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feeling like i should not have quit cpap threatment - Printable Version

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feeling like i should not have quit cpap threatment - mugen4u - 05-10-2023

So i was thinking about when i did a home sleep study and used a CPAP device for 2 months last year (i could not sleep with it at all, and the clinic eventually told me that based on the info the CPAP device gave them my feeling very very sleepy are not caused by sleep apnea) and i would like your opinion please.

the sleep home study gave me a AHI of 6.0 and ODI of 6.8, oxygen desaturation of 92%, based on this i went through the whole cpap threatment and tried both nasal pillow and full face mask.


this is the latest information the CPAP device gave them after sleeping for 2 hours:
oAI 3 /h
oHI 3 /h
cAI 3 /h
cHI 1 /h
RERA 2/h
AHI incl. cH 10 /h

and this is another time i used the device for 90 min:
oAI 2 /h
oHI 1 /h
cAI 3 /h
cHI 1 /h
RERA 1/h
AHI incl. cH 7 /h


O = full obstruction apnea
H = hypo (small obstruction)
C = central apnea


If a apnea event last at least 10 seconds and you have the above apnea events, then isn't it normal that you feel so sleepy the next day?? 

am i really that stupid to understand or was the sleep clinic giving me wrong information by telling me my problems are most likely not caused by sleep apnea?
i have no information about how long the apnea events lasted and i don't know if my body woke me up during those apnea events or that my obstruction resolved on it's own or by the CPAP device or something, but i am really worried that my problems really are caused by sleep apnea.
i am taking depression medication because there is no other solution left as i tried them all and life doesn't give me joy anymore.


RE: feeling like i should not have quit cpap threatment - cdplatt - 05-10-2023

Your sleep study resulted in a low AHI. >5 is the threshold for diagnosing sleep apnea. The sleep center may have thought that with an AHI of only 6 that apnea might not be the full explanation of your tiredness. However your ODI was 6.8 a little bit higher. It's not clear if that ODI was based on 3% desaturations or 4%. Anyway, if your sleep is being disrupted 6 or 7 times per hour, that could make you sleepy during the day. Everybody is different. Regardless of the frequency, if your ODIs were deep and long, that would have a greater impact. The frequency doesn't tell the whole story.

Unless you're solidly asleep while under PAP therapy, you shouldn't put too much weight on the sleep reports. You breathe differently while you're awake than you do while you're asleep - especially when wearing a mask and having air blown into you.

With mild apnea, there may be threshold where the sleep disturbances created by the PAP device interfere with good sleep just as much if not more than the apnea events that the PAP device is controlling.

To see a sleep benefit, you would need to use the device enough so you were comfortable with it and sleeping solidly. Then the sleep reports can be analyzed to see if adjustments can be made to the therapy to reduce residual apnea events. Normal air leaks and pressure changes can still disrupt your sleep if you are a light sleeper. Getting it all dialed in so there is a real benefit can be a long journey.


RE: feeling like i should not have quit cpap threatment - OpalRose - 05-10-2023

It appears you were diagnosed with mild sleep apnea, but seems well treated.
Although, there are many reasons for feeling tired.
Have you had a recent physical, blood work, etc.? Some medications can also cause sleepiness. It sounds like a good in-depth conversation with your physician is in order.

Do you still have your Cpap machine?  What pressure was is set at?  Are you using any software?  

Although, our OSCAR software doesn't support your Prisma, you can check the Private Files and Links Forum, as there is some Prisma software available that may work with your Cpap. If you can download some data here, that would help us to see if your settings are optimal.

https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Private-Files-and-Links


RE: feeling like i should not have quit cpap threatment - mugen4u - 05-10-2023

(05-10-2023, 09:54 AM)cdplatt Wrote: Your sleep study resulted in a low AHI.  >5 is the threshold for diagnosing sleep apnea.  The sleep center may have thought that with an AHI of only 6 that apnea might not be the full explanation of your tiredness.  However your ODI was 6.8 a little bit higher.  It's not clear if that ODI was based on 3% desaturations or 4%.  Anyway, if your sleep is being disrupted 6 or 7 times per hour, that could make you sleepy during the day.  Everybody is different.  Regardless of the frequency, if your ODIs were deep and long, that would have a greater impact.  The frequency doesn't tell the whole story.

Unless you're solidly asleep while under PAP therapy, you shouldn't put too much weight on the sleep reports.  You breathe differently while you're awake than you do while you're asleep - especially when wearing a mask and having air blown into you.

With mild apnea, there may be threshold where the sleep disturbances created by the PAP device interfere with good sleep just as much if not more than the apnea events that the PAP device is controlling.

To see a sleep benefit, you would need to use the device enough so you were comfortable with it and sleeping solidly.  Then the sleep reports can be analyzed to see if adjustments can be made to the therapy to reduce residual apnea events.  Normal air leaks and pressure changes can still disrupt your sleep if you are a light sleeper.  Getting it all dialed in so there is a real benefit can be a long journey.

Thanks for your reply.

yeah it seems like the CPAP (APAP) didn't improve the numbers at all, in fact it made it even worse. I don't have the device anymore as the study has been discontinued because i agreed that my problems are not caused by sleep apnea (looking back i shouldn't have quit the threatment).


(05-10-2023, 09:54 AM)OpalRose Wrote: It appears you were diagnosed with mild sleep apnea, but seems well treated.
Although, there are many reasons for feeling tired.
Have you had a recent physical, blood work, etc.?  Some medications can also cause sleepiness.  It sounds like a good in-depth conversation with your physician is in order.

Do you still have your Cpap machine?  What pressure was is set at?  Are you using any software?  

Although, our OSCAR software doesn't support your Prisma, you can check the Private Files and Links Forum, as there is some Prisma software available that may work with your Cpap.  If you can download some data here, that would help us to see if your settings are optimal.

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

From what i have learned is that some people have no symptoms at all from mild sleep apnea while others suffer big time, maybe i fall under that last category. 

i have been checked for almost all possible things you can check in your blood and it all checks out fine, they even monitored my oxygen levels one night and it was between 90% and 95% while 92% happened several times per hour).

Right now i am using a second type of antidepressant but while on CPAP (and before that) i did not use any medication. 

they started on a low ramp or something and pressure was increased several times, for the nasal pillow it was set on one of the highest settings (you could really feel the air pressure).
i used another software for the prisma cpap and that told me my average AHI was around 7, only 1 night i had an average AHI of 2 for some reason.

I was a heavy chronic weed user for 15 years but my issues started during that time and even long after i quit (1 year sober).