PRESSURE SETTINGS AND AHI

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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Pugsy
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Re: PRESSURE SETTINGS AND AHI

Post by Pugsy » Thu Jul 28, 2022 6:59 pm

samir wrote:
Thu Jul 28, 2022 5:51 pm
If you look at my flow rate, it seems like the first part on the left is smooth and looks pretty normal with the second part been inconsistent and this
pattern is shown throughout the night. Is there any explanation for this.
You weren't asleep and the irregular breathing is indicative of arousal/awakening. You may or may not remember it.
Looks like you were pretty much sound asleep until about 04:08:30 and you started waking up and by 04:09:30 you were awake and all the rest of that breathing irregularity is related to no being asleep.

Pressure pulses are just something the machine does when it senses some type of apnea and it sends out little puff/pulses of air to help it figure out if the apnea event is central/CA or obstructive. Ignore them.
samir wrote:
Thu Jul 28, 2022 5:51 pm
4. What steps can I take to reduce the CAs.
You can't with this machine. More pressure won't reduce the centrals BUT you aren't having enough centrals to worry about.
Did you know it is normal to have a few central apneas? You need to be seeing an average of 5 centrals per hour ..every hour...every night for them to cause a problem.

Are you wanting to try for 0.0 AHI? It won't happen and it will drive you nuts trying to get there.
It's an unrealistic goal.

You don't understand what a 95% pressure number is....it is NOT the average of the night.
95% numbers just mean you were at OR BELOW that number for 95% of the night. The "or below" part of the definition is often missed or forgotten.

Periodic breathing is just a special breathing pattern and the only time we worry about it is when you see a lot of it AND it's chocked full of central apnea events.
1...your pattern isn't the pattern we worry about and 2...you aren't having PB flagged breathing chocked full of central apneas.
IGNORE it.

You left out some very important information.
How are you sleeping and feeling? Why are you trying to eliminate all events? Is something lacking in how you feel that you wished was different?
Are you waking often during the night?...or sleeping soundly for the most part?
samir wrote:
Thu Jul 28, 2022 5:51 pm
3. Does this also mean that my body needs higher pressures and therefore better handled by a BIPAP rather than a CPAP.
I don't see your body wanting to go to the levels where you would need a bilevel device. You don't even hit 15 much less the 20 cm max.

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samir
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Location: Nairobi

Re: PRESSURE SETTINGS AND AHI

Post by samir » Sat Jul 30, 2022 2:41 pm

Many thanks pugsy for your support as always.

Indeed, you guidance and advice have helped me throughout my CPAP therapy.

I am not aiming for 0.00 AHI. Not really. It was just a thought since I do experience obstructive apneas even at 11.5cm, I will be able to maybe eliminate them with an increased pressure. But your point is well gotten.

Thanks once again.