using CPAP machine software to record Hypopnea events

Hi All, i used a CPAP some yrs ago. I see the new machines record the AHI Hypopnea events thru a nite.

i have some questions, what do those of you experienced with the new machines and the s/w that comes with it think:-

1) i want to use the machine into the future sometime, to help me determine if a number of Mandibular Devices might work for me. i plan to buy some differing MAD devices over a period of time. instead of trying to have an expensive sleep study for each, i want to use the CPAP machine to help me determine if they work or help or not.

2) plan of going on a big diet sometime soon. i could likely lose 20kgs or 50lbs... and this would being me into the realm of normal for my body height. so once done, without doing a new sleep study, can i sue the machine's recording ability to determine if my events have reduced or disappear. ie could i use the machine as a test apparatus, showing my AHI events as i drop weight and i could record the schedule say weekly or even monthly to see what difference the weight loss was making - yes?

i suspect this will work. i assume i would need to lower the machine to a low level, record AHI index with little or no CPAP pressure, get a reading, then try the MAD device on same pressure next night and see HOW it the affects the reading. and same as with losing weight. do a test some months later when weight has dropped, on low volume and compare to sleep study done months before when starting.?

thoughts. should work ok?? thank you VERY much !

rod

Hi, unfortunately losing 50 lbs has almost never been shown to enable anyone to stop using Cpap - and to check on whether or not you can stop, regardless of how much (more) weight you might lose, a new sleep study would need to be done a short time after you've lost the weight. You can use an Apap to do your checking (after using a MAD for some time) but you'd still have to be using Cpap - low setting or not - to check, so it really wouldn't be legit. How you feel though could tell you something, though don't just go by that to stop using Cpap.

thnx Julie for your reply.

im not sure i understand it really. maybe i gave too much info.

all i want to do is have a way of knowing whether some of these M A D devices might work or not. and i was hoping the new technology in the CPAP or APAP machines would simply allow me to test them while i used the machine and MAD at same time.

tell me something... does the machine record all HYPOPNEAS even tho its stopping most of them.. or does it only record those it doesn't stop, so only a few each night? im getting dual answers on that from the experts here. if it records all then when i use the MAD concurrently ill know if it works or not, wont i.?

thnx

rodhuy wrote:does the machine record all HYPOPNEAS even tho its stopping most of them.. or does it only record those it doesn't stop, so only a few each night? im getting dual answers on that from the experts here.

cpap machines only flag the events that slipped past the defenses and occurred. There's no way to know how many it prevented of any type.

Don't forget...even at the low setting of 4 cm (lowest most machines will go) there is still therapy value meaning it could still be preventing airway collapses.

While the MAD device or even losing significant weight might reduce or eliminate apnea events (OAs and hyponeas) there is no way to know for sure that at a pressure of 4 giving you a nice clean nothing report is from nothing to flag because nothing happened or the pressure of 4 was doing a good job.
A pressure of 4 is sufficient to hold the airway open in some people.

I know what you are wanting to do and up to a point the cpap machine can maybe help get you there but at some point you would need some sort of sleep study to see for sure if nothing is happening or not.

A XPAP machine is made to treat Sleep Apnea, by using it correctly, it will do what It's made for. It can't do it's job of recording your sleep, without treating your Sleep Apnea, therefore the data you would get would not only reflect your MAD "Treatment?" it would reflect the Real treatment from your XPAP + your "MAD?", making the data incorrect for what you want, as it would reflect both treatments!

Sleep Studies do what you want, maybe, if done correctly, at a high cost, maybe a home sleep study could give you a idea. Personally I don't trust them, {Just my idea} If I needed one I'd want a real one, but I don't I have a sleep Study every nite, from my XPAP! Jim