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Wanting to see if tweaking my machine will help - Printable Version

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Wanting to see if tweaking my machine will help - smiledog - 05-17-2017

Hello all, it's been a week or two since I've posted stat's. I'm trying to learn how to tweak my machine. My numbers were set to ipap 20 - epap 10 with PS at 4. I bumped up the PS to 5 and I seem to like it better. Truthfully I'm not sure what I'm doing. My AHI"s are ranging from .41 and as high as 6.83. Can someone help with some tweaking? These are last night's numbers.


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RE: Wanting to see if tweaking my machine will help - Crimson Nape - 05-17-2017

Please post the 6.83 daily chart. Also expand the graphs above the mask pressure thus eliminating it from the image. I'm interested what your bad night looks like.

RE: Wanting to see if tweaking my machine will help - quiescence at last - 05-17-2017

that is not a bad setting. it looks like at least half the night you were at 16 IPAP, and the OA events all happened in the 15 to 16 cm area. it could help for you to have EPAP min = 11 with PS = 5, and remember to stay at a setting for several days to get a picture of what your average is, and whether it is detectibly better.

QAL

RE: Wanting to see if tweaking my machine will help - smiledog - 05-17-2017

This is the stat's from the night my AHI's were at 6.83. My setting at that time frame was ipap 20 epap 10 PS 4. Sleeprider helped me get  much better sleep advising me with these numbers. I have been at these numbers for several weeks. This 6.83 is not happening often. My average AHI for the last 30 days has been 1.38


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RE: Wanting to see if tweaking my machine will help - Crimson Nape - 05-17-2017

I thought you were meaning that, based on the current settings, your AHI varied from .41 up to 6.83.  If you discard the last hour and half that night wouldn't be that bad.  It's like you couldn't go back to sleep.  You can suppress that time frame by scrolling down on the left side and clicking on the little green switch to the left of that particular sleep segment.

RE: Wanting to see if tweaking my machine will help - Sleeprider - 05-18-2017

There is nothing wrong with your settings and results, however, if your going to start "tweaking", there are a few rules to consider. Obstructive apnea calls for an increase in EPAP pressure. Hypopnea may respond positively to increases in PS. Your problem is mainly OA, so I think an increase in EPAP of 0.5 to 1.0 may help somewhat. The increase in PS did not affect therapy, but if it is more comfortable to you, that's fine, it probably reduces breathing effort slightly. Some people find the increased PS brings more CA, and it appears that is not the case for you.

As you get closer to the results you want, it may be better to use small changes, less than 1 cm increments.

RE: Wanting to see if tweaking my machine will help - smiledog - 05-18-2017

Thanks Sleeprider, I was hoping you would chime in. Yes the settings you set me up with worked great, and I was able to get much better results because of the changes. To make sure I understand increase only by .5 or 1.0 increments on epap only. The ipap is set at 20, I don't need to change ipap. I feel like I'm needing a little more constant pressure, and that would be the epap correct?

RE: Wanting to see if tweaking my machine will help - Sleeprider - 05-18-2017

Start with the small change in EPAP. I think your big cluster was a different issue, and am disregarding it, unless you want to tray a soft cervical collar.

RE: Wanting to see if tweaking my machine will help - smiledog - 05-19-2017

Sleeprider, I have been using a collar. It works for me to keep my mouth shut.
I changed epap by 1.0. I'm going to try it for a while. I didn't move last night, I don't know i f I was beat because of work or if the bump in epap

RE: Wanting to see if tweaking my machine will help - Sleeprider - 05-19-2017

I thought I recalled you using the collar...how appropriate for a smiledog! I think that cluster of OA in your chart was likely just a time you manged to get into an obstructed position in spite of the collar. Mostly, thinks look good as I said. Let us know how the increase in EPAP works out.

Good luck!

Tom