OSCAR data help

[nionclach]

Hey everyone,

I have had my CPAP machine (ResMed10) since March of this year. It has been a HUGE help as I no longer wake up feeling exhausted. I love it and honestly find it really comfortable. I generally do still wake up really tired unless I get 10+ hours of sleep, so I'm trying to figure out where I can fine tune. Thanks in advance and please let me know if there are other charts/info that I should include.

[Deborah K.]

You have been using your machine long enough that you don't need ramp.  Please turn it off.  You get no therapy during ramp, and any time you leave your bed and return, ramp starts over again, robbing you of needed therapy.

I see that you have a large number of CAs.  Were there a lot of these in your sleep study?  If you don't know, please post a redacted copy of the sleep study.  If you don't have a copy, ask your doctor's office for one.  Under US law they must provide one if you ask.

Once we learn about your CAs we can take a look at your high flow limits.

Again, welcome, and good luck at improving your therapy and comfort!  

[nionclach]

My initial sleep study is attached.

[staceyburke]

Most of your events were central in your sleep study.  The machine you have will not help those and you may need a machine designed for centrals.  But with what we have you can help some of the H events because they are positional apnea.  In other words you are kinking your neck when you sleep and shutting off your airway.  It is not as bad as many people have and may be able to be helped by just not sleeping on your back or maybe a lower pillow.

It is caused when your chin drops down to your sternum closing your airway.  If you can keep out of that position you will cut down the H events...

[nionclach]

Thank you so much for this info! 

I have a doctors appointment this Tuesday. Would you suggest asking about a bipap machine? Also are there any pillows that folks have consistently had success with or is it just a trial and error game?

[staceyburke]

The only pap machine would be a ASV ResMed AirCurve.  IF they don't want to issue that you can try a VAUTO ResMed AirCurve.  But usually they won't issue either one with out failing the cpap.