APAP experience after 3 weeks

rudyrx · Post by **rudyrx** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 2:20 pm

I am new to the forum and this is my first post. I went from a Remstar CPAP to the Remstar Autopap with CFLEX about 3 weeks ago. I have been impressed so far in the quality of my sleep. My pressure setting was 10 on my old machine and the new one is set at 6 to 12.
I also updated to a Resmed Mirage Ultra fullface mask from the older model Mirage Full Face.

I am posting to let those thinking of getting a new machine and weighing the pro and cons that I have been very satisfied with the results. I think after beng on Cpap for 4 years I was somewhat suspicious of my original sleep studies. They did 3 on me but got very little data on my REM sleep data. With my setting at 10 which I have been on for ever, I am beginning to surmise was somewhat a "guess' on their part since when I wake (which is seldom now in the middle of the night) I am seeing a reading of between 8 and 9 on the readout screen.
Has anyone else had a similar experience in switching to Auto Pap?

nodding off · Post by **nodding off** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 3:54 pm

I did. I was origionally titrated at 10 in 1995, always woke up having ripped the mask off or mouth breathing. I upped my pressure to 12 and slept great for 9 years until I needed a new machine. They sent me back to the sleep lab, where I was titrated at 15. I then got my first APAP (a ResMed Spirit) last February. It titrates me at an average of 12.4. I sleep like a rock. I'm so happy with my APAP I got another one (a PB320E) for travel. I like that one too, but less than the Spirit. I haven't bought the software yet for it, as it is my backup machine, but I feel the same on it so I would imagine the numbers to be the same.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:01 pm

My titration was 10. It always worked extremely well for me. No snores, low AHI's, felt well. Then when I got my auto, I never, if ever, reached 10 and still had a great deal of success.

I would imagine that you can go higher than your titration pressure and not have negative effects as far as how you feel, except more leaks and intolerance due to it being less comfortable, since the titration number is the minimal amount of pressure to keep your airways open. However, if you go below what is necessary to keep the airways open, that's a different story. I guess that's why people love auto so much, since you don't have to go unnecessarily high on your pressure EVERY night and you will still get good results.

LDuyer · Post by **LDuyer** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 5:59 pm

Sleepless on LI wrote:My titration was 10. It always worked extremely well for me. No snores, low AHI's, felt well. Then when I got my auto, I never, if ever, reached 10 and still had a great deal of success.

But Lori, I thought you said you didn't and don't have sleep apnea, as it turned out. Right? Wouldn't that be the reason it "worked extremely well" and you "still had a great deal of success"? Becauses you didn't have it???

I would think any cpap would work extremely well on me if I didn't have sleep apnea. .... Well, thank goodness my bipap works well on my apnea. Otherwise, my untreated sleep apnea might lead to heart attack or stroke. God, I wouldn't want that.

Linda

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:05 pm

Hey, Linda. I don't know where you got the impression that I NEVER had sleep apnea. They classified me as having "mild" sleep apnea, and I always had readings on my data. It's not like I had zero. The night of my first study, I had 4 AHI and MODERATE desaturations, with 14+ PLMs per hour. And it didn't instantly make me feel better, either. It took a little over a week and then I felt really good. And when I did my own tests in October to see if I still needed the machine, I had two nights with 4 cms. of therapy that were 3 and 4 AHIs. Yes, that's under 5, which is why I quit, combined with no longer desaturating and feeling the wake-ups from wearing the equipment were starting to wear me down.

Obviously from my results of my study, they felt, with all things combined, that I did need the therapy. And since it made a huge improvement on everything, physically or mentally, they must have been right. Perhaps they could have treated me with oxygen therapy? I don't know. All I know was for two years, I was a depleted wreck. A little over a week on cpap and I felt great.

So at the time, it was a god send. I think the key here was the extra weight I had on and having lost it, it made a difference on my condition, being it was mild, thank goodness. I don't know if you would consider them making a mistake or not as it truly did make a difference in my well being.

lurking still · Post by **lurking still** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:34 pm

Sleepless--I believe it would be an error of omission to describe your success with the auto without mentioning the specifics of your particular case. Your initial sleep study indicated 0 apnea events and your AHI was 4 which does not constitute a diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Lacking a diagnosis of OSA, you began cpap therapy due oxygen desats dipping below 90% for 48 minutes of the study, and for PLMs. Your experience with the efficacy of the auto would be entirely different than that of a patient who actually has OSA and must attempt to control apnea/hypopnea events.

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 8:00 pm

[quote="lurking still"]Sleepless--I believe it would be an error of omission to describe your success with the auto without mentioning the specifics of your particular case. Your initial sleep study indicated 0 apnea events and your AHI was 4 which does not constitute a diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Lacking a diagnosis of OSA, you began cpap therapy due oxygen desats dipping below 90% for 48 minutes of the study, and for PLMs. Your experience with the efficacy of the auto would be entirely different than that of a patient who actually has OSA and must attempt to control apnea/hypopnea events.

