a question for those consistently under 5 AHI

[mrcrayola]

For the record, my doctor was not at all bothered by an AHI over 5. He said something to the effect that, "well, it's better than your sleep test." I don't plan to go back to him, not just because of that comment. He is highly rated by patients, but I just didn't get a sense that he was that focused. I never have a problem falling asleep, so his recommendation that I download the "Calm" app just seemed weird. And besides, he'd never heard of SleepyHead.

Anyway, zonker convinced me to post my charts one more time. You should see the one for last night! Ugh. I forgot which ones to include, so if someone would be so kind as to refresh my memory, it would be appreciated.

bdz, I am trying to avoid buying a new bed if possible but, alas, I may have to add it to my "desperation" list.

Finally, weight loss now 21 lbs. and counting.

Cheers,

MC

[zoocrewphoto]

Pointing out that anything over an AHI of 5 is still abnormal and that their treatment isn't working and that they should see their doctor is absolutely helpful advice.

A lot of the people who come here have doctors who only look at compliance. And many that actually look at the ahi think that an ahi of 3 or 4 is great (because it is below 5).

So, while it is very true to state that the ahi of 5 means their treatment isn't working, telling them to go see the doctor probably won't help them much. It would be much better to have them post data and then we can give them REAL advice that will help them.

Most of the doctors really don't know how to use a cpap machine. They may know how to set it, or they rely on the DME to set it. But they don't know what to do to improve somebody's comfort. Many have no idea that starting at 4 is really uncomfortable for most people and actually causes many people to quit. They don't know that an auto machine set at 4-20 isn't going to magically find the right setting and stay where it needs to. Most people who fail at cpap fail because they were sent home with a machine that was not set properly and the doctor didn't care or know how to fix it.

That is why we have this forum. We have been there, done that. We know how to help somebody improve their comfort, find the ideal settings, fit the mask better, etc. We can give real help that will help a person succeed.

We also know that an ahi of 3 or 4 is still not good. We know that there is more to sleep quality that ahi. There could be really long events, clusters of events, light sleeping due to pressure changes or leaks, and other issues. Most doctors looks at ahi and compliance. They really aren't much help in the real world of sleeping with a cpap machine.

[mrcrayola]

Knightsleeper, I tried a collar I bought from CVS (no one else around here carries them, seemingly). It was 3.5 inches, which was too much. Felt like my neck was being stretched out. I slept reasonably well on my back, but it didn't work well while sleeping on my side. Took it back and ordered a 3 incher thru Amazon. Again, it was uncomfortable, and didn't even fit all the way around my neck. Going to send it back as well. I may well test the "third time's a charm" theory but, for now, I will probably hold off. Still, I very much appreciate the suggestion!

As for charts, here is yesterday's:

screenshot-20190418-112405.png (167.43 KiB) Viewed 712 times

Here is this morning's:

screenshot-20190418-112547.png (167.44 KiB) Viewed 712 times

As you can see, one night it's OAs going crazy. The next night, CAs. That is fairly typical for me. There is no consistency day to day in my AHI or type of events recorded. This has been the case since last May, when I was averaging just under 5 per night. I have not come close to that since, even though I am using my CPAP essentially in the same manner (with the exception of switching to APAP mode lately to try to improve outcomes).

Cheers,

MC

[zonker]

Anyway, zonker convinced me to post my charts one more time.

meerkat.gif

and now we'll wait patiently for the experts to come along and make some suggestions.

[Jas_williams]

The majority of your events are CA’s your machine wont do anything for those. You need an ASV.

[mrcrayola]

Huh, hadn't heard of an ASV machine. I have new insurance so maybe I can work with a doc and lab that do more than merely count apneas. Thanks, Jas!

MC

[Dog Slobber]

I don't agree with Jas.

Yes, you have an awful lot of CAs and CAs aren't addressed by CPAP.

But the absolute bulk of your CAs are coming in clusters at the beginning or end of a sleep session. The might very well be SWJ.

[palerider]

I'm not so sure about the CAs... in those pics, they're primarily clustered around starting and ending sessions. the ones in the middle of the night seem to have a break between them.

They may be more SWJ than anything..

I'd like to see more nights of data going forward.

[mrcrayola]

Well, SH scores such as events. How in the world do people get down to an AHI of 1 or 2? Rhetorical in part, but I am genuinely mystified. Also, if it is SWJ, why is it becoming more frequent? Probably not something that can be answered without a fair dose of speculation.

[palerider]

Well, SH scores such as events. How in the world do people get down to an AHI of 1 or 2? Rhetorical in part, but I am genuinely mystified. Also, if it is SWJ, why is it becoming more frequent? Probably not something that can be answered without a fair dose of speculation.

My ahi is consistently under 0.5

Part of that is that my machine is more responsive than yours is, part is that it's adjusted very well for my needs, part is that I've been practicing optimizing my treatment for years, part is that I've got a comfy waterbed.