Questions from a former Dreamstation user, now an Air Sense 10 user

[Jeanne Ellen]

I've been using my new ResMed machine for almost a month now and I really like it, but I have a couple of questions. In the past, with the Dreamstation and my P10 nasal pillows, I used to be bothered all night with lots of RERA's, flow limitations, and hypopneas which woke me up a lot. My nightly AHI was almost always 0.00, but my respiration rate graphs showed big mountains and valleys and I never felt particularly refreshed when I woke up. I switched to the Bleep "mask" shortly before I made the change to ResMed, and with that combination, I'm sleeping through the night most of the time with no RERA's, flow limitations or hypopneas. However, I'm getting clear airway indications almost every night--sometimes three a night, but I feel fine and wake up feeling like I had a good night's sleep. I kept my pressure settings the same when I made the change from Dreamstation to AirSense, but set the EPR level to 3, which made it easier to exhale. Should I tinker with something to try and eliminate the clear airways or just leave well enough alone?

[zonker]

Should I tinker with something to try and eliminate the clear airways or just leave well enough alone?

while we wait for the more knowledgeable people, i'll chime in.

there is a difference in algorithm of the resperonics vs the resmed. they also differ in just how they breakdown ahi and report the events. i've used both with good results. however, i got to the point where i was getting a lower ahi with the resperonics.

then this damned recall came and i'm back to my resmed. and it's back to some odd ahi reporting.


at any rate, if what i remember reading here is what i remember reading here, an apap machine isn't going to do anything about clear airways. the only thing i remember is messing with epr, but you've already got it set to 3 so i do't know if going lower helps.

having typed that let's see what others have to say.

[Miss Emerita]

Don't mess with success! Having a few CAs per night is normal, so don't give them a thought. For example, here's what the Sleep Foundation says: "It is important to note that a few central apneas per night is considered normal." They are common after a brief arousal, for example, when you may pause between breaths for 10 seconds or more.

If you were averaging 3 CAs per HOUR, that might be a different story. You might in that case want to try an EPR of 2 instead of 3. But again, that's not where you are now, and where you are now is great. So don't change a thing.

[Jeanne Ellen]

OK, I like that answer and I feel reassured--thanks! I actually look forward to going to bed these days, even with all the doodads I have attached to my head.

[chunkyfrog]

Agreed!
There is something soothing about being "dressed for bed", even if it looks odd.

[zonker]

Agreed!
There is something soothing about being "dressed for bed", even if it looks odd.

even if we DO look like deep sea divers.