Please help! Sleep study results

[musculus]

So here are my stats, its only 3 days and not much use, just so that you see the pressures and leaks:

06/02/2015 - 08/02/2015 S9 AutoSet (S/N: 23142288836)

AutoSet APE: RAMP_ONLY APE: 1,0 cmH20

Min pressure: 4,0 cmH20 Max pressure: 14,0 cmH20

Pressure - cmH20
Median: 8,6 Percentil 95: 11,8 Max: 12,4

Leaks - l/min
Median: 2,4 Percentil 95: 12,0 Max: 34,8

Respiratory index - episodes/h
Apnea Index: 2,8 Hipoapnea Index: 0,6 AHI: 3,4
Obstructive: 0,3 Central: 2,2

Total use
Days >= 4 horas : 0 Days < 4 horas : 3 % days >= 4 horas : 0

Days not used: 0 Total days: 3 Total hours: 9:24
Median of use: 3:08 Average use: 3:08

Your sleep doctor seems very good.

[pablmd]

Why do you say that?

Well, this last guy is the one that I borrowed the APAP from (hes the one selling them). He basically did what I suggested him to

I also think my sleep doctor is very good too, though.

[musculus]

Why do you say that?

Well, this last guy is the one that I borrowed the APAP from (hes the one selling them). He basically did what I suggested him to

I also think my sleep doctor is very good too, though.

A good sleep doctor looks beyond the daily AHI summary (well, that's a low bar, but you will be amazed by how many of them not meeting that...)

Did you try a chinstrap?

[yaconsult]

+1 for chinstrap - the Ruby Red seems to be popular and works well for many people. $20 on amazon and your DME might have them on the shelf.

The detailed data is much more useful than the nightly summaries. See the posts at the top of the forum for info about installing SleepyHead software and how to post your graphs.

[pablmd]

Thanks guys!

Yesterday I got a full nose and mouth mask so I guess I don't need the chinstrap with that kind of mask, right?

I slept pretty well tonight, I used the mask for like 4 hours.

I didn't download the SleepyHead software yet because im only borrowing the machine until friday and the doctor will give me the graphs.

Should I download it anyways? I though of doing it if I buy a machine.

[zoocrewphoto]

Why is your minimum pressure set at 4? Not only does that tend to be uncomfortable for most people, it is far below what you say your pressure does most of the night. Every time it goes down to 4, it allows events to happen until it can back up where it needs to be. That means events are slipping by that should have been prevented. It also means that the machine has to search more. If it starts at a more useful pressure, it may not go as high as it won't be needing to search as much.

And another issue. If you are sensitive to pressure changes, then the wild swings of it going up and down can disturb your sleep. It would help to see your pressure graph, but it sounds like you really need a higher minimum pressure. I'm surprised your doctor did not suggest it.

[pablmd]

I suggested raising the minimum pressure to the CPAP guy, but he said that he prefers to leave it at 4 for the trial week to see all the fluctuations in pressure.

Does that make sense?

[zoocrewphoto]

I suggested raising the minimum pressure to the CPAP guy, but he said that he prefers to leave it at 4 for the trial week to see all the fluctuations in pressure.

Does that make sense?

Nope. A ton of people fail cpap because they feel like they are starving for air. And that is because the pressure is set too low. It won't do any good if the person rips it off.

Also, since you already know it likes to stay up much higher than that, it makes more sense to start narrowing the range and see what the machine really would like to do.It would be easier if seeing the graphs, but you could easily bump it to 6 and still see lots of pressure changes. The goal is to set the minimum at whatever pressure takes care of the events most of the night with a range open to cover the times when you need more pressure (typically back sleeping and REM). My pressure is set for 11-17. I spent most of the night between 11 and 13 with maybe 4 spikes up to 15. one or two may make it into the 16s. The time above 14 is less than half an hour. If my machine started at even 8, any time between 8 and 11 would be time with events slipping past. Starting at 4 would be insane.

You need to have success. You need to start feeling better. Why waste time at a pressure that is not therapeutic when you already know that 4 is useless for you? That is just delaying success.

[pablmd]

I tried to modify my lower pressure, but seems like I cannot since its a borrowed machine, so ill have to wait until Friday so that the doctor changes it.

I downloaded SleepyHead, so here is my first graph (from last night).

Is there anything very wrong on the graph? What should be my minimum pressure?

[palerider]

I tried to modify my lower pressure, but seems like I cannot since its a borrowed machine, so ill have to wait until Friday so that the doctor changes it.

I downloaded SleepyHead, so here is my first graph (from last night).

Is there anything very wrong on the graph? What should be my minimum pressure?

if it were me, I'd go to 8... 4 is way too low.

[pablmd]

I raised my minimum pressure to 8. This is my last night's graph:



All I had last night were clear airway events (all of them right when I was falling asleep). What does that mean?

Also, I still can't manage to use the mask longer because I get woken up by air leaks in the middle of the night. Should I change my mask?

[pablmd]

I went to the sleep doctor today.

She sais I have UARS and should treat it with an APAP. I feel like I didn't get an official diagnose because they didn't measure my esophagus pressure in my sleep study, she told me I have UARS because of the flow limitations, and basically said that if I feel better with the machine then it should be UARS.

My insurance can lend me a ResMed S9, is that any good for UARS or should I get another one?

Since AHI is not really an issue, how can I track the efficiency of the treatment?

[palerider]

My insurance can lend me a ResMed S9, is that any good for UARS or should I get another one?

you already have an s9 autoset.

which one are you talking about? there's 13 different s9 models.

[pablmd]

I don't own one... I borrowed one from the DME for a week and the week is over.

They just said an S9, ill ask tomorrow exactly which one.