PLEASE I NEED HELP WITH DATA I AM DYING | PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT NEEDED

[TheManontree]

I am 56 years old and have an enlarged left atrium. I've suffered from sleep apnea most of my life but was only recently diagnosed. My Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) is 46, which indicates severe obstructive sleep apnea. I have a 7-year-old daughter, and since her mother passed away, it’s critical that I stay healthy and live a long life for her.

I’ve been given a BiPAP machine (ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto), but my doctor did not provide personalized settings—instead, we just went with factory settings.
I've been using the machine, but I still don’t feel rested. I wake up with a racing heart, my heart pounds hard and fast, and I get severe headaches in the morning. I’m seeking help to adjust the settings to feel better and more rested


Data:

• Machine: ResMed AirCurve 10 VAuto (VPAPauto mode)
  
• Current Settings:
  • EPAP (Exhalation Pressure): 7.0 cmH₂O
    
  • IPAP (Inhalation Pressure): 12.0 cmH₂O
    
  • Pressure Support (PS): 5.0 cmH₂O
    
• Usage: 4 hours, 18 minutes
  
• AHI (last night): 3.95 
  • Apnea Index (AI): 2.56
    
  • Hypopnea Index (HI): 1.40
    
  • Central Apnea Index (CAI): 0.00 — this is good.
    
• Symptoms still present:
  • Fatigue / unrefreshing sleep
    
  • Morning headaches
    
  • Racing, pounding heart on waking (possible oxygen desaturation or arousals)
    

   
   
   

PLEASE HELP

[Deborah K.]

You need to raise your EPAP to 10 and your IPAP to 16. You are constantly at a pressure of 12, and your air needs are not being met.

To better help you, we need to see a complete Oscar chart. Use the F12 button (FN+F12 for Mac) to copy the chart. Then, ensure we can read to the bottom of the flow limits.

Again, welcome, and best wishes for greatly improved therapy and comfort!

[TheManontree]

   
   
   

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LAST IMAGE

PLEASE SEE KINDLY 


   

[jdougc]

Welcome to the forum,
We need to see the following charts unless asked for more:
Event Flags
Flow Rate
Leak Rate Flow limit
Pressure
We need to see the device settings also
Press F12 to capture and save your Oscar charts.

You need some more sleep to have effective therapy 7 1/2 to 8 hours.
Sorry to hear about your issues.
Are you on any medication that might affect your sleep or breathing?
Do you have any other health conditions that might affect your sleep or breathing?

You seem to have positional apea where you tuck your chin to your chest, cutting off your airway after 1:30 to almost 1:50. 
No increased pressure can open up the airway. You move and take a breath.
Do you have a soft cervical collar? That would help your quite a bit.
Do not increase your pressure yet.

Who gave you these settings to use? Your doctor? The PS is rather high.

[TheManontree]

   

[TheManontree]

Hello 

Thank you very much for your response. 

No I am not on any medications at all. 

The Nurse Practitioner is one who recommended those settings 

   
   

[jdougc]

AS I said,   You seem to have positional apnea where you tuck your chin to your chest, cutting off your airway after 1:30 to almost 1:50. 
No increased pressure can open up the airway. You move and take a breath.

Do you have a soft cervical collar? That would help your quite a bit.
Until you get a soft cervical collar, if you are a side sleeper you can take a pillow and hold it to your chest under your chin to stop the chin from tucking down to your chest.
Are you a side sleeper?
If you sleep on your back, consider a ramp pillow to raise your head.
Keep a journal of how you slept, did you wake up during the night. How you felt in morning and during the day.
Tell the doctor and the clinician that information.

[TheManontree]

What about rise time, I have mine at 100ms, should I alter it and to what please ?

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What about rise time, I have mine at 100ms, should I alter it and to what please ?

[Sleeprider]

I agree with jdougc about positional apnea https://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph...onal_Apnea
Your flow limits and events spike at times that that is the obstruction we're talking about. We can consider going to an auto-pressure by increasing the maximum pressure if you want. With EPAP min 7.0 and max pressure 12 with PS 5 you have fixed pressure. Try increasing max pressure to 14.0, but most importantly, find out why you're chin-tucking.