Flow Limitation

[bac007]

Last night I started using a new machine and mask, the DreamStation Auto CPAP, and Dreamwear nasal cushion. I checked my data on SleepyHead and noticed that I had flow limitations showing up for the first time on with this device and mask. I have only used it for one night so far. Previously I used the Airsense 10 Autoset by Resmed along with the Resmed P10 Nasal Pillows. Is this something I need to worry about, Flow Limitations?

[Pugsy]

Depends on how many Flow Limitations you are seeing flagged and if they are clustered if you should worry or not.

Your old ResMed machine showed FLs in graph form and not individually flagged ...and the Respironics machines show them as individual flags like an OA or hyponea or such. You probably had a few on the old machine but since they weren't individually counted you didn't see them mentioned up front and would have to have looked at a graph to get an idea what was happening.

Different machines....different ways of reporting the FLs.

If your AHI is low...leaks are well managed..you are sleeping well and feeling good and the FL numbers are low....I wouldn't worry about them.

[bac007]

I think the flow limitation and snore index data I am receiving are mask related. When I switched machines I went to the nasal Dreamwear under nose mask. When using the P10 pillows by Resmed I had no snore index data showing up almost 98% of the time as well as flow limitation. Last night with the Dreamwear mask my snore index was crazy and flow limitation up even higher than the previous night. I am going to switch back to the pillows and see if that helps improve the new data I am seeing with snore and flow limitations. I appreciate your reply and the knowledge you shared regarding how the two machines report. My AHI is very well controlled on both machines, but the new mask I think is keeping me from achieving really good sleep.

[Pugsy]

The DreamWear mask is a lot more fiddly to get it just right the P10. The frame size has to be just right and the nose part also.
I have tried it. It's an okay mask but for me wasn't anywhere near as comfortable or workable as the P10.
I have a small head and even with the small frame it was a bit large and just moved around too much.

The right mask is the most important part of this therapy IMHO. None are ever 100% perfect so we just try new ones to see if maybe they are better or worse than the old one. Sometimes they are better....sometimes they are worse.