newbie needs help interpreting sleepy head data

[Pugsy]

It's unlikely that the nasal pillows will "fill up" with condensation.
Condensation can occur in the nasal pillows though (if room conditions are prime for it) and it is highly annoying. Small drops that can't run up hill if someone likes to route their hose overhead so it will go downhill where your nose is. There are ways to prevent it condensing though...barrel cozies do a great job.
The amount of water is small...I have had it happen...a few drops and what happens is you get a cold mist shower or snort a drop of water. Most often the noise is so bad you wake up long before you snort water.

If someone likes a really warm bedroom..chances of any rain out in the nasal pillows....slim to none even without a barrel cozy.

[caprica]

thanks again for your assistance. I will give 7cm of pressure a go tonight as my lower end.

Can any one tell me if switching on features like a-flex or c-flex are really that helpful?

thanks, Caprica

[Pugsy]

Can any one tell me if switching on features like a-flex or c-flex are really that helpful?

I liked AFlex....liked the way it felt and the breathing rhythm I got with it.
Didn't care for the way CFlex felt.
You can try either and decide which one you feels suits your needs the best. Even try without it if you want.
It's a personal thing.
I did do an experiment with turning AFlex off after using it for nearly 2 years...bad idea. My body didn't like that change. Rough night.

[archangle]

Welcome, caprica.

If you're really going to get sold a different CPAP machine later, you really need to read up on how DMEs will try to screw you when you buy a CPAP machine. There are some links in my signature line to Janknitz's blog and some other info.

They might be trying to set a good pressure by using 4-20, but there's a good chance it was set up by a dummy who thinks, "it's an auto, just let it do it." While that does sort of work for many people, adjusting it right works better.

AFlex, CFlex, etc. are really trial and error things. The most obvious benefit is comfort, but some people find their therapy works better with or without these options.

There is no "unlock" for the customer on pressure settings. The medical mafia considers this to be their territory and may get upset if you want to change your own settings. Luckily, it's pretty easy to change it yourself anyway.

[caprica]

I adjusted my pressure range to 7 to 12 last night. I do feel a bit better and my AHI score is the lowest it has ever been. Sounds like I am getting closer to a better pressure range.

The question is if a minimum of 7 is good, do I try for 7.5 or 8?

[Pugsy]

You are at the point where if it were me I would only do 0.5 cm change at a time and give each setting change about a week to evaluate the results.

There comes a point where you have to decide what you are trying to improve. Long ago I established that 10 cm minimum was my best minimum but I felt the need to push the limits to see if I could better things...worked my way up to 13 cm minimum doing 0.5 increase per week. Nothing changed at any of those pressures. AHI stayed the same (1 to 2 range) and how I felt stayed the same. Sometimes you just have to scratch the curiosity itch but do it in a planned manner prepared to evaluate the results and give things adequate time for evaluation.

[caprica]

thanks. I think I will give 7.5 a go tonight.

What is the AHI range for a normal person? Am I aiming for something that floats between 0 and 5?

Also I struggled last night with mask leaks again - despite lansinone and endless strap fiddling. I am wondering if my pillows are the wrong size because the leak seems to be around the front of my nostrils. I have medium resmed Swift FX nasal pillows (they didn't give me the other pillow sizes to try). I remember when I did my titration study, the person who gave me a machine to take home gave me a medium pillow size, saying the sleep tech got it wrong giving me a small pillow for the titration study. Should I be asking for a smaller pillow again? It does not make sense to me I thought I would be needing a larger pillow - given my roman nose. Your thoughts would be appreciated?

Lastly, some mornings I have been waking up with a very stiff jaw on my right side, like I have been clenching all night to prevent mouth leak. Does this go away in time or should I be trying a chin strap?

regards, Caprica

[Pugsy]

AHI less than 5...that is generally considered acceptable if you are feeling decent.

They should have given you all 3 sizes of nasal pillows to keep and try. Call them up and tell them you want the other 2 to try. You or your insurance paid for them.

[Burkebang]

I would not change a thing if I was you. Upping the pressure now is only going to lead to your pressure bottoming out for larger parts of the night. The increase to 7 gave your machine the headstart you needed and an AHI of only 1.90 is something you should be very happy with.

I suggest that you leave it as is for at least a week and collect more data before changing anything. Remember that every night is different and any further adjustments to your therapy should in my opinion be made when you get enough data to see some trends.

[caprica]

thanks. I might leave it at 7 for a week and maybe play around with the a-flex and c-flex options to see how they make me feel.

I will give them a call and ask to try the other pillow sizes as well.

[Pugsy]

I might leave it at 7 for a week and maybe play around with the a-flex and c-flex options to see how they make me feel.

I think that giving 7 cm minimum a little more trial is a wise idea. Play with the Flexes instead.
I could show you hundreds of reports that show the AHI changing significantly with zero changes in anything.
If you don't give the pressure a chance to establish a trend or baseline...you don't know if the changes you see are from the normal variation because we don't sleep the same each night or the change you made.

Unless a change yields horrible results (and I have had those failed experiments) it is a good idea to give the changes a fair trial.

[caprica]

In case you are interested, here is an update.

I went back to the sleep physician last week, sleepyhead reports in hand, feeling all positive that I was getting somewhere.

The doctor looked at his print outs, grumbled, then told me not to mess with his prescription and I need to give it six months on his prescription before I will truly feel better. Then he changed my prescription to a trail of CPAP for a month with a fixed pressure of 9 cm. He briefly asked me if I had any congestion and handed me a script for nasonex. He then sent me on my way within 10 minutes and called next ..... (now I understand why he has the fanciest doctors office of all my doctors)

I will see how I go on his new script, but I am watching my AHI go up again. Sigh...

Anyway I am not looking for any specific advice, I am just grumbling about my doctor ....

Caprica

[archangle]

The medical mafia has a large financial incentive to protect their turf.