CPAPtalk.com

sidesleeper7 wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:08 pm

Hello CPAP world, !

I have been using the machine for about 2-3 weeks now approx., I see a difference In my mood, but not much as far as energy, today I actually feel more tired than normal ,, as is for most day since I have started .. my pressure is 7.4 and average AHI has been 3-4 … do I need to try to get the AHI under 1? to see better results.. this has been quite the journey ..

Many people have found that they don't feel noticeably better until they get under 2. I went from 79+ to 1.5 and under most nights. I rarely go past 2 with cpap, so I really don't know how I would feel with an ahi of 3-4.

Also, I wanted to mention that some of my best nights, I wake up with puffy eyes. It goes down in about an hour. Not sure what really causes it. But it seems to only happen when I have a really good night with 7+ hours and no bathroom trips. So, I figure it is a small downside to good sleep. Not worth worrying about. Obviously, if you are having pain, or it lasts a long time, then it may need to be solved. But if it is just minor and goes away, I wouldn't worry about it.

sidesleeper7 wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 16, 2019 10:17 pm

Jas_williams wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 16, 2019 4:49 pm

We try and target an AHI of less than 2, anything lower is a futile target as AHI changes from night to night

OK thanks, ill try to get it lower than 2, would a AHI of 4 compared to 2 make noticeable difference in how one would feel after a nights rest?

tx

It might make a noticeable difference in how someone feels and it might not.
It depends on what is causing the higher AHI and what (if anything) you do, or can do, to reduce it.
What is your higher AHI composed of in terms of category of apnea events?
Are you sleeping soundly or having prolonged periods of awake time with mask on which greatly increases the chance of those flagged events being false positive flagged events and instead of being the cause of the poor sleep they are just a symptom of poor sleep?

Are those flagged events centrals/CAs or are they OAs/hyponeas?

Back when I started cpap, my mom was amazed at how much better I felt. She had been using cpap for almost 20 years and never felt that much improvement. Her machine was older, without the data that we now have. After I had my followup, I let her use my machine for half a night at her prescribed setting of 10. I am a severe night owl, so I was able to download the data and reset the machine before I went to bed. Her ahi was only 3.4 which sounds good. But her events were clustered and long. In one cluster, she had 8 events all over 30 seconds each, one over a minute, in less than 15 minutes. That was ugly.

A few nights later, we did another partial night, this time set for 10-13, just to get an idea of what the machine wanted to do. We made an appointment with my sleep doctor. We too her previous sleep study results and the two print outs of thepartial nights. The doctor prescribed a new auto machine, set for 10-15. And my mom is MUCH happier with the new machine and settings. She felt much better.

So, for some people, it can make a huge difference. Keep in mind that an ahi of 4 means that you are are being disturbed in your sleep 4 times an hour, all night long. Or you have a few good hours and a few really bad hours. Either way, the sleep quality can still be terrible. Especially if your events are longer, or they are clustered.

I have the basic resmed machine now so spefific data isn't possible, just tells me AHI, no breakdown..

I feel like it has been helping but lately I have been more congested so my AHI has been up, when my nasal passages are clear I always sleep better and get better AHI results...

I have felt better during the day for the most part, but now am wanting to sleep longer? perhaps catchup? and when I wake up I am a little more groggy or still sleepy until I get some coffee and then I feel better.. normal?

sidesleeper7 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 19, 2019 4:05 pm

I feel like it has been helping but lately I have been more congested so my AHI has been up, when my nasal passages are clear I always sleep better and get better AHI results...

may i suggest flonase? nasal spray and can be found at your local drugstore and grocery store. it really helps me knock back on congestion.

good luck!

zonker wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 19, 2019 9:05 pm

sidesleeper7 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 19, 2019 4:05 pm

I feel like it has been helping but lately I have been more congested so my AHI has been up, when my nasal passages are clear I always sleep better and get better AHI results...

may i suggest flonase? nasal spray and can be found at your local drugstore and grocery store. it really helps me knock back on congestion.

good luck!

thx Zonker, ill try this, is it safe to use everyday / evening?

sidesleeper7 wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:31 pm

thx Zonker, ill try this, is it safe to use everyday / evening?

Yes, it's safe for longterm use - once per day, preferably about the same time of day.

There are generic versions that are just as good - Fluticasone Propionate Nasal Spray. https://www.target.com/p/fluticasone-pr ... A-50287935

sidesleeper7 wrote: ↑

Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:31 pm

zonker wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 19, 2019 9:05 pm

sidesleeper7 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 19, 2019 4:05 pm

I feel like it has been helping but lately I have been more congested so my AHI has been up, when my nasal passages are clear I always sleep better and get better AHI results...

may i suggest flonase? nasal spray and can be found at your local drugstore and grocery store. it really helps me knock back on congestion.

good luck!

thx Zonker, ill try this, is it safe to use everyday / evening?

yes. any drugstore or grocery store should carry it.

The past few days my AHI has been higher - around 7-8 .. lastnight it was back around 4 AHI but I still have been waking up after 7 hours of sleep and feeling tired, like I need more sleep .. Do I need to try to get my AHI under 2 for this to go away?
Sigh . …

sidesleeper7 wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 23, 2019 3:22 pm

The past few days my AHI has been higher - around 7-8 .. lastnight it was back around 4 AHI but I still have been waking up after 7 hours of sleep and feeling tired, like I need more sleep .. Do I need to try to get my AHI under 2 for this to go away?
Sigh . …

Probably. A lot of people have found that they feel better if their ahi is under 2. Even at 4, that's 4 times an hour of being disturbed and 28 times a night for 7 hours.

Any idea what made it go up for a few nights? Have you been hurting? Ate something different or later at night? New medication?

zoocrewphoto wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 23, 2019 3:27 pm

sidesleeper7 wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 23, 2019 3:22 pm

The past few days my AHI has been higher - around 7-8 .. lastnight it was back around 4 AHI but I still have been waking up after 7 hours of sleep and feeling tired, like I need more sleep .. Do I need to try to get my AHI under 2 for this to go away?
Sigh . …

Probably. A lot of people have found that they feel better if their ahi is under 2. Even at 4, that's 4 times an hour of being disturbed and 28 times a night for 7 hours.

Any idea what made it go up for a few nights? Have you been hurting? Ate something different or later at night? New medication?

wow , I never thought of it from that perspective .. I think my sinuses have been acting up for a few days, and when I sleep on my back my snoring is worse.. so either 1 or a combination of the two..
tx

Since you don't have an apap, you may need to boost your pressure a little if you know you are having problems with something.

For example, if I need to take a muscle relaxer or have a cold, my pressure needs are higher. Since I have an auto, I don't have to think about it. But if I check the data, I will see that it ran at higher pressures than normal.

If I have a bad cough, I have to raise the minimum by 2 as I can't get past a coughing spasm at my minimum of 11. It is like a new person starting at 4 and feeling starved for air. I don't really like 13, so I lower it back down once the cough is gone.

If you know what causes the problems, you can make the adjustments you need to help prevent problems.

Thanks, I may try to boost the pressure, some and I need to get an APAP machine for these situations, meanwhile I was thinking about giving nasal pillows a try, I do have a deviated septum and am using the ResMed AirFit N10 nasal mask but it seemsl ikeit may be pushing down on the sides of my nose while wearing causing more congestion .. thougthts > ?