Afraid to ask, but ...

Goofproof wrote:The facts are Resmed tends to score HI's too high. I wouldn't be as concerned with them.

I agree with Goofproof EXCEPT that I'd take out one word... "too."

ResMed machines do usually report a higher HI count for many people than other brands do, but I don't think that means a ResMed machine is inaccurate...which is what "too high" implies to me.

That doesn't mean ResMed is letting more hypopneas sneak through than other brands, nor does it mean ResMed is better at spotting hypopneas than other brands.

Each manufacturer uses its own definition in its own machine design about when a reduction of air flow will be called a "hypopnea" instead of "flow limitation." The definitions are arbitary because none of them are looking at hypopneas by the definitions (which can also vary!) that are used in PSG sleep studies. PSG studies use SpO2 monitoring, mainly because our treatment machines are not measuring SpO2.

The difference in reporting by the different brands of machines we use at home doesn't mean that one brand is better at spotting hypopneas (higher HI) than other brands. Nor does it mean that other brands are better at preventing hypopneas (lower HI) than another brand. In short, the differences in reports from one brand or another doesn't mean any one manufacturer's reporting is accurate and others are not. It's simply a matter of the differing definitions each manufacturer uses when designing the algorithms for their own machines.

All that said ... it's just my opinion...I'm not an expert about the machines, nor am I anything in the health care field!)

ziggytosh, you sound like you're quite capable of handling your own treatment extremely well. Personally, I wouldn't be afraid of raising a pressure to several cms more than 7, if I wanted to. Been there, done that. Raising it some almost surely will lower the AHI on your machine's efficacy reports. The main thing is that the AI (apnea index) is low. If another cm or two of pressure lowers your AHI without bothering you or causing leaks, there's nothing wrong with a little tweaking, imho.

I just wouldn't be unduly concerned about getting the overall AHI down with a ResMed machine if the bulk of the AHI was because of the Hypopnea Index..the HI. Other brands might very well have reported many of those "hypopneas" as still being just "flow limitations" - which aren't counted into the AHI.

Welcome to the board, ziggytosh!!

So I bumped up the pressure an undisclosed amount last night and my stats for the night were AI 0.1 (!!) and HI 5.0, for a total AHI of 5.1. I'm so excited. Since this is so close to normal, I will proceed very slowly from here and see if I can get that down any further.

I feel great. Part of that is probably just being excited about seeing some real improvement in the numbers. But I got up at 7 this morning, feeling ready for the day (this NEVER happens to me) and I did a half hour on the elliptical machine before getting ready and leaving for work (so as to ensure that just because I got up early doesn't have to mean I get to work on time). Very, very happy about this.

I'm still not in love with the mask. I've got a little breakout of pimples on my forehead (hey, I'm YOUNG again!!) and I don't like the way my exhaled breath muddles around in the mask for a second before it clears out. I constantly want to scratch areas inside the mask but am afraid to just go for it because of leaks. I am waking up a bit just because of the discomfort. But whatever. I'm sure I'll get used to that. The important thing is that the treatment is working and the guidance I'm finding on this forum is helping me to get the most out of it. Thanks so much, once again, for the warm welcome and the valuable advice!!!

Congrats!

Den

WOO HOO!!!

Did I mention the test drives for some other masks?

HYBRID – by pjwalman
viewtopic/t33434/Hybrid-TestDrive-Continues.html

SMALL LIBERTY – by fortomorrow
viewtopic/t35474/ResMed-Mirage-Liberty-Test-Drive.html

LARGE LIBERTY – by echo
viewtopic/t35486/Large-Liberty-test-drive.html

NASAL AIRE II – by Babette
viewtopic/t30639/The-Return-of-the-Grea ... Drive.html

Mask Roulette – thread for swapping masks
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=19546

Cheers,
B.

SO glad you had a better night. I am still trying to acheive that EVERY night. I get it here and there.

Congratulations ziggytosh! Welcome.

ziggytosh wrote:So I bumped up the pressure an undisclosed amount last night and my stats for the night were AI 0.1 (!!) and HI 5.0, for a total AHI of 5.1. I'm so excited. Since this is so close to normal, I will proceed very slowly from here and see if I can get that down any further.

Just make sure that by "very slowly" you mean that you are going to leave it at this pressure for at least a few days, preferably a week. After your body has had a chance to adjust to the new pressure then change it in small increments.

way to go an' welcome to the forum!!

Babette wrote:First off, I'm glad the Nazis steered you over here to The Free World.

Second, the "accepted wisdom" on this board is to change ONE THING ONLY, and leave that setting for a week. Then tweak ONE MORE THING, leave it for a week.

Yeah, I'm ADD and that doesn't always work for me.

I do recommend you not change too many things all at once, or you'll never pinpoint what the problem or solution might be.

Damned glad to have you here, keep posting!

Cheers,
B.

o k miss Octoberfest , then this place would be more like a Corona commercial , compared to that east ger. forum , right ? lol

I don't know about you, but it's about half past Corona time here on the Left Coast.

Party on, Garth!
Babs - Who never felt like going to East Germany, anyway. Nyah!

A belated welcome, Ziggy and Stacia

Lots of good people and good information here, as you have already seen. And congratrs on the improvement, ziggytosh!

Welcome!

I agree with the 'norm' that you need to make a single change (regarding machine settings) and leave it for a week. I take this a step further. If you have a fairly stable mask setup, then I wouldn't make any other changes at the same time you change a machine setting. This will allow you to know that the results are due to the difference in pressure settings for example versus perhaps a different mask etc.

I'm unfamiliar with your machine, but wonder if you have the ability to read reports/get data? If, you do, then putting them on the forum may help you get some good ideas from those (not me : ) that are good at interpreting them.