Newbie Question about AHI

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Insomaniac
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Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Insomaniac » Thu Sep 03, 2015 11:12 am

I started CPAP over 3 weeks ago. I have not gotten a good night's sleep since I've gotten it. I read that an AHI below 5 is supposed to an acceptable level. I have an AHI of 1.7, but I still feel horrible every time I wake up. My leak pressure is 13L/min and I use a full face mask. Do I need more or less air pressure? Or could it be another issue?

Thanks.

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Pugsy
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Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Pugsy » Thu Sep 03, 2015 11:46 am

Welcome to the forum.
Unfortunately a nice low AHI doesn't guarantee that we are going to feel the good numbers for any number of reasons.

What machine are you using and what pressure settings?

Usually when someone tells me that they aren't feeling the good numbers I give them the standard speech that it can take time to feel the improvements and sometimes it takes a lot of time...but while giving it time maybe we can investigate other possible causes for not feeling the good numbers.

Usual culprits..
Hours of sleep...gotta have suitable number of hours of sleep and 5 or 6 simply isn't enough for most people.
Fragmented sleep...if someone is waking up often during the night that will totally trash sleep quality and even 8 hours of sleep can't overcome multiple awakenings.
Meds...look at the meds to see if any have potential unwanted side effects...like fatigue, drowsiness, mess with sleep.
Insomnia...again not all insomnia is caused by sleep apnea
General health issues...sometimes our other health issues will impact how we feel during the day
you get the idea...look at the big picture and dig deep to see if something else is also a potential problem in terms of unwanted daytime symptoms.
These machines can't fix bad sleep if bad sleep is caused by something other than sleep apnea.

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Insomaniac
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Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 11:00 am

Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Insomaniac » Thu Sep 03, 2015 11:57 am

Thanks for the reply Pugsy. I'm using the Airsense10 CPAP. The pressure is set at 11. My average usage is 6 hours.

Tdub210
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Location: SA Texas

Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Tdub210 » Thu Sep 03, 2015 11:58 am

Are you feeling horrible just when you wake up or throughout the day as well?

Also, it will help a lot for the people here to give you advice if you fill out your profile with your equipment. Choose text and not the picture.

By the way, I'm pretty much on the same time frame you are, been on mine almost 4 weeks.

Insomaniac
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Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Insomaniac » Thu Sep 03, 2015 12:09 pm

Tdub210, I feel horrible both when I make up and throughout the day.

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Pugsy
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Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Pugsy » Thu Sep 03, 2015 12:19 pm

6 hours isn't enough especially if/when a lot of wake ups are involved.

Is there a special reason you chose Insomaniac as a screen name? Do you have trouble falling asleep...staying asleep? How many wake ups during the night? For how long?

What meds do you take?

When you say you feel "horrible"...can you define horrible? I know it may sound odd but we don't know what your horrible means.
Be as specific as possible...fatigue isn't the same thing as being sleepy and wanting to nap.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

Tdub210
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Location: SA Texas

Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Tdub210 » Thu Sep 03, 2015 12:29 pm

I agree with Pugsy. There could be other things involved, plus, 6 hours is a little light especially if you're waking up a lot. I've been averaging 8 hours a night with wake ups. I never did get that immediate magical energetic jump. I have noticed other improvements (irritability, focus). I wasn't falling asleep or nodding off during the day like some people did. But did have a bit of an endurance/fatigue issue. I've noticed some improvement there. But, in addition to my apnea, I also had a significant vitamin D deficiency. (My wife does too). Apparently, per my Dr., this is an epidemic and can also cause similar symptoms to apnea. Did you get your Vitamin D tested? Or other tests? I'm sure there's others, it's just that D was mine.

I'm sleeping fairly well with my machine, and I do notice I'm getting better quality of sleep. I've been vividly dreaming for the first time in years for one thing, which isn't proof, but is an indicator of better REM sleep (Pugsy, is that fair to say?). But, like Pugsy said, there could be other factors. I recommend the Sleepyhead software. You can see a lot of info from that. I'm doing well with my machine but even at this point still making adjustments. I wake up a few times at night for usually no apparent reason. Other times I think I'm shifting positions and waking up to make sure my mask stays where it should. My brother in law said it took him a couple months to really notice a difference but once he did he said it was significant.

Insomaniac
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Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Insomaniac » Thu Sep 03, 2015 12:35 pm

Pugsy, I have trouble going to sleep and sometimes and I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night. I haven't been able to fall asleep well since getting the machine. The last 3 days I couldn't fall asleep before 2 am, so I took 5mg Ambien. I fall asleep, but I still wake up early.

