Many flow limitations but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%.. is this an issue?

Charlieboy UK · Post by **Charlieboy UK** » Wed Jan 07, 2026 10:52 am

I have a very high flow rate even using my APAP, I can be 200 even 300 or more of them in one night...but my AHI is always around 2/3 and my Sp02 on my 02 Ring is always above 95%. I tried increasing the pressure (im on 4-8), but that just made it worse higher AHI...and higher mask leaks (which i think it actually mouth as i use a nasal mask) and i felt like a balloon.
I don't know id this is an issue or not...don't really feel tired in the day now and I now don't get up in the night.

Dog Slobber · Post by **Dog Slobber** » Wed Jan 07, 2026 12:52 pm

Post an OSCAR graph. A list of numbers isn't helpful.

Charlieboy UK · Post by **Charlieboy UK** » Wed Jan 07, 2026 1:29 pm

here you go...

Charlieboy UK · Post by **Charlieboy UK** » Wed Jan 07, 2026 1:32 pm

and this is my AHI, Sp02, and pulse...

Charlieboy UK · Post by **Charlieboy UK** » Wed Jan 07, 2026 1:43 pm

This one I had 377 flow limitations.. 2.23 AHI and Sp02 above 95% all night ...which was a 6 hour sleep.

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Wed Jan 07, 2026 2:34 pm

When you do the detailed report don't cut off the left side data.

See my examples here in this thread
http://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic/t1585 ... eview.html

Are you experiencing any nasal congestion at night?

Charlieboy UK · Post by **Charlieboy UK** » Wed Jan 07, 2026 3:08 pm

thanks... no nasal congestion...

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Wed Jan 07, 2026 3:25 pm

Your current settings are showing auto adjusting mode with minimum of 4 and max of 8.
I can't tell if you are using exhale relief or how much. From the pressure graphs it looks like sometimes there is a little bit and sometimes none.

Bear in mind that we don't have all that much experience with your brand of machine. From what I have seen it looks like it sort of works like the Respironics machine. I have no idea what triggers the auto adjusting algorithm.

Adding in a bit more pressure support (difference between inhale and exhale) might help reduce those flow limitations but with your current settings you really don't have much room to add in any pressure support.
Is there a setting that you can adjust that might be called exhale relief??? That's how we get pressure support increases....we increase the exhale relief.

I also think that the minimum might be a bit low.
So if it were me I would increase the minimum to 6 and raise the maximum to 12 and if you have any sort of exhale relief setting (can't see all of your settings because you cut off the left side of the data graphs on the left so I can't read exactly what those settings are called) ......I would try increase that exhale relief to the max available. I think it might be 3 on your machine but not totally certain.

There are 2 main ways to reduce flow limitations....increase that pressure support or increase the minimum and let the machine go a bit higher with an increase in the max pressure setting.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:00 am

It's not "very high flow rate" it's "many flow limitation" you can edit the subject to make it clearer.

Unlike Respironics machine, that scale flow limitations between 0 (none) and 1 (no flow) your machine is counting specific occurrences of what it defines as a flow limitation.

Charlieboy UK wrote: ↑
Wed Jan 07, 2026 10:52 am
I don't know id this is an issue or not...don't really feel tired in the day now and I now don't get up in the night.

Given that info, I'd say it's not much of an issue, since your therapy is giving you 3 excellent results. Namely:

don't really feel tired in the day now
and I now don't get up in the night.
Sp02 on my 02 Ring is always above 95%

However, since your machine is given permission to go down to 4 - which is a "no therapy level" - I think you should try to raise the minimum. Some people, especially beginners, need to make that change slowly - and do stay at the changed level for a few days (5 or so).
As for the graphs: for the sake of better understanding, check in OSCAR's settings if you can set the graph not to show flow limitations on the flow chart so we could see the other types of events and their relationship to the pressure flow more clearly. Does the OSCAR let you see a flow limitation graph? I'm guessing not, since they are counted.
Also: see if you can focus on where the pressure goes up, so we can understand better what happened there e.g. 05:45 to 06:46.

Nocibur · Post by **Nocibur** » Thu Jan 08, 2026 4:37 am

Some stuff:

https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Threa ... vs-dynamic

It would appear that SoftPAP is suspended during periods of (unstable) leaks. Can't confirm tho, need a deep dive into those areas.

Nocibur · Post by **Nocibur** » Thu Jan 08, 2026 4:44 am

There's another thread where it is reported that Lowenstein devices report an unusually high number of FLs.

Again, deep dive.

