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04-05-2022, 03:13 PM (This post was last modified: 04-05-2022, 03:13 PM by mesenteria.)
RE: NOT noticing improvement in CPAP therapy yet - What do I try next?
Hello!
It took you many months to develop your disorder to the point where it began to have a deleterious effect on you, and for you to seek help to the extent that they have diagnosed your condition....hopefully correctly. You won't feels substantially better inside of some weeks, in all likelihood, and some ruefully report that they go months with no apparent improvement about how they feel after a night's rest. But, if you have been correctly diagnosed, and it the treatment is appropriate, and if the machine's feedback each morning says you're being well handled by it, then you will simply have to lump the rest of it...sorry. Trust the numbers to say that you're better off using the machine than abandoning it.
Without giving too much away, what can you tell us about your condition? What were the numbers, what did your prescription say you have and what they say needs to be done as an intervention? We can help with some improvement potentially, and maybe substantially with comfort and ease of use of the machine.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Your pressure is set to 6.4 fixed with EPR 3. Since your machine has a minimum pressure of 4.0, your pressure is 6.4/4.0 inhale/exhale) and your effect EPR is only 2.4 cm. If you want the full effect of the EPR, you will need to raise pressure to at least 7.0. Your charts show some low-level flow limitation remains, and the zoomed chart you just posted has increasing flow limitation ending in an arousal which by definition is a RERA. A slightly higher minimum pressure may help.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
04-09-2022, 11:17 AM (This post was last modified: 04-09-2022, 11:18 AM by WarmHoney3650.)
RE: WarmHoney3650 (Therapy Thread) Questions
So is the blue arrow pointing to the arousal breath?
The issue is, I have lots of these but the machine doesn't report it as a hypopnea. The flow limitations do appear at the bottom, but why aren't they reporting these events that lead to arousals.
I will set my minimum pressure to 7, thanks. But anything above 9 causes my ears to pop (like in high altitude) lol
Can you check the other graph I posted showing possible central apnea?
Nothing in that chart meets the machine's criteria for hypopnea which is a percentage reduction in respiratory airflow, and the machine is barely seeing flow limitation. We are visually interpreting the flatness of the inspiratory wave in that chart, and a change in respiration, which is presumed to be a recovery breath. Feel free to set your max pressure to a level you tolerate. I don't think you will see the max pressure once you stabilize the pressure and EPR.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.