[Pressure] Question on pressure

[Earlsgirl]

I have not been able to get a lot of my questions answered because I have to see the pulmonologist first and I cannot get an appointment until April. My question is WHY would the pressure register as 17 when I had an AHI at something like 1.3? (My machine is an auto one set between 12-18. Thank you.

[Walla Walla]

Two reasons. One is that is what your body requires higher pressure to keep your airway open. Two is you have large leaks and the machine is driving up pressure because of it. If you download the SleepyHead you can post a chart from it here and get better answers. The link is below.

[Crimson Nape]

Hi Earlsgirl -
Your CPAP is adjusting the pressure to try and overcome your apneas.  In your case the pressure was 17cm H₂O.  An AHI of 1.3 is an average per hour of your total apneas and hypopneas divided by your length of sleep for that time period.  

An example would be:
You have 8 apneas or hypopneas during a sleep cycle and you slept for 8 hours, then your AHI will be 1.0.

I hope this helps.

[trish6hundred]

Hi Earlsgirl,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck with CPAP therapy and hang in there for more responses to your post.

[Earlsgirl]

Thank you... The mask says it fits 100 percent. I just wondered why if the AHI average was so low that it had to jump up to 17. And is that "17" the average for the 7 hours I was on the machine or just ONE time as it jumped after an event. The highest pressure # I've had in the past was 13, and that was back when I was having a fairly high AHI in the beginning. I've been on the CPAP a month.

[Sleep2Snore]

It is very unlikely it was at 17 all night, just for a short period to clear the event.
Without data it is impossible to tell how often it is going to high pressures, it might be a one off due to sleeping position, but data will tell.

[Crimson Nape]

The 17cm is probably the highest pressure that you reached.   Depending on the brand of CPAP that you are using, you may be able to use #SleepyHead for a more detailed view of your sleep sessions.

BTW: if you had a 7 hour sleep session and your AHI was 1.3 then you had a total of approximately 9 apneas (1.3 X 7 hours).

Please review the links in my signature below for more information.

[Earlsgirl]

Thank you, everyone. I also wake up exhausted in the morning--as if I have been wrestling with this all night. Headachy, DRY mouth (despite the humidifier), rashes. My fingernails are still bluish-purple. BUT the arrhythmias have decreased, and that is huge. I hate this thing as much on the 31st day as the first, but I'm hanging in there... I'm to see the pulmonologist in mid-April and hope he has some help to offer...

[Gideon]

Questions are better answered with data.  SleepyHead offers the best data. 

If you download Sleepyhead and post your daily charts and likely help get you in better shape for your appointment.

We can and will help you, but data is needed first.

Fred

[Earlsgirl]

I am a computer illiterate. I haven't a clue what Sleepyhead is or how to download it or how to get data from my machine. I only have my flip-phone and no texting capabilities. It just is what it is. Thank you. Oh, and my neck is "killing me" with the pull of the mask. But, again, it is what it is.