AHI's-Fight for Yourself

[CorgiWalker]

I met with my nurse practitioner yesterday. In August, I was averaging 7.2 AHI's. I sought help again from you on this site. I had been struggling for 3 years bouncing between averages of 7.2 and 5, but having nights of 163.7. I tried many things. I posted August charts here, and you helped me find the solution. I am now averaging less than 1.5. But, when she walked into the room, she said, "You are averaging 5.2 (remember this now included a month of September at less than 1.5), and I am okay as long as you are below 7 or so." That was it. I showed her my average chart from August. I showed her a bad chart from August. And, I showed her my new average chart in September. She asked what changed in August. I told her that nothing had. August was what I had been fighting for 3 years. September was what changed. I told her that you had advised me that my charts indicated that my problem may be positional. I ordered a vest that doesn't allow you to sleep on your back. For the first time in 3 years, I am comfortably below 2.0 which is GREAT for my AFIB. Please, please continue to seek your solutions. And the folks on this site are MARVELOUS resources. Nights filled with events cannot have helped my heart. And, I feel so broken for others, who are not getting the attention that they need to optimize elsewhere. Again, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, folks at CPAPtalk.

[zonker]

yes. yes. YES!!!

so happy that you've gotten your ahi so low. this is the sort of result i love to read about.

every now and then, we get a new user who INSISTS that they have to listen to the doctor and follow her advice. with that kind of attitude, most will not make it.

congratulations on taking ownership of your sleep apnea and finding out how to optimize your therapy.

[chunkyfrog]

AMEN!!!

[Miss Emerita]

Fantastic -- good on you!

[Deborah K.]

Good for you! It's wonderful that you dove in and learned how to improve your treatment way beyond what your doctor expected.

[Midwest_non_sleeper]

Most excellent.

Wait until you're two or three years in to low AHI nightly. It's marvelous.

[CorgiWalker]

So, I followed additional advice from you that the AHI's could be from chin tucking. I started using a soft cervical collar without the back vest. The numbers are the same-good, but the number of hours of sleep has increased significantly due to the fact that my hurting hip is not waking me. I am now averaging 1.5 with just the collar and 8 hours of sleep. Thank you all so much.

[Miss Emerita]

Fantastic! It's great you're now sleeping through the pain.

[zonker]

So, I followed additional advice from you that the AHI's could be from chin tucking. I started using a soft cervical collar without the back vest. The numbers are the same-good, but the number of hours of sleep has increased significantly due to the fact that my hurting hip is not waking me. I am now averaging 1.5 with just the collar and 8 hours of sleep. Thank you all so much.

again, i love it.

great to come in and see someone doing so well!

[SleepyCPAP]

Yes this forum is wonderful for folks such as you who want to make things better! I’m glad you are having success.

But, when she walked into the room, she said, "You are averaging 5.2 (remember this now included a month of September at less than 1.5), and I am okay as long as you are below 7 or so." That was it.

I just had this happen to me. After waiting months, finally got to the sleep doctor. “It is considered treated if you are below five, and you’ve only been above 5 AHI a few times on this chart.” Ugh. When I started I heard “you’ve been using your CPAP more than four hours each night, congrats on being treated”

Again, congrats!!!

- SleepyCPAP