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+--- Thread: Started Cpap, Still very tired, Please Help! (/Thread-Started-Cpap-Still-very-tired-Please-Help)
Started Cpap, Still very tired, Please Help! - airsense11user8 - 05-17-2023
Hello, I have been using my cpap for several months now and recently my ahi has been increasing. Can anyone help me identify settings I should change or anything from my oscar graph that would indicate the source of the issue. I use a p30i nasal pillow and resmed airsense 11 set at 5-15. Please help, I am really struggling to understand all the data generated from the oscar, and trying to read articles online but am struggling with making an actionable change. I can provide some other screenshots upon request. Thanks so much for any help you can provide.
RE: Started Cpap, Still very tired, Please Help! - Yoshuzimo - 05-19-2023
From what my specialist said it's normal to have to make adjustments within the first few months as your body adjusts to treatment. Not uncommon to have to make changes to your settings this early in. Also, did you change sleep positions? That can also effect it. As can any weight changes.
Best bet would be to talk to your specialist. Some places have a patient portal that will allow you send your doctor messages for questions like this. Otherwise, you could always try increasing your pressure by 2 and see if that improves it or not.
Also keep in mind sleeping on your back is usually not helpful with apnea, so try to avoid it if you are. Personally, it does increase my AHI a little, but I don't wake up sore like I do in other positions... So kind of a trade off.
As for being tired, it can take months or even years to really get the full effects of treatment. Your body has to unlearn living with apnea and learn to sleep normal, if that makes sense. In my case, my apnea covered up my narcolepsy... So even though I got my apnea well in hand, turned out I was tired due to that...
Point is, definitely have regular contact with your specialist... And bring stuff like this up with them, might be there's something more going on you didn't notice before, or you might just need a simple settings adjustment. Ask questions, try stuff out and keep what helps. It's a journey.
Here's to being well on your way to not being tired one day!
RE: Started Cpap, Still very tired, Please Help! - gainerfull - 05-19-2023
1. Turn off ramp
2. Look for opportunities to reduce your leak rate. Since you're using a nasal mask you may consider tighening the straps and taping your mouth at night with fabric tape.
3. Increase your minimum pressure to 7 to take full advantage of EPR
4. Come back to this thread and post your data after a couple of nights
Based upon the snore data and relatively frequent obstructive events it's likely that your minimum pressure needs to be elevated even further but let's wait to see what the data tells us after sleeping with the new settings.
RE: Started Cpap, Still very tired, Please Help! - Crimson Nape - 05-19-2023
Your CAs seem to be occurring at the higher pressure, along with your OAs. Your flow limit looks good enough that you should try reducing your EPR to 1. This should provide a 2 cm increase in your EPAP pressure and help reduce the OAs. In turn, your machine may not need to go as high as it does now. To help get you in your therapy pressure range, I would set my Min pressure to 8 and the Max to 10. This will allow some variance in pressure without causing arousals. It will also stop any inadvertent pressure runaways. Last, turn your Ramp off. It is not doing you any favors.
Keep us posted.
- Red