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Cpap treatment leading to reduced pressure over time - Newbee2016 - 01-31-2017

Anyone has a story or experience to share where their minimum pressure setting for treatment has reduced over time? My gut feel is if one is lucky, it remains the same for the lifetime. Otherwise it may creep up as time passes...??


RE: Cpap treatment leading to reduced pressure over time - C0mbe - 01-31-2017

I suspect it would be very hard to determine an average trend.  There are so many factors that go into each night that positively and negatively influence a persons pressure needs:  weight, diet, alcohol, body position, alititude, humidity, and possibly air quality.  

My assumption is that if all things were kept reasonably the same each night your pressure needs would average around the same long term, but I think positive lifestyle changes can help.

My personal story:  I was diagnosed with OSA for the first time in 2005 (mid-20s).  At that point it was primarily due to my weight.  I made positive lifestyle choices, dropped roughly 100 lbs and was able to come off the machine.  Of course I have it again ten years later, so take from that what you want!


RE: Cpap treatment leading to reduced pressure over time - Newbee2016 - 01-31-2017

(01-31-2017, 08:14 AM)C0mbe Wrote: I suspect it would be very hard to determine an average trend.  There are so many factors that go into each night that positively and negatively influence a persons pressure needs:  weight, diet, alcohol, body position, alititude, humidity, and possibly air quality.  

My assumption is that if all things were kept reasonably the same each night your pressure needs would average around the same long term, but I think positive lifestyle changes can help.

My personal story:  I was diagnosed with OSA for the first time in 2005 (mid-20s).  At that point it was primarily due to my weight.  I made positive lifestyle choices, dropped roughly 100 lbs and was able to come off the machine.  Of course I have it again ten years later, so take from that what you want!

Yah that's what I meant. So there are cases where people have been able to actually come off the machine or had their pressure requirements drop so much they no longer need it. So for your case you actually lost 100lbs - that was an impressive achievement! I'm struggling just to lose 20lbs! Ok, so you gained it back, but hey you've proven you can do it.


RE: Cpap treatment leading to reduced pressure over time - C0mbe - 01-31-2017

(01-31-2017, 09:13 AM)Newbee2016 Wrote:
(01-31-2017, 08:14 AM)C0mbe Wrote: I suspect it would be very hard to determine an average trend.  There are so many factors that go into each night that positively and negatively influence a persons pressure needs:  weight, diet, alcohol, body position, alititude, humidity, and possibly air quality.  

My assumption is that if all things were kept reasonably the same each night your pressure needs would average around the same long term, but I think positive lifestyle changes can help.

My personal story:  I was diagnosed with OSA for the first time in 2005 (mid-20s).  At that point it was primarily due to my weight.  I made positive lifestyle choices, dropped roughly 100 lbs and was able to come off the machine.  Of course I have it again ten years later, so take from that what you want!

Yah that's what I meant. So there are cases where people have been able to actually come off the machine or had their pressure requirements drop so much they no longer need it. So for your case you actually lost 100lbs - that was an impressive achievement! I'm struggling just to lose 20lbs! Ok, so you gained it back, but hey you've proven you can do it.
 Yeah, 10+ years and 3 kids can certainly put a few on your waistline.  To be fair, I imagine I would have been predisposed to it anyways, because I haven't put all 100 lbs back on (roughly 40lbs back), and its much worse than before.  So I guess YMMV.


RE: Cpap treatment leading to reduced pressure over time - kwhenrykerr - 01-31-2017

I have reduced my min. pressure by 1 cmH2o. I did it to reduce the air going into my gut. I will most likely reduce it a little more as I get a trend line.