does BIPAP improve AHI numbers compared to APAP ?

[vigna]

HELLO EVERYONE.
i have been using APAP at setting of 9 to 14 for the past 1 year and i can truly say it has transformed my life. Iam indebted to this forum to a great extent for the help it has rendered. my ahi remains around 3 and obstructive index around 2 and leakage rate is not a problem. my question is will moving to BIPAP from APAP will it improve my numbers other than comfort though iam feeling great with my present therapy.i have also lost over 22 kgs in weight to reach a bmi of 23. thanks every one. i would be greatly interested for views from people who have moved from APAP to BIPAP.

[cwsanfor]

Going from APAP to BiPAP reduced my AHI from 2.0 (three month average) to 0.8 (about a six month average). These numbers are somewhat skewed because at first I was fumbling around, and had somewhat higher numbers. But I also fumbled some with the BiPAP settings at first. My three month average on BiPAP is 0.6, so I'd say that BiPAP at the least reduced my AHI by half, probably by 2/3, and with much greater comfort. Your mileage may vary.

[Wulfman]

HELLO EVERYONE.
i have been using APAP at setting of 9 to 14 for the past 1 year and i can truly say it has transformed my life. Iam indebted to this forum to a great extent for the help it has rendered. my ahi remains around 3 and obstructive index around 2 and leakage rate is not a problem. my question is will moving to BIPAP from APAP will it improve my numbers other than comfort though iam feeling great with my present therapy.i have also lost over 22 kgs in weight to reach a bmi of 23. thanks every one. i would be greatly interested for views from people who have moved from APAP to BIPAP.

I've never used a Bi-PAP, but if you have the Encore Pro software, you should be able to tell whether you can improve your numbers.
It's quite possible that your bottom pressure may be too low and you have events occurring before your machine can respond to them (these should be visible on your reports if they're taking place). Does your machine spend a lot of the night changing pressure? Are there lots of little pressure "bumps" on the bottom line of your nightly charts? If those factors exist, it's possible that your minimum pressure isn't high enough. What does your nightly 90% pressure usually indicate? The 90% number doesn't necessarily indicate where your pressure should be, but it's an indicator of where your pressures are going.
Your AHI is still within the "normal" numbers.....less than 5.0.....but there may be ways of improving it.....without resorting to an expensive Bi-PAP.
Have you ever tried a straight pressure? SOME people do better on a straight pressure than a pressure range. I'm one of those people. I have higher AHIs and more consistent apneas on a pressure range than on straight pressure.

Typically, Bi-PAP/Bi-Level machines are used in "special" breathing conditions......Higher pressure, more exhale relief, some cases of aerophagia, etc.

Best wishes,

Den

[Guest]

my 90% pressure is around 12 and i spend most of my time ie around 9 and 10. thanks
vigna