Can someone help me with these flow rates?

emreee93 · Post by **emreee93** » Wed Jan 31, 2018 8:00 am

Hi all,

I have been using the MAD that my doc prescribed but so far no results. I am meeting him in a couple of weeks and we will be discussing the next step probably cpap. I already bought one and these are my results.

My ahi is low however I have the feeling I have a lot of flow limitations. Sleep study results: AI:4,5 RDI:12 sleep doc said that I had a lot of subtile breathing so I suppose he is reffering to reras, flow lim.

Can anyone help me ?

https://imgur.com/v8odlmw

https://imgur.com/uZwrDal

Here it seems my inhalation is not normal, Every inhale is like a double mountain if you know what I mean followed by an explosive exhale. I have this evry night.

https://imgur.com/UGkhcWV

Feels like my body is working so hard to breath, I can feel my lungs hurting the next day

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Wed Jan 31, 2018 9:11 am

You may be cutting off your own air if your head falls forward when you sleep... have you tried wearing a soft cervical collar that'll keep your head up, your airway more open and your mouth closed?

ajack · Post by **ajack** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 7:08 am

The double mountain or M shape in the inhale normally responds to more min pressure, it can be a flow limitation type of thing.
your machine setting says min 11 max 20 but the stats say different. up plug your machine for 10 minutes, set the min on 11 and try again. see if the machine fixes it's pressure reading. put up the new chart.

emreee93 · Post by **emreee93** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 9:38 am

Thanks for the replies !

Julie:I havent tried that yet. Sounds like a good idea. I have the MAD doesn't that do the same thing with prevending the jaw to fall and narrowing the throat?

Ajack: ah I see, thought it had something to do with that. Its strange that it showed another pressure reading but its fine now. So , I will put up minimum range to 11 and then post my results. Hope it will have a positive effect on the inhale rates!

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 11:09 am

No, the MAD pulls (or pushes) your lower jaw forward (often with consequences of developing TMJ - google that, you don't want it), to ostensibly open your airway more, but it's usually uncomfortable and often ineffective... also over the top in terms of therapy which can be achieved more easily and cheaper in other ways. There are people it may help, but they're usually referred AFTER trying cpap, etc... not prior to!

emreee93 · Post by **emreee93** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 11:28 am

Jjulie: yes my dentist told me about all the risks pro's and cons of the device. She told me that I have a very strong jaw so should not worry about it. But I agree with you, it starts hurting my teeth! Here in the Netherlands, the protocol is for mild, moderate apnea you first get assigned a MAD or surgery. If that does not work you get a CPAP. I think it has to do with the fact that we have public health, nevertheless I have to "try" it and if it doesnt work or I cant tolerate it I get a CPAP/Bipap whatever. I will look into the cervic collar!

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 11:47 am

Whatever you do, don't get surgery! Many have tried and been sorry afterwards - and you can't change it back of course. I find it so hard to believe the Netherlands is doing everything backwards from how it's done here... crazy!

Marillion · Post by **Marillion** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 11:57 am

If you look into the outcomes of the surgery option for Sleep Apnea, you will find that it has a very low success rate. But a very high pain result... I would never recommend anyone going the surgery route.

All using a MAD device did for me was change my bite structure for most of the day (which was really very irritating) and did nothing for my Apnea. Granted my Apnea was classified as severe after the sleep study.

The CPAP machine is the best solution by far.

emreee93 · Post by **emreee93** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 12:02 pm

haha yes its so crazy there should be universal guidelines but that is difficult in the medical world. I think the U.S does better by immediately giving the CPAP because it is the golden standard, whereas here they try to make therapy more comfortable by giving a MAD or small surgery so you do not need the CPAP. Here they also always do a sleep endoscopy, but studies found now that it is not always the best way of researching where the obstruction comes from. From this year the Netherlands will have new guidelines for Apnea, so im curious how they will do things differently now!

Marillion · Post by **Marillion** » Thu Feb 01, 2018 12:12 pm

emreee93 wrote:haha yes its so crazy there should be universal guidelines but that is difficult in the medical world. I think the U.S does better by immediately giving the CPAP because it is the golden standard, whereas here they try to make therapy more comfortable by giving a MAD or small surgery so you do not need the CPAP. Here they also always do a sleep endoscopy, but studies found now that it is not always the best way of researching where the obstruction comes from. From this year the Netherlands will have new guidelines for Apnea, so im curious how they will do things differently now!

I hope so too.

I find it curious that the Netherlands is so progressive in so very many ways yet in this topic they seem to be lagging a bit behind. Ah well, it's not a cookie cutter world and overall, that is a good thing.

emreee93 · Post by **emreee93** » Fri Feb 23, 2018 1:40 pm

Hi everyone,

So I have been experimenting with my cpap different pressures, upt it slowly. Still feel very tired and I will see my sleep doc next month. In the mean while I thought maybe someone could help me. Most nights my AHI is low but I have these strange flow rates can any one tell me if they can be rera? My sleep study showed rdi of 12 mostly reras.

Thanks for any help

If you need more specific pics let me know

palerider · Post by **palerider** » Fri Feb 23, 2018 6:47 pm

I'd say you're not asleep in the second screen shot.

Can someone help me with these flow rates?

Can someone help me with these flow rates?

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