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I feel horrible. My doctor won't raise the pressure, why would she lower it?
#1
Question 
I feel horrible. My doctor won't raise the pressure, why would she lower it?
I've been trying to become compliant for around four months. My AHI started at 12 and my pressure was set at 6. I had my follow up and my AHI had only gone down to 10. My doctor then raised the pressure to 7. Still no change in my AHI. What I don't understand is why she then bumped the pressure down to 5. Shouldn't she be raising the pressure not lowering it? I feel like I'm wasting 6 weeks more of feeling worse than ever. She just changed the pressure down to 5 yesterday and I woke up last night during an apnea event. I feel like giving up. Anyone know why she'd lower the pressure instead of raising it? [/font]
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#2
RE: I feel horrible. My doctor won't raise the pressure, why would she lower it?
Call your doctor and ask her what the heck she's doing and WHY! Insist on talking to the doctor because you want an explanation that you can understand. If you are often a befuddled person, do you have a family member who can advocate for you? I know it's tough when you are SO TIRED you can't think - I'm there right now.
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#3
RE: I feel horrible. My doctor won't raise the pressure, why would she lower it?
The reason for reducing the pressure may have to do with the type of apnea you are experiencing. It is hard to tell without knowing what type of events have made up your AHI.

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#4
RE: I feel horrible. My doctor won't raise the pressure, why would she lower it?
(05-19-2015, 10:55 AM)PaytonA Wrote: The reason for reducing the pressure may have to do with the type of apnea you are experiencing. It is hard to tell without knowing what type of events have made up your AHI.

Agree, can you download sleepyhead and post some graphs? Or at least the numbers until you have enough posts to put up a pic.
Using FlashAir W-03 SD card in machine. You can download your data through wifi with FlashPAP or Sleep Master utilities.

I wanted to learn Binary so I enrolled in Binary 101. I seemed to have missed the first four courses. Big Grinnie

Stick it to the man, Download OSCAR and take back control of your data!

Thanks Ian. Like I didn't have enough Honey-Do projects to tackle. Mornincoffee
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#5
RE: I feel horrible. My doctor won't raise the pressure, why would she lower it?
Hi Debra. I'm thinking what she may have done was to set the beginning ramp pressure to 5. The factory idea of a good time is 4, which is too low. But I'm also guessing she left the cpap pressure at 7.

What you need do is find out for yourself exactly what the machine is set on. To do that, download the manual for your machine so you can get into the clinician settings. You will be looking to see if ramp is on, and what pressure it begins with. Then you'll be looking to see what your cpap pressure is set at.

If it were me, ramp would be set to "off." As to the pressure? That depends on what your actual events are. How many of the OA type, vs CA, vs Hypop.
That you will determine from the Sleepyhead statistics you get when you download and install that software.

Mostly, hang in there, you will be fine. We'll help you get this figured out.

Oh: and about my guessing at what's going on? Understand that I'm really pretty accurate when it comes to guessing -- which is why I've done so well with guessing the lottery numbers, which counting tomorrow could mean I got it right once!
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#6
RE: I feel horrible. My doctor won't raise the pressure, why would she lower it?
Hi Debra,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I'm sorry you are having such a rough time with CPAP therapy but I want to encourage you not to give up, just stick with it.
Hang in there for more responses to your post and don't give up.
trish6hundred
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#7
RE: I feel horrible. My doctor won't raise the pressure, why would she lower it?
(05-19-2015, 10:55 AM)PaytonA Wrote: The reason for reducing the pressure may have to do with the type of apnea you are experiencing. It is hard to tell without knowing what type of events have made up your AHI.

That would make sense if the O.P. had a machine capable of producing useful data. She has a brick, which is the reason her doctor doesn't have a clue what to do.
Sleeprider
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com

____________________________________________
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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: I feel horrible. My doctor won't raise the pressure, why would she lower it?
(05-19-2015, 10:07 AM)Debra Wrote: I've been trying to become compliant for around four months. My AHI started at 12 and my pressure was set at 6. I had my follow up and my AHI had only gone down to 10. My doctor then raised the pressure to 7. Still no change in my AHI. What I don't understand is why she then bumped the pressure down to 5. Shouldn't she be raising the pressure not lowering it? I feel like I'm wasting 6 weeks more of feeling worse than ever. She just changed the pressure down to 5 yesterday and I woke up last night during an apnea event. I feel like giving up. Anyone know why she'd lower the pressure instead of raising it? [/font]

Since your AHI does not meet the criteria for efficacy, you need to push hard now for a machine upgrade. A Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset would give full data so your doctor could do something more than guess what to do. The machine you have does not produce any useful data other than compliance. When your AHI is this high, it's not your fault, it is the wrong prescription or machine. The problem is, no one will admit the mistake. If you had the Autoset, they could see the events, type and relate it to the pressure they occur at. Ask for an upgraded machine so everyone can quit guessing, and you can get some restful sleep!
Sleeprider
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com

____________________________________________
Download OSCAR Software
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing Therapy
Organize your OSCAR Charts
Attaching Files
Mask Primer
How To Deal With Equipment Supplier


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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#9
RE: I feel horrible. My doctor won't raise the pressure, why would she lower it?
"Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset would give full data... When your AHI is this high, it's not your fault, it is the wrong prescription or machine. ...If you had the Autoset, they could see the events, type and relate it to the pressure they occur at."

You seem like a smart cookie so I thought I'd ask you this question!

I have the Airsense 10 Autoset and the Sleepyhead software. My events are 9+ for the entire 5 weeks I've been on it. I'm smarter-than-the-average-bear but new to all this. Would you be willing to just give me a quick snapshot of what to look for to know if I should tinker up/down on the pressure? Even if it's to point me to a primer of sorts, I can take it from there.

MOST appreciated!

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#10
RE: I feel horrible. My doctor won't raise the pressure, why would she lower it?
(06-03-2015, 08:16 AM)AnnieUSA Wrote: Would you be willing to just give me a quick snapshot of what to look for to know if I should tinker up/down on the pressure? Even if it's to point me to a primer of sorts, I can take it from there.

MOST appreciated!

AnnieUSA - Welcome

It would be helpful to start your own thread. Lots of people can point you in the right direction. With your help. In your new thread, post some graphs from sleepyhead.

Good luck!

Alan
Using FlashAir W-03 SD card in machine. You can download your data through wifi with FlashPAP or Sleep Master utilities.

I wanted to learn Binary so I enrolled in Binary 101. I seemed to have missed the first four courses. Big Grinnie

Stick it to the man, Download OSCAR and take back control of your data!

Thanks Ian. Like I didn't have enough Honey-Do projects to tackle. Mornincoffee
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