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+--- Thread: Looking for some help - almost 5 years and not feeling a lot better (/Thread-Looking-for-some-help-almost-5-years-and-not-feeling-a-lot-better)
RE: Looking for some help - almost 5 years and not feeling a lot better - Crimson Nape - 11-11-2020
Knowing that you have flow limitations, is the reason that it is going to the limit in pressure. Until you can get your PS high enough to reduce them below .2 (I think) the pressure will always go up to the limit.
RE: Looking for some help - almost 5 years and not feeling a lot better - happydreams - 11-11-2020
Agreed. Around PS=4.4 is when the flow limits seemed to be capped at 0.25. But at 10-15.4 I had a lot of aerophagia. It was uncomfortable, and my lungs/chest became sore. Actually, my lungs still are sore. So it may take a while for them to calm down.
So the idea is to slowly creep up on PS from the current value of 3.4 to 4.4 over many days or weeks. And to stay comfortable while doing it... Seems like a plan?
RE: Looking for some help - almost 5 years and not feeling a lot better - Crimson Nape - 11-11-2020
They are probably not accustomed to all the exercise.
RE: Looking for some help - almost 5 years and not feeling a lot better - SarcasticDave94 - 11-11-2020
A gradual increase in PS is very likely a good idea for you so you can do the increase and get used to slight adjustments over time. As for FL, I think it seems most of the forum users tend to get sleep disturbances if we see OSCAR data on the FL chart at .25 and higher. I have it in mind that the FL .25 is the threshold of OK vs disturbed sleeping.
On the aerophagia, it should diminish with the more treatment time you put in. This isn't on a daily period of time, but rather you've been on PAP X weeks or months as in a bit more long term time scope, it that makes sense. I don't recall making adjustments to my therapy pressures to get the aerophagia resolved, but I chose positional changes that minimized the negative effects, and they seemed effective for me. This diminished after week 1 and seemed to be very minimal at around 2 weeks for me.
RE: Looking for some help - almost 5 years and not feeling a lot better - Crimson Nape - 11-11-2020
You might try using an elevated PS while awake. That way you are aware of swallowing air and can try overcoming it.
A big downside to having aerophagia/flatulence is you can't sneak up on your wife.
RE: Looking for some help - almost 5 years and not feeling a lot better - sheepless - 11-11-2020
it's worth a try but from what I've read, pressure won't relieve palatal prolapse. I'll be he contrarian here: I'd keep max ps and ipap as low as you can for comfort and to avoid aerophagia. while there's no harm in trying different settings, I'd stay with what's working for you until/unless the wheels fall off at these settings.
RE: Looking for some help - almost 5 years and not feeling a lot better - happydreams - 11-11-2020
@sheepless, at the moment, I fully agree. I'm going to park these settings and let them continue with their magic. Hopefully I don't need to change anything for quite some time. Rather liking how it feels now, so let me dwell here a while.
RE: Looking for some help - almost 5 years and not feeling a lot better - SarcasticDave94 - 11-11-2020
You have permission to "dwell here for a while".
I'll fax the "script" to do so. Keep a copy in your personal file that hopefully is not file 13.
RE: Looking for some help - almost 5 years and not feeling a lot better - Sleeprider - 11-11-2020
There is so much talent and desire to help on Apnea Board, and every problem has a mentor with experience that can help. This is the reason I "nudged" you back onto the forum. I don't pretend to be the best source for every problem and you have found what you needed among our many talented contributors. I have learned not to consult privately, because everything works better when you get the collective thoughts of the forum. I'm really glad that you got the help you needed...but 25 pages, wow!
RE: Looking for some help - almost 5 years and not feeling a lot better - happydreams - 11-11-2020
Most of it has been dogged persistence on my part. Just wanting to get better. Not giving up, although the urge was strong. It's been a struggle. I can say things are a lot better now. Really grateful for the help.
Hope in some small way that I can give back and help others get further along in their apnea journey.