Waking up gasping

[bexter4]

Hi all,

I'm new here and was hoping to see if anyone is having or has had a similar issue that they've been able to figure out. I've had once in a while (the waking up gasping) in the past over the many years using a cpap but lately I'm seeming to have almost nightly. I'll wake up after being asleep for a couple hours, feeling like I can't breathe and it is scaring me. I have a follow up coming up at some point with my ENT and I'll definitely be mentioning. I've been using this machine (Dreamstation) for a little over a year and have had a CPAP for about 12 years now. I use a full face mask since I often don't breathe well through the nose.

Thanks for reading!

[InnerGlow]

Welcome to the forum. What are your pressure settings? When I started with the Dreamstation, my doctor simply left them at 4-20, but 4 isn't high enough for me to feel like I get enough air. Once I raised the minimum up a bit, that solved my problem.

[kteague]

When I had similar symptoms, my pressure was inadequate. In the beginning it was due to my set pressure being a bit too low. Over the years when it has happened I checked my machine data, and sure enough, things had changed for me and I was needing a pressure increase. Started out at 10 back in 2005. Now need a little over 14 to prevent events. Give the folks here a chance to look at your machine data and maybe something will be apparent. What is your AHI running most nights?

[almostadoctor]

In a nutshell, if you have an "auto" machine, the minimum pressure setting shouldn't affect your AHI. The auto algorithms should be detecting and preventing obstructions. If they're not, look for leaks and other malfunctions.

"Auto" machines like the modern Dreamstation monitor every inspiration flow pattern and detects apnea events automatically. Hence the auto. When it detects these, it raises the base pressure. While you sleep, it will attempt to slowly ramp down the base pressure until it starts seeing minor "clipping" at the top of inspiration that indicates obstruction is imminent. It then increases pressure again until these go away.

If you look at your pressure curve on OSCAR you'll see this pattern. It starts at the minimum to make you feel comfortable until you fall asleep. Then it ramps up to a therapeutic value.

As long as your maximum is 20 and you aren't hitting the top rail on your OSCAR pressure curve, the auto function should be controlling your minimum pressure to prevent apnea.

If your AHI is increasing, show your curves to your doctor. Don't depend on the uninformed opinions on this board. Don't tamper with your machine without understanding all the automatic algorithms.

[Pugsy]

In a nutshell, if you have an "auto" machine, the minimum pressure setting shouldn't affect your AHI. The auto algorithms should be detecting and preventing obstructions. If they're not, look for leaks and other malfunctions.

"Auto" machines like the modern Dreamstation monitor every inspiration flow pattern and detects apnea events automatically. Hence the auto. When it detects these, it raises the base pressure. While you sleep, it will attempt to slowly ramp down the base pressure until it starts seeing minor "clipping" at the top of inspiration that indicates obstruction is imminent. It then increases pressure again until these go away.

If you look at your pressure curve on OSCAR you'll see this pattern. It starts at the minimum to make you feel comfortable until you fall asleep. Then it ramps up to a therapeutic value.

As long as your maximum is 20 and you aren't hitting the top rail on your OSCAR pressure curve, the auto function should be controlling your minimum pressure to prevent apnea.

If your AHI is increasing, show your curves to your doctor. Don't depend on the uninformed opinions on this board. Don't tamper with your machine without understanding all the automatic algorithms.

Please stop telling people erroneous information. You simply don't know what you are talking about and every time you tell someone wrong information....it's going to be challenged.

At this point we don't even know which machine the OP is using...what mode is being used...what might be going on in the middle of the night or even if he has a machine that will work with OSCAR or any software.
Giving him your "auto is the best thing since sliced bread" speech (which is chocked full of erroneous information) is a waster of time.
You don't even know he is using auto mode or not. Waste of time.

First thing we need to know from the OP is exactly which model DreamStation is being used....hopefully a full efficacy data model and then the OP needs to use the available software and lets look to see exactly what is going on during the night....and not start making WAGs wild ass guesses.

[Goofproof]

Maybe Almost-a-Doctor, but not one I'd ever want to treat me or anyone I care about!

Maybe he just plays one here... Jim Probably more suited to playing a DME!

[Okie bipap]

Being "almost a doctor" is the same as being "almost right". "Almost right" is still wrong.

[Pugsy]

Being "almost a doctor" is the same as being "almost right". "Almost right" is still wrong.

Anyone can be "almost a doctor" ....you, me...anyone. Means nothing like you said.

Funny thing though...I just remembered that we have several real doctors here (in various specialties) and one that is actually specialized in sleep medicine (he doesn't live far from me in fact) and not one of them has told any of us that what we are telling people will harm them in any way. Not to mention Dr Krakow who comes here on occasion and he's never told us we were bad either...but then he really thinks outside the box.
Me thinks someone already has been bitten by the God complex bug that just loves to bite doctors. Nasty little bug. Can make a potentially good doc totally useless.

[palerider]

In a nutshell, if you have an "auto" machine, the minimum pressure setting shouldn't affect your AHI.

COMPLETELY WRONG As is most all the garbage you've spewed.

The auto algorithms should be detecting and preventing obstructions. If they're not, look for leaks and other malfunctions.

The only malfunction is in your head. Auto algorithms *react* to breathing problems, so you have to have problems before they do anything, thus disturbing sleep.

"Auto" machines like the modern Dreamstation monitor every inspiration flow pattern and detects apnea events automatically. Hence the auto. When it detects these, it raises the base pressure.

Eventually, in the case of Philips machines:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzCCgNLya_g
Do go soak your head and quit pandering nonsense.

While you sleep, it will attempt to slowly ramp down the base pressure until it starts seeing minor "clipping" at the top of inspiration that indicates obstruction is imminent. It then increases pressure again until these go away.

Wrong, they all *continually* try and get back to the minimum pressure, which causes a repeated cycle of event, pressure up, pressure down, event, all night long, leading to crappy sleep.

If you look at your pressure curve on OSCAR you'll see this pattern. It starts at the minimum to make you feel comfortable until you fall asleep. Then it ramps up to a therapeutic value.

This has nothing to do with the auto algorithm, what you describe is "ramp".

As long as your maximum is 20 and you aren't hitting the top rail on your OSCAR pressure curve, the auto function should be controlling your minimum pressure to prevent apnea.

Spoken like a typically ignorant 'almost a' doctor.

If your AHI is increasing, show your curves to your doctor. Don't depend on the uninformed opinions on this board. Don't tamper with your machine without understanding all the automatic algorithms.

The most uninformed person here, is YOU.

Almostaquack. That's the truth.

[palerider]

Being "almost a doctor" is the same as being "almost right". "Almost right" is still wrong.

Anyone can be "almost a doctor" ....you, me...anyone. Means nothing like you said.

I'm registered as a med student on Medscape... does that make me almost a doctor too?

[Miss Emerita]

Bexter4, as Julie mentioned, it’d be helpful to have more information from you. Do you know what you AHI is and what it’s makeup is (central apnea, obstructive apnea, hypopnea)? Do you have access to a computer and could you download the Oscar software to take a look at data from your machine?

[Julie]

Ummm thanks for the nod, but that wasn't me .