Too much minimum pressure?

[cpap450]

I've been playing on occasion with the minimum pressure setting on my unit. Last night I moved it from 7.0 to 8.0, and kabloom, my AHI went to 2.6, my highest number since my first week, and a rare-for-me incursion over 2.

My mask seal score soared too, although not so high as to knock my Resmed score below 100.

To give perspective, my AHI scores for March have been 1.0, 0.4, 1.5, 1.1, 0.9, 0.2, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.5, 1.0, 2.6

And my mask seal scores have been 0, 0, 8, 0, 0, 1, 4, 0, 0, 0, 3, 12

Bolded scores are for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, when I guess I'd be more relaxed.

Can't really make a decision based on one data point. And yesterday - with the coronavirus panic and all its associated bad news taking a toll on my psyche - wasn't a good one. Although of course I woke up in the morning feeling refreshed as I just about always do.

So, as I said, could cranking the minimum air pressure from 7 to 8 have caused this?

[arhdc]

I believe the sample size to be too small to base any conclusions on, both in terms of there being only 12 data points in total and that there is a single data point at the increased pressure. My AHI can vary from 0-2.5 and occasionally as high as 4.5 without changing my setup. Give it a few more nights and see if the trend holds. An AHI of 2.6 is still very low.

Posting OSCAR graphs may help to understand this better, it may be as simple as a slightly displaced mask for an hour causing the leak and a flurry of events that has driven the numbers up.

[JDS74]

arhdc +1 on your answer. Good advice on getting more data points.

[Miss Emerita]

Oscar charts would be good to see. If for some reason that's not possible, can you give the breakdown of the events before and after the pressure change (OA, CA, H)? I'm also curious why you were changing your minimum pressure when you had such a good string of low AHIs.

[Goofproof]

I've been playing on occasion with the minimum pressure setting on my unit. Last night I moved it from 7.0 to 8.0, and kabloom, my AHI went to 2.6, my highest number since my first week, and a rare-for-me incursion over 2.

My mask seal score soared too, although not so high as to knock my Resmed score below 100.

To give perspective, my AHI scores for March have been 1.0, 0.4, 1.5, 1.1, 0.9, 0.2, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.5, 1.0, 2.6

And my mask seal scores have been 0, 0, 8, 0, 0, 1, 4, 0, 0, 0, 3, 12

Bolded scores are for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, when I guess I'd be more relaxed.

Can't really make a decision based on one data point. And yesterday - with the coronavirus panic and all its associated bad news taking a toll on my psyche - wasn't a good one. Although of course I woke up in the morning feeling refreshed as I just about always do.

So, as I said, could cranking the minimum air pressure from 7 to 8 have caused this?

Use the "Oscar" software, post the dailies. Jim

[nicholasjh1]

I would agree also that there are not enough data points. That being said there is another explaination to consider. Some get more apnea's when they are in a deeper sleep. I upped my min and my ahi went up during that time, but if I upped my min even higher my ahi went back down again. My theory is that at a lower pressure apnea's roused me from sleep, never allowing me to get into a really deep sleep, but also keeping my apnea's low due to the wake ups. at a slightly higher pressure it lowered my apnea's enough that I went into a deeper sleep, that caused a different state that allowed raised apnea's. Given an even higher minimum pressure, those apnea's also went away and I got to "recovery" sleep as I call it... because after that I started feeling way better and healthier.

[cpap450]

Go figure. The 2.6 must have been a blip. Last night was 0.4 AHI with zero mask leakage.

Addressing a couple other points:

• Fie on me for chasing a goal that my doctor says is stupid, and about which my friends who've attained don't care. I have friends who consistently get 0 AHI. There is no good reason at all for me wanting to lower AHIs that already please my doctor and leave me comfortable and well-rested. But I tweak the pressure setting now and then in pursuit of this stupid goal. I am sure I'm cured for a couple more months though.
• Even though I have the Oscar software, I don't have an SD card in my unit (my distributor removes them, or attains ones with the slot but no card). Since I've been happy with my experiences, and so has my doctor, I've never been motivated to put a card in. Obsessing about this data, while perhaps interesting, is like a non-competitive golfer obsessing about scores and handicaps. Interesting, but there are better things to do. (And yes, there should be a big memo-to-self in this statement, the next time I try to lower my AHI!)

[palerider]

Without data, which you don't have, it's all a guessing game.

[cpap450]

Without data, which you don't have, it's all a guessing game.

I respect and appreciate the efforts of the many who readily answer questions of people like me, who come to the board only when they have a question or a problem.

That said, I don't CARE if it's a guessing game.

My doctor is happy with the numbers. Which he wasn't before CPAP. I'm happy with how I sleep, which has always been the case. My wife is happy with my zero-snore sleeping. Neither was the case pre-CPAP.

I have friends who care about their car's mpg, the oil temperature and pressure, how many RPMs it does cruising at 60 on a level road. Good for them if that's what floats their boat. They have their cars in the shop way more than I do, and are trading in more often, and always seem to have something to complain about. My car is comfortable and gets me from point A to point B, and between that and my mechanic being happy, so am I.

In 100 years, 50, maybe even 30, I'll have worms crawling through where my sinuses used to be. And so will people who take every measure of their vital signs and are always trying to optimize their health and physical performance. If having all the data, and devoting minutes or hours a day to optimizing it, enhances someone's life, bravo for that person.

For me, I'm good where I am. I appreciate the answers I get when I ask a question, but I'm a human with the same finite shelf life we all have, and, thank goodness, I have other things to enjoy in the good moments, and far bigger worries in the bad ones.

[Miss Emerita]

With an AHI that is generally under 1, you are doing GREAT. You are right: you shouldn't be chasing 0s. If you're sleeping well and feeling rested during the day, just keep on keepin' on.