Still Need CPAP?

[UMTerp]

Hello everyone,
I haven't posted in a while. I have lost significant weight.
I have been monitoring my machine results for the last few weeks.
My AHI readings have only been above 1 one time. They are averaging about .6.
Does this mean I most likely don't need my machine anymore or does it just mean that my machine is working well.

I don't know how to determine if I don't need to use it.

Thanks,
UMTerp

[Goofproof]

No it means your XPAP treatment is working, if you feel good, and you leak rate is low and you don't mouthbreath. Monitoring the full data is a must for best results. Jim

[ChicagoGranny]

My AHI readings have only been above 1 one time. They are averaging about .6.

My AHI readings are similar, but if I stop using CPAP, my severe apnea is still present.

What are your pressure settings?

[LSAT]

The only way to see if you no longer need it is by having a sleep study without the machine.

[UMTerp]

I have an APAP so pressure is variable.

My Air scores have been 99 or 100 each day. Just a few mask leaks.

[Goofproof]

The only way to see if you no longer need it is by having a sleep study without the machine.

And the results of that study only means, (If the Study was done correctly), on that night you had no problems with your sleep.

By using a full data XPAP and "Oscar" a little studying, most people can have a similar
result. Jim

It all depends in how much effort you put into things, what you get from them. Jim

[ChicagoGranny]

I have an APAP so pressure is variable.

But, it still has settings for minimum and maximum pressure. What are they?

[zonker]

Hello everyone,
I haven't posted in a while. I have lost significant weight.
I have been monitoring my machine results for the last few weeks.
My AHI readings have only been above 1 one time. They are averaging about .6.
Does this mean I most likely don't need my machine anymore or does it just mean that my machine is working well.

I don't know how to determine if I don't need to use it.

Thanks,
UMTerp

i have lost no weight since starting cpap. been on it for near on to five years now. my ahi is under 1 for ninety nine percent of the time.

i'm not quitting the therapy because it's therapy, not a cure. the only way to know if you don't need the machine is, as lsat says, you have another sleep test.

i'd much rather stick with what i know works, then to go through another sleep study.

as jnk.. would say, hey, that's just me.

[UMTerp]

I have an APAP so pressure is variable.

But, it still has settings for minimum and maximum pressure. What are they?

I used to be able to check that on my machine but it seems like I can't anymore.
No information for pressure that I can see on the MyAir website.

[UMTerp]

Thanks everyone. I guess I need to request a new sleep test once life gets back to the new normal.

[Goofproof]

I have an APAP so pressure is variable.

But, it still has settings for minimum and maximum pressure. What are they?

I used to be able to check that on my machine but it seems like I can't anymore.
No information for pressure that I can see on the MyAir website.

My Air is very close to useless, use a SD card in your machine and "Oscar" installed on your computer, it will give you the real data you need. Jim

[UMTerp]

Thank you! I will try to upload Oscar.

[ChicagoGranny]

I guess I need to request a new sleep test once life gets back to the new normal.

Follow all the instructions for OSCAR. Post one night's screenshot in this thread. With this information, it is possible to see one of two things relative to your original question:

1. You still need CPAP.
or
2. You are a candidate for a new sleep study.

[TropicalDiver]

Thanks everyone. I guess I need to request a new sleep test once life gets back to the new normal.

Not a health care pro.

Congrats on the weight loss! And it is great that your AHI scores are good -- how do you feel?

As you note, only a sleep study can truly answer the question about whether you need to continue therapy. And you should probably discontinue therapy for a few days prior to that study as well (check with them on their protocol). A few do find weight loss resolves apnea while the majority do not. If you are one of the lucky ones, please remember that if you have significant weigh gain in the future, that should probably trigger a sleep test.

That said, it is possible to get an idea of what a sleep study might show. If you download your data via OSCAR, you can see what the pressure readings are set at (min and max) and what the actual pressure being delivered is. I am assuming the machine is in auto, and there is a reasonable spread in the settings for min and max. If that data shows much pressure above the minimum, it is very likely that PAP therapy is still needed.

I am not suggesting this but you could always lower the min down to 4 (and the max where it was) and repeat. (Changing your own settings is a controversial topic -- and might be considered only after gaining much more understanding about the topic)

But even a setting of 4 is providing some therapy. At that point, only a sleep study could show you whether your apnea is resolved without treatment.

An analogy: you have an automated insulin pump that reads your glucose levels and provides insulin as appropriate. You drop some weight and wonder whether you can get rid of the pump. You look at your glucose levels and they look great! That only tells you how well you are doing WITH the pump. Same thing here.

[zoocrewphoto]

Keep in mind that the ahi reported is what the machine failed to prevent. It can never show you what it might have been without treatement.

For example, my sleep study was a split night study with an ahi of 79. I never reached REM and barely slept on my back. It's pretty good odds that my real untreated ahi would be higher. My very first night with my machine, the ahi was less than 2. I did not get better. My machine did an awesome job.

When you see an ahi of 1 or lower, it means that you machine is doing well to prevent events. Most people do not get better. Even when losing weight, most people still have sleep apnea, and even skinny people can have sleep apnea.

It's like poor eyesight. When you wear correct prescription eyeglasses, you see really well. But if you take them off, you still have crappy eyesight. And most people tend to get worse as they age. That's how sleep apnea tends to work.