CPAPtalk.com

richart wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 12:12 pm

At my last visit with the pulmonologist, I got the good news that she wanted to lower my pressure. I have lost a significant amount of weight and my AHI was averaging under 1.5. She ordered the pressure reduced from 15 to 13. I asked her about reducing it further if my AHI stayed low and she said go ahead, try a month at a time and reduce it by 2 each time.

After a month with the pressure at 13, I reduced it to 11 and after 30 days my 90 day AHI average was 1.5.
Now a month later the 90 day AHI average is 1.6 so I am going to reduce the pressure to 9 and see what happens.

We never really discussed how low I should actually go with the pressure so I think as long as the 90 day AHI average stays below 5 I will keep reducing it monthly. I suppose at some point she will want to order another sleep study (which I really dread).

My question is, do people actually use CPAP with pressures as low as 5 or 7? Or is there a lower range where CPAP is no longer generally effective?

richart wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 12:32 pm

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 12:23 pm

Why would you use some arbitrary some number like 5, as your metric? And yes, I'm very aware of the under 5 is considered treated chart.

Exactly because of how the number 5 is considered by the medical community. If AHI increased from 2 to 3, I don't know that I would consider it an issue that requires treatment.

Why on earth would you not try to reduce your AHI as low as possible? I used to get nervous if my monthly average was above 1.0. I've also found that reducing my pressure has had some adverse effects on my AHI and other indices. Seems that when my body gets used to one pressure, the only way I can go is UP.
And, I believe that "magic" number of 5 was arrived at by the insurance industry (in conjunction with their medical cohorts). It's a "bogus" number and most people around here would feel horrible with an AHI approaching 5.0.

What is the composition of your AHI? Is it mostly apneas or hypopneas? What about snoring? How does lowering your pressure affect any of those? Flow Limitations? Same questions.
Most of all............how is your "sleep quality"?

I think you're looking at this situation.......maybe not all wrong, but.......incorrectly........and not looking at the whole picture.
Also, "losing weight" isn't necessarily an indication that a lower pressure is warranted. Many people have posted that after losing weight, they needed a higher pressure. For some/many, weight has virtually nothing to do with AHI and/or sleep apnea therapy. Many thin people have sleep apnea and for many, the sleep apnea CAUSED the weight gain. So, losing the weight is no guarantee that it improves their sleep apnea.

I think you need to reevaluate your strategy and goals.


Den

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AHI over 2, and I feel lousy.
Over 3, and I feel really rotten.
Just barely under 5 might send me to the ER.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 1:39 pm

AHI over 2, and I feel lousy.
Over 3, and I feel really rotten.
Just barely under 5 might send me to the ER.

I wish I could get mine DOWN to 5, and yes, I have trouble functioning much of the time.

richart wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 12:12 pm

At my last visit with the pulmonologist, I got the good news that she wanted to lower my pressure. I have lost a significant amount of weight and my AHI was averaging under 1.5. She ordered the pressure reduced from 15 to 13. I asked her about reducing it further if my AHI stayed low and she said go ahead, try a month at a time and reduce it by 2 each time.

After a month with the pressure at 13, I reduced it to 11 and after 30 days my 90 day AHI average was 1.5.
Now a month later the 90 day AHI average is 1.6 so I am going to reduce the pressure to 9 and see what happens.

We never really discussed how low I should actually go with the pressure so I think as long as the 90 day AHI average stays below 5 I will keep reducing it monthly. I suppose at some point she will want to order another sleep study (which I really dread).

My question is, do people actually use CPAP with pressures as low as 5 or 7? Or is there a lower range where CPAP is no longer generally effective?

The ideal AHI is ZERO. 5 is WAY too high, and if you're doing OK at an AHI of 1.5, WHY take a chance on raising it?? I'd think you'd want to LOWER it even more.

But do what you feel comfortable with.

First I've heard high pressure is correlated to large body mass. What source do you have to back up this?

Diotima wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 4:24 pm

First I've heard high pressure is correlated to large body mass. What source do you have to back up this?

You're the one that made that statement. What is YOUR source to back up that assertion???

