Lots of Hypoapneas

westport wrote:Maybe this is better:

http://imgur.com/umHxeVo

expand the flow rate, pressure and leak graphs until all that's seen is the events, flow, pressure, leak and snore.

the respiration rate and tidal volume that you keep using up part of the screen with aren't helpful

based on those charts, I'd suggest a minimum of nine for tonight, and see how things look tomorrow.

Thank you. I'll try and do better next time in posting my graphs.

For now, I'll up the min. a bit and monitor the results. I figure there may be rules with regards to giving specific suggestions on this stuff.

It's still kind of weird to me that looking back at the data details of the last few months...that my issues really seen to be hypoapnea related. Obstructive apnea doesn't show up in very high numbers. Something I'll have to discuss with my doctor I guess. Hopefully upping the minimum setting will lower the hypnoapnea count.

Thanks to everyone else who responded. I very much appreciate it.

westport wrote:Thank you. I'll try and do better next time in posting my graphs.

For now, I'll up the min. a bit and monitor the results. I figure there may be rules with regards to giving specific suggestions on this stuff.

It's still kind of weird to me that looking back at the data details of the last few months...that my issues really seen to be hypoapnea related. Obstructive apnea doesn't show up in very high numbers. Something I'll have to discuss with my doctor I guess. Hopefully upping the minimum setting will lower the hypnoapnea count.

Thanks to everyone else who responded. I very much appreciate it.

That's kind of my story, too. A few occasional hypopneas and hardly any apneas.
My AHI has always averaged (long term) at less than 1.0. In recent years, about 0.3.


Den

.

westport wrote:It's still kind of weird to me that looking back at the data details of the last few months...that my issues really seen to be hypoapnea related. Obstructive apnea doesn't show up in very high numbers.

not weird at all.

some pressure will take care of apneas, more pressure is needed for hypopneas. it's quite easy to have a pressure that's in between, enough to get rid of most apneas, but not enough to get rid of the hypopneas.

do get the manual, either from Den or from apneaboard, there's some good info in there, but not as much, unfortunately, as in the resmed manuals.

Slept 4 1/2 hours last night with the CPAP and had 5 hypoapneas and 1.9 AHI with the machine set with an adjusted min. pressure of 9 1/2. Will continue to monitor and adjust accordingly.

Anyone have thoughts about what the target AHI level should be?

Theoretically 0, but in fact anything below 5 is considered acceptable, though most try to get it lower than that and probably end around 1-3. The point though is that you feel and sleep better, and chasing a zero when you already are at e.g. 2-3 is pointless if you feel ok and don't see anything suspect on Sleepyhead. Zero is actually pretty rare and doesn't prove much in itself.

westport wrote:Slept 4 1/2 hours last night with the CPAP and had 5 hypoapneas and 1.9 AHI with the machine set with an adjusted min. pressure of 9 1/2. Will continue to monitor and adjust accordingly.

Anyone have thoughts about what the target AHI level should be?

2 or under.

westport wrote:Slept 4 1/2 hours last night with the CPAP and had 5 hypoapneas and 1.9 AHI with the machine set with an adjusted min. pressure of 9 1/2. Will continue to monitor and adjust accordingly.

Anyone have thoughts about what the target AHI level should be?

That's relative for each person. But, the lower the better.......with good quality sleep.


Den

.

So the past three nights I've slept with a raised level of min. AutoPap set at 9.5 and the results are still all over the place. Two of the nights were decent but still very inconsistent.

Results:

Night One

1.6 AHI
2 Clear Apneas
1 Obstructive Apneas
8 Hypopneas


Night Two

3.4 AHI
8 Clear Apneas
2 Opstructive Apneas
20 Hypopneas


Night Three

AHI 1.0
1 Clear Apnea
0 Opstructive Apneas
6 Hypopneas


I've spent some time reading some historical posts on this forum and there seems to be some belief that a set CPAP level may be the way to go rather than AutoPap. My doctors notes after my last sleep study in December mentions AutoPap levels 5-18 or a set CPAP at level 8. Not sure if 8 makes sense given that I'm averaging pressure higher than that but I'm going to give CPAP a try over the next several nights.

westport wrote:my doctors notes after my last sleep study in December mentions AutoPap levels 5-18 or a set CPAP at level 8. Not sure if 8 makes sense given that I'm averaging pressure higher than that but I'm going to give CPAP a try over the next several nights.

it does *NOT* make sense, it WILL result in more events.

if you want to try set pressure, then give 10 a shot.

palerider wrote:

westport wrote:my doctors notes after my last sleep study in December mentions AutoPap levels 5-18 or a set CPAP at level 8. Not sure if 8 makes sense given that I'm averaging pressure higher than that but I'm going to give CPAP a try over the next several nights.

it does *NOT* make sense, it WILL result in more events.

if you want to try set pressure, then give 10 a shot.

Thanks. I will try 10 tonight. Divided the pressure last night. Tried 9.5 for the first 4 hours: Had just 3 Hypopneas. For some reason the pressure seemed greater than with the AutoPap setting....so then lower it to 8.5 for the last 3 hours: Had 2 Clear Apneas, 1 Obstructive Apnea, 10 Hypopneas. You were correct about the lower setting and more apneas. Will use the Flex system tonight and set it on 10 for a few nights and see how that works out.

Thanks again.

westport wrote: You were correct about the lower setting and more apneas.

imagine that... if lower pressure was the answer to reduce apneas and hypopneas, then the ultimate answer would be to not use the machine at all.

Damn, they will do the squirreliest things to push you away from an apap;
ignoring, of course, the fact that any auto will run in cpap mode.

palerider wrote:

westport wrote: You were correct about the lower setting and more apneas.

imagine that... if lower pressure was the answer to reduce apneas and hypopneas, then the ultimate answer would be to not use the machine at all.

Thanks again.

I still seem to be having the same types of issues....most nights I have an AHI score in the 1s, 2s, or 3s. But then I'll have a series of nights such as this one when even wearing the mask I'll have a load of hypopneas and clear events and my scores will go into the 5s or 6s.

http://imgur.com/a/jCCG9




I've tried a set pressure instead of the autopap but when I do my clear apneas numbers increase a ton.

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks.