Want advice. Feeling worse on CPAP than off.

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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palerider
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Re: Want advice. Feeling worse on CPAP than off.

Post by palerider » Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:53 pm

AFAFAF wrote:
Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:34 pm
Can you explain why you think I have many sleep disturbances? Maybe I just don't remember them but I feel like I usually just sleep through them.
You're not rested, and your pressure line is very active, the pressure line is only active when you're having a bunch of breathing disturbances.

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Re: Want advice. Feeling worse on CPAP than off.

Post by AFAFAF » Sat Nov 13, 2021 11:30 pm

Seems I'm getting consistently around 2-3 AHI. Still don't feel much improvement. Any tips based off these recent 3 days?

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Re: Want advice. Feeling worse on CPAP than off.

Post by Wulfman... » Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:59 am

Poor settings = lousy therapy.

From what I can glean from those reports, you need to do something about the massive leaks and narrow your pressure range.

No wonder you're not feeling better.


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GrumpyHere
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Re: Want advice. Feeling worse on CPAP than off.

Post by GrumpyHere » Sun Nov 14, 2021 2:09 am

AFAFAF wrote:
Sat Nov 13, 2021 11:30 pm
Any tips based off these recent 3 days?
You lowered your minimum pressure from 7 to 6.
But notice, in the details panel, how the median pressure remained above 7.
Lowering the pressure actually hinders the CPAP performance in your treatment.

Put the minimum pressure back to 7.

You can use EPR to attempt reducing the flow limitations.
For every cm of EPR used, raise the minimum pressure by one.
Assuming your min pressure is set back to 7.
EPR = 1, put the minimum pressure at 8.
EPR = 2, set your min pressure to 9.
EPR = 3, set your min pressure to 10.

To further improve visibility of your screenshots..

1. Go to View menu - Reset Graphs - Standard

2. Set Graph Height in File Menu -> Preferences -> Appearance Tab

At 192, the 5 graphs (flags, flow rate, pressure, leak, flow limit) are nicely spaced out.

At 160 I also get snores as the bottom graph.

3. Set the range of flow rate chart to ± 70

Your leaks have improved a lot since the start of November.
I am not sure what you can do to reduce your large leaks.
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palerider
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Re: Want advice. Feeling worse on CPAP than off.

Post by palerider » Mon Nov 15, 2021 1:27 am

Wulfman... wrote:
Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:59 am
Poor settings = lousy therapy.

From what I can glean from those reports, you need to do something about the massive leaks and narrow your pressure range.

No wonder you're not feeling better.
WHAT "massive" leaks? Time over leak redline, 13%, 5%, 4% :roll:

We do 'agree' that the pressure range should be 'narrowed', by raising the set minimum, not by messing with the max.

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Re: Want advice. Feeling worse on CPAP than off.

Post by AFAFAF » Fri Nov 19, 2021 1:08 am

Ah yeah the min stayed at 7. Sorry the photos were out of order, so I think the first one was with 6. What are flow limitations?

I guess I'll adjust EPR and see if there's a difference. I guess I can try increase the min afterwards and see if that helps too.

I tightened my mask a fair bit, and now leaks are limited but don't feel any difference in therapy quality. Today feeling worse unfortunately, but not really reflected by the data.

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Re: Want advice. Feeling worse on CPAP than off.

Post by Pugsy » Fri Nov 19, 2021 1:28 am

Are you actually sleeping soundly for the most part or is your sleep quality poor and broken with a lot of wake ups and/or trouble going to sleep and staying asleep?

Do you take any medications of any kind? If so, what?

I still think you need to be having a chat with your doctor about your not feeling so great and in fact feeling worse.

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Re: Want advice. Feeling worse on CPAP than off.

Post by GrumpyHere » Fri Nov 19, 2021 2:53 am

AFAFAF wrote:
Fri Nov 19, 2021 1:08 am
What are flow limitations?
They are events less severe than apneas and hypopneas.
But they can still disturb sleep.

Explained in detail at the following wiki article.

http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph ... limitation

EPR (if compensated by increasing the min pressure) increase the IPAP (inspiratory positive airway pressure) in an effort to reduce the FLs.

Straight up increases in the min pressure can also reduce FLs. But some people don't like the resultant increased pressure when exhaling. Hence the EPR feature which reduces EPAP (expiratory positive airway pressure.)

Pugsy is one of the resident experts.
Please answer her questions. You should also heed her advice in seeking additional medical consultation.
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Re: Want advice. Feeling worse on CPAP than off.

Post by AFAFAF » Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:41 pm

Well pretty much the dr said if the machine is not working he doesn't know what else to do, so that's helpful... I'm currently on Lexapro and Olanzapine, but I think I was on them for a while until symptoms started to appear (sleeping 12 hours, tiredness) so didn't think it caused it. And psychiatrist said he doesn't think they are causing my tiredness. Just a bit of a shitfest.

Also I think I'm sleeping fairly soundly, but I think towards the morning I randomly wake up for no reason or from a dream.

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Re: Want advice. Feeling worse on CPAP than off.

Post by Pugsy » Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:57 pm

AFAFAF wrote:
Tue Nov 23, 2021 10:41 pm
Lexapro and Olanzapine
Google the potential side effects for your medications.
Don't assume that just because you might have been taking them prior to your unwanted symptoms that they aren't at least partially responsible for the poor sleep and/or crappy feelings.
Olanzapine may cause some side effects such as depression, weakness, walking difficulties, dizziness, behavioral changes, and difficulty falling asleep. Side effects in women include breast enlargement, discharge from the breasts, irregular periods, and problems in sexual ability. Serious side effects such as vision changes, seizures, swelling of limbs, fever, and chills must be reported to the doctor immediately. Patients are advised to ascertain all risks before starting this medication.
Lexapro is the same thing pretty much.
Google both and read from multiple sources what those meds can have as side effects.
Pretty much all mood meds come with some nasty potential side effects.
Fatigue and problems with sleep are extremely common.

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Re: Want advice. Feeling worse on CPAP than off.

Post by chunkyfrog » Wed Nov 24, 2021 10:53 pm

I guess I missed how long you have been using cpap.
It is not uncommon for two, three, or even more months to pass
before cpap stops interfering with your sleep.
It takes time to get used to sleeping this way.
It took me a couple months--and I see you joined the forum only a month ago.
If you have been trying cpap longer than that, please disregard this.

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