CPAP numbers and mouth breathing?

[Diesel]

I have been on the CPAP for almost 2 years and the last few months I am really tired and can't get enough sleep. I use the Mirrage Activa LT nasal mask and I occasionly have mouth leaks... My numbers are a follows for the past 9 months.
Pressure: 15.0 cmH2O
EPR Setting: 2.0 cmH2O

AI: 0.6
obstructive: .4
HI: .1
AHI: .7
Leak : L/min Median: 13.2 95th % : 40.8 Maximum: 61.2

Will these numbers reflect mouth breathing?

[avi123]

I have been on the CPAP for almost 2 years and the last few months I am really tired and can't get enough sleep. I use the Mirrage Activa LT nasal mask and I occasionly have mouth leaks... My numbers are a follows for the past 9 months.
Pressure: 15.0 cmH2O
EPR Setting: 2.0 cmH2O

AI: 0.6
obstructive: .4
HI: .1
AHI: .7
Leak : L/min Median: 13.2 95th % : 40.8 Maximum: 61.2

Will these numbers reflect mouth breathing?

Reply,

IMO, if you mouth breathe while being on the Activa then the 40.8 L/Min during most of time at 95%, includes the leaks thru your mouth plus the leaks around the mask (but not the intentional leak thru the small holes in the Activa mask [about 30 L/Min]). The highest leak allowed in the S9 Elite is 24 L/Min. Above it the machine can't properly diagnose and treat events. So those event ratios that you posted are useless. Try to use a chinstrap and see the results (enter your mask type into the machine).

If you don't suffer from Central Sleep Apnea Syndrome, COPD, and heart problems, then you might be better off switching to an S9 Autoset. This is b/c this APAP machine would use lower pressure than 15 cm for your treatment. For example, if you would set the max pressure at 15 cm and the min pressure at 10 cm then the resulting optimal pressure at 95%, might be 12 to 13 cm.

[Pugsy]

ResMed says they can handle leaks up to 24 L/min. Above that and the machine can lose the ability to sense and respond to events effectively. If you are spending a lot of time above 24 L/min line (look at your software reports to see) then it is possible that the AHI you see may not be totally accurate.

The other thing is if you are having that much leak going on is it perhaps disturbing your sleep? Anything that disturbs our sleep will mess with how we feel the next day so that would be another reason to try to limit the leaks more effectively.

[Diesel]

Thanks for the info avi123 & Pugsy…


If do suffer from Central Sleep Apnea Syndrome, this is why I was prescribed the S9 Elite…I also have the mask type entered into my machine.

So, AHI is worthless if I have a higher leak threshold for an extended period of time.

I didn’t realize that the ResMed S9 had a leek threshold of24 L/min. My mask typically seals very well… I wake up a few times here and there and have to adjust form me moving around. The other night I realized my mouth leaks are from my lips popping open when I sleep on my back. The last couple of night I have slept on my side and my Leak numbers have really improved.

The nights that I have the air leak through my mouth, I can tell my quality of sleep is disturbed.

Here are my numbers just for the past 3 nights…

Pressure: 15.0 cmH2O
EPR Setting: 2.0 cmH2O

AI: 0.2
obstructive: 0.2
HI: 0.0
AHI: 0.2
Leak: L/min Median: 9.6--95th %: 22.8--Maximum: 38.4

My leak graft has very few event that went above the 24 L/min for any period of time... It actually looks pretty good... Not sure how to post graphs.

I will try to rig up a homemade chin strap to see if this helps… I have tried several masks, and even with the occasional mouth breathing, this mask makes me feel the most rested.

Thanks for the info... Any additional info will be greatly appreciated from anybody.