RERA and Vibratory snore numbers

[braddw25]

Hello all,

I have been making very good progress since I first started getting help from the folks here. As you can see my AHI is below one and has consistently been there for basically the last month or so. For the past couple weeks I have been working on reducing the vibratory snores that my machine was flagging. Some nights there were over 100 per hour being flagged for VS1 and VS2 combined. I'm not sure what the distinction between Vibratory snore 1 and 2 is, but I did think that over 100 per hour was more than I should be having. I have gradually increased the EPAP min setting on my machine and the number of snores has come down considerably. I just wanted to ask if I should keep pushing that setting up to see if I can reduce the VS scores even further or leave well enough alone.

Also, if someone could provide some insight for me on RERA. I know what the acronym stands for, but I am not certain how my machine flags those and what if anything I should be doing to reduce them. I am not getting very many, but I just don't know that much about that aspect of Sleep apnea. Thank you for any insight that can be provided.

[Pugsy]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=155478&p=1182858&hi ... s#p1182858

Respironics has never given us a clear cut explanation of snores.

RERAs just means your breathing "looks like" breathing from someone with a known arousal from sleep due to a respiration related arousal.
It's can't tell for sure because it doesn't know for sure if you are asleep or awake.

I suspect you need more maximum. Is there a reason that you have restricted the maximum?

[klm49]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=155478&p=1182858&hi ... s#p1182858

Respironics has never given us a clear cut explanation of snores.

RERAs just means your breathing "looks like" breathing from someone with a known arousal from sleep due to a respiration related arousal.
It's can't tell for sure because it doesn't know for sure if you are asleep or awake.

I suspect you need more maximum. Is there a reason that you have restricted the maximum?

When I changed Sleep Dr.'s she wanted me to have another Titration even though my numbers were good. The technician commented to me that she had to raise my minimum by a bit to eliminate the snoring. I have not had a VS1 or VS2 since and before it was pretty much a nightly occurrence. Might that be the case here?

[Pugsy]

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=155478&p=1182858&hi ... s#p1182858

Respironics has never given us a clear cut explanation of snores.

RERAs just means your breathing "looks like" breathing from someone with a known arousal from sleep due to a respiration related arousal.
It's can't tell for sure because it doesn't know for sure if you are asleep or awake.

I suspect you need more maximum. Is there a reason that you have restricted the maximum?

When I changed Sleep Dr.'s she wanted me to have another Titration even though my numbers were good. The technician commented to me that she had to raise my minimum by a bit to eliminate the snoring. I have not had a VS1 or VS2 since and before it was pretty much a nightly occurrence. Might that be the case here?

Might be that more minimum is needed but for sure more maximum is needed. The bulk of the snores are happening when the machine is maxed out. Now I can't remember this newbie's history but I think there might be a reason for the lower minimum and maximum but I can't remember for sure. Like maybe some aerophagia issues going on that were pretty bad and if that is the case then we sometimes have to make a compromise and let a few snores slide as long as they aren't causing wake ups.
They could also be positional as in worse when on one's back.

Before I would suggest higher pressures I like to figure out why someone was using lower and/or limiting the max first.

OP is already using 13 minimum EPAP. It's not a low pressure by any means. There may be some real important reasons for these current settings and while on paper it is obvious more maximum is needed there may be some important reasons for these settings.

I like to make one change at a time if possible and in this situation it would be the maximum setting. The machine is essentially setting a new minimum most of the night anyway.

[braddw25]

I believe the restriction on max pressure was due to problems I was previously having with lots of leaks. The mask I was using just couldn't seem to stay sealed at higher pressures. That problem has been resolved, so I don't believe this is currently any reason for the pressure max to stay where it is. Thanks for the replies.