AHI numbers and other data

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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DeeCPAP
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AHI numbers and other data

Post by DeeCPAP » Mon May 15, 2017 12:40 pm

I'm FINALLY able to sleep through the night using a chin strap without pulling off all the headgear, but my AHI is 2.6 --- I know other numbers have to be factored in. I have data from Sleephead I could copy to Imur but don't know which rows are most important. I'd look it up but I'm still SO sleepy....

More in future messages in this thread...

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Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
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Last edited by DeeCPAP on Wed May 17, 2017 1:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Resmed S9 with humidifier and in need of the right mask.

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Julie
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by Julie » Mon May 15, 2017 1:19 pm

"But my Ahi is 2.6". You say that as if it's no good, but it's quite good, no worse than most of us see a lot. If you're aiming for e.g. less than 1 all the time, it may be unrealistic and unnecessary. If you READ the SH instructions (as has come up before) you'll know what matters and how to do it. Read a little bit at a time, take a break, then read it again and add a bit more... it really isn't rocket science and you're smart enough to get it. I've had the feeling you're afraid of it on principle, maybe thinking you can't 'do' technie stuff, but you'd be very surprised I think at who does do it once they take it in small bites and then just keep going. Just don't tell yourself you can't.. because I guarantee that you can!
Last edited by Julie on Mon May 15, 2017 1:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Omne
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by Omne » Mon May 15, 2017 3:53 pm

DeeCPAP wrote:I'm FINALLY able to sleep through the night using a chin strap without pulling off all the headgear, but my AHI is 2.6 --- I know other numbers have to be factored in. I have data from Sleephead I could copy to Imur but don't know which rows are most important. I'd look it up but I'm still SO sleepy....

Thanks
Hi, I've been using CPAP since last June and I usually run around 3 AHI, lately between 1 and 2. Don't get hung up on the numbers, how you feel is a lot more important. There are mornings where my AHI is around 1.5 and I feel terrible, others when it's 3.5 and I feel great.

Use SH and adjust what you can but don't get discouraged by the number alone.

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DeeCPAP
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by DeeCPAP » Mon May 15, 2017 8:17 pm

Julie wrote:"But my Ahi is 2.6". You say that as if it's no good, but it's quite good, no worse than most of us see a lot. If you're aiming for e.g. less than 1 all the time, it may be unrealistic and unnecessary. If you READ the SH instructions (as has come up before) you'll know what matters and how to do it. Read a little bit at a time, take a break, then read it again and add a bit more... it really isn't rocket science and you're smart enough to get it. I've had the feeling you're afraid of it on principle, maybe thinking you can't 'do' technie stuff, but you'd be very surprised I think at who does do it once they take it in small bites and then just keep going. Just don't tell yourself you can't.. because I guarantee that you can!
Thanks. I needed that pep talk!

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: XT Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: My headgear varies (STILL!)
Resmed S9 with humidifier and in need of the right mask.

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DeeCPAP
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by DeeCPAP » Mon May 15, 2017 8:20 pm

Omne wrote:
DeeCPAP wrote:I'm FINALLY able to sleep through the night using a chin strap without pulling off all the headgear, but my AHI is 2.6 --- I know other numbers have to be factored in. I have data from Sleephead I could copy to Imur but don't know which rows are most important. I'd look it up but I'm still SO sleepy....

Thanks
Hi, I've been using CPAP since last June and I usually run around 3 AHI, lately between 1 and 2. Don't get hung up on the numbers, how you feel is a lot more important. There are mornings where my AHI is around 1.5 and I feel terrible, others when it's 3.5 and I feel great.

Use SH and adjust what you can but don't get discouraged by the number alone.

The tech had told me my leaks were high during REM sleep (the deepest sleep when jaws go slack), and even though my AHI's were low,
the leaks were high so it's almost like NOT using a cpap machine. It confused me. I'm learning slowly, but at least I'm learning.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: XT Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: My headgear varies (STILL!)
Resmed S9 with humidifier and in need of the right mask.

