help with hypopneas

[hegel]

so over time my issue--my highest score, typically--is hypopneas. I don't think that they're bad--I score about a 1.4 on average, I suppose. My AHI is around 1.7 over time.

the thing is, I'm not sleeping well recently. It may just be allergies--they're terrible this year in my neck of the woods.

I bumped my base pressure to 8.5 about two months ago. My average pressure is about 9.7 over months. I'm real consistent with everything over time.

when I check my o2 levels in the morning (I'm actually checking my pulse but this comes with it) it's very high--97 or so. so I don't seem to be oxygen deprived, although lately that's how I feel many mornings. Again, maybe just allergies.

any comments? Again, I haven't been feeling rested for some time--a couple of weeks that so far coincide with allergy season. But nothing is showing up on my Encore read outs.

[Wulfman...]

so over time my issue--my highest score, typically--is hypopneas. I don't think that they're bad--I score about a 1.4 on average, I suppose. My AHI is around 1.7 over time.

the thing is, I'm not sleeping well recently. It may just be allergies--they're terrible this year in my neck of the woods.

I bumped my base pressure to 8.5 about two months ago. My average pressure is about 9.7 over months. I'm real consistent with everything over time.

when I check my o2 levels in the morning (I'm actually checking my pulse but this comes with it) it's very high--97 or so. so I don't seem to be oxygen deprived, although lately that's how I feel many mornings. Again, maybe just allergies.

any comments? Again, I haven't been feeling rested for some time--a couple of weeks that so far coincide with allergy season. But nothing is showing up on my Encore read outs.

I would suggest setting your minimum to 10 and see what things look like after a week or so. If the number isn't alot lower, keep increasing the minimum. With APAPs in ranges of pressures, you need Flow Limitations and/or Snores to get pressures bumped up. If they're non-existent to minimal and the apnea or hypopneas occur without preceding FLs or Snores, then the minimum needs to be increased to prevent the A/H events.

Maybe the pressure changes are bumping you out of the needed sleep stages and leaving you feeling unrested. Maybe you should try straight pressure.


Den

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[palerider]

when I check my o2 levels in the morning (I'm actually checking my pulse but this comes with it) it's very high--97 or so. so I don't seem to be oxygen deprived,.

oxygen levels when you're awake mean *nothing* in the context of sleep. in the amount of time it takes you to wake up and get the oximeter on your finger, they'd return to normal, whether they were low during sleep or not.

[hegel]

O2 levels are interesting. It takes a minute or two for my levels to go down after I remove my mask (I'm breathing shallowly in bed). I wonder when I wake up and check my O2 if the same rationale works for the levels to go up as well.

In any case I've bumped my minimum pressure from 8.5 to 9. My average max is 9.7, so going to 10 would be the equivalent of constant pressure. I'm not sure that I want to do that.

I slept well last night; I'll see how this plays out. None of my readings have really changed at all over the last 8 months; I'm rock steady. I wouldn't mind getting my hypopneas down however. I also get flags for snoring, so you'd think that my machine would respond to those and boost pressure for hypopneas.

I "feel" a tad oxygen deprived in the mornings lately...but haven't felt that way for years, or since I started cpap. With no change in my stats, hard to see what's up.

[palerider]

. I also get flags for snoring, so you'd think that my machine would respond to those and boost pressure for hypopneas.

respirs kinda ride the short bus.... as in, they're a bit 'slow'. to react.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzCCgNLya_g

[hegel]

palerider, you're probably right about Respironics being slow to respond. I've noticed this in other contexts.

I've slept for two nights with the minimum at 9; seems good, but it's been raining so allergens have been down as well. I forgot to reinsert my data card for the first night, but my machine readings have shown very low AHI. Need more nights to see what's what.