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Newbie and struggling
#11
RE: Newbie and struggling
Sorry, I wasn't aware you were asking a question.


]I've not had a sleep study at all. They just gave me a trial machine and an oximetry meter and told me to go home and sleep as it changed breath to breath. I had to go back the next day and they downloaded the data, told me my AHI was 4 and that my oxygen was stable and sent me home with the machine I have now. I don't even know what the data is as it doesn't seem to be on my SD card anymore. I think it would be better if they'd given me an inpatient one overnight, but no.

]They didn't mention anything about centrals or anything. I can't seem to find the results of that first night on my SD card so I'm unsure what they've done with them.

I'm going to phone them tomorrow and see what they can suggest as I can't change the pressure on my device and don't really want to without at least talking to them first.
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#12
RE: Newbie and struggling
wolfwynd, you sound a lot like me. I don't have the anxiety as bad though. What I propose probably will not go over well with many posters.
Did they give you a report that said your AHI is 4? Could you have heard them incorrectly?
An AHI of 4 Is not bad, some would say you don't have sleep apnea.
After a week with my CPAP machine, I too felt worse than before. I also had a lot of centrals/clear airways. I spoke to my Sleep Therapist and she told me it happens to some people at the beginning but will settle down after 2 months using the machine.
What I suggest, is that you start slowly. Give yourself time to get used to the machine. You don't have to use it all night. Try an hour or two, then sleep the rest of the night without. Then see how you feel the next day.
With the low pressure, under 5.5, I felt somewhat suffocated.
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#13
RE: Newbie and struggling
The 4 was with the trial machine. Untreated my AHI is 38 so I definitely have sleep apnea Smile

I do feel like I can't catch my breath quite a lot of the time, asleep, half asleep and awake. I'm not sure whether it's just my anxiety telling me that or if I actually can't.

I'll ring the hospital tomorrow and see what they say.
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#14
RE: Newbie and struggling
First time reading you post I guess I misunderstood.
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#15
RE: Newbie and struggling
First they gave me an oxygen meter to wear on my finger over night to test my oxygen levels. I snore really loud and stop breathing during the night (my bed mates have told me several times over the years) and then they gave me a trial machine to use at home that's changed breath by breath and told me that AHI was 4 with a pressure of 9.7 and then sent me home with the machine I have now.
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#16
RE: Newbie and struggling
Wolfwynd, I would encourage you to stick with it. Things will get easier I promise. The other thing I would encourage you to do is follow Sleeprider's advice. He really knows what he is talking about. I would wager you will get much better advice from him than from most other sources you will talk to in the business of CPAP machines.
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#17
RE: Newbie and struggling
(04-02-2017, 12:50 PM)wolfwynd Wrote: The 4 was with the trial machine. Untreated my AHI is 38 so I definitely have sleep apnea Smile

I do feel like I can't catch my breath quite a lot of the time, asleep, half asleep and awake. I'm not sure whether it's just my anxiety telling me that or if I actually can't.

I'll ring the hospital tomorrow and see what they say.

Personally that sounds more to me like anxiety, although it could be that your starting pressure is too low (or a combination of the two).   As your anxiety level increases, your breathing becomes shallower and that sensation will continue until the anxiety decreases.  

Deep-breathing exercises can be very helpful during an anxiety attack to help break the thought cycle. 

I would follow sleepriders suggestions for setting your pressure, and then you can rule out the pressure as the cause.  If you are still experiencing anxiety after that, you may need to treat it seperately.
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#18
RE: Newbie and struggling
I'm in the UK so they don't really like you messing with the machine. I shall ring them up tomorrow and see what they say but it's certainly a possibility - thank you.
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#19
RE: Newbie and struggling
You don't have to tell them you are making any changes... All they really care about is compliance (that you are using it) and that your AHI is 5 or below.

We know here that as long as you are on the right type of machine, there is no reason why your AHI can't be much lower than 5. In virtually all cases.
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#20
RE: Newbie and struggling
Hi wolfwynd,
WELCOME! to the forum.! I know CPAP therapy can take some getting used to, and at times, it’s very overwhelming, but just stick with it.
Make sure you talk to your doc about all the problems you have had.
I wish you good luck on your CPAP journey and it’s good that you came here for guidance.
trish6hundred
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