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robysue
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by robysue » Tue May 16, 2017 9:37 am

DeeCPAP wrote:The tech had told me my leaks were high during REM sleep (the deepest sleep when jaws go slack), and even though my AHI's were low,
the leaks were high so it's almost like NOT using a cpap machine. It confused me. I'm learning slowly, but at least I'm learning.
Look at your data in SH to see if the tech is correct.

If the tech has NOT looked at your full data in the software provided by the machine's manufacturer, then the tech is speculating about whether your leaks are both large enough and long enough to adversely affect the efficacy of your xPAP therapy.

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DeeCPAP
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by DeeCPAP » Tue May 16, 2017 9:56 am

robysue wrote:
DeeCPAP wrote:The tech had told me my leaks were high during REM sleep (the deepest sleep when jaws go slack), and even though my AHI's were low, the leaks were high so it's almost like NOT using a cpap machine. It confused me. I'm learning slowly, but at least I'm learning.
Look at your data in SH to see if the tech is correct.

If the tech has NOT looked at your full data in the software provided by the machine's manufacturer, then the tech is speculating about whether your leaks are both large enough and long enough to adversely affect the efficacy of your xPAP therapy.
The tech checked the data in my machine and then told me what I wrote above, so I assume the ResMed S9 gave him enough data. In the meantime,
I've used the chin strap for 3 days. The first two days went well, and today I found I'd pulled everything off my head after 6.5 hours, so I guess that's
at least some sort of progress.

Again, thanks!

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: XT Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: My headgear varies (STILL!)
Resmed S9 with humidifier and in need of the right mask.

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zoocrewphoto
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by zoocrewphoto » Wed May 17, 2017 1:22 am

DeeCPAP wrote: The tech checked the data in my machine and then told me what I wrote above, so I assume the ResMed S9 gave him enough data. In the meantime,
I've used the chin strap for 3 days. The first two days went well, and today I found I'd pulled everything off my head after 6.5 hours, so I guess that's
at least some sort of progress.

Again, thanks!
Never assume.

We've had people come here and tell us the doctor looked at the data and said they are doing fine, but their machine only has compliance data. There would be no way to know if they were doing well or not.

So, while the tech may have looked at something, it could have been summary data, compliance data, or actually graphs from real nights. Also, a lot of doctors and techs really don't understand how review the data, or how to make the machine settings more ideal - both in terms of therapy and comfort. For example, lots of doctors start the pressure too low which actually causes people t o feel like they are suffocating. Also, sometimes an ahi looks good, but the actual events are really long or clustered together. My mom had an ahi of 3.4, technically fine by a doctor's standards. But her events were all over 30 seconds, some over a minute. And she would have 8 of these events in less than 15 minutes. Raising her pressure from a straight 10 to a range of 10-15 solved her problem.



I would recommend posting the graphs from a typical night, and have the people here look at your data.

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Who would have thought it would be this challenging to sleep and breathe at the same time?

DeannaPap
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by DeannaPap » Wed May 17, 2017 5:57 am

What would be some reasons why someone would have low AHI numbers while getting a full nights sleep but feeling like crap? Are there any other factors related to the machine?

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zoocrewphoto
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by zoocrewphoto » Wed May 17, 2017 6:06 am

DeannaPap wrote:What would be some reasons why someone would have low AHI numbers while getting a full nights sleep but feeling like crap? Are there any other factors related to the machine?

The events could be few, but long and/or clustered together.

You could be disturbed by pressure changes if using an auto range.

You could be having lots of short events that don't quite meet the 10 second requirement.

If leak is excessive for too much of the night, the ahi numbers could be wrong.

_________________
Mask: Quattro™ FX Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Resmed S9 autoset pressure range 11-17
Who would have thought it would be this challenging to sleep and breathe at the same time?

