New to CPAP, AHI Rising w/ Machine Use?

Snorkel · Post by **Snorkel** » Sun May 06, 2007 4:50 pm

Hey,

I've been using cpap for 3.5 weeks. Finding it really hard to get used to, and trouble falling asleep. The doc put me on ambien or sonata to get me to sleep, and wants me to continue for a couple of weeks this way to get used to things.

the problem I'm experiencing is that according to the mchine, my AHI is increasing day-by-day. Where it started out at 8, it's now up to 13. This is the average number, as my card module is currently not working, and therefore unable to read nightly data. Nonetheless, the upward creep bothers me, and I'm trying to figure out what's going on.

thanks for help,

David

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Sun May 06, 2007 5:00 pm

You can still read some nightly data via the LCD screen.

Have you told your doctor that your AHI is up to 13? You must be getting some crappy sleep. In my opinion, there is no reason to wait more weeks. It's time to change some pressures somewhere.

Maybe your doctor will order you a rental Apap to see if a more desireable pressure would work.

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Sun May 06, 2007 6:04 pm

Are you sure you're not mouth breathing? If your mouth drops open while you sleep, you could be losing all of the pressure out of your mouth. If it were me, I'd try taping my mouth shut before I fooled around with the pressure. As you become more comfortable with the mask you may be sleeping better and opening the mouth more, causing the AHI to go higher.

Brenda

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun May 06, 2007 6:26 pm

As Brenda says, also the machine data is basically usless, you need to reset it every day and keep a log on the numbers. The machine talks in avgs, makes life very confusing. Jim

Snorkel · Post by **Snorkel** » Sun May 06, 2007 6:53 pm

I told the doc about the numbers, and she said she doesn't put a ton of weight on the CPAP machine numbers since the machines use a flow (and not a pressure) sensor. Although, I wonder if APAPs use a pressure sensor instead of a flow sensor?

As for mouth breathing... I don't think I do... when I do, during a bad cold, etc, I wake up w/ sore throat. But the taping job isn't a bad check/idea.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri May 25, 2007 4:19 am

There are tons more plausible scenarios which dont call for changing the CPAP pressure. Mouth venting? Maybe he or she has CPAP kick and a pause in breathing afterwards... this would show up as an event on the machine.

David...

Did you have any indication of any PLMs/RLS during your study? What were your chief complaints?

Do you feel like the quality of your sleep is improving? Take the data with a grain of salt

Daddysaur · Post by **Daddysaur** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 3:57 pm

Snorkel, have you taken ambien before? My wife was all over the bed on that stuff and would have had a hard time with the hose marching around on ambien all night. If you know it helps then try other things....if your not sure then add it to the list of possible causes.

pi9dd@gmx.de · Post by **pi9dd@gmx.de** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 1:05 am

I like it a lot! It very impressive. Good work. Thanks!

echo · Post by **echo** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 8:58 am

If your quality of sleep doesn't improve, you (your doctor) might also want to consider the possibility of central apneas - higher pressures can induce central apneas, apparently.

For me, my sleep specialists said that all my apneas were obstructive in the PSG study... until I used an APAP for the titration study and started getting centrals -and once she noticed those she went back to the original study and found a few central apneas there as well.

When I asked for a data capable machine, she said that she doesn't really trust the numbers - for example if you take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and then wait a couple of seconds to take another breath, that could be classified as an apnea. So as others have said, trust how you feel more than just what the numbers say.

New to CPAP, AHI Rising w/ Machine Use?

New to CPAP, AHI Rising w/ Machine Use?

NewYork