Nocibur · Post by **Nocibur** » Thu Jan 08, 2026 9:38 am

Pugsy wrote: ↑
Wed Jan 07, 2026 3:25 pm
Adding in a bit more pressure support (difference between inhale and exhale) might help reduce those flow limitations but with your current settings you really don't have much room to add in any pressure support.
Is there a setting that you can adjust that might be called exhale relief??? That's how we get pressure support increases....we increase the exhale relief.

Oddly, there is anecdotal evidence that eliminating softPAP significantly reduces FLs.

Charlieboy UK · Post by **Charlieboy UK** » Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:27 pm

ozij wrote: ↑
Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:00 am
It's not "very high flow rate" it's "many flow limitation" you can edit the subject to make it clearer.

Unlike Respironics machine, that scale flow limitations between 0 (none) and 1 (no flow) your machine is counting specific occurrences of what it defines as a flow limitation.
Charlieboy UK wrote: ↑
Wed Jan 07, 2026 10:52 am
I don't know id this is an issue or not...don't really feel tired in the day now and I now don't get up in the night.
Given that info, I'd say it's not much of an issue, since your therapy is giving you 3 excellent results. Namely:
don't really feel tired in the day now

and I now don't get up in the night.
Sp02 on my 02 Ring is always above 95%

However, since your machine is given permission to go down to 4 - which is a "no therapy level" - I think you should try to raise the minimum. Some people, especially beginners, need to make that change slowly - and do stay at the changed level for a few days (5 or so).
As for the graphs: for the sake of better understanding, check in OSCAR's settings if you can set the graph not to show flow limitations on the flow chart so we could see the other types of events and their relationship to the pressure flow more clearly. Does the OSCAR let you see a flow limitation graph? I'm guessing not, since they are counted.
Also: see if you can focus on where the pressure goes up, so we can understand better what happened there e.g. 05:45 to 06:46.

Thanks...I'll give it a go.. oddly, when i increased my pressure, my AHI increased.. example attached 6-11... but maybe ill start lower 5-9 and see..im not sure if you can take flow rate out but ill check on SleepHQ as well. as you say, im not sure if its an issue or not, as the core things like Sp02 AHI are all good...and i don't get so tired...and not getting uo in the night is an interesting one.

Charlieboy UK · Post by **Charlieboy UK** » Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:34 pm

Pugsy wrote: ↑
Wed Jan 07, 2026 3:25 pm
Your current settings are showing auto adjusting mode with minimum of 4 and max of 8.
I can't tell if you are using exhale relief or how much. From the pressure graphs it looks like sometimes there is a little bit and sometimes none.

Bear in mind that we don't have all that much experience with your brand of machine. From what I have seen it looks like it sort of works like the Respironics machine. I have no idea what triggers the auto adjusting algorithm.

Adding in a bit more pressure support (difference between inhale and exhale) might help reduce those flow limitations but with your current settings you really don't have much room to add in any pressure support.
Is there a setting that you can adjust that might be called exhale relief??? That's how we get pressure support increases....we increase the exhale relief.

I also think that the minimum might be a bit low.
So if it were me I would increase the minimum to 6 and raise the maximum to 12 and if you have any sort of exhale relief setting (can't see all of your settings because you cut off the left side of the data graphs on the left so I can't read exactly what those settings are called) ......I would try increase that exhale relief to the max available. I think it might be 3 on your machine but not totally certain.

There are 2 main ways to reduce flow limitations....increase that pressure support or increase the minimum and let the machine go a bit higher with an increase in the max pressure setting.

Its called SoftPAD on Lowenstein and I have it set on the max 2... so maybe ill try with it off or try 1 and see what happens... its a really nice machine, I do like it with the Resmed P10 nasal mask... oddly when I increased the pressure, my AHI increased ...and another machine I had was set on max 20 APAP and it was going to 16 and I felt like a balloon! it was terrible pain ... and had loads of mask leaks (which i think was my mouth... i think the air was backing up and coming out of my mouth)

Charlieboy UK · Post by **Charlieboy UK** » Thu Jan 08, 2026 12:46 pm

Nocibur wrote: ↑
Thu Jan 08, 2026 9:38 am

Pugsy wrote: ↑
Wed Jan 07, 2026 3:25 pm
Adding in a bit more pressure support (difference between inhale and exhale) might help reduce those flow limitations but with your current settings you really don't have much room to add in any pressure support.
Is there a setting that you can adjust that might be called exhale relief??? That's how we get pressure support increases....we increase the exhale relief.
Oddly, there is anecdotal evidence that eliminating softPAP significantly reduces FLs.

thanks... really helpful.. some people said set it to 3, but it only goes to 2.

Many flow limitations but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%.. is this an issue?

Many flow limitations but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%.. is this an issue?

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%

Re: Very high flow rate but AHI 2/3 and Sp02 always above 95%