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Machine AHI Meaning and 80+ Plus Weight Loss
#1
Machine AHI Meaning and 80+ Plus Weight Loss
Thanks in advance for any comments/information.

I have been on CPAP for about 12 years and have been (until recently) 100% compliant.

As noted, I have discovered how to lose weight and over the past almost 2 years I've lost over 80 pounds with a target of 100 and a stretch target of 120. (If anybody wants to know how, I'll be happy to provide the details: it does not involve a diet, magic, drugs, radical exercise, etc).

I was diagnosed with "very severe sleep apnea" which my lung doctor described as the worst he had seen. The sleep doctor didn't use those terms, but I understand it was pretty bad.

Just before I started losing weight I got an F&P Sleepstyle. Its the first machine I owned with an AHI reading. Unfortunately, while I know what AHI means I don't know what the reading means. I can think of two interpretations:

1) if not for the machine this is the AHI you would have had;
2) despite the machine this is the AHI you have.

The reason I ask is my AHI reading tends to be less than 1 and usually is 0. Either way, of course, that's good, but if interpretation 1) is the right one my weight loss means less or no sleep apnea.

I tried to do some research on the impact of weight loss on sleep apnea. I am well aware that there are thin people with sleep apnea but all the references I found discuss what I consider insignificant weight loss of, for example, 20 pounds. 20 Pounds is a lot when you weigh 140 but its trivial when you weigh 300 like I used to.

So I am wondering if an 80 pound loss can be enough to fix sleep apnea. I have asked my doctor to a referral to a sleep doctor since mine is far away, but the question has been gnawing at me.

Before I started CPAP my wife would complain about my snoring so for an experiment I recently downloaded a "snoring app" and tried a few nights without CPAP. The snoring app said I snored for a few minutes and I listened to the file and didn't hear any "stopped breathing" sounds and I seemed to have slept OK. 

Thanks
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#2
RE: Machine AHI Meaning and 80+ Plus Weight Loss
If I'm understanding right, you've lost a good amount of weight (congrats! well-done!), and you're wondering if you still need your CPAP.

I have wondered how we can know if our sleep apnea is gone. I can't imagine it would be possible to determine that while using a CPAP machine, since the positive air pressure would be countering the apnea. So I'd think it would take a sleep study (without a CPAP).
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#3
RE: Machine AHI Meaning and 80+ Plus Weight Loss
I was diagnosed and posted about 74 AHI during a sleep study while weighing about my heaviest at 300. I did a bariatric sleeve surgery which got me down to 200. It roughly halved my untreated AHI, but 37 is still severe AHI so I'm on a machine still. Unless your initial AHI placed you in very mild apnea, you're needing the machine still even after the 80 pound loss. Congrats on the weight control, but apnea isn't "fixed" that way. It's treatable not curable.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#4
RE: Machine AHI Meaning and 80+ Plus Weight Loss
(11-23-2019, 04:02 PM)Hydrangea Wrote: If I'm understanding right, you've lost a good amount of weight (congrats!  well-done!), and you're wondering if you still need your CPAP.

I have wondered how we can know if our sleep apnea is gone.  I can't imagine it would be possible to determine that while using a CPAP machine, since the positive air pressure would be countering the apnea.  So I'd think it would take a sleep study (without a CPAP).

One could set the machine to pressure of straight CPAP at 4 and see OSCAR results. If AHI is present at 4 then one is benefiting from CPAP therapy while on the regular pressure settings. The pressure of 4 will have little effect on AHI, at least for most of us.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#5
RE: Machine AHI Meaning and 80+ Plus Weight Loss
Thank you!

Yes, I understand that but I was trying to get an understanding of the odds. I had to back off the low end pressure of my machine to minimum because my stomach was getting inflated.

And. of course, I would like to understand what the AHI reading it.
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#6
RE: Machine AHI Meaning and 80+ Plus Weight Loss
The odds are slim, as Dave said we can prove that you still have apnea, we cannot prove that you do0don't, that would require a sleep study. Running your machine overnight is a good test, IMHO better than a sleep study, at leas initially, the goal being to prove that you still have sleep apnea, failing that test, a formal sleep test is the way to prove that you are cured.
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#7
RE: Machine AHI Meaning and 80+ Plus Weight Loss
Adjusting the pressure setting(s) back for aerophagia (air swallowing) comfort is fine. As for what amount of adjustment or to see your treated AHI, you can use the free application OSCAR to see that data. CPAP machines can go as low as pressure setting of 4, but most adults will not get therapy there and likely will feel air starved as well.

If you post an OSCAR graph we can be able to help on the settings.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#8
RE: Machine AHI Meaning and 80+ Plus Weight Loss
I downloaded OSCAR but I'm not sure it will work: my machine has ?? beside it in the "supported" list but ?? is not defined. I'm just back from my walk and downloading is on my list.

I do feel sort of air starved with the low setting so the choice appears to be inflated like a beach ball or be air starved.

I still wish I understood what the AHI reading on my machine means.
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#9
RE: Machine AHI Meaning and 80+ Plus Weight Loss
Taken from our wiki on glossary of terms

Apnea/Hypopnea Index - (AHI) (RDI or Respiratory Disturbance Index) The frequency of abnormal respiratory events per hour of sleep. These events are classified as Apneas or Hypopneas. Apnea is when breathing (airflow) stops for 10 seconds or more. Hypopnea is a partial blockage of airflow resulting in arousal and a possible drop in oxygen level. An AHI of 45 would indicate that the patient is experiencing complete or partial airflow blockage 45 times per hour.

If you see AHI listed on the machine or OSCAR, that is your treated AHI. Below is an example of one of mine:

[attachment=17407]

See that orange bar near the top left? AHI 0.62 shows. That was my treated AHI for that sleep session. Without the machine, my AHI would have been lots higher.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#10
RE: Machine AHI Meaning and 80+ Plus Weight Loss
I would love a full copy of your SD card to use for OSCAR development and testing.


This would be a zipped copy of  your entire SD card 
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php..._Card_Data


They should go here

Fred's DropBox to Receive SD Cards

https://www.dropbox.com/request/6VeFzBXa4qZ37EgphL5b
https://www.dropbox.com/request/6VeFzBXa4qZ37EgphL5b 
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