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[CPAP] Sudden Spike in AHI
#1
Sudden Spike in AHI
Hello everyone! First post here. i found this board while lurking the web for other Cpap-users..
So, i've got a problem on my hand at the moment.
These last 2 days, my AHI went through the roof. From a range of 0.0-3.7 Events, to higher than 10.
21-01
   
22-01
   

in comparison, here the night before.
20-01
   

My Cpap was set by the national healthcare provider here in Italy, 2 years ago. First sleep study showed 92 AHI and was pretty much put on cpap quickly.

i've never had any problems like this....aybe a Spike or two to 5.0 AHI when really congested or during COVID last October.
Since i was diagnosed i also started to lose weight, little by little. when i was diagnosed i was 135 kg, now i'm around 105.
My physical condition is pretty much stable, at the moment and nothing changed.

So, may i ask your help to learn how to read Oscar Data and, in this particular case, what could be the issue in your opinion?

I obviously already contacted the sleep center in charge of my diagnosis, i just have to wait for their response.

Thank you!
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#2
RE: Sudden Spike in AHI
hello within

Looks like Positional, chin tuck or sleeping on your back.  ( see the large clusters of OA events, obstructive, in the last 2 charts, your airway is being pinched off and Flow Rate Charts narrow due to LOW FLOW)

have you had charts like this before?

You say sudden, after 2 years it seems odd that you suddenly have these Positional issues.

Have you changed a pillow lately?

Do you normally sleep on your side or back?

Your first chart has the lowest events, however you appear to be a mouth breather. ( see the Leak charts, how they flatten out, and flow rate drops as well as Tidal Volume)

Do you have dry mouth in the morning?

I will look further, once you give some more feedback.

Edit:  You have a LOT of snoring as well!

Thanks
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#3
RE: Sudden Spike in AHI
(01-23-2025, 06:02 AM)SeePak Wrote: hello within

Looks like Positional, chin tuck or sleeping on your back.  ( see the large clusters of OA events, obstructive, in the last 2 charts, your airway is being pinched off and Flow Rate Charts narrow due to LOW FLOW)

have you had charts like this before?

You say sudden, after 2 years it seems odd that you suddenly have these Positional issues.

Have you changed a pillow lately?

Do you normally sleep on your side or back?

Your first chart has the lowest events, however you appear to be a mouth breather. ( see the Leak charts, how they flatten out, and flow rate drops as well as Tidal Volume)

Do you have dry mouth in the morning?

I will look further, once you give some more feedback.

Edit:  You have a LOT of snoring as well!

Thanks

Thanks for the insight, let's see..

never had charts like these, i think. I mean, being ignorant about how to read this data, i always looked for how many events and which kind of events they were, honestly. I can only confirm this is the first time i had an AHI so high.

Last time i changed pillows was about 6 months ago. i bought 2 memory foam pillows like i always do (i always used to sleep with two pillow since i was a child.) Last night i tried sleeping with one, just to see if there was any difference.

i normally sleep on my back: i noticed that by sleeping on the side, the chance of air leaks is higher in my case. probably the pillow pushing on the mask? Sometimes i go to sleep on my back and wake up on my side, though.

I indeed am a Mouth breather. Unfortunately i have a slightly deviated septum and Turbinate hypertrophy, which doesnt get better even with nasal spray and such. I'm also on a waiting list for a septoplasty and turbinate reduction, hoping one day i will be able to switch to a nasal mask.

I do wake up with a dry mouth, even with higher humidity...which makes me remember a thing.

I had humidity set at 8 but, since Sunday, when i changed tube and mask, i turned it down to 6. I started to see droplets inside the tube and i thought it could be a mix of High cpap Humidty + high air humidity)

I do indeed snore, always had, probably releated to the nose as well. Still, family members said they can't me snore anymore since i started cpap.

Thanks again for your help!
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#4
RE: Sudden Spike in AHI
within

One pillow only! that can cause lots of issues for sure.

Gotta sleep on your side, you can see how much it affects your charts and probably sleep.

The mask , if adjusted properly, should be fine sleeping on your side without leaks. Many on this forum use that mask i"m sure, maybe someone can say something about that.

Putting your head at the end of the pillow, with mask almost off pillow could help, i try to do that.
Also, make sure the pillow does NOT go up into your throat, that can pinch off airway and cause obstruction as seen in your charts.

dry mouth is due to mouth breathing, humidity may help a bit.

Have you heard of Patrick McKeown?
Check him out on the internet, he has lots to say about mouth breathing.
In my opinion, i would check out his breathing exercises, how to clear your nose with an exercise and do everything you can to nose breathe during the day, at least!
And do this BEFORE you arrange any surgery, cause that does not always work either!
You can find lots of into about that on the internet, how people get these operations done and after a few weeks, or months they have same issues!
Yes, you will find some people who say it worked for them, but the data apparently shows more than 50% ( something high number) go right back to where they were before surgery.
On the other hand, with doing nasal breathing and some exercises, you can reverse some of your issues and begin nasal breathing again!
Choice is yours!

Snoring charts are predictions, so you may not be snoring, but i doubt it!

Good Luck!
Keep us informed with your progress, and some charts.

Sleep-well
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#5
RE: Sudden Spike in AHI
Thank you for everything Seepak, tonight i'll definitely try to fix the issue, hope everything will work!
Never heard of Patrick McKeown, i'll definitely go and check which solutions he has!
I am in the waiting list for the surgery just because nearly every specialist i saw suggested it to me. Only a friend, a pulmonologist, and a colleague of his, suggested against it. So i was already thinking of cancelling the surgery (at least the septoplasty, turbinate reduction was suggested by both).
I'll try everything i can before going into surgery, i promise!
I'll update you tomorrow!
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#6
Wink 
RE: Sudden Spike in AHI
Hi within

It's your body your call and you definitely need to get as much information as you can so you can make an informed decision

I have some nasal congestion and nasal prolapse and having read everything that I am telling you about I definitely will not get any surgery and my nose is so much better with the exercises I've been doing including nose breathing all day and keeping aware and conscious of whether or not I am really doing it.

So no promises necessary to me just to yourself!
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