Help.....still trying to figure all this out.

[brendansmon]

I've been on my machine now since fall of last year but I'm still tired 99% of the time. I adjusted to the machine fine and don't really have any trouble sleeping with it. I just downloaded my data card to the Resmed software (i apparently don't have the settings right b/c I still couldn't get the detailed graphs) and this is the information I got.

Data for the last 60 days:

CPAP Pressure 10
Average daily use 7.01 hours

Apnea Index: 1.3
Onstructive: 1.2
AHI: 1.3

Leak: Median 0
95th percentile: 3.0
Maximum: 11.4

I'm guessing that the numbers under "leak" aren't good but I don't really know for sure what they mean. I'm wondering if this could be b/c I have always been a mouth breather and I may be opening my mouth at night and not realizing it. I do not currently use a chin strap or any other method to keep my mouth closed but have not woken up noticing that my mouth is open.

Can someone with more experience and a better understanding of these numbers take a look? I would like to be less tired and I would like to make sure the thereapy is being effective because of all the health risks involved with sleep apnea.

Thanks!

[Emilia]

All your numbers are beautiful... I'd suspect you may have other underlying issues contributing to your ongoing fatigue. While many of us take weeks or months to pay back our sleep debt, and some are still very tired many months after beginning to use their cpaps, it would still be prudent to investigate other possibilities and rule them out, if possible. Ask your doctor to order a full thyroid panel, 25hydroxy D3 test, B12, magnesium, and bloodwork to rule out anemia. These tests will help you see if you have deficiencies that are commonly associated with fatigue. Be aware that most labs will score D3 as 'normal' if the results are 30-100, but new research shows that optimal levels should be between 50-80. Likewise, the TSH levels for your thyroid are usually scored as normal up to a 4; however, the American Thyroid Assoc. uses the range of .5 - 2.5 as the normal range. Keep in mind that most humans are deficient in D3 and magnesium so don't be surprised when those results come back.

[Mary Z]

Are you getting a smile or a frown on your leak icon? I always get confused about what is acceptable leakage, but I just read that an exessive leak will skew the data.

[brendansmon]

Thanks Emilia! I have recently been told that my vitamin D levels were low and have started taking a supplement which has really starting to make a huge difference in the way I feel overall. They did test my thryoid but I don't know what the exact numbers were, I think I'll check with my doctor next week to find out.

Mary Z.....I have been getting a smile icon each morning for leaks.

[Bright Choice]

Keep in mind that most humans are deficient in D3 and magnesium so don't be surprised when those results come back.

I agree with your comments, especially regarding magnesium. I am curious to know if you are referring to serum magnesium levels. It is my understanding (and experience) that one can be very depleted of magnesium (and experience a wide range of quite severe symptoms, fatigue included), but will have a serum magnesium level within normal limits.

The consequence of ignoring cellular depletion by using serum magnesium as a baseline results in many disorders going untreated.

[Emilia]

Yes, the tests for magnesium are highly unreliable, from what I've read, too. I use magnesium oil to supplement transdermally. It is hard to get too much, but if you do, you'll know it since you get loose stools. Mag pills are very hard to absorb so most folks are just wasting their money on oral magnesium supplements. The liquid magnesium chloride is absorbed quite readily through the skin. I use it at night before bed by spraying it on my arms and legs and top/bottom of my feet. It will relax you and help get you into a deeper sleep, too! Mag Oil isn't really an 'oil'...not greasy at all. There are a lot of brands on the market, but some are extremely expensive. I use this one from Amazon: http://amzn.com/B002I5LO2S

EDIT: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vi ... magnesium/

[Emilia]

@brendan.... Get copies of all your recent tests...you are entitled to have copies of them and should always keep them on file. They may charge you for copies, but that is usually minimal... my doc charges $1 per page.

Read up on D3 here: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org

[Bright Choice]

Yes, the tests for magnesium are highly unreliable, from what I've read, too. I use magnesium oil to supplement transdermally. It is hard to get too much, but if you do, you'll know it since you get loose stools. Mag pills are very hard to absorb so most folks are just wasting their money on oral magnesium supplements. The liquid magnesium chloride is absorbed quite readily through the skin. I use it at night before bed by spraying it on my arms and legs and top/bottom of my feet. It will relax you and help get you into a deeper sleep, too! Mag Oil isn't really an 'oil'...not greasy at all. There are a lot of brands on the market, but some are extremely expensive. I use this one from Amazon: http://amzn.com/B002I5LO2S

EDIT: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vi ... magnesium/

Yes, I have also used transdermal mg "oil" for quite a long time. Global Light also sells some bath flakes which I have used, along with their mg oil

I also take sustained release Mg (malate) from Jigsaw Health: http://www.jigsawhealth.com/supplements/magnesium
It has been wonderful for me.

What would your response be to someone who has obvious and multiple signs of magnesium deficiency but says "but my serum mg is always normal?"

[chopper06]

Be sure that your calcium levels are in normal range as well. Elevated calcium with low vitamin D can be indicative of parathyroid disease, which presents with many symptoms you described. Good luck..hope you get things figured out....

[Emilia]

@Bright Choice.... what can I say.... you can provide information, links, advice...but in the end, we all make our own choices on our own health. You can only do so much and then let go.

[DrBucky]

Are you getting a smile or a frown on your leak icon? I always get confused about what is acceptable leakage, but I just read that an exessive leak will skew the data.

I don't think it can tell the difference between mouth leak and mask/normal leak. Mask/normal leak isn't a problem unless the numbers get really high. Therapy should still work right, at worst the an APAP might not be as good at detecting events.

Mouth leak on the other hand can't be compensated for and will result in a loss of therapeutic pressure. So if he is having mouth leak it is quite possible that the CPAP isn't working. I know I had to switch to a full face mask (Quattro FX) as chin straps were messing up my jaw.

[Emilia]

brendansmom needs to get an individual night's data rather than an average of many weeks. If we could see a night's graphs and numbers, it would be helpful to see leaks, events, etc. I'd suggest you start a new thread with the title, Help needed with ResScan software. I don't use it so I know nothing....but I believe there are videos and other good resources that some of our forum members have suggested...along with their own great help. You need to draw them to your problem with a thread title that gets their attention.

EDIT: here is tutorial that may help: http://montfordhouse.com/cpap/resscan_tutorial/

[brendansmon]

Thanks for the great information! As suggested I will probably start a new post with some specific questions on the Rescan data to find out exactly what the numbers are telling me. I'll also check out the tutorial.