Help [varying AHI levels]

[Marillion]

Pretty much agree here, raise the min to 7 cm to start then see.  Setting your max to 20, 12 or 10 for that matter should have no impact on you because your max is not going into that territory.

I've read the machine algorithm response is better if there isn't too much of a spread between min and max.  Though theoretically you are right Bonjour.

[Haynbo]

Pretty much agree here, raise the min to 7 cm to start then see.  Setting your max to 20, 12 or 10 for that matter should have no impact on you because your max is not going into that territory.

I've read the machine algorithm response is better if there isn't too much of a spread between min and max.  Though theoretically you are right Bonjour.

Good Morning- I am really frustrated this am- I spent most of yesterday reading, watching videos and trying to get a handle on this sleep apnea thing. I changed my pressures to 7.0 min and 12.0 max. I also taped my mouth closed to make sure I totally breathed thru my nose. I woke up around 6:00 am to the sound of alot of air blowing out of my Dreamwear nasal mask- the pressure was at 11.8 which is way high for me. I have attached several screen shots that hopefully can give you guys some info that my explain my problem. Thanks!

[Marillion]

I don't see CA events on your charts. Did you turn it off?

For a good mask fitting guide check out Bonjour's guide in my signature.

Though speaking for myself. I could never get the Dreamwear to stop leaking. After I tried the Airfit P10 I never looked back.

Not seeing your CA events I don't feel comfortable making a further recommendation.

[OpalRose]

Haynbo,
To see your clear airways, look at the bottom left of the daily page. You will see a drop down box for flags. Click on Clear Airway to turn it to black/green. Now they should show up.

[Haynbo]

[attachment=3399][attachment=3398]Good Morning- I corrected the issue with Clear Airways showing- I have attached several screen shots showing my current status- it appears that leakage is an issue for me- does the degree that I have exhibited effect the overall score? I just don't know what else to do- I look like an idiot going to bed- I not only have a mouthpiece in but I also have my mouth taped. I tried to start out the night with a full face mask (Simplus) but too many noises and vibrations so I went back to the nasal pillow (Res Med Air Fit ) that I have used the last several nights. As I had previously mentioned, my best numbers were on the DreaWare nasal mask when I was in Florida for 5 nights but, for some reason, that has bot worked as well. I am really searching- I spent some time researching masks yesterday and almost pulled the trigger on a 5th mask- luckly, for me, the CPAP shop gives you 30 days to try! Anyway, any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

On another note, just wondering, am I restricted to seeing a sleep tech at the place my equipment came from?- I do not feel confident with them at all- I have had to make several calls over the past couple of months and they have not been very good as far as responsiveness etc. I mentioned this to one of my Drs. assistants and she said they have heard that a lot- I feel like I need to sit down with a sleep tech and go over things but I do not know where to go. I tried doing some research to see if there are sleep techs that are in private practice but it seems that they are all employed by Docs and that you need to access them thru the Dr.'s office.

[Sleeprider]

You can change your DME at any time to another in-network provider; however if your machine is under a rental agreement, you need to check how your transfer affects that machine. You can usually leave you rmachine rental in place and obtain supplies through the new DME until the rental period ends. Call your insurance carrier for more specific policies.

Keep in mind that a DME can only discuss your therapy from an equipment point of view. They are bound by the prescription in your order, so if you want to discuss therapy from a clinical efficacy or with regard to medical concerns, that is your doctor. For example, you have a number of obstructive apnea and hypopnea remaining on a night to night basis. It appears you would benefit from a higher minimum pressure. Your DME cannot discuss that with you. You can just do it on your own, or take it up as a prescription change with the doctor.

[Haynbo]

[attachment=3400][attachment=3400][attachment=3400]I tried an experiment last night that apparently failed miserably-(see attached)- anyway since my numbers have been trending upward since early April (average of 2.0) to an average of around 5.0 last 2 weeks or so I figured it was worth trying something different. I decided to sleep in my recliner- it doesn't go all the way flat- probably around 85-90 percent. I also switched back to a full face mask (Simplus) and also a mouth guard to keep my jaw from collapsing. With all this I expected great results! By the way, I had used the DreamWare under the nose mask during the good period and then tried nasal pillows for several days as the numbers started to rise

I was really tried last night so I fell asleep at about 10:45- didn't move again till about 5:00 am- then dozed till I fnally got up- couldn't wait to download the info- what I found was hard for me to believe- thought it was a mistake but after then checking the numbers thru the machine they confirmed my first look- AHI- 25.3- I could not believe it- it was full of OSAs throughout the night as well as a Periodic breathing percent of almost 7.

I am going to call the Dr. later today but figured you guys are really good at this and may be able to provide some insight. My main question is as follows- could sleeping in the recliner, at the angle I was in, cause such a drastic change in the number of events. I really thought that I was going to see some great results- boy was I wrong. Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated- I am growing more and more frustrated with this whole process- I have been 100% compliant and seem to be going in the wrong direction

[Marillion]

It is best not to change too many factors at once. Since now we can't be sure about what exactly caused the huge jump in your AHI score.

I would return to the nasal mask that you had before and with everything else as much the same as before as possible.

I would suggest raising your minimum to 8 and your maximum pressure to 15 for now but making sure all other conditions remain the same. Sleeprider or some of the other experienced folks may give you some other advice. Stay tuned.

[Sleeprider]

Needless to say, go back to bed and forget the recliner. I think your results tell us one thing, your apnea is the result of your chin tucking to your chest and obstructing the airway. Get a soft cervical collar, put it on and get comfortable, then watch the obstructive go away.

One other request, please stop using forum attachments to share your charts. Due to size limits, you are deleting all the historic information so there is nothing to compare to. Use the procedure to link to Imgur where you can store unlimited charts and graphs and they won't disappear on your next post. The procedure is the second link in my signature.

[Haynbo]

Thanks very much- apologize for the mistakes with the attachments- I am learning as I go and, I might add, not very well!