Guest too · Post by **Guest too** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 8:26 pm

is lduyer lurking still?

neversleeps · Post by **neversleeps** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 8:59 pm

I've got to weigh in here! I did some searching (so what else is new!!!) and found this:

The exact definition of sleep apnea in terms of the AHI was established by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Task Force (Sleep 1999;22:667–689). Normal is AHI 0-5, mild 5-15, moderate 15-30, and severe 30+.

So that's got to be why he's saying what he's saying. He didn't say anything about not posting, Lori! I think you're projecting your feelings on that subject because we all know you've been extremely sensitive about it since you're not using CPAP. You're a sensitive kind of gal! I can look at it objectively and I really do get his (or her) point about the difference between YOUR APAP use vs. someone with OSA's APAP use.

So your stats never met the criteria for having OSA... so what? Worst case scenario is your doctor screwed up and it was unnecessary for you to be on CPAP. Even so, you still struggled with getting used to the machine and mask just like the rest of us, whether you needed it or not.

All that aside, aren't you glad you don't need it?????????

Lori, the posting issue is a personal choice on your part. If you feel uncomfortable posting (and you constantly indicate that you do), then don't post. It's that simple. Your friends will support you no matter what you decide to do. When you've moved on, no one's going to angrily say, "How could Lori have left this place?" No. Of course not. Instead they will say, "Good for her!" Because, if only we could be in your shoes, we would do the same.

LDuyer · Post by **LDuyer** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:27 pm

Guest too wrote:is lduyer lurking still?

Nope. Not me.
Not at all.

Linda

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:36 pm

People with factitious disorder feign or actually induce illness in themselves, typically to garner the nurturance of others.

viewtopic.php?t=5818&highlight=underdiagnosed

Now I understand...

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:43 pm

Neversleeps,

Let me go on record as saying this. I love posting. I love helping people. I do not allow others who feel I did not have OSA intimidate me into not posting. I would never do that. When I mentioned I wasn't going to post BECAUSE OF THIS EXACT REASON, that there will be people who will say I shouldn't since my situation was not that of the others on this site, or actually it wasn't that but that I didn't have OSA anymore (I never said I never had it, it's other people saying that) I can't tell you the number of PMs and postings that asked me not to stop. It was truly an outpouring of support and I took that to heart. Yes, I am a sensitive gal, as you put it.

But when someone, yet another GUEST, writes that "the efficacy of the auto would be entirely different than that of a patient who actually has OSA and must attempt to control apnea/hypopnea events," that irks me a bit. I was indeed diagnosed with OSA. I didn't make that up. And for all the naysayers, I was going to scan my sleep study for all to see the diagnosis in writing (why, for the life of me, I don't know) and guess what I discovered? On night 2 of my sleep study, I had a 7.3 AHI at one point before they controlled my events. Does that count for anything as far as having OSA?

So to anyone suggesting that I don't fit the bill here, or never did, you'll be happy (or maybe disappointed) to read, yes, I did have over a 5 AHI on night 2 of my study. Which only reinforces what I said about night to night changes. Night one of my study, no apnea and an AHI of 4. Night 2 of my study, 7.3 AHI. So when I said that one point below a normal reading does not mean it wouldn't be higher on another night or a future night, as obviously the educated doctors/sleep techs are aware of, it's not that I'm happy I did go over 5 AHI, but it only proves what I was saying. People on this site should know that and I am really surprised they don't. Please see the part of my study I scanned showing the 7.3. Maybe now I will be taken seriously and people will understand that I truly did have the legitimate symptoms of OSA for a reason: I had OSA. I didn't imagine a cpap machine took away fatigue, etc. It did.

And if I sound a bit annoyed, I am.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:48 pm

rudyrx wrote:I went from a Remstar CPAP to the Remstar Autopap with CFLEX about 3 weeks ago. I have been impressed so far in the quality of my sleep. My pressure setting was 10 on my old machine and the new one is set at 6 to 12.
I also updated to a Resmed Mirage Ultra fullface mask from the older model Mirage Full Face.

I am posting to let those thinking of getting a new machine and weighing the pro and cons that I have been very satisfied with the results.

You've gotten yourself a good setup, Rudy. While straight cpap suits most people if it's titrated right and if the single pressure doesn't bother them, an autopap sure can be nice to have for many reasons.

Rudy, if you'll send me your email address via PM, I have an idea for you.

another_guest · Post by **another_guest** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:54 pm

[quote="Sleepless on LI"]

But when someone, yet another GUEST, writes that

don't try to throw any of this thread up to this point on me

for the data I see on incident at a pressure of 6 which Lori was on for around 8 minutes however there was one incident in the 193 min at 4 and one incident in the 23 min at 7 so there were 3 incidents total that night.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 10:00 pm

With 3 events for the night, how could you possibly have an AHI of 7.3? Look at the definition of AHI. It is the number of Apneas + Hypopneas / number of hours. The ONLY way that you could get a 7.3 is if they stayed at that pressure for less than 10m and it guessed the rest of the hour. Which is basically bad math. Where is the rest of the study with the total events for the evening? It should have the AHI for the entire night.

APAP experience after 3 weeks

APAP experience after 3 weeks

Re: APAP experience after 3 weeks