Dreamstation SD card blank?

[Paper_Nanny]

I have been using a Dreamstation DSX 500 CPAP since 27 July. My AHI has ranged between 2.9 and 78.9. I have an appointment with the sleep doctor in a couple weeks. He had his assistant let me know that we will be talking about the disconnect between my sleep study results, my over night pulse oximetry results, and what is happening with the CPAP.

I wanted to see if I could see anything beyond what is on DreamMapper, so I downloaded Encore, put the SD card from the machine into the computer, and Encore said there is no data on the card. Why is there no data and what do I need to get data about my sleep on the card so I can look at it in Encore?

Thanks for any assistance anyone can provide.

[palerider]

Try sleepyhead... it's less picky.

[Pugsy]

Which Encore Pro version did you download?

And also...Encore Pro is indeed picky...I had an occasion to try to use it because I wanted the flow rate/wave form graphs for someone and
Pro told me there was no data (and I know for sure I am using the latest version that is compatible with the DreamStation because it has been used with other DreamStation owners data) and there was data in it that I could plainly see using SleepyHead....so I know it was there and I just wanted to see something using Pro that I couldn't see using SleepyHead.

Encore Pro is a PITA POS software....Sometimes we have no choice but to use it but in your case with the DSX500xxx model machine...use SleepyHead...works great with it.
Make sure the SD card gets recognized by the machine....if still no data...try a new card first then we trouble shoot for other possible causes of no data on SD cards.

[Paper_Nanny]

Thanks for the help. I had to use a different SD card and I was able to get the data. I downloaded Encore 2.22.2.0. Sleepyhead is a much more user friendly program, indeed, but it was getting goofy on me. This is one example. The AHI just drops off and disappears. I had posted about it when it first started happening and was advised to reinstall and/ or create new profiles, which I did. It didn't help the problem, though. So I am back to using Encore.

[Pugsy]

Your current settings are not getting the job done.
Any special reason for these settings?

Not sure why the AHI graph went whacko on you...maybe it's a bug in SH when it has so many events it can't count them or something.

The AHI graph really isn't all that important anyway. I have mine turned off. All it does is show an hour interval of how many events happened within that hour.

[palerider]

The AHI graph really isn't all that important anyway. I have mine turned off. All it does is show an hour interval of how many events happened within that hour.

I agree, the AHI graph is useless.

[Paper_Nanny]

Your current settings are not getting the job done.
Any special reason for these settings?

Well, yes... There is a reason. I had a BiPAP ASV and was doing pretty well with that. But, it was getting old, making funny noises, etc.. I wanted a new machine. Sleep doctor said that was fine, let's do another sleep study, and the sleep study showed that I responded fabulously to a CPAP with a pressure setting of 6. That was actually the second sleep study he had done on me that showed something other than the ASV being the best option for me.

So, I went with that. Got a CPAP, set the pressure at 6, started waking up so tired I literally could not see straight. I did that for a few days, contacted the doctor's office. he was out of the office for a week. Doctor who was covering asked me to try staying off my back for a couple nights. I did. It didn't make any different. My doctor came back, requested an overnight pulse ox. The machine malfunctioned and the data couldn't be uploaded to the computer. Took the DME a week to let us know that, I did that over.

Got a message from the sleep doctor's office saying there is a disconnect between the data from the sleep study, what is happening with my machine, and the data from the overnight pulse ox. We will discuss it at my appointment in a couple weeks, he said. Very curious to be part of that discussion! And even more curious to find out what will be done to fix this situation.

[palerider]

Your current settings are not getting the job done.
Any special reason for these settings?

Well, yes... There is a reason. I had a BiPAP ASV and was doing pretty well with that. But, it was getting old, making funny noises, etc.. I wanted a new machine. Sleep doctor said that was fine, let's do another sleep study, and the sleep study showed that I responded fabulously to a CPAP with a pressure setting of 6.

Doctor is an idiot... you need to get back on ASV.

I know I'm not supposed to call people idiots... but c'mon here!

[Jas_williams]

Based on the graph you posted I agree your Dr is an idiot you obviously have Central Sleep apnoea and you need an ASV machine as soon as possible. The problem with CSA it the numbers are variable so you have had good nights at 2.9 (may have been a good night for your sleep test) and Baaad nights. My worry is next your Dr will try you on a bi-Level machine that will be as equally as bad and it will take you three months to get back on an ASV.

[esel]

I would try the CPAP Auto mode with min 7 max 15 or more.

What were your settings on the ASV ?

[Pugsy]

Actually I wouldn't necessarily go switching to apap mode with a big range without careful consideration because sometimes apap mode is the worst thing a person could be doing when central sleep apnea is involved.
It all depends on what is causing the centrals.
APAP mode could make the centrals worse and while it might be needed for the obstructive stuff...might just be swapping apnea events....reducing the obstructives and increasing the centrals.

[Pugsy]

I would be wondering why cpap mode worked during the sleep study and not now.
What changed?

I would also be requesting a copy of those sleep study results for my records and to make sure that the sleep study with just cpap was indeed pointing to adequate treatment at 6 cm fixed pressure.

[chunkyfrog]

Maybe the sleep study was conducted by an . . . Idiot?
Nothing is foolproof; and not every person is qualified for their job.
Getting hired often requires completely different stuff than DOING that job.

[palerider]

false negatives happen all too often on sleep studies.

[Paper_Nanny]

I would be wondering why cpap mode worked during the sleep study and not now.
What changed?

I would also be requesting a copy of those sleep study results for my records and to make sure that the sleep study with just cpap was indeed pointing to adequate treatment at 6 cm fixed pressure.

Yes, I am definitely wondering why the CPAP mode worked during the sleep study and why does it work some nights at home. What changes? What variables are causing the difference in results?

I will indeed be requesting a copy of the sleep study and the results of the overnight pulse oximetry testing.