Better, but still a few issues...

[gljo1215]

Hi all! I don't post very often, but read the forum off and on most days. Since switching to CPAP from AUTO at the end of January, I have been able to sleep much better (thanks to Wulfman for suggesting that!) however, I am still having issues.

Vibratory snores – what are they, should I worry about them, how many is too many and what can I do about them? They seem to cluster around the OA’s. Is this a problem or ?? They range anywhere from 4.7 to the mid 30’s but sometimes higher, up to 150! What is that about? Should I ignore that stat on my Encore report or ?

My AHI numbers have been getting better as I’ve been able to raise the pressure (gradually, to get used to it – thank you to BlueBonnetGal for recommending that.) Right now I’m at 15.5 and not liking it at all. Seems to me, my titrated pressure was 15 or16, but had such a bad night at the sleep study, I think they took a guess. My AHI has improved to between 2.9 and 6.7, but 15.5 is like a hurricane and even on CFLEX 3 it’s getting harder to breath out.

The same time I bumped the pressure from 15 up to 15.5, I increased the humidity to from 2 to 3 and then 4. (1/2 nose stuffy almost all the time & mouth dry in AM) Would humidity make a difference in the way the breathing feels… like the air is HEAVY? The last 3 nights, I have felt a ‘heaviness’ at the base of my neck/top of my chest, like it’s harder to exhale while trying to fall asleep. Could adding more humidity cause this??

I love my Liberty mask, but it seems to leak more and more as I raise the pressure.. duh, sort of expected that. Or maybe after 6 months, I need a new mask? The leak rate is supposed to be the same as for the Mirage Full, is that right... 40 @ 12 and 54 @ 20. It’s been running in the 40 – 55 range. Large leak rate is 0. Average leak rate last night was 53, though. What to do?

If I’ve learned one thing about this forum, there are lots of people ready and willing to help! Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments!

gljo

[Wulfman]

Hi all! I don't post very often, but read the forum off and on most days. Since switching to CPAP from AUTO at the end of January, I have been able to sleep much better (thanks to Wulfman for suggesting that!) however, I am still having issues.

Vibratory snores – what are they, should I worry about them, how many is too many and what can I do about them? They seem to cluster around the OA’s. Is this a problem or ?? They range anywhere from 4.7 to the mid 30’s but sometimes higher, up to 150! What is that about? Should I ignore that stat on my Encore report or ?

Vibratory snores are whatever the machine "hears" that it interprets them as such. By themselves, they're not necessarily a "problem". On the other hand, since you say they're clustering around OAs, it's an indication that there may be a connection.

My AHI numbers have been getting better as I’ve been able to raise the pressure (gradually, to get used to it – thank you to BlueBonnetGal for recommending that.) Right now I’m at 15.5 and not liking it at all. Seems to me, my titrated pressure was 15 or16, but had such a bad night at the sleep study, I think they took a guess. My AHI has improved to between 2.9 and 6.7, but 15.5 is like a hurricane and even on CFLEX 3 it’s getting harder to breath out.

The same time I bumped the pressure from 15 up to 15.5, I increased the humidity to from 2 to 3 and then 4. (1/2 nose stuffy almost all the time & mouth dry in AM) Would humidity make a difference in the way the breathing feels… like the air is HEAVY? The last 3 nights, I have felt a ‘heaviness’ at the base of my neck/top of my chest, like it’s harder to exhale while trying to fall asleep. Could adding more humidity cause this??

Too much humidity CAN have an effect on snores, breathing ability and increased AHI numbers among others. You might try going the other direction with the humidity. If you're not doing nasal rinses/cleansing before bedtime, I'd suggest starting some type of routine.....congestion will increase the "snore index".

I love my Liberty mask, but it seems to leak more and more as I raise the pressure.. duh, sort of expected that. Or maybe after 6 months, I need a new mask? The leak rate is supposed to be the same as for the Mirage Full, is that right... 40 @ 12 and 54 @ 20. It’s been running in the 40 – 55 range. Large leak rate is 0. Average leak rate last night was 53, though. What to do?

I have no first-hand experience with that mask, but I don't see a "huge" problem with the numbers you're reporting. Yes, lower numbers are better, but the machines will still provide good therapy as long as there are no Large Leaks. I think the upper limit on leaks is around "70". Did you mean a new mask of the same type of different one? I'm using the same UMFF mask I started out with four years ago and it seals better than when it was new.

If I’ve learned one thing about this forum, there are lots of people ready and willing to help! Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments!

gljo

Hi gljo.

Glad to hear some things are improving. I made my comments within your post (probably obvious).

Den

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[gljo1215]

Hey Wulfman,

Thanks for the reply. You mentioned that since my Vibratory snores are clustered around the OA’s, there may be a connection… is this a BAD connection, something I should be concerned about?? What can I DO about them? Will continuing to raise my pressure take care of them? I’m concerned that higher pressures my blow my mask off! Should I think of going back to AUTO with a narrower range, like 12-16??

I did lower the humidity back down to #2 and woke up once during the night with a very dry mouth. Nose is still stuffy but I did not experience that ‘heavy air’ feeling last night. I think I’ll leave it on # 2.

I’ve not tried the nasal rinses.. I’m not sure I could stand it! I HATE water in my nose to the point of not even letting my face get wet in the shower! Just the thought makes me think of drowning. (I was thrown into the pool (swimming lessons) when I was in 2nd grade – never did learn to swim!) My BIL does them several times a day and says they help him tremendously. Just not sure I could do it…but it’s looking like I may have to try.

About my Liberty mask, just wondered if the ‘gasket’ or nose pillows needed replacing after a certain amount of time?? I really like the Liberty, because it doesn’t go above my nose or touch my forehead. That was a big factor in choosing it. I tried the ZZZ Full face mask the other night, but couldn’t stop the leaks into my right eye. Guess next time I go to the DME I will see what else they have.

Any other suggestions appreciated!

gljo

[Wulfman]

Not necessarily a "bad" connection (between snores and apneas).
It's been the reason that most of the APAP machines are designed (programmed) the way they are. It is generally believed that snores precede apneas.....consequently, the APAP machines aggressively raise pressures to kill the snoring before the apneas happen.
This is one reason I can't use an APAP machine very effectively.....my snoring is independent of my apneas and hypopneas. I actually have very few apneas (usually less than a half dozen per month), so pressure changes in my machines would disrupt my sleep for the sake of stopping any snoring. By doing nasal cleansing and bumping my pressure up another couple of centimeters a few years ago, my snoring has almost been eliminated.


Den