Still having Apneas- Went from 8, to 12. Now what?

Im a natural back sleeper, and have rigged up every imaginable backpack/restraint system but still manage many nights to get "approximately" on my back somehow. This challenge is a lot tougher than people realize (like everything else).

Im having apneas again. But my Doctor insists that my 2 sleep tests determine 12 is ideal for me, and also that going higher could cause centrals
which would REALLY mess me up and that I didnt want to go there.

I admit I need to lose 30 pounds (im six foot, maybe 230 but not fat, just muscular and husky).

Im also extremely sensitive to alcohol, aspartame, dairy, and apparently gluten. Im also aware of "The fungus Diet" by Kauffman which Im investigating. -----Its VERY complicated when you have an autoimmune disease wreaking havoc with respiration and causing allergies AND having sleep apnea on top of it. I would not wish it on anyone.

Anyways, anybody here in favor of me just bypassing the doctor until I lose the weight and going to 18 or something to see what happens? I cant afford another sleep test. And the apneas make me desperately ill --the effects last for a good 12 hours after I have a bad one. Thanks in advance, you guys always find a way to help me out.

I see you have an APAP. Why don't you set it at 12-20?

Hi DavidCarolina,

We're both about at our one year anniversary and what a difference one year makes! I don't know if you are looking at software or not, but it will help you feel more comfortable making changes if you use it. I didn't make any changes until this past summer, and then only with little changes. You'll get advice from others on how to start tweaking your therapy but looking at the data is a great place to start. It looks like you've got an auto machine so would probably benefit from playing around with that as well. That's the way to determine the best pressure, without a sleep study.

As far as docs go, never saw mine and never will. Funny thing, now that I'm near one year on CPAP they need me to come in for a sleep study. They tell me not to worry though, it won't cost me anything but doc just wants to know how I'm doing. I reminded them that I have an S9 Autoset with data and if the doc is interested in how it's going we could take a look at that. Needless to say, I'm doing well with the support of the forum members.

Hi - Google 'back wedge' and you'll see a load of answers about what to use for sleeping (all similar). You didn't post your mask type, so I wonder if you're using a nasal one and really need a full face one for mouth breathing?

Well, ask your doctor:

Are the centrals you might have at a higher pressure more harmful than the apneas you apparently are having now?

If you increase your pressure a little bit at a time, and it causes centrals, is there some reason they won't show up in your AHI number?

Doesn't your CPAP detect clear airway apneas vs. obstructive apneas? Are you having any clear airway apneas now?

Are central apneas more harmful than obstructive apneas, or are they simply harder to treat?

If central apneas show up at the higher pressure, will they go away if you drop the pressure back to where it is now?