Need suggestions on how to reduce my AHI

Thanks.

I was quite surprised how I managed to cope with 6 pressure, I figured it must be ok off the bat? But as I say it hasn’t improved my ahi.

You know maybe a good chunk of the AHI you see is from awake/arousal breathing false positives.
You might want to take the time to learn how to distinguish between asleep breathing flagged events and awake/arousal breathing flagged events. Watch all the videos here.
http://freecpapadvice.com/sleepyhead-free-software

Any event flag can be a false positive...doesn't have to be just central/clear airway. I have had AHI of nearly 4 and every single flagged event was related to awake/arousal breathing. Nice mix of all categories and every single flag wasn't real.
You have to be asleep for it to matter.

Since you had a problem with more pressure causing aerophagia issues it is very possible that awake breathing was flagged.
How do you fix awake breathing flags....you have to fix the sleep quality and more pressure isn't the answer.

Sometimes a higher AHI isn't because of sleep apnea but because of poor sleep.

It seems that you're tried two different masks, but both of them are full face masks. Have you tried a nasal mask?

Note that many patients who insist that they are mouth breathers find that they can nose breathe if the pressure is adequate to hold open the nasal passages.

Yes I have a nasal mask, which I used when I first got cpap, however I believe I’m a mouth breather.

Sorry I missed your last paragraph somehow.

D.H. wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 04, 2019 7:51 am

It seems that you're tried two different masks, but both of them are full face masks. Have you tried a nasal mask?

Note that many patients who insist that they are mouth breathers find that they can nose breathe if the pressure is adequate to hold open the nasal passages.

I would have sworn up and down I was a mouth breather, but my feelings about having things on my face leading me to try a nasal mask turned that right round! My best ahi night are when I sleep soundly on my side with a nasal mask. I would try one, worst case it doesn't work and nothing changes for you.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 04, 2019 7:03 am

You know maybe a good chunk of the AHI you see is from awake/arousal breathing false positives.
You might want to take the time to learn how to distinguish between asleep breathing flagged events and awake/arousal breathing flagged events. Watch all the videos here.
http://freecpapadvice.com/sleepyhead-free-software

....

OK, I've watched the videos no.
But I'm not really sure, although it does look most of my hypopneas seem like false positives. Obstructions seem minimal.

LunaTuna wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 04, 2019 12:33 pm

D.H. wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 04, 2019 7:51 am

It seems that you're tried two different masks, but both of them are full face masks. Have you tried a nasal mask?

Note that many patients who insist that they are mouth breathers find that they can nose breathe if the pressure is adequate to hold open the nasal passages.

I would have sworn up and down I was a mouth breather, but my feelings about having things on my face leading me to try a nasal mask turned that right round! My best ahi night are when I sleep soundly on my side with a nasal mask. I would try one, worst case it doesn't work and nothing changes for you.

I think the nasal mask seems like a good option to revisit.

Thanks.

LunaTuna wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 04, 2019 12:33 pm

D.H. wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 04, 2019 7:51 am

It seems that you're tried two different masks, but both of them are full face masks. Have you tried a nasal mask?

Note that many patients who insist that they are mouth breathers find that they can nose breathe if the pressure is adequate to hold open the nasal passages.

I would have sworn up and down I was a mouth breather, but my feelings about having things on my face leading me to try a nasal mask turned that right round! My best ahi night are when I sleep soundly on my side with a nasal mask. I would try one, worst case it doesn't work and nothing changes for you.

+1, luna. that was my experience exactly. found out, for me, that using a nasal pillow mask was THE way to go.