Adjusting Leak Rate to increase CO2

[pig]

The CPAP should interpret the extra holes as leakage and attempt to maintain the pressure.

I can't speak to what to expect. My goal is to first get off oxygen all together. I have now been off oxygen during the day for more than a week.

My night time usage has dropped from 2 LPM to 1LPM and I am able to stay above 88% SpO2. I have periodic breathing during certain times of the night. They used to take me to low 70% but I can maintain above 88% now.

My plan is to reduce O2 until I can't maintain above 88%, then back off that setting, then try increasing CO2 with decreased O2.
My experiments with increased CO2 indicate it may reduce periodic breathing.

Because I can reduce obstructive events with body orientation, I am hoping eventually to be able to sleep without equipment with increased CO2 using a passive device. Then I can go hiking with the goats again

[pig]

OK... here's a report:

http://sensusplenior.net/wordpress/?page_id=48

The second graph is what a normal night looks like using the CPAP. I reduced the oxygen to 3/4 L with pressure at 10 where the periodic breathing would touch the 88% line.

Then each night I would decrease the pressure and increase oxygen which kept the record looking about the same until I hit a pressure of 7.
That was last night. You can see the O2 increasing through the night until 4am. This is because of increased BPM due to CO2 rebreathing.
At 4 am I unplugged the nasal pillows from the CPAP and turned it off. I used the hose on the pillow to capture my breath. I kept it under the blanket to keep the CO2 level up and for about ten minutes adjusted the position to even out the BPM.
The last two hours was no O2 and no CPAP, just CO2 rebreathing.

Tonight I will try with just the CO2 rebreathing and see how it goes.

Also. when I started on the CPAP I had obstructive apnea and was a mouth breather. I wanted to get rid of the dry mouth in the morning so I chose a nasal mask at the time to force me to keep my mouth shut. I had to press my tongue against the back of my mouth so that it didn't leak through my mouth. So now, even without the CPAP, I breathe through my nose.

I also used to get shoulder pains from hypoxia. It felt like a heart attack, and several times I went in to have it checked. Before being treated for apnea I couldn't sleep on my side from the pain. At the time I thought it was some sort of injury and had not yet connected it to the apnea. It went away after I got on the CPAP. It comes back when camping without the CPAP.

Last night I slept on my side with my mouth closed and did not have obstructive events.

[Guest]

Dismal failure attempting to get into the re-breathing mode while attempting to fall asleep. The level of CO2 is uncomfortable all over my body, and the rate of breathing is faster than what allows me to sleep. I have to find a different way to transition.

[Paralel]

...The level of CO2 is uncomfortable all over my body, and the rate of breathing is faster than what allows me to sleep...

This is your body trying to tell you something is seriously wrong. I would listen to it.