AHI Fluctuation

[gwfl]

I've been doing well since starting CPAP almost one year ago but I still get some fluctuation generally between 2.0 and 6.0 AHI from day to day and I can't figure out why. I've included two OSCAR reports as examples.

Also a question about Leak Rate. I see two graph lines that pretty much follow each other, what do they represent?

screenshot-20210215-092132.png (169.86 KiB) Viewed 975 times

screenshot-20210215-091251.png (167.67 KiB) Viewed 975 times

[ChicagoGranny]

Your pressure minimum is set to 9.0. You are spending most of the night from 12.0 to 20.0.

I would set the minimum at 12.0 and check each day how things go.

[LSAT]

I agree with Granny

[gwfl]

What effect would that have (raising it to say 12.0) if my need doesn't drop to 9.0 anyway?

[jimbud]

What effect would that have (raising it to say 12.0) if my need doesn't drop to 9.0 anyway?

9.0 is not your need. It is your machine set minimum.

Your need is higher. (To prevent/knock down obstructive events.)

[zonker]

What effect would that have (raising it to say 12.0) if my need doesn't drop to 9.0 anyway?

it will be able to react more quickly to your events and kill them off.

[gwfl]

Thank you. I'll give it a try.

[jimbud]

Thank you. I'll give it a try.

A jump in pressure from 9 to 12 is difficult for most. You may have to raise pressure in smaller increments.
How much one can tolerate may take some experimentation.

Good luck.

JPB

[ChicagoGranny]

Thank you. I'll give it a try.

A jump in pressure from 9 to 12 is difficult for most. You may have to raise pressure in smaller increments.
How much one can tolerate may take some experimentation.

Good luck.

JPB

He's already running near 20.0 at times.

[jimbud]

He's already running near 20.0 at times.

Yes I know.

His starting pressure is at 9. A jump from 9 to 12 starting pressure can be difficult for some. At least it was for me. Maybe I am the only one?
I think some of you old hands forget how it was when you started this trip. Or maybe it was just easy for you. Lucky draw.

Anyway, I do not think it was Bad advice.

JPB

[Pugsy]

He's already running near 20.0 at times.

Yes I know.

His starting pressure is at 9. A jump from 9 to 12 starting pressure can be difficult for some. At least it was for me. Maybe I am the only one?
I think some of you old hands forget how it was when you started this trip. Or maybe it was just easy for you. Lucky draw.

Anyway, I do not think it was Bad advice.

JPB

It wasn't bad advice. That big of a jump would indeed very likely to be difficult for someone to make in a big jump.

Yes, he is using near 20 most of the night but we assume that is because he is asleep when the machine is going there.
The machine is essentially setting a new minimum pressure though...so I am not thinking that it is so critical that the minimum of even 12 is going to make that big of a difference in the results. There's just not much evidence of the machine doing a lot of pressure changes once it goes up.

It did go back down at around 4:30 and stayed down...makes me wonder why? Maybe a wake up and he didn't go back to sleep????

The report shown screams poor sleep quality to me....now would a higher minimum help??? Dunno but it is worth trying but I agree that small steps might be the best way to go. It is also possible that the poor sleep quality isn't from the pressures not being optimal but instead being from something else so I would also investigate the other usual causes of crappy sleep.

[ChicagoGranny]

Anyway, I do not think it was Bad advice.

It wasn't bad advice.

Who said it was bad advice?

I would change the minimum to 12 if those were my charts. Or, better yet, wear a foam cervical collar and see if a lower pressure is effective.

He could start with a one-inch collar for a week, then a two-inch collar for a week, ...

[jimbud]

He could start with a one-inch collar for a week, then a two-inch collar for a week, ...

Or he could just jump right in and start with a 12" collar.

[zonker]

He could start with a one-inch collar for a week, then a two-inch collar for a week, ...

then wear the 1" and the 2" at the same time, then wear two 2" collars at the same time....

[Pugsy]

Who said it was bad advice?

No one directly.
I was just agreeing with jimbud.
His advice wasn't bad but I guess someone made him think that someone thought it was bad advice.

If that were my report...I would gradually increase the minimum 1 cm per week and see what happens.
I personally don't want any more crap on my face, head, neck or whatever so adding anything is not where I would want to go but I understand some people are okay with adding more stuff to wear and if they are good with it...more power to them.

Nice thing though....there are multiple options available for the OP to consider and try and decide for himself how he wants to proceed.