Hi, this is my first time posting here so apologises if I don't provide the correct info or I'm posting in the wrong section.
I was diagnosed with OSA early last year when I was 33 years old. For a long time I'd always had trouble sleeping and waking up during the night with a racing heart beat feeling anxious. Until 1 day I woke up with my heart beat going crazy. I was told I had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and was asked about my sleep in general. A few days later I had a sleep study done and was told I had mild-moderate OSA.
After this I bought a DreamStation pro and ordered a generic full face mask from Thailand where I am living. I was amazed that this seemed to instantly fix the problem. I was sleeping better again, not waking up in the middle of the night and not having any racing heartbeats at any point. This went on for 8+ months and I thought everything was fixed.
However last month I went back home for Xmas which seemed to mess up my sleeping, which I thought was due to jet lag. Since I've been back in Thailand Ive started waking up again like clockwork with racing heartbeats and feeling really anxious. This is really worrying as I don't want the irregular heart beat to come back or something worse. I'm really scratching my head as to why the CPAP machine seems to have stopped working.
Is it possible someone could look at my Sleepyhead stats and see if anything has changed?
A few things to note-
1. When going back to the UK I bought a DreamStation Go travel CPAP and used it for 10 days there with a new mask (Airtouch 20). Those 10 days I seemed to sleep fine and was not waking up during the night.
2.Since getting back home I've been using my normal Dreamstation with the Airtouch 20 and this is where the problem started. I first put it down to jetlag but it's been 20 days and counting now, and if anything seems to be getting worse. The mask fits, feels and seems to work great though. And it says I'm getting no air leakage.
Sorry that was a bit longer than I planned! If someone is able to view my sleepyhead should I screenshot certain pages or export the file and attach here?
Thanks for your help
I could really use some help trying to figure out whats up!
Re: I could really use some help trying to figure out whats up!
Definitely post up your sleepy head data. I don't think mine is set up perfect either but something that looks like this would be helpful.
https://imgur.com/a/WAKHM
https://imgur.com/a/WAKHM
10 to 15 cm h20
Re: I could really use some help trying to figure out whats up!
Thanks, I added a bunch of screenshots of the past few nights plus the total overview since using the machine
https://imgur.com/a/bTCft
https://imgur.com/a/bTCft
Re: I could really use some help trying to figure out whats up!
The only thing I see is some minor clustering of stuff (not all of the stuff is included in the AHI) going on during the night.
Might be related to REM stage sleep or maybe you are on your back or maybe a little bit of both.
You are using a very tight range of pressures and for the most part that seems to work well in preventing whatever is showing up in those times with minor clustering.
The RERAs are indications of possible arousals which go along with your history.
On Wed the 17th at 1:30...see the pressure max out at 12 and there is a corresponding cluster of a couple of OAs, more hyponeas, some Flow limitations (think of them as flow reductions that don't earn an OA or hyponea flag for some reason)...all this means is the machine likely wanted to go higher but couldn't.
Now this didn't happen on some of the other times where some minor clustering of events happen.
Something changed so that the pressure isn't able to do its job and hold the airway open optimally....usually when things work well for most of the night and then it doesn't we look at REM or supine sleeping pressure needs. It's quite common to need more pressure and have our OSA be worse in both REM and when we are on our backs.
Some people get a double whammy with markedly worse with REM and supine sleeping is combined.
Don't know what is going on with you but from the pattern of the clustering my first suspect would be REM because the pattern looks like when we would normally expect a REM cycle to happen.
If it were me I would increase the max pressure setting from 12 to maybe 14 and see where the machine wants to go. If the machine still doesn't do better job preventing that clustering (and the FLs, and RERAs are part of the cluster and the evaluation) then I would increase the minimum maybe 0.5 cm...
Now are these minor clustering of stuff the cause of the arousals......don't know but they might be so it's something to try in an effort to reduce them arousals.
Your machine hasn't quit working but instead something has changed in what is needed for it to do a good job and you have its little hands tied so tightly with that 10 to 12 pressure range it can't do much.
Might be related to REM stage sleep or maybe you are on your back or maybe a little bit of both.
You are using a very tight range of pressures and for the most part that seems to work well in preventing whatever is showing up in those times with minor clustering.
The RERAs are indications of possible arousals which go along with your history.
On Wed the 17th at 1:30...see the pressure max out at 12 and there is a corresponding cluster of a couple of OAs, more hyponeas, some Flow limitations (think of them as flow reductions that don't earn an OA or hyponea flag for some reason)...all this means is the machine likely wanted to go higher but couldn't.
Now this didn't happen on some of the other times where some minor clustering of events happen.
Something changed so that the pressure isn't able to do its job and hold the airway open optimally....usually when things work well for most of the night and then it doesn't we look at REM or supine sleeping pressure needs. It's quite common to need more pressure and have our OSA be worse in both REM and when we are on our backs.
