Successful AHI reduction with APAP + TheraVent

[stcrim]

Links to SleepyHead Charts at the bottom. I have been struggling to get my AHI under 5. Most of the strikes against me have been hypopneas and CAs. The APAP has caused me a great deal of congestion which may explain the hypopneas. Then I remembered when I was experimenting with TheraVent I had some success with sleeping better and would wake with ZERO congestion.

I took a TheraVent and modified the vent by closing it with tape and opening two new 3.5mm vents directly in the center of each side with a leather punch. I believe the original vent was 4mm so the new total was 7mm.

Once I applied it to my nose I used 1 inch 3M micropore tape vertically over the center of my mouth to encourage me to keep it closed. I used a full face mask with liner and pressures 7.5 to 12.

For the past 4 nights my AHI has roamed between 1 and 3 rather than 6 to 9 or 10. My median respiration has dropped from 20 to about 15.5 and my expiration has increased by about 1 second. My median pressure was around 10 rather than staying at 12 all night.

I'm pretty excited to say the least.

I have had several night's of success and then did a night again without TheraVent (charts below). I think the success has something to do with the TheraVent preventing CO2 washout.

The forum software would not allow me to post links to my SleepyHead charts but I am happy to show them if there is another way. They are much larger than the 200kb allowed for attachments.

[zonk]

Theravent is similar to Provent
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...st-results

As for AHI, took me a while to get below 5, now below 0.5 most nights
Also leak was one of main problems, high leak rate can render the therapy ineffective

Everyone is different, I use the heated tube and saline sinus rinse befor bedtime , and does helps with congestion

Welcome to the forum, stcrim

[TyroneShoes]

I'll try to keep an open mind, but Theravent seems like snake oil.

It is designed to help keep your airway open when you exhale. But the pressure of your own expiration does this automatically, regardless of how severe your SA might be.

A xPAP machine is designed to keep your airway open as you inhale. That is where the problem is for OSA sufferers. And I hope I don't actually need to point this out, but that is a very different thing from exhalation. So there is a significant difference between what SA is caused by (airway collapse on inhale) and what the intent of this product is (helping keep the airway open on exhale).

This means that Theravent is trying to treat a different issue than sleep apnea. That's like tying a horrific event like 911 to a particular country, and then invading a different country in retaliation.

Its just a ridiculously-overpriced piece of tape with a valve in it that opens fully for normal inhalation (the point in respiration when SA is problematic), and partially closes for exhalation (a different point in respiration where SA is not problematic). So if you have SA, which is a problem with inhalation, how can this possibly help? It's not even in the system during inhalation.

[stcrim]

The five nights I have used TheraVent and APAP I have gotten my AHI under 1.0 where normally it runs well above 5.0. I would be happy to post a couple of SleepyHead charts if there's a way. A big part of what disappears are the clear airway events along with hypopneas.

I am a serious mouth breather so TheraVent with my full face mask worked well while using it with a nasal mask did not. I think there is more to this than meets the eye...

[TyroneShoes]

...I think there is more to this than meets the eye...

That is probably your answer, right there. Because a result is coincidental does not imply that it is causal.

[stcrim]

Not looking for the idea to "fly" Dan! Just stating what's going on with me and wondering if anyone else may have a similar experience.

[trish6hundred]

Hi stcrim,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I don't see how the two things would work together, very interesting.
Hang in there for more responses to your post and much success to you as you continue your CPAP therapy.

[quiescence at last]

Welcome stcrim.

if you are using an image server, like imgur or photobucket, just post your link address with a ! before it.

it will not actually post the link, but still pass the needed info to us.

example: if you wanted to link to http://imgur.com/ZrWDOd6 you would post !http://imgur.com/ZrWDOd6 which we could copy into our browser if interested.

QAL

ps. I would like to see the differences you noted. As far as reducing the number of CAs, I am not sure they are an inhale related phenomenon [ie. flow limitation indicative of collapsed airway.]

[stcrim]

With TheraVent and APAP
candsnet.com/images/7.6.15.JPG

APAP alone
candsnet.com/images/7.7.15.JPG

[DocWils]

Copied from other (Provent) thread - At a guess I would say the problem is straight-forward - the pressure levels you need to work without the Theravent needs to be adjusted and the pressure relief needs to be adjusted. The preponderance of CA events are pressure related, and therein lies your problem - I suggest you ask your doc to check your titration and show him your data. Also, given that you are wearing both at the same time, I would hazard a guess that you are getting something of a false reading, since the device is not designed to deal with something like the Theravent in the way of your exhalation air flow and the feedback sensors are probably a bit confused. I really would not take your readings as gospel at all. If you have checked against a recording pulse-ox it would be a bit more reassuring.