New user.... trying to solve tiredness - graph added

[Dan_McD]

It's been exactly 5 months. Obviously AHI is not my problem. If I didn't mention earlier, I have been diagnosed with COPD years back. My question is what causes 'Flow Limitations' and do you see anything in my graphs that would indicate a problem/solution? I will have anywhere from 3 to 10 or 11 FL events in a given night and all settings will remain the same. In addition to the 15/15 apap setting, my mask is set at X1 and 'Flex' is at 3 to relieve expiration. I suspect that sometimes my mask slips down and semi restricts my nasal passages. Input would be appreciated. I apologize for the quality of the graph.

[Julie]

If you upload to Imgur.com you'll do better at posting graphs... see 1st Announcement main pg.

[palerider]

It's been exactly 5 months. Obviously AHI is not my problem. If I didn't mention earlier, I have been diagnosed with COPD years back. My question is what causes 'Flow Limitations' and do you see anything in my graphs that would indicate a problem/solution? I will have anywhere from 3 to 10 or 11 FL events in a given night and all settings will remain the same. In addition to the 15/15 apap setting, my mask is set at X1 and 'Flex' is at 3 to relieve expiration. I suspect that sometimes my mask slips down and semi restricts my nasal passages. Input would be appreciated. I apologize for the quality of the graph.

There's really not much on that graph that tells me anything. if you could review the guidelines in my sig on what is helpful with sleepyhead before your next graph posting, that would be preferable.

Flow limitations are what happens when you've got a narrowing of your airway, and it makes it harder to breathe in, like breathing through a straw, you can still get a full breath (so you're not having a hypopnea), but it takes more work to get that breath, and takes longer.


Here's a video about different sleep disordered breathing issues:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gie2dhqP2c

[Dan_McD]

It's been exactly 5 months. Obviously AHI is not my problem. If I didn't mention earlier, I have been diagnosed with COPD years back. My question is what causes 'Flow Limitations' and do you see anything in my graphs that would indicate a problem/solution? I will have anywhere from 3 to 10 or 11 FL events in a given night and all settings will remain the same. In addition to the 15/15 apap setting, my mask is set at X1 and 'Flex' is at 3 to relieve expiration. I suspect that sometimes my mask slips down and semi restricts my nasal passages. Input would be appreciated. I apologize for the quality of the graph.

There's really not much on that graph that tells me anything. if you could review the guidelines in my sig on what is helpful with sleepyhead before your next graph posting, that would be preferable.








Flow limitations are what happens when you've got a narrowing of your airway, and it makes it harder to breathe in, like breathing through a straw, you can still get a full breath (so you're not having a hypopnea), but it takes more work to get that breath, and takes longer.


Here's a video about different sleep disordered breathing issues:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gie2dhqP2c

I'm working on it.

[Dan_McD]

screenshot-20190422-092956.png (126.82 KiB) Viewed 3575 times

palerider: I don't know if this is any better. This is last night. More mask leak than the last week and a restless night

[Pugsy]

In your effort to include so many graphs you make the graphs that might help someone so tiny it's hard to evaluate.

Please see this thread for graph format.
viewtopic/t158560/How-to-post-images-for-review.html
Omit the respiration rate and time at pressure graph.
Make your other graphs larger so easier to read.

[katestyles]

That graph shows the information that the experts normally ask for - and I would love to have your AHI! you have the unicorn score!

You are asking about flow limitations - can you take another screenshot with the Flow limitation graph showing? I suggest you drop the pressure graph, since it is not changing.

[Pugsy]

can you take another screenshot with the Flow limitation graph showing?

Respironics machines don't do flow limitation graphs. Instead they just flag FLs up on the events graph and treat them like the other flagged stuff.
The only real useful graphs from a Respironics machine are
Events
Flow rate
Pressure....if it varies any
Leak

[Dan_McD]

This is from last Thursday. A lot of FL and no mask leak. Very few other events.
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screenshot-20190422-094533.png (121.83 KiB) Viewed 3570 times

[Dan_McD]

In your effort to include so many graphs you make the graphs that might help someone so tiny it's hard to evaluate.

Please see this thread for graph format.
viewtopic/t158560/How-to-post-images-for-review.html
Omit the respiration rate and time at pressure graph.
Make your other graphs larger so easier to read.

My second and 3rd graph is what palerider asked for. I can post whatever you want to see???

[katestyles]

can you take another screenshot with the Flow limitation graph showing?

Respironics machines don't do flow limitation graphs. Instead they just flag FLs up on the events graph and treat them like the other flagged stuff.
The only real useful graphs from a Respironics machine are
Events
Flow rate
Pressure....if it varies any
Leak

Oops - My bad!

[Pugsy]

Actually what he said was to review the guidelines in his signature and I am pretty sure respiration rate and time at pressure aren't mentioned. I had a hand in those guidelines.

[Dan_McD]

In your effort to include so many graphs you make the graphs that might help someone so tiny it's hard to evaluate.

Please see this thread for graph format.
viewtopic/t158560/How-to-post-images-for-review.html
Omit the respiration rate and time at pressure graph.
Make your other graphs larger so easier to read.

As you asked.....
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screenshot-20190422-100054.png (112.63 KiB) Viewed 3559 times

[Dan_McD]

One of the reasons I included the 'Respiration Rate', Inspiration, Expiration,. I thought I/We could find the reason for the 'Flow Limitation' number of events. But, whatever.

[Pugsy]

Fragmented sleep for any reason will make us feel like crap during the day.
I see at least 2 breaks in therapy where we know you were awake and turned the machine off and back on again.
How many more times do you remember being awakened? Any idea?
If very many....any idea why?

I know you are looking for an answer in your graphs for the fatigue but to be honest...I don't see it here.
The FLs...a maybe if they are in clusters but a weak maybe IMHO.
I don't think that tweaks to the machine settings are your answer here. I think that unfortunately you have to look elsewhere for the poor sleep or excessive fatigue. These machines are designed to fix one problem only....airway issues. They totally suck at fixing problems unrelated to the airway.

The leaks are well within the machine's ability to compensate for them...now if they are waking you up then that's a different story as anything (even small leaks) that disturb our sleep is unwanted.

I think maybe you should take a crash course in learning how to distinguish arousal breathing from asleep breathing and take a stroll through your flow rate and look for evidence of arousal breathing.
http://freecpapadvice.com/sleepyhead-free-software
Watch the videos as it explains how to take a stroll through the flow rate and don't just look at flow rate with events flagged...look at all of it to get an idea how much your actual sleep might be impacted by arousals.
Usually I ask people about medication side effects and other health issues....the PLMD could be playing a significant part in arousals if you are having very many.
And arousals may or may not be remembered...so don't think that just because you don't remember something that it didn't happen.