8 months into CPAP journey. Taking a quick feedback

[kuk_sleeper]

Hi all,

I had consulted with the wisdom of this forum when I started the CPAP journey here viewtopic/t158201/Newbie-here-looking-f ... nsion.html. Now it is almost 8 months later and I have been using CPAP for 5 months in total (I moved between countries and it took a while to get a new CPAP machine). It would be great if you guys could take a look at my graphs and see if there is something I am missing.

To recap this was my sleep study results
Sleep study result
------------------------------
AHI 10 events/hr
Arousal index 64.3 events/hr
Significant snoring
Oxygen desaturation noted, lowest being 90.0%
( No Central or Mixed Apnea seen)
OSA seen mostly in supine position
Recommend cpap with 11.2 cm pressure

The new doctor suggested a pressure of 13-17. I have been giving myself ample time to sleep (No alarms, I wake up when I wake up.) I am feeling mostly ok and I am happy with my AHI numbers. I also reduced my weight by 4 kg and my BP has also reduced.

- I have been facing severe dry mouth. So much so that I wake up at night and have to drink water
- I have been having vivid dreams. So dream are good but some are borderline nightmare and I get angry/stressed when I wake, which I know is due to the dream.


These are my graphs from last 3 nights
https://imgur.com/uOG3OXV
https://imgur.com/y6VFkhw
https://imgur.com/Ez2ibW4

[Jas_williams]

Your graphs look pretty good to me, you seem to get a few CA’s nothing to worry about there, and the odd Hypopnea.

[nicholasjh1]

10 events with so many arousals seems to high to me personally . I'd agree with your doctor which is unusual... He's probably a genius for actually suggesting a higher pressure. You may have one of the good ones.

NM, I didn't get that you were providing your sleep test results. Nevertheless, even though I got below .5 AHI with 9 pressure, I keep mine at 14.7, because it allows deeper and longer REM, because even though my AHI is 0-.2 that doesn't mean I'm not occaisonally getting less then 10 second apnea's that don't "count" but nevertheless may arouse me. I sleep better and deeper and feel better with a higher number. since the higher number doesn't cause Centrals for me there's no issue. Now if the higher number started centrals that'd be a different matter.

[palerider]

10 events with so many arousals seems to high to me personally . I'd agree with your doctor which is unusual... He's probably a genius for actually suggesting a higher pressure. You may have one of the good ones.

NM

Nah, jas is right.

[LSAT]

10 events with so many arousals seems to high to me personally . I'd agree with your doctor which is unusual... He's probably a genius for actually suggesting a higher pressure. You may have one of the good ones.

NM, I didn't get that you were providing your sleep test results. Nevertheless, even though I got below .5 AHI with 9 pressure, I keep mine at 14.7, because it allows deeper and longer REM, because even though my AHI is 0-.2 that doesn't mean I'm not occaisonally getting less then 10 second apnea's that don't "count" but nevertheless may arouse me. I sleep better and deeper and feel better with a higher number. since the higher number doesn't cause Centrals for me there's no issue. Now if the higher number started centrals that'd be a different matter.

If you want to discuss your progress, better to start your own thread, not to get things confused with Kuk...(What's NM??)

[palerider]

NM: never mind

[kuk_sleeper]

10 events with so many arousals seems to high to me personally . I'd agree with your doctor which is unusual... He's probably a genius for actually suggesting a higher pressure. You may have one of the good ones.

Oh, I have a story for you.

My original doctor in India was very good. I went to stanford sleep clinic with my sleep report to get a prescription for a CPAP. The doctor went to get a second opinion and in comes a very senior doctor. I google the name on the prescription to find out that he was https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Guilleminault (He invented the term OSA and established AHI as the measure)

[kuk_sleeper]

Pugsy had noted in my old thread that my flow limit graph looks a bit busy.viewtopic/t158201/Newbie-here-looking-f ... nsion.html. That seems to be not the case now.

Any suggestions on dry mouth? Will using a chin strap help?

[nicholasjh1]

There are a ton of solutions, a chin strap did help me, but ultimately taping plus the ultimate chin strap worked better for me... Before then I had constant arousals from the mouth leak and occaisional dry mouth.

I think others love the cervical collar, Adult pacifier, head band over the mouth etc.

[zonker]

Pugsy had noted in my old thread that my flow limit graph looks a bit busy.viewtopic/t158201/Newbie-here-looking-f ... nsion.html. That seems to be not the case now.

Any suggestions on dry mouth? Will using a chin strap help?

two suggestions. i use xylimelts. it's a lozenge placed between teeth and gums. helps induce saliva through out the night. these can be found in the toothpaste section of grocery or drug store.

second is-

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=112758&st=0&sk=t&sd ... i#p1086296

hope this helps!

[kuk_sleeper]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will start with a chin strap.

[kuk_sleeper]

Any other comment on the graphs?

And mostly out of curiosity, anyone else has started dreaming (consistently) with cpap treatment?

[palerider]

Any other comment on the graphs?

And mostly out of curiosity, anyone else has started dreaming (consistently) with cpap treatment?

Only those with poor treatment. Those with good treatment sleep through the dreams, and thus don't remember them.

[Grace~~~]

Any other comment on the graphs?

And mostly out of curiosity, anyone else has started dreaming (consistently) with cpap treatment?

Only those with poor treatment. Those with good treatment sleep through the dreams, and thus don't remember them.

Is that true?

Then why do I want to remember them?
Is this desire sabotaging my therapy?

[kuk_sleeper]

Any other comment on the graphs?

And mostly out of curiosity, anyone else has started dreaming (consistently) with cpap treatment?

Only those with poor treatment. Those with good treatment sleep through the dreams, and thus don't remember them.

My AHI numbers and sleep has been pretty good. But I have been having problem with my mattress. It doesn't have enough support and I have been waking up with body pain. I will report after I change the mattress.