Some people get a double whammy with markedly worse with REM and supine sleeping is combined.
Don't know what is going on with you but from the pattern of the clustering my first suspect would be REM because the pattern looks like when we would normally expect a REM cycle to happen.
If it were me I would increase the max pressure setting from 12 to maybe 14 and see where the machine wants to go. If the machine still doesn't do better job preventing that clustering (and the FLs, and RERAs are part of the cluster and the evaluation) then I would increase the minimum maybe 0.5 cm...
Now are these minor clustering of stuff the cause of the arousals......don't know but they might be so it's something to try in an effort to reduce them arousals.
Your machine hasn't quit working but instead something has changed in what is needed for it to do a good job and you have its little hands tied so tightly with that 10 to 12 pressure range it can't do much.
_________________
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.
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.
Re: I could really use some help trying to figure out whats up!
Hi Pugsy,
Thanks for the detailed reply! Last night I increased the max pressure and I forced myself to sleep on my side. I still woke up once during the night but I think I fell back to sleep quicker than previous nights which is good. The machine didn't want to go over 12cm2 pressure also which is interesting. My AHI was 1.01
I'll give it a few more nights and see how things go and then post the screenshots. Thanks again for your help. And if anyone else has any ideas it would be much appreciated
Thanks for the detailed reply! Last night I increased the max pressure and I forced myself to sleep on my side. I still woke up once during the night but I think I fell back to sleep quicker than previous nights which is good. The machine didn't want to go over 12cm2 pressure also which is interesting. My AHI was 1.01
I'll give it a few more nights and see how things go and then post the screenshots. Thanks again for your help. And if anyone else has any ideas it would be much appreciated
Re: I could really use some help trying to figure out whats up!
2nd pugsy 10-14 going by your stats
The dreamstation likes to have the min pressure close to the 95%. You can backsleep if you want to. Normally you don't have a choice and you wake up on your back. You may need more max pressure setting for this, to give the machine more room to move.
The dreamstation likes to have the min pressure close to the 95%. You can backsleep if you want to. Normally you don't have a choice and you wake up on your back. You may need more max pressure setting for this, to give the machine more room to move.
_________________
Mask: ResMed AirFit™ F20 Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control |
Additional Comments: S9 ST-A iVAPS and adapt ASV |
Re: I could really use some help trying to figure out whats up!
Glad to see that you are treating your OSA as it will cause heart arrhythmias. I did not start PAP until after my third heart ablation procedure. I recommend you try to lower your AHI so that you minimize your risk to Atrial Fib especially since you have already had episodes. AF begets AF. Raising your lower pressure by 0.5 or 1 should help reduce your AHI. Avoid back sleeping can also lower your AHI.bill-008 wrote:Hi, this is my first time posting here so apologises if I don't provide the correct info or I'm posting in the wrong section.
I was diagnosed with OSA early last year when I was 33 years old. For a long time I'd always had trouble sleeping and waking up during the night with a racing heart beat feeling anxious. Until 1 day I woke up with my heart beat going crazy. I was told I had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and was asked about my sleep in general. A few days later I had a sleep study done and was told I had mild-moderate OSA.
After this I bought a DreamStation pro and ordered a generic full face mask from Thailand where I am living. I was amazed that this seemed to instantly fix the problem. I was sleeping better again, not waking up in the middle of the night and not having any racing heartbeats at any point. This went on for 8+ months and I thought everything was fixed.
However last month I went back home for Xmas which seemed to mess up my sleeping, which I thought was due to jet lag. Since I've been back in Thailand Ive started waking up again like clockwork with racing heartbeats and feeling really anxious. This is really worrying as I don't want the irregular heart beat to come back or something worse. I'm really scratching my head as to why the CPAP machine seems to have stopped working.
Is it possible someone could look at my Sleepyhead stats and see if anything has changed?
A few things to note-
1. When going back to the UK I bought a DreamStation Go travel CPAP and used it for 10 days there with a new mask (Airtouch 20). Those 10 days I seemed to sleep fine and was not waking up during the night.
2.Since getting back home I've been using my normal Dreamstation with the Airtouch 20 and this is where the problem started. I first put it down to jetlag but it's been 20 days and counting now, and if anything seems to be getting worse. The mask fits, feels and seems to work great though. And it says I'm getting no air leakage.
Sorry that was a bit longer than I planned! If someone is able to view my sleepyhead should I screenshot certain pages or export the file and attach here?
Thanks for your help
_________________
Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine |
Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier |
Additional Comments: AutoPAP 16-20, Ultimate Chin Strap http://sleepapneasolutionsinc.com/ |
Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment:
how to see your data https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead
how to present your data https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead/shorganize
how to post your data https://sleep.tnet.com/reference/tips/imgur
how to see your data https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead
how to present your data https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead/shorganize
how to post your data https://sleep.tnet.com/reference/tips/imgur