another newby - s9

[sortasleepy]

Good morning -

thanks for the valuable resource that is provided here.

I'm new to my diagnosis and to a apap machine. I have a couple of questions.

My first sleep study I had an AHI of 109 and they were not able to determine my titration level.

The titration study my AHI was 19.5, but again, they really did not determine an "ideal" titraion point, so the sleep doctor recommended an auto machine (or possibly a setting of 13 even though that didn't totally eliminate my apneas.

I had no central apneas during either study.

When my primary doctor wrote the script, the recommended pressure range was 5 - 20 (too broad?)

In disussions with the RT, she suggested that the minimum pressure should be 9 (based on where they had tried to start me during my 2 studies), she didn't have a recommendation for the upper end. She's faxed a request off to my Primary (who is out of town for another week, so I'm not sure if another doctor will pick up the slack) to change the lower pressure at the lower end of the range.

EPR is set to 3 (what they did at the sleep study).

I've had two decent nights of sleep. Haven't woken up quite as much as I was. I don't have the software (asked somewhere, but so far no responses?), but I have started a spreadsheet of my data I can clean from my s9 screen.

I've used the machine for 2 nights and a nap yesterday. Below is the data.

Date Used hours Pressure Leak AHI Total AI Central AI Run Hours

7/30/2010 overnight 6.5 11.2 0 6.4 6.4 1.5 6.6
7/31/2010 nap 0.9 14 0 27.3 26.3 1
7/31/2010 overnight 7.8 13.8 2.4 13.6 13.5 4.8 16.2
(the last row of data is part of the 24 hour total, so the nap time is included in the bottom total too).

My huband did notice a change in my breathing a few times last night so maybe trying to do some mouth breathing.(hence the increase in the leak numbers?) I've also got quite a crease on the right side of my nose from my nose mask (I think from sleeping on my side and pressing the mask into my face- Resmed Mirage Micro nose mask).

What's the protocol for changing my settings for the pressure? Do I need to wait for the RT to make those changes? Am I going to jeopardize a new relationship with someone that seems genuinely interested in helping me? Is it safe to change the settings to a 9 - 18 range?

I appreaciate the feedback.

[brazospearl]

sortasleepy, it would help if you added your equipment (text, not pix) so we'd be able to see which machine & mask you're using. If your pressure is currently set at 5/20, I think you would be seeing better results with a tighter range. 9/18 would be a place to start, but it might take LOTS of tweaking to get you in the best possible place. You can do this yourself, you need nobody's permission. It sounds like your RT wants to do right by you (you're lucky in that aspect!) but your situation can't wait for her to talk to the doc and get back to you. Also, the way you posted your data is a bit hard to read. I know you don't have the software yet, but if you could space the data you do have differently it might be easier for us to help you.

[jdm2857]

Also, the way you posted your data is a bit hard to read. I know you don't have the software yet, but if you could space the data you do have differently it might be easier for us to help you.

Unfortunately, web browsers compress multiple spaces and tabs to a single space. So trying to type up nice columns in a post never works.

[brazospearl]

jdm, honey, thank you! That explains a lot! That puts us back at needing something like: "7/31/10: AHI = 2.3" and such for every category every day. Lovely. Harder to enter, easier to read, though.

[sortasleepy]

Sorry - I tried to be nice and neat and it didn't work! Is this better?

Date 8/30 (night time sleeping)
Used Hours 6.5 hours
Pressure 11.2
Leak 0
AHI 6.7
Total AI 6.4
Central AI 1.5

Date 8/31 (nap in recliner)
Used Hours .9
Pressure 14
Leak 0.0
AHI 27.3
Total AI 26.3
Central AI 1.0

Date 8/31 (night time sleep) - note: since this is the same 24 hour period as the nap above, it's incorporated into the results below)
Used Hours 7.8
Pressure 13.8
Leak 2.4
AHI 13.6
Total AI 13.5
Central AI 4.8

[klgm326]

Check your private messages

Good morning -

thanks for the valuable resource that is provided here.

I'm new to my diagnosis and to a apap machine. I have a couple of questions.

My first sleep study I had an AHI of 109 and they were not able to determine my titration level.

The titration study my AHI was 19.5, but again, they really did not determine an "ideal" titraion point, so the sleep doctor recommended an auto machine (or possibly a setting of 13 even though that didn't totally eliminate my apneas.

I had no central apneas during either study.

When my primary doctor wrote the script, the recommended pressure range was 5 - 20 (too broad?)

In disussions with the RT, she suggested that the minimum pressure should be 9 (based on where they had tried to start me during my 2 studies), she didn't have a recommendation for the upper end. She's faxed a request off to my Primary (who is out of town for another week, so I'm not sure if another doctor will pick up the slack) to change the lower pressure at the lower end of the range.

EPR is set to 3 (what they did at the sleep study).

I've had two decent nights of sleep. Haven't woken up quite as much as I was. I don't have the software (asked somewhere, but so far no responses?), but I have started a spreadsheet of my data I can clean from my s9 screen.

I've used the machine for 2 nights and a nap yesterday. Below is the data.

Date Used hours Pressure Leak AHI Total AI Central AI Run Hours

7/30/2010 overnight 6.5 11.2 0 6.4 6.4 1.5 6.6
7/31/2010 nap 0.9 14 0 27.3 26.3 1
7/31/2010 overnight 7.8 13.8 2.4 13.6 13.5 4.8 16.2
(the last row of data is part of the 24 hour total, so the nap time is included in the bottom total too).

My huband did notice a change in my breathing a few times last night so maybe trying to do some mouth breathing.(hence the increase in the leak numbers?) I've also got quite a crease on the right side of my nose from my nose mask (I think from sleeping on my side and pressing the mask into my face- Resmed Mirage Micro nose mask).

What's the protocol for changing my settings for the pressure? Do I need to wait for the RT to make those changes? Am I going to jeopardize a new relationship with someone that seems genuinely interested in helping me? Is it safe to change the settings to a 9 - 18 range?

I appreaciate the feedback.