Finally slept with mask. Why am I still 13 AHI?

[palerider]

Thank you! Yes I did see the attachment and when I tried to add the screen print, that’s when I got the error message. The day was a busy day but I’ll habe more time to play with it tomorrow hopefully!

You can't attach a .exe, you CAN attach a .png

[NanTastic]

Hi everyone!
Back on Sleepyhead today and I cannot get the pie chart to disappear!

Trying to attaching a screen shot! YES!!!

[Pugsy]

For the pie chart did you go to Preferences/Appearance Tab and remove the check mark for "show pie chart".
If you did that and the pie chart still won't leave...I have had that happen myself sometimes and I don't know why but it will usually work.

Looks like you need to increase the maximum (you are maxing out the 12 max quite a bit) and very likely also need a small increase in the minimum pressure as well.

[NanTastic]

Thank you Pugsy. I will call my DME and see if they will change it for me. I did find Preferemces and I selected the pie chart but it was still there.
They only diagnosed me with OSA but from the number of clear events I’m having I think I may have CSA as well? This 5 was a big improvement- all last week I had 7’s and 8’s.

[D.H.]

Actually, Sleepyhead is more private than Dreammapper. The data lives only on your SD card and your desktop or laptop computer. I don't even think that it's compatible with telephone devices.

[Pugsy]

I doubt that you have complex sleep apnea at this time.
There's a potential good reason for those centrals and that's just maybe the obstructive stuff (which is still too numerous) is causing some arousals and the centrals are related to the arousal.
Also...a handful of centrals even, if they are real, is actually normal. Like did you know that there is a normal central called a sleep onset central or sleep stage transition. So some of those centrals might even be sleep onset centrals made even more numerous because the obstructive stuff is causing wake ups and then more chance of sleep onset central when you go back to sleep.

All that said...2 centrals on average an hour over the night...not enough for a central diagnosis or concern even if every single one of those centrals was real. Need 5 per hour..every hour...all night long...every night.

I am thinking that with a little more pressure so that the obstructive stuff reduces in numbers and you probably sleep a little better that some of those centrals will go away.
You need to address/fix the obstructive stuff first and then see what remains with the centrals.
We can't really do much about the centrals with your machine anyway....and they aren't numerous enough to need to do anything about them at this time.

Just because we have a few centrals here and there doesn't mean that we have that CSA or Complex Sleep Apnea diagnosis.

[NanTastic]

Good information- thank you! I’m so new and paranoid about too much. I did have a bad night last night though. AHI 10.7 36 Clear airway, 9 obstructive, 30 Hypopneas. I’ll call cardiologist today. Thanks for all your help!

[NanTastic]

I think I know why my AHI was twice as high last night. I took 2 Robaxin muscle relaxers right before bed - prescription for muscle pain from my surgery. Dr Google says it can definitely depress respiration and could cause insomnia. Done with Robaxin!!!

[NanTastic]

Well my struggle continues. I had my 30 days follow up appointment with my Cardiologist and he wasn’t happy with my AHI so he changed me from APAP 8-12 to CPAP FLEX 13. I’ve used it 2 nights and I’m struggling with the pressure. Nose and throat is dry and burning. What is CPAP FLEX?? I’m calling him on Monday. I slept 3 or 4 hours for the last 2 nights then I wake up and can’t go back to sleep. Miserable again.

[Pugsy]

Well you were on settings that let the machine roam around between 8 and 12 cm pressure.
So it wasn't enough...wasn't holding the airway open well enough.
So he changed it to a fixed pressure of 13 (that's what cpap means and the flex isW just the addition of a little exhale relief of unknown amount).
So you went from trying to breathe against 8 initially and have the pressure be lower....to 13 all night long.
I am not surprise you are having problems. That's a substantial jump in pressure to make.
Now you might need that much sometimes but there are ways to get there that aren't such a quick jump and might be easier on you.
Like maybe stay with apap mode and use 9 or 10 minimum and increase the maximum from 12 to 14.

From the one report above that I see...going to fixed 13 is way over kill.
If you aren't comfortable changing it to something else. Call the doctor up and tell him now you aren't sleeping at all and request to go back to apap mode but with maybe just a little minimum and maximum to better deal with the events that will be easier for you to manage.

[NanTastic]

Thanks Pugsy. I agree it was a HUGE jump. I hadn’t heard of cpap flex but I did notice last night it had a respiratory pause. I’m definitely calling him Monday to go back to APAP (unless I can figure out how to get past the locked settings before then)

[Pugsy]

Go get the clinical manual from here if you haven't already.
https://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap- ... tup-manual
Sneaking past those locked settings is actually very simple once you learn the secret handshake.
Don't let the rest of your weekend be miserable and it's a safe bet no one will be getting back to you anytime before next week.

[djams]

Thanks Pugsy. I agree it was a HUGE jump. I hadn’t heard of cpap flex but I did notice last night it had a respiratory pause. I’m definitely calling him Monday to go back to APAP (unless I can figure out how to get past the locked settings before then)

At 30 days in, I was still adjusting to just using the machine. And the idea of moving up 1cm freaked me out.

5cm? I might've just quit using the machine. And to make that adjustment right before a long holiday weekend- that's pretty inconsiderate IMO.

Kudos to you for not just throwing in the towel. I hope you're able to make the adjustments Pugsy has recommended. Be sure to ask for help here if you have any trouble getting it done.

And hang in there!

[TropicalDiver]

One other observation about dry mouth: for me, it is all about the mask leaks. If you have a something other than a full face mask, is your mouth opening while sleeping? Does your mask fit well (esp. at the higher pressures)?

[D.H.]

I really don't see a reason not to turn the max up to 20. I really don't believe that you're having significant central events.

A "clear airway event" means that the machine did not detect an obstruction (not necessarily that one did not occur). Remember that while these machines are very good and the technology is state of the art, they can't pick up everything that would be picked up in a sleep lab.