Encountering some problems :-(

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by Guest » Sun Jan 15, 2017 6:09 pm

Do one thing at a time so you can understand how each affects you.

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OkyDoky
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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by OkyDoky » Sun Jan 15, 2017 6:15 pm

Guest wrote:My fault. Saw the two traces on the pressure and the Epap min. @6.40 on the left. Take the min right up to 9 for a couple days then 10. Looks like Aflex is dropping the pressure down while events sneak in.
Easy mistake. I never mind when someone sees my mistakes because it's easy to do. I just had to edit my above post because he has flex and not EPR.
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Woodup
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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by Woodup » Sun Jan 15, 2017 6:26 pm

Have you thought about supine events (back sleeping) exacerbating the AHI? My AHI and sPO2 desats increase dramatically on my back. I wear a backpack with an air bladder in it just to keep off it! Just a thought...

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Guest

Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by Guest » Sun Jan 15, 2017 6:31 pm

OkyDoky wrote:Easy mistake. I never mind when someone sees my mistakes because it's easy to do.
And I forgot to say Thank You for catching that. Good Eyes. So Thank You
Woodup wrote:Have you thought about supine events (back sleeping) exacerbating the AHI? My AHI and sPO2 desats increase dramatically on my back. I wear a backpack with an air bladder in it just to keep off it! Just a thought...
I did ask about sleeping position. I think that is most common for unknown changes in AHI problems. Some positions may require more pressure than others.

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reolhlains
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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by reolhlains » Sun Jan 15, 2017 9:34 pm

Thanks folks.
I am not aware of different sleeping positions - but I will dig out my wife's maternity pillow and prop myself up properly tonight.
Do we think that I shouldn't bother taping my mouth shut? The explanation about low AHI with mouth breathing makes perfect sense to me - so maybe the surgical tape was an over reaction (although it did provide some entertainment!).
I knew what you meant about flex/EPR (I think) - just the reduction in pressure when breathing out? I might try the (further) increase in min pressure tonight alone without touching the flex - that with pillows and potentially some more duck tape may do the trick!!

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Guest

Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by Guest » Sun Jan 15, 2017 9:50 pm

If you are worried about mouth breathing and comfortable taping then do it. It is a good training aid. As time goes on you may experiment with other ways or not. At some point you will find things help and things that don't. Then you will reach a point where you won't want to sleep w/o your cpap, period.

At that point you may want not only a backup cpap but a battery to insure if the power goes out you can at least sleep.

I'm not sure which mask you are using and I never believe the profile equipment listing as it changes often esp. when starting out and we often forget to make the changes in the profile.

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OkyDoky
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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by OkyDoky » Sun Jan 15, 2017 9:51 pm

I looked up the venting on the Dreamwear mask and it looks like at 10 to 12 cm pressures the intentional venting would be about 25 L/Min. On the Respironics machines they figure the leak rate by including this amount in the total. So it looks like last night you had very little unintentional leaks on the graph. The ResMed machines do not include the intentional venting leaks in their leaks so that is why their threshold for large leaks is lower.
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reolhlains
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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by reolhlains » Mon Jan 16, 2017 9:46 pm

Well, last night was a bit worse again (and I'm feeling it today). Mouth was taped shut and tried hard to sleep on side (not sure whether I rolled over or not).
I seem to have woken up a lot during the night too.
Do I just keep trying to up the pressure? I can't believe I've gone from having great results starting with 6cms 2 weeks ago to pushing a min of 10 now and still not getting there. Wish I knew what had changed.
Loving the advice guys - thank you so much, I really appreciate it (couldn't manage without you!!!).

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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by Guest » Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:03 pm

reolhlains wrote:I can't believe I've gone from having great results starting with 6cms 2 weeks ago to pushing a min of 10 now and still not getting there. Wish I knew what had changed.
Can you post some of those charts?
You take any meds? Nite time cocktails? Etc.?

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Julie
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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by Julie » Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:12 pm

Hate to ask, but have you gained even a small amt of weight lately? It's amazing how much difference it can make, often to the mask as your face changes quickly when you gain or lose. Have you had other things checked recently - labwork, sugar, thyroid, etc?

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reolhlains
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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by reolhlains » Mon Jan 16, 2017 10:47 pm

Guest wrote:Can you post some of those charts?
You take any meds? Nite time cocktails? Etc.?
Hi- thanks for the help!
I've posted a graph of a good night (on 5 Jan) below. I don't take any meds or anything other than water in the evenings.
Julie - on 9 Jan, I started a pretty strict diet (New Year and all that) and have lost 4kgs since last Monday. However, the drastic change was between the Saturday night (AHI in the 1s) and the Sunday night (AHI in the 7s) - i.e. the night before I started the diet, so I don't think it can be that. Also, bloods all checked about 6mths ago or so.
I have no idea if it is related - but in the two weeks until the night of the drastic change in AHI, I had been away from home on holidays. The drastic change was the night we came back home - so I then thought could it be my own bed/pillows - but things were fine before going on holiday in December.
I'm very confused by this - and pretty deflated truth be told. I was looking forward to a new year of getting back into fitness/losing weight etc. now that my sleep was sorted - I'm still trying the weight loss, but finding it much harder without proper sleep!!
Thanks again
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Julie
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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by Julie » Tue Jan 17, 2017 3:37 am

I'd bump your pressure to 10 for a couple of nights to see how it goes - your graph shows 95% of the time it sits there so you just might not have it cranked enough. Whatever happened in the past... there have been changes, maybe a combo of weather, weight, leaks (not necessarily high, but...) anything, and I wouldn't stay hung up on what 'was' but just try to go ahead now and stabilize in a reasonable place. And maybe take it easy with the strict diet... be careful, but don't obsess - stress can make a difference too.

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reolhlains
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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by reolhlains » Tue Jan 17, 2017 3:55 am

Thanks Julie - I do have a bit of an issue at work at the moment which can't be resolved until next Monday/Tuesday, so maybe that's having an effect...
It's also incredibly hot!
Yes, just need to get on and sort it!!
Thank you

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Julie
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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by Julie » Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:22 am

I (and others) have found that the hotter is it the less effective the therapy, and while you need to be careful about drying things out with A/C, some (maybe based in another room) relief might help. Good luck!

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reolhlains
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Re: Encountering some problems :-(

Post by reolhlains » Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:43 am

Julie wrote:I (and others) have found that the hotter is it the less effective the therapy, and while you need to be careful about drying things out with A/C, some (maybe based in another room) relief might help. Good luck!
Maybe that's exactly what it has been then... I went from staying in a hotel with air con and the room at a nice 22 degrees, to back home where I am waiting on a part for our air con to be fixed and over 30 degrees...!!!
I know not to get hung up on it and just move on - but that could be exactly what's happened.
Last night was like 32/33 in the room.

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