DeannaPap
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by DeannaPap » Wed May 17, 2017 6:10 am

Thank you. Is it possible to be really stuffy and the machine reads the preassure right but the air isn't going into throat? Or can the machine tell the difference? Often times I feel stuffy and wonder if the air is actually forcing through enough to actually keep my throat open and not just pushing against the blockage

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DeeCPAP
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by DeeCPAP » Wed May 17, 2017 8:33 am

zoocrewphoto wrote:
DeeCPAP wrote: The tech checked the data in my machine and then told me what I wrote above, so I assume the ResMed S9 gave him enough data. In the meantime,
I've used the chin strap for 3 days. The first two days went well, and today I found I'd pulled everything off my head after 6.5 hours, so I guess that's
at least some sort of progress.

Again, thanks!
Never assume.

We've had people come here and tell us the doctor looked at the data and said they are doing fine, but their machine only has compliance data. There would be no way to know if they were doing well or not.

So, while the tech may have looked at something, it could have been summary data, compliance data, or actually graphs from real nights. Also, a lot of doctors and techs really don't understand how review the data, or how to make the machine settings more ideal - both in terms of therapy and comfort. For example, lots of doctors start the pressure too low which actually causes people t o feel like they are suffocating. Also, sometimes an ahi looks good, but the actual events are really long or clustered together. My mom had an ahi of 3.4, technically fine by a doctor's standards. But her events were all over 30 seconds, some over a minute. And she would have 8 of these events in less than 15 minutes. Raising her pressure from a straight 10 to a range of 10-15 solved her problem.

I would recommend posting the graphs from a typical night, and have the people here look at your data.
The experiment may have worked -- I slept for more than 7 hours last night. My average for over a YEAR, according to SleepHead, has been around 5.5 hours of sleep a night. Even if the data was perfect, I was "sleep deprived".

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: XT Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: My headgear varies (STILL!)
Resmed S9 with humidifier and in need of the right mask.

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DeeCPAP
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by DeeCPAP » Wed May 17, 2017 9:52 am

zoocrewphoto wrote:
DeannaPap wrote:What would be some reasons why someone would have low AHI numbers while getting a full nights sleep but feeling like crap? Are there any other factors related to the machine?

The events could be few, but long and/or clustered together.

You could be disturbed by pressure changes if using an auto range.

You could be having lots of short events that don't quite meet the 10 second requirement.

If leak is excessive for too much of the night, the ahi numbers could be wrong.
I'm starting to think the events may have been many, but less than 10 seconds. Sounds about right. Glad you told me!

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: XT Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: My headgear varies (STILL!)
Resmed S9 with humidifier and in need of the right mask.

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DeeCPAP
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by DeeCPAP » Wed May 17, 2017 9:55 am

Saw a MAJOR discrepancy in the data SleepHead shows and what the ResMed machine shows. I slept more hours, on average, than my machine for the "hours slept per day for over a year, month, etc. I'll double check later today, but it makes no sense. Averaging 5.5 hours of disrupted sleep for over a year can make ya nuts. SleepyHead says I slept more. Maybe I should believe the machine's numbers more than SleepHead?

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: DreamWear Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: XT Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: My headgear varies (STILL!)
Resmed S9 with humidifier and in need of the right mask.

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robysue
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Re: AHI numbers and other data

Post by robysue » Thu May 18, 2017 7:47 am

DeeCPAP wrote:Saw a MAJOR discrepancy in the data SleepHead shows and what the ResMed machine shows. I slept more hours, on average, than my machine for the "hours slept per day for over a year, month, etc. I'll double check later today, but it makes no sense. Averaging 5.5 hours of disrupted sleep for over a year can make ya nuts. SleepyHead says I slept more. Maybe I should believe the machine's numbers more than SleepHead?
Show us screen shots please.

_________________
Machine: DreamStation BiPAP® Auto Machine
Mask: Swift™ FX Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: PR System DreamStation and Humidifier. Max IPAP = 9, Min EPAP=4, Rise time setting = 3, minPS = 3, maxPS=5