Oscar data help

[white buffalo]

Hello, I posted here awhile back and got some help getting my cpap machine and getting myself started. I have tried to educate myself on the Oscar software and what it all means.I still don't know exactly what I'm looking at or for? It seems from what I've read that a AHI under 5 is really nothing to worry about. Most nights I have been between 1-2. A few have been over 4. I posted a screenshot of one of my nights on my original post like I was told to do, but I didn't get any response to it. Maybe it was good and no one thought I needed any advice? I'm going to try to post another screenshot and would appreciate any kind of advice any of you could offer me into what I'm looking at with the Oscar. Thanks!

[Pugsy]

I can't see your events graph at all.

viewtopic/t158560/How-to-post-images-for-review.html

I don't know what you are doing to scrunch the graphs but it makes for hard to evaluate.
When I can't see what I need to see then I tend to say nothing.

I would also want to see what "most" nights look like and not worry to much on a random off/higher AHI night.

[white buffalo]

Thanks Pugsy, sorry I shrunk things too much.I just figured if I crammed as much information as I could on there it would be better. My AHI has kind of been all over the place, I don't know if that's normal. I'll post a overview and another night that seems in the middle. I'm really not sure what I'm looking at but it seems that I'm approaching my max pressure on some nights but not others. Thank you for your help

[white buffalo]

I forgot to say that most mornings I'm waking up feeling more awake, not as groggy. Still having a fade in some afternoons, like I could fall asleep standing up almost. But overall I think it's helping me.

[Pugsy]

When we see some nights where we approach the max or even hit it and some nights where we don't we tend to assume that likely the difference in pressure needs are related to sleeping position. Probably you are on your back some parts of the night and not others.
It's common to have our OSA to worsen and need more pressure when we are on our backs.
It is also possible it might be related to REM stage sleep where it is also common for our OSA to worsen and need more pressure.....or maybe a combination of both.

Can you get me a screen shot of the flow limitation graph for the above 1.0 AHI night?

From your pressure graph (and it does hit 16 max some of the time) I am thinking your flow limitation graph will be a bit active and maybe you might benefit from changing the minimum pressure from 6 to 8 cm and increasing your max to 20. The machine won't go up there without a good reason.

Overall though...not a bad report and it is common to see some variances in AHI especially when first starting cpap therapy.

[white buffalo]

Thank you Pugsy for taking time to look over my graphs! It very well could be me rolling onto my back.That's something that I would never figure out from the Oscar information. There have been a few times I have been awakened by air blowing on my cheeks from my leaking mask.When that has happened my face was buried in my pillow, and my solution while half asleep is to roll onto my side-back and it immediately seals back up. I'm attaching the flow limit you asked to look at. Thank you for your help!

[Pugsy]

Assuming no nasal congestion....the flow limitation graph is likely why we see your pressure graph go all over the place.
Flow limitations are an early sign that the airway is trying to collapse and the auto adjusting algorithm will try to prevent that collapse with the increase in pressure.

I suggest the 8 cm minimum and maybe even try 3 EPR and see if the FLs reduce or not.
Those FLs could potentially impact your sleep quality and might affect how you feel during the day.

[white buffalo]

Thank you very much Pugsy for the guidance and helping me to understand a little of the wealth of information on the Oscar. I will adjust the minimum up to 8 and the max to 20,and epr to 3. Hopefully that will even things out some. Thanks again!

[mjrodman]

Can I post mine here too?

I don't want to just put up a new thread for my own Oscar stuff, and don't see one big thread for people to post..

My first Oscar data:

https://flic.kr/p/2kcArKJ
https://flic.kr/p/2kcARne
https://flic.kr/p/2kcArLf

Sorry images not posting directly..

[Pugsy]

Can I post mine here too?

I don't want to just put up a new thread for my own Oscar stuff, and don't see one big thread for people to post..

My first Oscar data:

https://flic.kr/p/2kcArKJ
https://flic.kr/p/2kcARne
https://flic.kr/p/2kcArLf

Sorry images not posting directly..

Actually we would prefer that you had your own thread so that things don't get confusing in this thread.

[mjrodman]

Can I post mine here too?

I don't want to just put up a new thread for my own Oscar stuff, and don't see one big thread for people to post..

My first Oscar data:

https://flic.kr/p/2kcArKJ
https://flic.kr/p/2kcARne
https://flic.kr/p/2kcArLf

Sorry images not posting directly..

Actually we would prefer that you had your own thread so that things don't get confusing in this thread.

Got it.. wasn't sure of the best etiquette. Thanks