Newbie asks - Should I worry about my leaks?

[bakermo]

I have been on CPAP since June 14 and have been using Onkor and Sleepy head to track my data.

My Quattro FX continues to give me fits with its leaks - but reading posts here I find I am not the only one.

I have read all the posts and information regarding this mask and have tried the pad-a-cheek strap and mask liner. Currently I am using the mask liner and have been getting better results.

My numbers this week have been great and I am wondering if I should be concerned with my leaks. I see the mask has a leak rate of 48 at my pressure (14cm). Pressure is a flat line of 14cm for all these nights.

Here's my data and leak charts - what do you all think?

Thanks!

AUG 20

Therapy Start 20 Aug 2011 22:17 (Sat)
Therapy End 21 Aug 2011 08:01 (Sun)
Therapy Time 9h 41m
Off Time 0h 3m
Elapsed Time 9h 44m
AHI 1.75
RDI 2.68
OA 1.14 (11 events)
CA 0.1 (1 event)
H 0.52 (5 events)
RE 0.93 (9 events)



AUG 21 (Couldn't sleep and took a break)

Therapy Start 21 Aug 2011 22:17 (Sun)
Therapy End 22 Aug 2011 06:03 (Mon)
Therapy Time 7h 15m
Off Time 0h 31m
Elapsed Time 7h 46m
AHI 1.93
RDI 2.62
OA 1.24 (9 events)
CA 0.14 (1 event)
H 0.55 (4 events)
RE 0.69 (5 events)



22 AUG

Therapy Start 22 Aug 2011 22:18 (Mon)
Therapy End 23 Aug 2011 06:09 (Tue)
Therapy Time 7h 51m
Off Time 0h 0m
Elapsed Time 7h 51m
AHI 1.27
RDI 2.29
OA 0.64 (5 events)
CA 0.38 (3 events)
H 0.25 (2 events)
RE 1.02 (8 events)



23 AUG

Therapy Start 23 Aug 2011 22:11 (Tue)
Therapy End 24 Aug 2011 05:17 (Wed)
Therapy Time 7h 6m
Off Time 0h 0m
Elapsed Time 7h 6m
AHI 1.55
RDI 2.25
OA 0.42 (3 events)
CA 0 (0 events)
H 1.13 (8 events)
RE 0.7 (5 events)

[Pugsy]

For the most part your leak line is stable with only small occasional blips upwards. I would be quite happy with these results.

Your overall numbers are also quite good. From the numbers I can't see anything that needs improvement.
How are you sleeping in general? Waking much fiddling with things? I found I did at first.
Feeling okay?

Welcome to the forum. I will look around in my reports for a good example of a really bad leak so you can see the difference. They will happen from time to time and as long as they are short lived we don't worry so much about them.

[RandyJ]

For the most part your leak line is stable with only small occasional blips upwards. I would be quite happy with these results.

Your overall numbers are also quite good. From the numbers I can't see anything that needs improvement.
How are you sleeping in general? Waking much fiddling with things? I found I did at first.
Feeling okay?

Welcome to the forum. I will look around in my reports for a good example of a really bad leak so you can see the difference. They will happen from time to time and as long as they are short lived we don't worry so much about them.

Pugsy - isn't his leak rate still above 24L/min and therefore too high?

It was explained to me that mask flow rate was accounted for when machine calculates leak rate, so anything above 24 would still be too high??

[Pugsy]

Pugsy - isn't his leak rate still above 24L/min and therefore too high?

It was explained to me that mask flow rate was accounted for when machine calculates leak rate, so anything above 24 would still be too high??

PR S1 machines report Total Leak in Onkor and SleepHead. EncoreViewer reports Total Leak. Encore Pro gives us a choice Total Leak or Unintentional Leak.

Total Leak = Vent rate (intentional leak) + excess leak.
Unintentional Leak is all excess leak above vent rate.

Your ResMed machine already subtracts an amount for vent rate and so it is always reporting Unintentional Leak.
So we can't compare your 24 L/min line in the sand with this report. If we were that line would be closer to 90 L/min on our reports. So in this case the vent rate is around 48 L/min and we would expect to see the line in that neighborhood to start with. Just another thing to learn..the differences in how the machines reports leak.
For the OP here most of the time he is around 50 L/min line which is quite excellent. A few blips upwards but nothing grossly huge and certainly not for prolonged periods of time.

Now here is one of my leaky nights. SleepyHead report, not Onkor but it is obvious the leak is much larger than I normally see.

Hope I haven't confused you more with my ramblings Let me know if something needs clarification. My fingers and my brain aren't always connected well.

