slept ok for just over two hours but then the night went to "#5*!" (a bad place).
I am attaching last nights information and that will bring this thread to the top of the board for the last time, I promise.
Please comment on the numbers, I really need to learn.
I am being told that I cannot go back to the doctors for 30 days and, of course, due to his prior engagements it will be almost two weeks after that before I can get to him. I feel that I am sleeping worse than before but I was having 72 AHI per hour at my sleep test so that cannot be.
Thanks in advance.

[attachment=1803][attachment=1801][attachment=1802]

[DariaVader]

The majority of your events are CA (Clear Airway), and the reason for this needs to be understood. That is why I asked questions about the initial sleep study. Either you have PAP induced CA - and will benefit from tighter pressures, or you have complex apnea and need a different type of machine, as CPAP/APAP will not address Central Apnea.

The information that is most useful is Pressure, Events, Leak and the info down the side (middle pic) You could drag those + Flow Limitations to the top and post just that for the most part - and certainly that is where you want to concentrate your attention.

Your leak rate looks fine, mostly low and when there is a spike it is very short (although it may be rousing you when it happens it looks manageable)

My suspicion is that you need an ASV - but your sleep study numbers would confirm that.

[DariaVader]

ps: Don't worry about bumping your thread when you still need help... You're allowed to do that!

[DonC]

The majority of your events are CA (Clear Airway), and the reason for this needs to be understood. That is why I asked questions about the initial sleep study. Either you have PAP induced CA - and will benefit from tighter pressures, or you have complex apnea and need a different type of machine, as CPAP/APAP will not address Central Apnea.

The information that is most useful is Pressure, Events, Leak and the info down the side (middle pic) You could drag those + Flow Limitations to the top and post just that for the most part - and certainly that is where you want to concentrate your attention.

Your leak rate looks fine, mostly low and when there is a spike it is very short (although it may be rousing you when it happens it looks manageable)

My suspicion is that you need an ASV - but your sleep study numbers would confirm that.

Hi DariaVader,
Thanks for looking at the numbers for me.
First of all the Sleep Study was a bit of a mess because I couldn't go to sleep and ended up only doing the test for 4.5 hours which, so they told me, did not allow them time to test me with a machine. My insurance company would not allow me to go back and then when I saw the sleep specialist I did not know what to ask and ended up 20 days later with the machine I am now. I am only just starting to understand where I am and what I should be saying.
I spoke to the nurse at the machine suppliers on Friday last week and she intimated that I may need another machine but that I would have to wait until I see my doctor again which is some way away.
As for the leek rate - it seems to occur when I get an enormous build up of pressure. I heard someone say that the machines do not give out enough pressure to blow up a balloon but I don't think my cheeks believe that. I get chipmunk cheeks, enormous leeks that I try to control and when I cannot I turn the machine off.
Anyway thanks for the review. I will reorganize the graphs and go from there.
All the best and sleep well.
Don