[CPAP] knoxy26 - Therapy Help

[knoxy26]

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

   
   
   

[cdplatt]

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.

[knoxy26]

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.

[knoxy26]

Hey,

Im just wondering if anyone able to help me understand whats going on here with my breathing before I rip my mask off.

I have this happen quite a lot and there is usually this odd patern of breathing just before. Is it me choking or something?

Any insight or help would be greatly appreciated!

I've added a screen shot of the data but if you want a link let me know.

Thanks so much!!!

   

---

Here's a link if that helps -https://sleephq.com/public/48ec2793-7587-458c-b84e-e2fa14acd51b

[Deborah K.]

You would get more responses if you posted a night's Oscar chart.  Lots of us don't speak SleepHQ.  

[knoxy26]

Thanks, Am I missing something as would I not only be able to send a screen shot?

I dont use sleep hq really but it seems the only way to share data that people can zoom in and out on.

[jdougc]

Please don't start new threads as it helps to see your history in one thread.

Oscar lets you zoom in and press F12 for a screen capture, Fn F12 for a mac.
3 minute zoom-ins show good detail.

The whole night is needed.
Hide the calendar, we need to see the device settings.
show the charts unless asked for others later,
Event Flags
Flow Rate
Leak Rate
Flow Limits

You can change the heights of the graphs if needed to see them properly

[Crimson Nape]

knoxy26 - Your 2 threads were related to your therapy. For this reason, I have merged them. This provides the reader a history of your past settings and results. Having the ability to see past attempts and their results will help to form better recommendations. Please use this thread for all your therapy related posts. I have changed the thread title to, knoxy26 - Therapy Help to be more inclusive.
- Red