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is my sleep apnea cured?
#1
is my sleep apnea cured?
ive had sleep apnea for a few years now, but lately, ive lost a lot of weight, and ive noticed that the machine doesnt seem to be getting really high pressure anymore, it always seems to be super low.

for the first time i had my resmed s9 autoset card read on my home computer.

over the past 30 days my numbers are as follows:

Apnea Index:.5
Obstructive: .2
Central: .2
unknown: 0.0
Hypopnea Index: .3
AHI: .8
Leak: Median: 0
95th: 3.6
Max: 8.4

Pressure: Median 5.0
95th: 8.2
Max: 10.2

Total hours: 278

100% usage over the last month


Ive never looked at these numbers before, but looking at wikipedia, it would seem that AHI below 1 means no more sleep apnea...am i reading this right?
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#2
RE: is my sleep apnea cured?
(08-10-2013, 09:19 PM)inferno272 Wrote: Ive never looked at these numbers before, but looking at wikipedia, it would seem that AHI below 1 means no more sleep apnea...am i reading this right?
Hi inferno272, welcome to the forum
It does not mean you,re cured, actually means your setting are optimal, CPAP doing a great job and treating you quite well.
Without CPAP, apnea would return
Well-done Sleep-well

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#3
RE: is my sleep apnea cured?
(08-10-2013, 09:19 PM)inferno272 Wrote: ... Ive never looked at these numbers before, but looking at wikipedia, it would seem that AHI below 1 means no more sleep apnea...am i reading this right?

I agree with zonk. Your CPAP machine is meeting your sleep apnea therapy needs. It does not mean you can stop using CPAP.

If you stopped using the S9 today, your AHI might not be as high as when you were considerably more overweight, but it would likely still be well above 5, medicare's cutoff for treatable AHI. It really is best to continue with your CPAP therapy unless your next sleep study proves otherwise.

The only time I know of CPAP therapy being cured is with one gentleman whose sleep apnea was caused by a pituitary tumor. He had central sleep apnea - not obstructive. Once the tumor was removed, his sleep apnea was cured. His last sleep study proved it. Thank goodness for him! The rest of us have normal brain structure--well as normal as oxygen-deprived brains can be. We're not likely to see the same benefit from stopping CPAP.

Good for you for achieving such low numbers so quickly!
[Image: dreamdiver-signature-gif.gif]
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#4
RE: is my sleep apnea cured?
Hi inferno272,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Hang in there for more answers to your question.
Edit: What DreamDiver said.

Best of luck to you.
trish6hundred
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#5
RE: is my sleep apnea cured?
(08-10-2013, 09:19 PM)inferno272 Wrote: ive had sleep apnea for a few years now, but lately, ive lost a lot of weight, and ive noticed that the machine doesnt seem to be getting really high pressure anymore, it always seems to be super low.

Pressure: Median 5.0
95th: 8.2
Max: 10.2

95% of the time the pressure is below 8.2. What's going on during the other 5% of the time? Well, if the machine is responding to your apneas correctly, it's raising the pressure because you're having apneas.

If you set the machine in CPAP mode at the lowest pressure possible, you could then see if you're still experiencing a significant number of apneas and hypopneas.

If you are, then you still need the machine. If you aren't then you'd need a sleep study to determine whether or not you still need the machine.

When you weighed more was your pressure higher?

If your AHI is 5 or less then clinically you don't need the machine. But if you can lower it below 5 by using the machine, and you are well-adapted to the machine, then why not keep using it?

Another benefit to CPAP therapy is that you aren't inhaling dust mite feces from your pillow and bedding.

The bottom line is this. Only a sleep study will tell you for sure whether or not you need to keep using your machine.
Sleepster

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.
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#6
RE: is my sleep apnea cured?
its kind of a complicated issue, but ill go ahead and explain.

4 years ago i had all the symptoms of sleep apnea...constant urination urges at night (3-4 times), constantly feeling exhausted, i was told it sounds like i would stop breathing at night, i snored super loud, etc.

i had a sleep study done...it was "inconclusive", they wanted to do it again, except, each time i had to pay like 350 bucks out of pocket till i met my deductible, AND i woul dhave to buy the cpap machine out of pocket since my deductible was 5,000 bucks.

long story short, i said, screw it, i'll just buy myself and apap machine, try it out for a few months, and see what happens...if my symptoms get worse, ill stop using it, if they get better, i'll keep using it.

i found a resmed s9 autoset on craigslist, new, unopened, for about 1/4th of what i would have had to pay out of pocket if i went the "legit" route...basically a guy bought it for his dad who flat out refused to use it, refused to open it, and so he wnated to get rid of it.

i lucked out.

i also bought a quattro full face mask.

this was after doing a ton of research on the subject mind you. i figured, with an autoset, id be fine since i wouldnt have to titrate it.

at first it was really difficult to sleep with the machine, the constant feeling of claustrophobia was awful. but, once i got used to using it, within a few weeks my symptoms dissipated. i never had issues with having to pee multiple times at night, hell, i dont pee at all at night, its rare that i have to wake up to use the bathroom...maybe like once a month or 2...if that.

i definitely feel more wide awake, and i stopped making the snoring noises that i heard complaints about.

so i figured, i clearly had sleep apnea, this resolved it.

that was when i weighed 260lbs... (im a 6'0 tall 33 yr old male)..i now weigh 194, and am not going to stop my dieting and exercise till i hit 175.

could i have a sleep test? id rather not pay out of pocket. ive got no proof i actually have or have ever had sleep apnea, other than common sense...if you have all the symptoms, and take the remedy for the problem and all the symptoms go away...well, odds are, you have/had sleep apnea.


anyways, this was 4 years ago when i started using it...sitll using the same machine, but ive replaced the masks and filters regularly, etc. however, the machine, which used to, back then, regularly go over 10.0 in the pressure readout, now never seems to go over 4.0 when i peek at it, and i never have that heavy pressure feeling you can sometimes get when you know youve had an "Event" that it amped up the pressure for.


ok, thats my story, i hope it clears things up. i guess i could always just stop using the machine for a while to see how it goes.

or i could titrate it myself to the lowest setting, and check the readout after a few days to see what it does.

what do you all suggest for this self medicator?

btw, thanks for all the warm welcomes Smile
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#7
RE: is my sleep apnea cured?
I would suggest you use software to look at the data rather than just using the on-screen display.

Congratulations on the strides you've made to improve your health.
Sleepster

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.
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#8
RE: is my sleep apnea cured?
(08-11-2013, 09:18 AM)Sleepster Wrote: I would suggest you use software to look at the data rather than just using the on-screen display.

Congratulations on the strides you've made to improve your health.

i used the resscan to see that data...
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#9
RE: is my sleep apnea cured?
What's your 95th percentile pressure? Max and average pressure?

Sleepster

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.
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#10
RE: is my sleep apnea cured?
(08-11-2013, 10:19 AM)Sleepster Wrote: What's your 95th percentile pressure? Max and average pressure?

Pressure: Median 5.0
95th: 8.2
Max: 10.2
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