Important question while my doc is in vacation

I got a question about leak rates vs AHI and since my sleep doctor doesn't come back until January 3rd, I can't have a real answer...

I have finally found that the Quattro is the most suited mask for me, with little damage to my nose and some pretty good nights with ~45-48 lpm which, if I'm right, is pretty close to the average for a 17 pressure. However, my last appointment with the DME revealed something strange. When there's barely a leak, my AHI was 11.6 . My DME was just stunned and though that, maybe, my pressure wasn't strong enough. Let's face it, sleeping for 2h30 for an entire night under stress for my titration isn't going to produce good results. I have upped it to 18 and although I can't read my last night (the reader is on the way), I noticed the average leak and AHI for 7 days have dropped even more. So I'm starting to believe that 17 is just not enough for me.

Also, I've figured why my AHI is lower when I have large leaks... the machine stops recording until I turn it off/on after going to the bathroom.

So my question is, if I'm getting a BiPAP Auto, would setting it for a 16-19 be a disaster for my AHI? I know you guys are going to say, try it and see for yourself but I want to know what can happen if the pressure is set too high or too low?

Thanks!

NickD25 wrote:I got a question about leak rates vs AHI and since my sleep doctor doesn't come back until January 3rd, I can't have a real answer...

I have finally found that the Quattro is the most suited mask for me, with little damage to my nose and some pretty good nights with ~45-48 lpm which, if I'm right, is pretty close to the average for a 17 pressure. However, my last appointment with the DME revealed something strange. When there's barely a leak, my AHI was 11.6 . My DME was just stunned and though that, maybe, my pressure wasn't strong enough. Let's face it, sleeping for 2h30 for an entire night under stress for my titration isn't going to produce good results. I have upped it to 18 and although I can't read my last night (the reader is on the way), I noticed the average leak and AHI for 7 days have dropped even more. So I'm starting to believe that 17 is just not enough for me.

Also, I've figured why my AHI is lower when I have large leaks... the machine stops recording until I turn it off/on after going to the bathroom.

So my question is, if I'm getting a BiPAP Auto, would setting it for a 16-19 be a disaster for my AHI? I know you guys are going to say, try it and see for yourself but I want to know what can happen if the pressure is set too high or too low?

Thanks!

I gather you don't have the Bi-PAP at this time. They MAY want to re-titrate you with a Bi-PAP machine to get the proper settings......rather than just handing you one with settings they decided to pull out of thin air.

Den

I know my doctor do have a BiPAP setting because he told me if CPAP didn't work at 17, they would use a BiPAP at 7-17. Therefore he was expecting it not to work but wanted to try a CPAP anyway. Probably to make me lose time lol.

A bi level machine can be set at a higher level for your inhalation, and lower for your exhalation. You may even find yourself sleeping better with it.

If you're only sleeping 2 hours a night the present data may be unreliable.

O.