By horrible I mean I feel really exhausted. I feel like a walking zombie. I can't concentrate.



Tudub210, my doctor told me I have vitamin D deficiency as well.

Tdub210
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Location: SA Texas

Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Tdub210 » Thu Sep 03, 2015 12:48 pm

Are you treating the Vitamin D issue? I got a prescription for a once a week supplement plus taking daily OTC. The prescript is for 12 weeks. You have a good AHI level, and the machine is simply going to help you breath through the night. It won't fix other problems. Do you have stress? You probably do over the machine. Have you looked at your bedroom routine? What about exercise? When I gain weight (current condition), I have trouble sleeping for some reason.

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Pugsy
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Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Pugsy » Thu Sep 03, 2015 12:52 pm

Did you have insomnia issues ever at all prior to getting the cpap machine?

What time is your normal wake up time (if you have one) and what time is normal go to bed time?

If you take that Ambien at 2 AM...what time do you get up?

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Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

Insomaniac
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Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Insomaniac » Thu Sep 03, 2015 12:58 pm

I bought the vitamin D3 2000 IU, but I haven't been taking it because I get more than 30 min of sun exposure every day. I took it for about a week then gave it up. Maybe I should start again. And yes, I have stress; I haven't slept well in over 2 years. My weight is normal and I walk around about 3 times a week. I would do more but I'm too exhausted.

Insomaniac
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Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Insomaniac » Thu Sep 03, 2015 1:06 pm

Pugsy, I did have insomnia before CPAP. That's how I got the Ambien prescription. Normally I go to sleep around 12am-1am because that's when I start getting sleepy, and wake up around 6-7am. When I take the ambien at 2am I wake up around 5-6am.

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Pugsy
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Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Pugsy » Thu Sep 03, 2015 1:22 pm

If I took ambien at 2 AM and tried to get up and function at 6 AM my butt would be dragging 2 hours behind me. You need to allow 8 hours at least...so don't take it so late.

You might want to do some reading..start here
http://adventures-in-hosehead-land.blog ... er_19.html
and in that Robysue mentions a book I think (maybe two) that has good information in it.

Often we expect the cpap therapy to fix our insomnia but it can't if the insomnia is caused by something else other than sleep apnea....and there's a truck load of insomnia causes that are totally unrelated to sleep apnea.
We sure don't want cpap therapy to make the insomnia worse though but sometimes it does.
Fixing the vitamin D thing...takes more than just the sunlight for a lot of people and it takes a long term commitment in taking it orally to have it actually help...talking months here.

Google "good sleep hygiene" and "bad sleep hygiene" and take a hard look at what you are likely doing to sabotage your sleep quality. I bet you are guilty of a few things...we all are.

If one of your primary complaints is fatigue...google "causes for fatigue" and read up.
Same with any other complaints.

It may just be that you do have to "give it time" but while you are giving it time do educate yourself and read up on other potential factors that might be a big factor in the unwanted daytime symptoms you are having.
If you have some positive known good results ...pay attention to those instead of dwelling on the others.
For months the only real positive experience I had from my cpap therapy was the great reduction in morning killed headaches and the no longer having to get up to pee a half a dozen times a night....it was a long time before I saw much change in overall energy levels and part of that was because it took months to get to where I was sleeping 7 to 8 hours instead of 4 to 6 hours.
6 hours isn't enough and I bet if we look at your overall average and subtract the awake time on the machine that you are probably actually getting even less than 6 hours.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

Insomaniac
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 11:00 am

Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Insomaniac » Thu Sep 03, 2015 1:38 pm

Pugsy, Ok I will check out those links. Thank you for all of the advice I really appreciate it.

And thanks for helping me out too, Tdub210.

Tdub210
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Location: SA Texas

Re: Newbie Question about AHI

Post by Tdub210 » Thu Sep 03, 2015 2:14 pm

Anytime. Pugsy's helped me a ton here, as have several others. I recommend spending time here as you'll find lots of advice not just on cpap but on similar issues to yours.

On the Vitamin D, if you're deficient, I don't think getting sunlight will get you caught up. I tried that with my doc. And he said what Pugsy said, it takes a long time. I'm on the prescription Vit D for three months. I'd stick with the supplementation, it certainly can't hurt.

Oh, one other thing. In my first few days I worked myself up into a hell of an anxiety. To the point the Dr. gave me an anti-anxiety med. I took it for two days and quit. Id sleep well but was a zoned out walking zombie all day. Ive never taken Ambien but just throwing that out there.