Help Please

Eleena · Post by **Eleena** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:58 pm

My insurance will not cover a sleep study or cpap machine so after many years of sleep apnea, I finally bought a 420e. I also bought the software for it. I have done all the settings on my own. I have been using it for about 3 weeks and feel much better. I have a few questions. I am having 2 to 3 cardiac oscillations a night and still snoring quite a bit. Is this normal? Do I need to change my settings?

They are now set at:
min. pressure:4,
starting pressure:6,
max. pressure:20.

jskinner · Post by **jskinner** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 3:26 pm

Eleena wrote:I have a few questions. I am having 2 to 3 cardiac oscillations a night and still snoring quite a bit. Is this normal? Do I need to change my settings?

They are now set at:
min. pressure:4,
starting pressure:6,
max. pressure:20.

The range seems a bit wide to me. From your software can you tell what your average pressure is?

Eleena · Post by **Eleena** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:09 am

My average pressure is 5.8. Thanks for your help.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:40 am

Don't worry about that small number of apneas with cardiac oscillations - they can happen when you're falling asleep or turning over - you can disregard them. That is quite normal. Not so the snoring - which seems to indicate that for some of the time the pressure is too low.

In the synthesis screen, right side, you have a histogram showing you the precentage of time you spend at each pressure. You can also get that data into a text file if you click on the gray button with a right pointing arrow at the bottom right corner. At what pressure do you spend most of your time?

What is the 90% pressure recommended by the machine? (That is the presure at - or below - which you spend 90% of your time). If you bring the minumum pressure, and the bottom of your range closer to the 90% pressure, you may find yourslelf snoring less. The aim of cpap therapy is usually to diminish all events, including snoring.

By the way - if you decide to raise the bottom pressure, your average pressure will change - for purely mathematical reasons. Averages are always very sensitve to the ends of the range - which is why they're not too informative when you look at cpap therapy data.
O.

jskinner · Post by **jskinner** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:09 am

Eleena wrote:My average pressure is 5.8. Thanks for your help.

Personally I'd try setting my minimum pressure to 6

jimbassett · Post by **jimbassett** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:23 am

A minimum pressure to me is any pressure that makes breathing feel normal. You don't want to have to suck on the mask to get enough air. I find for me that is 8cm. Then I set my pressure for my titrated 9.6 or 10cm. If on the APAP I find that 9cm to 12 works very well You don't say which mask you are using, but I have found that also plays an important part in the min. pressure that is comfortable. Happy breathing to you always. jim

Eleena · Post by **Eleena** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:25 pm

[quote="jimbassett"]A minimum pressure to me is any pressure that makes breathing feel normal. You don't want to have to suck on the mask to get enough air. I find for me that is 8cm. Then I set my pressure for my titrated 9.6 or 10cm. If on the APAP I find that 9cm to 12 works very well You don't say which mask you are using, but I have found that also plays an important part in the min. pressure that is comfortable. Happy breathing to you always. jim

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