No Rhyme or Reason to Numbers

[spookydoo]

Hey guys,

Help me figure this out. Looking back over my history on my Reader Card info, it doesn't seem to matter what my pressure is; my results always end of deteriorating. I started out with pressure at 9, and got poor results, so I raised it a little and got better results. Each time I leave it at the new number my AHI progressively gets worse, so I keep raising it. Each time I raise it I get good new results, but then the AHI starts to climb again. I am now up to a minimum pressure of 14, and my overall results are no better than they were when I was at 9. And I've lost 15 pounds since then as well. My eating and drinking habits are the same. My machine is on APAP. Any thoughts?

[DoriC]

What auto settings are you using, minimum/maximum? And what are your AHI numbers?

[Wulfman]

Hey guys,

Help me figure this out. Looking back over my history on my Reader Card info, it doesn't seem to matter what my pressure is; my results always end of deteriorating. I started out with pressure at 9, and got poor results, so I raised it a little and got better results. Each time I leave it at the new number my AHI progressively gets worse, so I keep raising it. Each time I raise it I get good new results, but then the AHI starts to climb again. I am now up to a minimum pressure of 14, and my overall results are no better than they were when I was at 9. And I've lost 15 pounds since then as well. My eating and drinking habits are the same. My machine is on APAP. Any thoughts?

You didn't give us a whole lot of info on the other settings like EPR, max pressure setting, snores, leaks, AI numbers, HI numbers, etc., etc.

I think you should set the machine in CPAP mode at the fixed pressure where you were seeing some better results.

Your profile shows that you have ResScan 3.7......that should tell you "something".


Den

[spookydoo]

What auto settings are you using, minimum/maximum? And what are your AHI numbers?

Minimum 14, Maximum 18. APAP, EPR of 1, AHI numbers start out in 2's and 3's with new pressure, but creep up into 5's, 6's, and 7's over time. My machine doesn't detect snores. My leaks are always minimal.

[SleepyT]

could it be positional? I have a tendency to sleep with my chin down toward my chest. how do you sleep?

[cajun]

spooky,

Den gave me the same advice (try CPAP) when I started this back in May. My DME initially set me up at APAP 5-9 cm. I'm apparently sensitive to even slight APAP pressure changes and do much better on straight CPAP (at 8.5 now).

Maybe you are as well?

[spookydoo]

spooky,

Den gave me the same advice (try CPAP) when I started this back in May. My DME initially set me up at APAP 5-9 cm. I'm apparently sensitive to even slight APAP pressure changes and do much better on straight CPAP (at 8.5 now).

Maybe you are as well?

Great suggestion Cajun. I'll try that.

[Wulfman]

What auto settings are you using, minimum/maximum? And what are your AHI numbers?

Minimum 14, Maximum 18. APAP, EPR of 1, AHI numbers start out in 2's and 3's with new pressure, but creep up into 5's, 6's, and 7's over time. My machine doesn't detect snores. My leaks are always minimal.

Yeah, I forgot that little characteristic.
It actually DOES detect snores......it just doesn't report them like the other software packages do.

Den

[DoriC]

spooky,

Den gave me the same advice (try CPAP) when I started this back in May. My DME initially set me up at APAP 5-9 cm. I'm apparently sensitive to even slight APAP pressure changes and do much better on straight CPAP (at 8.5 now).

Maybe you are as well?

We got the same advice after many ups and downs and use straight cpap at 12cms after realizing my husband seems sensitive to extreme pressure changes. The DME originally set it up at 5-18cm per the "sleep specialist when he was first titrated at 13cms during his sleep study. I do change the settings occasionally to auto at 11-13 "just to see", but invariably go back to cpap=12cms because long-term he does best there.

[cajun]

We got the same advice after many ups and downs and use straight cpap at 12cms after realizing my husband seems sensitive to extreme pressure changes. The DME originally set it up at 5-18cm per the "sleep specialist when he was first titrated at 13cms during his sleep study. I do change the settings occasionally to auto at 11-13 "just to see", but invariably go back to cpap=12cms because long-term he does best there.

5-18 is a huge range - I'd be a wreck. I recently tried to go back to APAP. I figured I have this high-end machine, so I should take full advantage. I went back to CPAP the next night.

[DoriC]

I hear ya! Glad I'm not alone in having wanted to use all the bells and whistles. It took awhile and a few gentle 2x4s to finally understand that sometimes less is better as in KISS!

[Komodo]

Hey guys,

Help me figure this out. Looking back over my history on my Reader Card info, it doesn't seem to matter what my pressure is; my results always end of deteriorating. I started out with pressure at 9, and got poor results, so I raised it a little and got better results. Each time I leave it at the new number my AHI progressively gets worse, so I keep raising it. Each time I raise it I get good new results, but then the AHI starts to climb again. I am now up to a minimum pressure of 14, and my overall results are no better than they were when I was at 9. And I've lost 15 pounds since then as well. My eating and drinking habits are the same. My machine is on APAP. Any thoughts?

I don't have any advice for you, I just wanted to let you know you're not the only one this happens to. I have the same problem too.

[spookydoo]

Well I took Cajun's advice and moved it from APAP to straight CPAP AND I lowered the pressure from 14 to 11. Voila! My AHI went down to 3.0. I also didn't wake up dizzy like normal. I'm losing weight, so hopefully I'll be able to lower the pressure even more in the future.

[dsm]

Well I took Cajun's advice and moved it from APAP to straight CPAP AND I lowered the pressure from 14 to 11. Voila! My AHI went down to 3.0. I also didn't wake up dizzy like normal. I'm losing weight, so hopefully I'll be able to lower the pressure even more in the future.

Hi Spookydoo,

Good move & hope it improves things.

One question others have already asked but no reply, is can you spell out the AI # & the HI # separately.

If AHI were say 5, & AI is 0.5 or less then your #s would be considered good (i.e. by deduction HI being 4.5 which is not unusual data from a Resmed
machine which scores hypopneas differently to some others).

Good luck & keep asking

DSM

[spookydoo]

Well I took Cajun's advice and moved it from APAP to straight CPAP AND I lowered the pressure from 14 to 11. Voila! My AHI went down to 3.0. I also didn't wake up dizzy like normal. I'm losing weight, so hopefully I'll be able to lower the pressure even more in the future.

Hi Spookydoo,

Good move & hope it improves things.

One question others have already asked but no reply, is can you spell out the AI # & the HI # separately.

If AHI were say 5, & AI is 0.5 or less then your #s would be considered good (i.e. by deduction HI being 4.5 which is not unusual data from a Resmed
machine which scores hypopneas differently to some others).

Good luck & keep asking

DSM

Well, let me give you the last two nights since I lowered my pressure and went to straight CPAP. 2 nights ago my AHI was 3.0 with 2.5 HI (Hypopneas) and .5 AI (Apneas) which actually turned out to be 4 Apneas. Last night was even better. Best AHI ever-1.6. HI-1.4 and AI-.2 (2 Apneas). This seems very odd that my numbers are getting better as my pressure goes down and I go on straight CPAP. Oddly enough I've had my APAP not change pressure at all before and act like a CPAP and my numbers were still bad. I know that pressures above 10 can cause Centrals, but would it also cause Hypopneas? Anyway, before I switched to CPAP and lowered the pressure, my numbers the last night I used it on APAP with minimum pressure of 14 and maximum pressure of 18, my numbers were AHI-7.2, HI-6.6, AI-.6.