Kiwii's Search for Restful Sleep

[Sleeprider]

TiMin won't affect you much, but with a slower resp rate, you might change TiMax to 2.2-2.4 range. Changing trigger to high or very high initiates IPAP with less air movement. It takes ASV or ST to cycle without a spontaneous inhale, but at least it might help get you started.

[kiwii]

Thank you both so much. I know that you've written it simply, yet I feel as though I am reading a foreign language. By the time I get to the middle of the sentence, I can't track what we are talking about and have to start again. Going to take this to my machine and follow word by word.

[Sleeprider]

Thank you both so much. I know that you've written it simply, yet I feel as though I am reading a foreign language. By the time I get to the middle of the sentence, I can't track what we are talking about and have to start again. Going to take this to my machine and follow word by word.

This might help.   A high or very high trigger increases the sensitivity of the machine to your effort to start inhaling, so pressure begins with less inspiratory airflow.  Breaths are not timed on your machine, and you have to start inspiration, but higher trigger sensitivity will start IPAP pressure sooner, with less inspiratory airflow.  This should help.  The Cycle time similarly starts expiratory pressure sooner, allowing lungs to empty faster. This might help someone with a slow respiration rate to increase breaths per minute.

The Ti Max setting gives you more inspiratory time.  A setting of 2.2 to 2.4 will help you avoid the sense that IPAP is cut short.  

[kiwii]

My exhalation is much longer than the inhalation (maybe close to twice as long, guessing). Does that make a difference to these settings?

edit: This adjustment to the settings is going to be a big help, THANK YOU!!!!!

[kiwii]

AHI of 0.64, baby!  

This is the first morning in awhile that I've been able to get out of bed upon awakening. Even better, my head is much clearer.

It was also the first night with the AirFit P10. Trigger was on Very High, Cycle on Low, and Ti Max on 2.2. All of the testing before bedtime was well worth it.

I still feel like I'm breathing faster on xpap than without it, but it is way more comfortable and maybe even an improvement over my normal breathing.

[Sleeprider]

Good to know. These settings are a matter of personal preference and what works best, so it's very hard to predict where any individual will do best. I use the longer Ti Max of 2.2 and like it, but have trigger and cycle both on medium. Other settings have resulted in higher AHI for me. I hope this continues to work for you in the long run. It's always good when a first trial works out as that is a pretty good indicator. The more sensitive trigger and higher Ti Max sounded like a good fit to your comments.

[PoolQ]

Fingers crossed. I might suggest that you make a note of settings and how you felt in the morning. you might need a little more tweaking and I tended to forget what was what after a while.

[OpineCone]

AHI of 0.64, baby!  

This is the first morning in awhile that I've been able to get out of bed upon awakening. Even better, my head is much clearer.

It was also the first night with the AirFit P10. Trigger was on Very High, Cycle on Low, and Ti Max on 2.2. All of the testing before bedtime was well worth it.

I still feel like I'm breathing faster on xpap than without it, but it is way more comfortable and maybe even an improvement over my normal breathing.

kiwii, your EPAP setting of 8 appears to go back to the time when you were using a FFM. Might you consider lowering your EPAP setting now in an attempt to eliminate the fast breathing?

I personally experienced two years of fast, shallow breathing with xpap until a new sleep doctor realized that my pressures had been set much higher than was warranted by my one and only titration. My previous sleep doctor had insisted that everything was fine because my AHI had been averaging 0.1, but I had felt that the shallow breathing was at least distracting and possible harmful. My new sleep doctor lowered my EPAP from 11 to 6 and my entire sleep experience immediately improved, including an ability to breathe slower and deeper whenever I needed to. It felt as though my lungs were no longer artificially expanded and were therefore free to work over a wider range. As an added benefit, my previous tendency to swallow air was almost completely eliminated. Something to think about, perhaps.

[kiwii]

The more sensitive trigger and higher Ti Max sounded like a good fit to your comments.

I was surprised that the 2.4 felt so wrong to me, but 2.2 was very nice. Doesn't seem like much of a difference by looking at the numbers. I very much appreciate your help. The pictures were very helpful too.

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PoolQ, now that you mention it, I had been recording data & feelings/symptoms in a journal prior to this all going south. Thanks for the reminder! Egads. I haven't made an entry since the end of October.

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OpineCone, thank you for the suggestion and information! Actually I am planning to do a home titration (from scratch), as I've only had a home test and then what you've seen here. What you've written of your experience is very interesting and encouraging. Thanks!

[kiwii]

Okay, I really hope that I can post this and leave it in place.

I heard back from my PCP. He has sent a corrected referral, along with his office notes and labs. Which is good. I'm happy about that. Unfortunately the sending of the notes is triggering my need to hide again. Which really sucks.

The new referral also means that I could possibly be seeing him, Dr #3, as early as Friday.

Dilemma:
I think that I need to lower the min EPAP. With the machine set to Pillow, SleepyHead shows I'm riding the 8 for part of the night.

I'd planned to do a home titration to see what everything looks like now. However this will take some time and I'm thinking to either make a 'quick fix' or else leave it alone.

What would the quick fix be? (I'm thinking 7 or 7.something) ...and if the EPAP changes, must the IPAP also change in tandem with it?

Any cons to leaving it alone? I could see where that option could potentially spare me from emotional conflict.

I suppose the third option is to continue using the Simplus and wait to use my new P10 & Brevida. (My least favorite option. Big thumbs down, but I could do it.) meh. I hope I can leave this up.