Please HELP me with statistics

[sleepytexan]

Hello,

I am pretty new to all of this but I think I understand that a good target AHI would be <5 (preferably below 1). I cannot seem to get anything <15! I have posted my statistics and am hoping to get some feedback and direction so I can approach my Dr. (GP) who knows very little about this. My time is running out for trading my machine as it has taken him so long to respond to any problems in the beginning.

The report from Encore Pro Analyzer can be found here:
http://www.iamtexan.us/report.pdf

I have also posted a nightly report from Encore Pro Analyzer for 9 nights here:
http://www.iamtexan.us/nightly.pdf

And a nightly report from Encore Pro for 10 nights here:
http://www.iamtexan.us/nightly2.pdf

Thanks in advance,
Doug

[Julie]

Hi, you didn't (from what I could tell) post any leak rate page, and that would help to diagnose things, but something common to a lot of us is that either before or after starting Cpap, we discovered or were told (by a spouse, roommate, etc.) that we end up sleeping with our mouths open, and if that's the case with you, you're going to lose most of the effective therapy air out your mouth and need to investigate a full face mask. One way to do it is to tape your mouth for a night or two (3M micropore or transpore tape from the drugstore - comes off easily) and see if things improve.

[sleepytexan]

Hi Julie,

Thanks for the reply. I had a problem with breathing out of my mouth so I switched to a full face mask as a chin strap did no good. The posted statistics do not have the previous mask information within them, only the full face mask.

I found last night that my leak rate is within the standards of my mask at the pressure I am using so I do not think that is an issue.

Thanks for the points,
Doug

[mindy]

Since you listed a Quattro FFM, if that's what you're using then mouth leaking is not a problem. However, you maximum leak rate is pretty bad so it looks like your mask isn't adjusted right. Could it be too tight?

Your average and 90% leak rate don't look too awful for your high pressure (others could well have different opinions on this!) but that max leak is *bad*.

An AHI of 15 is not good - especially when you consider that these days they treat people with CPAP for AHI of 8. At this point in time, I think you need to focus first on getting your AHI below 5. How much further you need to go depends on how you feel. Some people don't feel better unless they get their AHI below 1, for others it's 2 and so forth.

Two items in particular you'll want to watch are the "Time spent in apnea" and the "average length of apnea". Your blood oxygen levels drop when you're having apneas and that's not good for your cardiovascular system, among others.

In any case, we have forum members with lots more experience than I do so hopefully you'll hear from some soon!

Mindy

[ozij]

I'd say the data indicates your pressure is too low. The optimum seems to be in the vicintiy of 17 - and that's bi-lelel terrirory.

Note how your snoring is disappeared when you moved the pressure up.


O.

[sleepytexan]

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I am thinking that my AHI of 15 is way too high and that I could use more pressure but I already have the pressure up to 18 and I think the max is 20 so I am not sure where to go from here?
Doug

[Snoredog]

I'd rather see a couple Daily reports from Encore. You should put the AHI vs. Pressure report in Landscape print mode, it would be more meaningful.

[sleepytexan]

Hi Snoredog. I have reposted the pdf printed horizontally. I also made a pdf with the nightly reports. They both can be found here:

The report:
http://www.iamtexan.us/report.pdf

nightly report for 9 nights:
http://www.iamtexan.us/nightly.pdf

I appreciate any and all feedback that you can give...

Doug

[Snoredog]

Hi Snoredog. I have reposted the pdf printed horizontally. I also made a pdf with the nightly reports. They both can be found here:

The report:
http://www.iamtexan.us/report.pdf

nightly report for 9 nights:
http://www.iamtexan.us/nightly.pdf

I appreciate any and all feedback that you can give...

Doug

Those are the same reports as above, just a bunch of numbers doesn't tell me what you did throughout the night. Even
at 18 cm pressure your AHI is unacceptable. One night it is 25 the next it is 12.

I'd ask your sleep doc for a retitration on a Bipap machine, obviously CPAP isn't working. If you can find a Bipap Auto that is what I'd go for, cheaper than a PSG.

With that Pro you might as well crank it up to 20 cm because even 18 isn't high enough.

[jules]

Snoredog wants the Encore Pro reports - not the Encore Pro Analyzer ones

for example: see this post by ww

viewtopic.php?p=282156#p282156

What were you titrated at?

[pudellvr]

Snoredog,
I saw his CFLEX was on 3. Do you think that decreasing it or stopping it would help? I know it did with me.

Trish

[ozij]

I think that's definitely worth trying.
O.

[sleepytexan]

Hello All,

I have posted the nightly report from Encore Pro for 10 nights here:
http://www.iamtexan.us/nightly2.pdf

I do not know what being titrated at means and I do not have the actual report but if it means the original pressure recommendation, it was 15.

Sorry for all of my ignorance. This is all starting to mean something to me but it has been very slow

Thanks again,
Doug

[pudellvr]

Don't feel bad, I am a nurse and am only slightly ahead of you figuring all of this out.

Trish

[mindy]

Hello All,

I have posted the nightly report from Encore Pro for 10 nights here:
http://www.iamtexan.us/nightly2.pdf

I do not know what being titrated at means and I do not have the actual report but if it means the original pressure recommendation, it was 15.

Sorry for all of my ignorance. This is all starting to mean something to me but it has been very slow

Thanks again,
Doug

Hi Doug,

No apologies needed - we all go through multiple learning curves! If it were me, I'd follow-up on Snoredog's advice about Bipap. I'm no "expert" on the meaning behind the statistics but did notice that your AHI was substantially higher when your leak rate looked like the Rocky Mountains. A nice flat line is much better. Whether or not that's connected I can't really say. You are at a high pressure (and it looks like you need it) so that Bipap option may be the best way to go.

Mindy