What were you, and what are you now?

[DutchBrum1]

I was first diagnosed last year (2013) after spending the night at the sleep center with all the wires and straps attached. They told me that sleeping on my side I was averaging 65 aponeas per hour, and on my back 80 per hour. It took some time to get used to the machine and in the meantime I also had to have an operation to correct a badly deviated septum, but I now use the machine all night, every night, getting an average 7 hrs sleep per night *YAY*. My chip was taken out of the machine on Tuesday by the specialist and he tells me that I now have only 1.9 aponeas per hour on average so that is a huge difference. The results got me to wondering though, how many aponeas other people were initially having, and what they are now after some time (or not) of CPAP therapy.

Angela.

[zoocrewphoto]

My sleep study was a split study, so I did not do a full night. I never made it to REM sleep which is often worse. So, my results after 2 1/2 hours came out to an ahi of 79, but a full night would have likely been higher.

With treatment, I was immediately below 2 every night. And usually below 1. I think I have had 3 nights above 5 in the first couple months, probably due to tossing and turning a lot. Nothing higher than 2 since then. I've been on cpap therapy since May of 2012.

[flyingwithoutwings]

My AHI was 34 but like zoocrewphoto, I never made it to REM sleep. I have been on cpap therapy since October 1, 2013. My AHI's are <3 with a few <1. On nights when I have deep sleep with dreams and no wake ups my AHI's will be higher but still <5.

[Rob108]

My sleep study produced an AHI of 108.5/hour and I never made it past stage II sleep.
Now I'm averaging <2 AHI & 7.5 hours sleep. Still waiting on the energy level to increase though

[richarddavis229]

Sleep test was 106 AHI
Now around 0.6 depending on which mask I use.
Richard

[Bill44133]

I was first diagnosed last year (2013) after spending the night at the sleep center with all the wires and straps attached. They told me that sleeping on my side I was averaging 65 aponeas per hour, and on my back 80 per hour. It took some time to get used to the machine and in the meantime I also had to have an operation to correct a badly deviated septum, but I now use the machine all night, every night, getting an average 7 hrs sleep per night *YAY*. My chip was taken out of the machine on Tuesday by the specialist and he tells me that I now have only 1.9 aponeas per hour on average so that is a huge difference. The results got me to wondering though, how many aponeas other people were initially having, and what they are now after some time (or not) of CPAP therapy.

Angela.

At my sleep study The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 140.0 and the central-apnea index (CAI) was 0.0.
The REM AHI was 60.0. The non-REM AHI was 141.6 and the arousal index was 128.5.

For the month of Decemer AHI was 0.8.

[chunkyfrog]

For me, the number was only 13; but it was enough to turn me into the walking dead.
I rarely slept longer than 3 hours a night, was always tired, dozed frequently (at work--even driving)
and woke up many times a night due to very disturbing and strenuous dreams.
My memory and concentration were nearly non-existent, and my snoring rattled the windows.
I nearly always awoke with a splitting headache, and was notoriously weepy and short-tempered.
My average AHI for this past year is 0.7 and I find my new life worth living--VERY MUCH!

[Ontario CPAP]

I'm relatively young, or at least not all that old (early 40's) and a bit overweight (BMI of ~26) but I started having heart palpitations over the summer of 2013. I went to see my doctor, and he asked the usual questions (exercise, diet, etc.) but also asked me how I was sleeping. Fine, I said, but mentioned off-hand a "funny" story from March when I vacationed in Arizona with my wife and kids. We were all staying in one room, and around 2 am I happened to wake up to my 14 year old son complaining to my wife that I was snoring too loud. I looked over and couldn't find my daughter. Turns out she had taken her pillows and blanket into the bathroom and shut the door, and was sleeping on the floor to get away from the noise of my snoring. My wife is a very heavy sleeper who can, as my grandmother used to say, sleep through the Wars.

My doctor didn't think super-loud snoring was all that funny, and scheduled me for a sleep test right away. Turns out I had an AHI of 50 without actually waking up, but my sleep was extremely light. After the diagnosis I asked my wife how long I'd been snoring loudly. As long as we've been married, she said (15+ years at that point.) I asked her if she noticed if I stopped breathing during the night. Now that I mentioned it, she said, from time to time my snoring would stop for 10 or 20 seconds, then start again.

Anyway, after a six week APAP trial and a titration study, I'm now using a CPAP over 7 hours a night (prescription of 9mmH20.) My average AHI is now less than 0.30. About once a week it's a solid 0.0.

The most remarkable experience for me is waking up in the morning and feeling refreshed. After 15 years (probably longer) of poor sleep I honestly had forgotten what it feels like start the day untired. It's a great feeling.

[BlackSpinner]

I haven't got a clue what my AHI was, both my regular doctor and I went into shock at my O2 level of 56%. Currently my AHI is around 1.

[kteague]

Don't remember the exact number and have had several sleep studies, but I was classified as moderate/severe. My AHI for the last 8 years has stayed between 0.0 and 2.0 usually hovering around 1. Was titrated at a pressure of 10 but really needed 11-12. Currently a pressure of 13 maintains that AHI.

[Redonthehead]

I'm a "newbie", about 6 weeks in. My home study showed an AHI of 63. My 30 day average AHI on an APAP set to 5-20 is 12.X. Rarely a night below 10. I do feel better though. Hopefully they can fine tune the setting at my checkup soon.

[Nozzelnut]

My test in September said I was around 39 AHI. If I sleep at home, I'm usually around .5. Not at home can be as high as 2.

A lot better than where I was last year. More rested and I actually get tired; which didn't happen for about 5 years. I'd just get bored and go to bed around 3 or so; wake up around 10 and feel the exact same as I did when I went to sleep.

Better now though.

[Captain_Midnight]

Interesting thread of (mostly) success stories. Such posts are especially valuable to the newly diagnosed.

I can't recall my titrated AHI back in '05, but I believe it was north of 40 events/hour. (Paraphrasing doc, it was severe and then some. And from the sleep doc's assistant, I've had OSA all my life, it was just not diagnosed until age 57.)

Now, my long-term average AHI is 0.2

If I can add a question..."Have the improvements from xpap therapy been minor or major?"

In my case, major. For one example, this 65yr old is running a 10 K race SuperBowl Sunday, and a Half Marathon in March.


.

[kteague]

I'm a "newbie", about 6 weeks in. My home study showed an AHI of 63. My 30 day average AHI on an APAP set to 5-20 is 12.X. Rarely a night below 10. I do feel better though. Hopefully they can fine tune the setting at my checkup soon.

Sounds like your range of pressure needs tightened by increasing the starting pressure. Bet that would give you a drop in AHI. If you want to discuss that any further, consider starting a thread about it. May get lost in the middle of this thread.

[RogerSC]

About 29 total AHI at my sleep study. That was broken down as about 40 on my back, and 6 on my side. Now, after a couple of years, usually less than 1 using cpap. And most of what's left is centrals, which didn't show up on my sleep study at all. So it goes.