New member, first night with Airsense 10 auto - advice and questions

[gcritchley]

Hi

Newbie, but a well researched and prepared one.

Self diagnosing. I'm self employed, and don't have the money/time to do the full on sleep study and repeat visits, unless absolutely necessary. I'm a generally healthy 55 year old male, with a long history of running, yoga, and cycling) now about 20-30 lbs over-weight (doing some intermittent fasting and HIIT as we speak to try to lose some weight). There is heart disease in my family, so I'm careful around anything that affects my heart.

A few years ago, I did a take home oximeter test, and Dr said I was "just under/borderline Apnea." Lately, (last couple of years) I've been snoring more, and waking myself up, and started digging into more research. Bought an oximeter (CMS 50 F) and recorded a few nights (using sleepyhead on a macbook Pro), and was driven into action by some low oxygen level readings during the night. That's when I started researching Sleep Apnea, and saw what it could do, and why I was feeling sleepy.

I now have a new machine (bought an Airsense 10 Auto - settings listed in profile and show in pics below), and last night was my first night. If my weight loss helps, I might sell it, but for now I'm using it's data (as well as the oximeter) as a self diagnostic tool, to the best of my ability, and hopefully with some help from this forum.

In this thread I'm hoping I can:
1) get some feedback about my data and any adjustments
2) find out about the accuracy of the oximeter I chose. On my high intensity interval training, I see a big discrepancy between the reading on my recumbent bike handlebar pulse rate readout, and the oximeter. That leads me to wonder about the oxygen readout, which hovers pretty low 94, and definitely recorded dips into the 80s, as "events" that looked like they lasted many seconds (which confirmed that I should get a machine).
3) offer help to anyone with a mac that wants to run sleepyhead. I have mine running and loading date just fine.

here's a link to my sleepyhead screen shots from photobucket (I hope I did this right - they don't make it easy). I am grateful for any suggestions re. machine settings, adjustments, and help in the self diagnostics.

I will be doing a full physical when I lose the weight, and didn't want to book a dr visit when weight can affect so many of the levels and tests I'd be doing - better to get the weight down (I'm 198, and working toward 175 or so, and I'm 5'10"), so I'm not obese, but a little weight can cause Apnea so I';ve read.

(update - I wasn't allowed to post the link to screenshots until I have four posts - suggestions? post four times?)

[Sleeprider]

You will be able to post images and links after 4 posts on the forum. Meanwhile you can host the image on Imgur or Photobucket (see my signature for instructions), and use a space in the URL to post it. Images in Imgur seem to work better since they are viewable full size. Meanwhile, post back, say hi, and you will get to 4 posts soon.

[gcritchley]

Thanks Sleeprider!!!

[gcritchley]

OK - here's the link!!  Please also let me know what not to include from here on in (un-helpful screenshots)

http://s345.photobucket.com/user/CalebLouie/library/Cpap%20first%20night

[Marillion]

Woah, looks to me like a whole lot of Centrals... I'll let Sleeprider and the other experts comment on how best to get them down. But in the meantime, you might want to re-organize, re-size and re-order your Sleepyhead charts to make it easier on the fine folks to help you. Check the links in my signature on how to set up your Sleepyhead charts.

[gcritchley]

[attachment=3291][attachment=3291][attachment=3291][attachment=3291]Thanks so much for that organizational info. Your "high centrals" comment concerns me, but I couldn't find that in the chart. Just googled it - yikes.

Here's the one screenshot based on the re-organization info - don't know why there's 4 - they're all the same. I'm new!!!

[Marillion]

Please don't let my comment about the Centrals concern you. It was wrong of me to even say anything without being sure of what the data all means taken as a whole. It's possible that they could be false Centrals or related to something else entirely. The "Centrals" I referred to are the Clear Airway events (CA.) It's when your airway is clear but you still aren't breathing, as opposed to an obstructive apnea where you aren't breathing because your airway is closed.

I am very new to this too, so don't take my word for meaning anything too consequential. Wait for one of the experts to chime in here to give you a better idea as to what is going on.

Your Sleepyhead data is much better organized now! Great job.

[gcritchley]

Thanks Atilla!

I'll wait to see what info comes in. I've been reading that CA's can come from improper pressure settings, and perhaps my EPR is set too high at 4. 

I appreciate any info, despite the scare - but you're right  - knowledge is power.

[Marillion]

I have the same machine as you (an Airsense 10 Auto) and the highest I can set EPR at is 3. It looks to me like you have EPR set at 2 since your EPAP median is reading at about a 4. What some people have found helped with Centrals is reducing their EPR setting or turning it off entirely. Mine is set at 2 but I found when I turned it off that it wasn't as comfortable for me. It could just be that I still need my training wheels...or that I may prefer that pressure relief on exhale in the long run. Some people don't need it. That is one small change I could suggest you try. Maybe turn down your EPR from 2 to a 1 to start?

[gcritchley]

Some other info - this is the list of CA's in a screenshot. Most are fairly short.