How to read my new ASV Charts

[richdreher]

I do now have a cervical collar.  I will use it after I get a few "regular" night in.

I had a UPPP, of course no tonsils; so hope that helps

Charts to follow (slowly but surely)

Rich

[richdreher]

Thanks Dave
Trends to follow. I love it here.

Rich

[richdreher]

Screenshot of my first good night on AUTO ASV setting. A future night I will try the cervical collar for those first big events.

Nice how the EPAP follows along.

Settings are as shown on screenshot (I dont know where the MAX IPAP=35 comes from; it's not a setting)

   

Rich

[Sleeprider]

Pressure is maxed out, but the events are in clusters, suggesting that positional issues are happening. You tolerate lower pressures, but when obstructive clusteres happen, the pressure rises to the maximum allowed, and apnea and hypopnea occur. What collar are you using, and do you think it prevents obstructive positions?

[SarcasticDave94]

Teaching moment on your ResMed ASV:

IPAP is the sum of EPAP and PS at that moment. Since you're on ASV Auto now, all 3 EPAP PS and IPAP are ranges.

Agreed there could be Positional Apnea going on. It's probable as this ASV can win the battle against pretty much everything else.

[richdreher]

Dave, Sleeprider,
I only used the collar once.  I got it at Walgreens.  It did work to reduce the clustering. I was just hoping the ASV would help because going to bed like I was in a car wreck was not easy to get to sleep with.  I have sleep aids now, so I should be able to zonk out with the Collar on; we'll see.

I feel pretty good when I wake up, (including my Oxygen Concentrator at 2.5 Liters) so that's good regardless of the Clustering.

Thanks for the teaching moments Dave.

Good to know the ASV is not a miracle worker when it comes to positional Apnea.

I read that Trazodone (my sleep aid) does NOT effect Apnea, just as a matter of reference : )

In the last 6 months I have had 4 (yes 4) Sleep studies per the doctor(s) to lower my Apnea and not EVEN ONE mention of obstructive Apnea. 

Stay tuned and thanks for your attention with me.

Rich

[SarcasticDave94]

Welcome.

If we didn't mention before, this Positional Apnea we refer to here isn't in reference to positional sleep as on the sleep study. That on the study will mean side, supine, stomach body sleeping positions. Docs will very likely look at you with the blank, clueless, deer in the headlights look if you ask them about this kind of Positional Apnea and the collar use.

[Sleeprider]

Rich, the fact your ASV went to EPAP at 15, and considering the pattern of your last charts, tells you have both complex apnea, which the ASV can fully resolve, but you also likely have "positional apnea" where your chin tucks in a manner that restricts or obstructs the airway.  Read these two wiki articles we wrote for the many people on this forum that have this problem, and look for the pattern of clustered apnea or hypopnea that are its signature.  Maybe try the chin-tucking exercise and see if you get the expected result of obstructed airway.  Pay particular attention to the Oscar charts in the Soft Cervical Collar wiki, where we show ASV before and after the collar. Like you, the pressure without a collar rises to the maximum and leaves clusters of unresolved apnea and hypopnea, while with a collar, the same individual has consistently achieve AHI less than 1.0.

Positional Apnea: http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...onal_Apnea
Soft Cervical Collar: http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...cal_Collar

I am quoting my previous post because you NEED to read these wiki articles.  There are many solutions to chin-tucking, and the comfort of different collar styles and sizes vary a lot. You should not feel like a car wreck victim, you only need to restrain or re-train your chin from dropping to your chest.  Those articles include results from an ASV user that will give you insights on what to expect.

[richdreher]

Dave, et al

Here is my new ASV "AUTO" titrated trace.

It is more comfortable when the pressure is not needed. It detects the Central Apnea, the best I can tell.

The cervical collar does help, but it seems impossible for me to sleep all night with it on.

   

[Ron Poelstra]

Hi Rich, can I ask where you purchased your ASV from?