Testing sleep apnea using the CPAP machine

[browns4s]

I was wondering if you set the minimum pressure a CPAP machine will it be similar to that in a sleep study?  When I did my home study I averaged 54 events per hour, Ok, I know that's alot but in my defense I'm a mouth-breather, had three beers for dinner and slept on my back.  Now if I get two or three a night I consider that alot.  My thought is if the pressure is low enough can it simulate a sleep study because it should have a minimal effect on preventing events but still record what is happening.  My only concern is that it may be difficult to breathe.  Also I use a nasal insert mask and have trained myself not to breathe through my mouth and I want to know if that had made an improvement.

[sheepless]

if you can tolerate lowest setting of 4cmw min & max pressures, you can see if your ahi increases, which will mean you need the higher pressures, but it's still providing more pressure than without cpap so it won't tell you what your untreated condition is.

[70sSanO]

If you averaged 54 events (apneas?) per hour, it doesn’t matter if you are a mouth breather if your airway was obstructed.

I guess my question is whether you are doing this exercise trying to prove you don’t have sleep apnea or to determine what your settings should be? If you are trying to prove you don’t have a sleep disorder, good luck.

John

[SarcasticDave94]

An ancient proverb I'm making up now says

"Fishing trips in De Nile always bait us into bringing up something we're trying to avoid"

Sparky

[browns4s]

I'm doing this mainly out of curiosity, there have been a couple time that I have gone to bed without the CPAP and my wife said she didn't notice me snoring and when I woke up I didn't feel any different than when I used it.  I want to lose about 20 lbs and once it's done I may do another home study.  That won't be for a while though.

[SarcasticDave94]

For reference or whatever you want to learn by doing sleep time to see OSCAR data for about it, yes running CPAP at straight 4 would be able to show data sort of close to emulating sleep without CPAP therapy. It would show events etc.

[Dormeo]

I was diagnosed with moderate apnea, AHI of 23. Obstructive events are very well treated with an EPAP of 5. Some people with a lot of apnea don't need much pressure to be well treated; others with mild apnea need a lot of pressure. You'll need another sleep study to find out whether you can ditch the machine.

[browns4s]

Some people with a lot of apnea don't need much pressure to be well treated; others with mild apnea need a lot of pressure.  

That's interesting, I would have thought the opposite.  As for last night I set the min pressure to 4 and had no events for the period of time I was asleep.  

My SpO2 showed that my average was 95.1% and average low was 92.8% which is about what it is when my min pressure is at 9.  I'll go for a couple more nights then bump it back up to 7 and see if the SpO2 changes.

The my flow rate has two distinct patterns and sometime I may post some pics just to get an idea of what those patterns mean.

Like everyone else I would like to get off CPAP too, but wearing it doesn't bother me so it's no issue.

[Gideon]

It also means you can weigh 360 or 110 pounds and have significant apnea or none. It depends on your individual body.

A night trial with no events ( I do suggest you post your charts) at a fixed pressure of 4 means your apnea is being 'well managed' at that pressure and you are a candidate for a diagnostic, in lab sleep test to determine if you are truly apnea free

[browns4s]

Here are my chart for the night, along the Sp02 chart for the night.  The two OU's happened after I woke up.