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[CPAP] Looking for support and help - new member
#1
Looking for support and help - new member
Hi all,
Im a new here and perhaps have found my way here in a very similar way to others on the forum.

That being - Im struggling 

I live in the UK and have had a long journey to get a diagnosis.

I have mild sleep apnea AHI 14  but have been suffering for many years with unrefreshed sleep, brain fog, a difficulty recovering from exercise. My mood has really plumited since trying to start CPAP again and Im not sure what to do right now.

I ended up buying my own resmed 10 - unfortunately the NHS trust that supports me dont use this machine so they dont give much advice re settings. 

I am hoping I might be able to get some pointers here. 

My journey is - I was diagnosed beginning of last year - I had some difficulty complying with CPAP due to a tooth issue I was experiencing (basically had a baby tooth that needed to be pulled) - now this is gone thats not an issue. So Im trying CPAP again.

The problem is - it is wrecking my sleep and Im really struggling day to day. 

It seems to treat me when its on - my numbers are good - but I cant wear it all night - I often wake up feeling a bit wired and cant get back off - or I rip it off in the middle of the night. 

I have noticed I feel breathing is a bit more laboured with the humidifier than without. So I considered stopping using that.

I’ll share my current settings below, along with a few OSCAR images, in case they’re helpful.

I’m hoping to get some guidance or advice on the following:
  1. Settings: Are these settings ok for me? should I tweek anything? - This is really my main question.
  2. Oxygen Monitoring: Should I consider monitoring my O2 levels?
  3. Mild Apnea Concerns: With an AHI of 14, is CPAP the best option for me, or should I focus more on lifestyle changes?
Thanks so much for taking the time to read and provide any insights. I really appreciate the support!

My current settings are 


Mode: APAP
Pressure Min: 5.00 cmH2O
Pressure Max: 17.00 cmH2O
Climate Control: Manual
EPR: Full Time
EPR Level: 3 cmH2O
Humidifier Status: On
Humidity Level: 4 
Mask: Pillows
Ramp: Off
Response: Standard
Smart Start: Off
Temperature: 27 ºC
Temperature Enable: O

   
   
   
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#2
RE: Looking for support and help - new member
When you say breathing is labored, does it feel labored when you're inhaling or exhaling?  Looking at your charts, I suggest that you increase your minimum pressure to 7.  Not using the humidifier may make the air feel harsher as it blows through your nose and that can cause some discomfort.  Your leak rate is very well controlled and your therapy looks to be very effective.  Tweak the pressure, assess the result, then consider other changes.

Even though you have mild apnea, it's on the borderline of moderate, and your description of your long term sleep issues suggests you will benefit from the therapy and should continue with it.

You can try other methods to improve your sleep and reduce apnea events without CPAP - thinner pillow, sleeping on your side, mouth/throat exercises to improve air flow, etc.  If you try that, I'd suggest some sort of O2 monitor.  An O2 monitor can give you an idea of whether your are continuing to have apnea events.  An obstructive apnea event or hypopnea will result in a drop in O2 levels (as will a bad fit on the monitor).  There is a strong correlation between drops in O2 saturation and apnea events.
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#3
RE: Looking for support and help - new member
Thanks so much for your response.

Yes I should have clarified re. my breathing - it's only on the exhale - so I had wondered if the humidity was causing some sort of condensation that made exhaliing hard.

I will certainly give the breathing exercises a go and pair that with an 02 moinitor to see if I have any progress. 

Hopefuly this all settles down.

Min pressure is now up to 7. So will see how that goes.
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