Okay, here are some before (May and June 2009) and after (last week) reports. If I had not had the software I wouldn't have known that my titrated pressure wasn't enough.
Brief history. Diagnosed with severe OSA with AHI 53 but the bulk of it was in REM sleep. In non Rem sleep I only averaged about 12 AHI. No split study first night because I had long REM latency (longer than normal time getting to REM) and had barely got there when study had to end. Not enough time to titrate.
Titration study was horrible. I barely got 150 minutes of sleep. Tech was a sadist and wanted me to use first a nasal mask which covered my nose and the pressure caused immediate nasal congestion.. So we had to stop and I ask for nasal pillow mask. He said those were hard to use and wanted me to use a full face mask which again put pressure across the bridge of my nose and again immediate nasal congestion. I refused to proceed with it and insisted on nasal pillow mask. Did fine. Finally could breathe and got small amount of sleep. Only had 20 minutes of REM sleep.
Came out of it with cpap pressure of 8 cm.
I already had my APAP. So I set it to minimum 8 cm and the first 2 images below are with that pressure with a narrow range and a large range.
See all the clusters? REM stage events. Felt like total crap even with a so so AHI.
Wasn't long after that that I increased my pressure to 9 and then to 10 to ward off the clusters. At 10 I had success.
Only rare events. So I have left it this way pretty much ever since except for bringing the max down but it never goes near it now. Follow up with sleep doctor's PA got her blessing and said considering the REM events, APAP with a minimum of 10 would be just what she would advise...
While the titration pressure at 8 cm is likely fine for my Non Rem events, I need just a bit more in REM. The events would just happen before the pressure could increase to clear them. If I had more REM sleep at the titration study maybe the tech would have been more spot on with the pressure.. Who knows?
Leak rate reported on the 2 old reports is Total Leak. Different Encore Pro versions.
Recent report from last week is below.
Encore Pro 2 default setting was for unintentional leak, hence the baseline at zero.
This is pretty much what I have had for months and months.
Despite these excellent reports I still struggled with frequent awakenings during the night and was still fatigued and still needed to nap often. I have a bad back. It was the pain that would wake me with tossing and turning. Got a new bed last Dec and finally the need for naps has ceased and my energy level is slowly creeping up. So I am proof that there are often other things that affect the restorative powers of sleep. While my back pain is not gone, it is reduced and I don't toss and turn so much and I rest "better".
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.
