Julie wrote:"No; more relaxed would mean that the PAP machine would prevent more apneas, but it doesn't logically follow that it would require more pressure."
Scott, I think you may not understand Cpap! The machine would NOT prevent more apneas if your throat is relaxed - not unless it was set to do so at a higher than usual setting... but your body would produce MORE of them because your throat would be more closed up from tissue relaxation. And therefore it stands to reason that (very, very likely) a higher pressure would be required to keep your airway open to the same amount you were titrated as needing when your settings were prescribed (or at least ones that you've since determined are correct). Either I'm missing something in your thinking, or you're missing a lot you should have known by now.
I'm not trying to argue with anyone, just thinking through the subject and discussing the study. I'm really not hard-headed
As I said, you might very well be right that there is a correlation. My only claim is that the "higher pressure after alcohol" correlation was not made in the study. The study didn't mention pressure at all, it said there were two clear effects - the frequency and the duration of the apneas (on subjects that were not on PAP machines) were higher after drinking. And for that reason, I contend it's not valid to say that people WITH PAP machines should boost their pressure on nights when they use alcohol, or that they'll have longer or more frequent event while on their normal pressure.
I'm a mechanical engineer and I deal with pressurized air all the time. It seems to me that the amount of pressure required is a function of how much tissue has to be moved out of the way, and how heavy that tissue is. So if "more relaxed" means that more tissue is blocking the airway (which is what you're thinking), then yes - that is more pressure. But if "more relaxed" just means that the same amount of tissue relaxes more frequently with alcohol, then the pressure is the same with or without alcohol.
OK, NOW tell me if I'm still missing something.
