AHI numbers

First, I have been reading here for awhile now, I have gotten some good information. In CPAP therapy, does your body have to adjust for it to be effective? I just started (again) after getting my machine back from the repair shop after only 3 weeks of use. My numbers before were good, I had trouble with masks (new concept, I know). Now, I get my machine back and last night I had an AHI of 8.3. Hope that it goes down soon....
Mike

Remstar M Auto set to Autopap 4-11 setting
CL2 nasal pillows / Optilife nasal pillows
Aussie hose (thanks forum, good advice!

Hi Mike, welcome and I'm glad you decided to start posting.

It looks to me like your 4 pressure is probably too low of a setting. Most of your AHIs are probably Hypopneas - usually due to too low of pressure.

You might try bumping up the low pressure to 7 -- was 9 your titrated pressure?

Hi Mike,

Yes it does take time for your body to adjust, but there is often a bit of fine tuning to get everything running smoothly and adjusted to you in your normal sleeping environment, which can be different from the sleep lab environment. What are the AI & HI components of your AHI? You said your numbers were good before the machine played up, what were they? 4 - 11 is a fairly wide spread too for an auto.

Peter

thank you for the responses. I was tested and origianally set at 13. At that high pressure, I seem to get air in my stomach. I moved and have been paying for this and dealing on my own. It seemed like the first go-round, my apneas were handled well between 6-8, so I set it for 4-11. Maybe i do need higher pressure......I had high hopes of getting off lite, as it were.

Mike

If your setting of 6 - 8 was handling your apnoeas well, why don't you try that again? I agree with Linda, I think the 4 as min is too low.

Peter

I would check the settings yourself after getting it back from the shop to make sure it is set up correctly.

that is a bit high to my liking, you can improve that by increasing your bottom pressure from 4cm to like 6.0 or 6.5cm. You'll probably find it easier to breathe with the higher minimum pressure, you won't be starving for air and it takes most masks 6.0 to 6.5cm to flush out exhaled CO2.

If you don't have the details for doing that, read below:
1. Hold down the <- -> buttons while plugging in the power
on the back, wait 2 beeps, release buttons.
2. Press the + key. <- -> buttons move to next field, -/+ keys decrement/increment
3. Check the following field(s):

-Therapy Mode=Auto (CPAP/Auto)

-Auto:Max=11 (default=20.0cm)

-Auto:Min=6.5 (default=4.0cm)

-CFlex Setting=2 (options are off, 1, 2 or 3)

-AutoRamp Time=30 (options are 05 to 45 min)

-AutoRamp Pressure=6.0cm (4cm->AutoMin)

-Mask Alert Feature=ON (On/Off)

-Auto Off Feature=Off (On/off)

-Split Night Time = Off (off, 120, 180, 240)

-Show AHI/Leak Feature=ON (On/Off)

Press On/Off button to exit.