Personally, I've known lots of small, skinny people who had high blood pressure.
I don't know that there's a medical correlation between the two.


Den

.

richart wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 12:12 pm

below 5

"below 5" is a terrible medical myth.

An AHI of 5 is really quite bad, imagine having a cat or dog jump on you every 12 minutes *all night long*.

That's what an AHI of 5 really is.

And that AHI doesn't count other breathing problems like snoring or flow limitations, which can, and do, detract from restful sleep.

richart wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 12:12 pm

Post Deleted

Well, that was really "mature". ( Not )


Den

.

Interesting thing about starting a conversation--other people talk, too.
Some may even disagree--not just with you, but your doctor as well.
Everybody's experience is different--I have heard of people whose doctors have never been wrong.
I have not always been that lucky, but I learned.

Wulfman... wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 11:42 pm

richart wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 12:12 pm

Post Deleted

Well, that was really "mature". ( Not )

I'm looking through topic to see what triggered the OP.

Can't find anything.

I'm sure bombayone will be here shortly to tell us where we went wrong and chastise us.

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:54 am

I'm looking through topic to see what triggered the OP.

Can't find anything.

I'm sure bombayone will be here shortly to tell us where we went wrong and chastise us.

It’s possible the OP was troubled by the tone of the posts, as they veered away from the original topic into more personal areas. If these conversations were happening in person instead of over the internet, you might be tempted to call the cops before it got physical .

You guys are scary

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:54 am

Wulfman... wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 11:42 pm

richart wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 12:12 pm

Post Deleted

Well, that was really "mature". ( Not )

I'm looking through topic to see what triggered the OP.

Can't find anything.

I'm sure bombayone will be here shortly to tell us where we went wrong and chastise us.

i think noonesperfect has it right. if you look carefully, the OP didn't want to hear that an ahi of 5 isn't considered good here in the forum.

his doctor said it was.

he has faith in his doctor.

doctor said it, i believe it and that's that.

i'm hoping he comes back and seeks out help here. it would be too bad if he had to rely on his doctor for more bad information.

zonker wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 17, 2019 11:00 am

Dog Slobber wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 17, 2019 9:54 am

Wulfman... wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 11:42 pm

richart wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 12:12 pm

Post Deleted

Well, that was really "mature". ( Not )

I'm looking through topic to see what triggered the OP.

Can't find anything.

I'm sure bombayone will be here shortly to tell us where we went wrong and chastise us.

i think noonesperfect has it right. if you look carefully, the OP didn't want to hear that an ahi of 5 isn't considered good here in the forum.

his doctor said it was.

he has faith in his doctor.

doctor said it, i believe it and that's that.

i'm hoping he comes back and seeks out help here. it would be too bad if he had to rely on his doctor for more bad information.

I also hope the OP comes back.
But, some people just can't handle the truth.
I know that if I have AHIs in that range or higher, I'm taking naps and feeling like total crap.
I went through about a year and a half of horrible therapy.......due to a number of situations (medical and physical issues) that were difficult to compensate for. I had horrible AHIs which looked like I wasn't getting any treatment at all. Just recently, things have reversed themselves and my therapy numbers are looking more like they used to. I'm not sure exactly " WHY? ", but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth and will proceed with my fingers crossed that things don't backslide again.

Den

.

Wulfman... wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 6:21 pm

Diotima wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 16, 2019 4:24 pm

First I've heard high pressure is correlated to large body mass. What source do you have to back up this?

You're the one that made that statement. What is YOUR source to back up that assertion???

Personally, I've known lots of small, skinny people who had high blood pressure.
I don't know that there's a medical correlation between the two.


Den

.

I didn't make that statement I was asking for a source on the statement that someone alluded that high pressure was needing the larger someone was.

Re: "I've heard that . . . "
I, too have heard a lot of things--much of which was untrue.
Some are ignorant guesses--others are bald-faced lies.
Some people make crap up to sound important, because they think it will not matter anyway.
Sadly, this does sometimes include medical professionals.
The rest of us try to only repeat things we KNOW to be true--or remain silent.
We owe one another the dignity of honesty.