[bakermo]

How are you sleeping in general? Waking much fiddling with things? I found I did at first.
Feeling okay?

Thanks Pugsy,

In general I am sleepy very well. At first I was fiddling constantly but now I pretty much just go with it.

I am feeling really good as well.

[Pugsy]

In general I am sleepy very well. At first I was fiddling constantly but now I pretty much just go with it.

I am feeling really good as well.

That's what is is all about. Sleep decently and feel decently. In over 2 years I have seen the "miracle" once. Where I felt like I could climb Mt Everest. I envy those that see the miracle all the time. Your numbers are great and for a full face mask that is notorious for being a leak monster, you seem to have it well under control.
For the PR S1 machines we are never told exactly where the "Large Leak" line is but I have hit 80 L/min and not have it flagged. Seems to be somewhere nearing 90-100 L/min. The few times I have seen it the hose came completely off the mask and I hit 100 L/min.

[Sheriff Buford]

I would agree with Pugs, but have you tried a mask that doesn't leak? My mask doesn't leak unless I have a weird night. Accepting a base leak rate may give you trouble later on. I suspect you'll eventually look for a mask that will not leak and curse the time you "accepted" the given leak rate you already have. If you find another full face mask that is comfortable and doesn't leak will only help you in the long run.

Sheriff

[Pugsy]

I would agree with Pugs, but have you tried a mask that doesn't leak? My mask doesn't leak unless I have a weird night. Accepting a base leak rate may give you trouble later on. I suspect you'll eventually look for a mask that will not leak and curse the time you "accepted" the given leak rate you already have. If you find another full face mask that is comfortable and doesn't leak will only help you in the long run.

Sheriff

What mask doesn't leak from time to time?

Given OP's machine (PR S1) and software choice there is always going to be some intentional vent leak showing on the report with any mask. He is never going to see a zero leak average or a line at zero.

[ameriken]

From my own experience as well as all that I've learned and heard, I am of the opinion that the QFX is one of the best masks out there (especially for those with an ASV machine). I spoke yesterday to the techs at the VA sleep lab and they were also of the opinion that it is the best mask out there.

Having said that, not everyone would agree with me and it is not going to be perfect for everyone nor is it going to be perfect every night. I think any mask is going to have leaks from time to time. I started therapy June 9, and there have only had 4 or 5 days with a significant "unintentional" leak. Once in a while it may leak if I turn and cause it to shift, or if I get sweaty at night, or when the pressures get really high it may blow farts out the sides. But overall it's been a good mask.

I guess the bottom line is unless your leaks are significant and often, or if you find the mask to be too uncomfortable, you're probably ok as you are right now, especially considering that you're getting good results in how you feel.

[Sheriff Buford]

I get leaks from time to time.... but I consistently get zero leaks. On average I may register leaks maybe twice a month. Day in and day out if you have leaks you probably are not using the right mask for you.

Bakermo looks like he is getting leaks every day...

Sheriff

[Pugsy]

I get leaks from time to time.... but I consistently get zero leaks. On average I may register leaks maybe twice a month. Day in and day out if you have leaks you probably are not using the right mask for you.

Bakermo looks like he is getting leaks every day...

Yes. It does appear to be leaking but it really is minimal leak. Please see my above response to RandyJ.

OP's machine does not report leaks like your machine does. If he was using your machine the leak number would be so very close to zero like yours is. He won't ever see zero with this software. We can't compare your leak report to his with this software.
If he was using Encore Pro it does offer Unintentional leak only (which is what your machine shows) and would come close to what you see.

So you can't compare his reports to yours like they are now because they are being reported differently. Different machines report the leak different so not apples to apples comparison.

[Sheriff Buford]

I can't win...

[Pugsy]

I can't win...

Not trying to beat you up. Just trying to explain so you understand that not everyone gets to see a zero leak number even if they really don't have any excess leak.
It is the report and not the mask that creates this situation. I hope you understand I am not picking on you. If you were to use my machine..you wouldn't see those zero numbers either. You would see mid 40s or so. I would bet you a free get out of jail card on it.

[RandyJ]

Pugsy - got it You explained it very well.

[Sheriff Buford]

I can't win...

Not trying to beat you up. Just trying to explain so you understand that not everyone gets to see a zero leak number even if they really don't have any excess leak.
It is the report and not the mask that creates this situation. I hope you understand I am not picking on you. If you were to use my machine..you wouldn't see those zero numbers either. You would see mid 40s or so. I would bet you a free get out of jail card on it.

Hey, I can't be bought.... unless you have beer....

Sheriff