Can you tell the diff between AHI 4.7 and 2.9?

[MrRandom]

So while I was at the DME regarding the machine, he downloaded and gave me some print-outs. It had information for the last few nights. So while he was getting me another machine, I was studying the data.

Now, yesterday I felt really good. No headache, didn't feel excessively sleepy/fatigued, etc. Today I have a headache and feel fatigued.

So the night before last, my AHI was 2.9. Last night it was 4.7. This could be off because like I said in another post, this machine thinks I'm having events even when I'm awake, but still, I do feel much worse today than I did yesterday.

I was pointing this out to the DME guy and saying if I could get my AHI down to something below 3, I'd probably feel good all the time. Well, he told me I would not be able to tell the difference for anything below AHI of 5. I think he's wrong on that, what do you think?

And frankly I don't care what he says. I'm spending about a third of my life on this thing, I'm going to get the best therapy possible out of it, even if it means *GASP* changing my own pressure!

[MrRandom]

He downloaded the card. For some reason it won't let me edit the post.

[bap40]

This guy is just so full of wisdom isn't he? I most assuredly can tell the difference when AHI's are higher than even 3!!!!!!

[HP]

No sweat, MrRandom......the difference is precisely 1.8 ! LOL

The DME probably told you that you would not be able to tell the difference, because the health people say that AHI levels of 5 and below are representative of NORMAL (not OSA) people.

With APAPs and data recording technology, it is fairly easy to fine tune the therapy to minimize the AHI value, all else being equal. I generally expect my nightly AHI to be no more than 1. I'm not motivated to try to do better than that.

I'd check the leakage data from your reports to see if leakage is fairly constant and not much more than the rated leakage for your mask. If your report shows peak leakage, 90% leakage, and average leakage, compare the average with the rated mask leakage. The other leakage categories might provide some clue about what abnormal situation might be occuring, if any.

A mask not providing a decent seal for the entire night will increase the leakage data, and it is very important that you troubleshoot issues like that and fix them.

Good luck!

HP

[Pineapple]

Does the DME use a CPAP?

[Tarma]

I'm relatively new here. Only been using the machine 3+ months. For me, I've found the machine results to be a tool, not a holy grail. It could be because I'm still getting used to everything, but some nights how I "feel" in the morning does not correlate well with the machine average indicates. I think this is because sometimes I am in "doze mode" and the machine does not react well to my semi-conscious breathing pattern. I'm finding the detailed graphs available with the resmed software more useful to me as I figure out what I want to try next.

Overall, I AM feeling better on cpap, be it auto or fixed. I just haven't found the "perfect" combo of mask/settings yet. Still learning.

[ozij]

Some people feel the difference some people don't. And don't let anyone tell you what you feel.

If my AHI goes to 3 or more, I feel it.

O.

[Pineapple]

In my younger years a would for a fabric company. Within a month I could tell the differences in fabrics by touch. People who weren't in the business would argue it wasn't possible (so I'd show them the lable to prove it)

I think the same thing applies to CPAP users, we are more tuned into the pressure changes.

I will also add that last week I woke up to what sounded like a snore. I don't normally snore but my doctor just increased my pressure, maybe that is what caused it. Any way after a couple nights of this I decided not to wait for my next doctor's appointment and bumped my pressure .5. The "snore" is gone. Maybe I personally don't notice the .5 change, but obviously my body does.

[Tarma]

Yep. Everyone is different! If everyone reacted the same we wouldn't need this forum. Just what I've noticed about me so far.

[MrRandom]

Tarma, that's a very good point. I didn't sleep well at all last night, had trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep, so that of course could be affecting me as well. That's why I'm not just jumping on changing the pressure again just from two nights data. I'm waiting to get my card reader and track the data more, then make a decision on it.

I'm new to this too and still not happy with my mask either. I have to put bandaids over my eyes to protect them from air leaks, and I'm pretty tired of doing that, but the other masks I've tried so far have been a lot worse than this one so it's all relative.

[MrRandom]

HP, or anyone, do you know where I can get the leakage rating for this mask? The DME guy did comment that the leakage data didn't seem very high. So the average leak for the night before last was 35.27 and last night was 32.99. Could be somewhat off because I just open the mask up without turning the machine off if I have an itch during the night, and that can happen several times during the night.

[Mile High Sleeper]

I've noticed a huge difference in the way I feel between an AHI of 5 and 3. For a long time, I was satisfied with 5, since I felt so much better than the before-APAP days. After a while, I realized I didn't feel as good as I though I should be feeling. Then when I got it to around 3 or less, I felt much better again. When the AHI goes to 5, I feel worse that day. I check the software at the end of the day or week, so my knowledge of the numbers isn't affecting my perception of how I feel.

[hobbs]

I have never had better than 3.9, but it was with a Resmed, so it is actually a 1.95 right?

[JeffH]

MrRandom, you sound like a classic CPAP would be successful where APAP wouldn't person. APAP is not the holy grail. I know, I tried to make it that way for six months and it isn't.

I have been on CPAP for over nine years with a pressure of 12 and went to APAP December of '06. Liked to have drove myself nuts for 6 months trying to make APAP work for me and it just didn't. I now use my APAP set for CPAP at 12 and am doing just fine. AHI is rarely over 2.0. six month average is 1.2.

You might try setting it on a single pressure of ONE WEEK, WITHOUT changing anything and see what your results are.

JeffH

[Wulfman]

HP, or anyone, do you know where I can get the leakage rating for this mask? The DME guy did comment that the leakage data didn't seem very high. So the average leak for the night before last was 35.27 and last night was 32.99. Could be somewhat off because I just open the mask up without turning the machine off if I have an itch during the night, and that can happen several times during the night.

There would have been a users manual and maybe some other documentation that came with it. There should be a graph with a line showing the intended leakage rate (Vent Flow Rate) at various pressures in the user's manual.

Den