Encore Viewer charts: what should these tell me?

[ewl]

Hi everyone,
Been on CPAP just over 2 weeks now-- adjusted to the machine fairly easily but working on some mask leaks. I purchased the reader and software and would appreciate some guidance from the experts here as to how to read these charts and what they can tell me about how things are going. I'll post the 2 week summary first and then two daily ones from recent nights. Thanks in advance for any guidance!
Much appreciated, Erik

[By the way, I should add that my sleep study showed AHI of 31. Normal leak venting for my mask appears to be about 25.]

[jdm2857]

The data look pretty good but your leak could be a bit better. What mask are you using?

[Goofproof]

It tells me your leak rate should be lower (under 35 LPM). You are probably loosing your treatment out og your mouth. (Mouth breathing) With a high leak rate the numbers can be mis-leading or even useless. Taping or using a FF mask are ways to correct the problem. Jim

[jweeks]

Hi,

I am not a doctor, and I don't even play one on TV. But if this was my data, I'd be concerned first about getting the leaks under control, then I'd adjust the pressure a little. I see a lot of snores and a lot of events on your plots. Try bumping it up by 1 cm for a few days, then try 2 cm. In my case, moving up 1 cm from 19 to 20 moved my snore rate down from around 50 to almost zero, and my AHI came down from around 13 to around 4.

You might also want to try different sleeping positions to see if that affects your breathing. Try one side, then then other, and then on your back. Many people see much better numbers on their side. For example, no amount of pressure helps me if I roll off of my side and onto my back.

The bottom line, however, is how do you feel?

-john-

[bdp522]

Your Ahi is good, anything under 5 is considered normal. Keep working on those leaks. It seems as if you are mouth breathing/leaking as Jim said. Once you get the leaks under control you should see the snores drop. For just 2 weeks in you are doing very well!

For leaks;
Be sure the mask and your face are clean before masking up at night.
Be sure the mask isn't too tight, over tightening can cause the mask to leak.
I use Roosters method of taping found here; viewtopic.php?t=9653 Works great for me.
If all else fails, try a different mask.

Brenda

[ewl]

Thanks everyone. I can't adjust the pressure as I've got a cpap, not an apap. But I am wondering now about this mouth breathing possibility. I wouldn't have thought that I do, and I didn't during my sleep studies-- if I tried taping for a night and the leaks went markedly down, that I suppose would verify?

Also can't figure out what is going on the past few nights-- I suddenly seem to be snoring again! I snored quite badly before cpap, but hardly at all the first 2 weeks, but the past few nights my wife has noticed that it's started again. I asked if she thought I was opening my mouth but she wasn't sure.

I think I may give up on this mask. The AHI numbers are good, but one night it doesn't leak much and then next it drives me foolish leaking every time I even move my head.

[BeanMeScot]

You can change your pressure on ANY machine. Doesn't need to be an APAP. You just need to know how.