I need to stop chasing 0 AHI.

I've been on XPAP for almost three months. I was originally titrated at 12cm (which I dropped to 8cm to try and combat awful aerophagia), but was given an APAP after a month. The doctor had them set the machine wide open at 5-20cm. I changed it to 8-20cm. Then about 10 days ago I bumped it up to 10cm. Last night I went to 11cm.

I haven't had aerophagia since I knocked the original CPAP down to 8, but this morning I woke up feeling like a balloon. I guess 11cm is my limit. AND my AHI was up a bit as well.

Raising the minimum pressure didn't seem to help at all. The graphs don't show any long term lowering of my AHI, even in minimal amounts.

But my AHI is always under 2, usually around 1.1-1.5, shouldn't that be good enough?

(I'm at work right now, but I can post my data when I get home).

fortomorrow wrote:I've been on XPAP for almost three months. I was originally titrated at 12cm (which I dropped to 8cm to try and combat awful aerophagia), but was given an APAP after a month. The doctor had them set the machine wide open at 5-20cm. I changed it to 8-20cm. Then about 10 days ago I bumped it up to 10cm. Last night I went to 11cm.

I haven't had aerophagia since I knocked the original CPAP down to 8, but this morning I woke up feeling like a balloon. I guess 11cm is my limit. AND my AHI was up a bit as well.

Raising the minimum pressure didn't seem to help at all. The graphs don't show any long term lowering of my AHI, even in minimal amounts.

But my AHI is always under 2, usually around 1.1-1.5, shouldn't that be good enough?

(I'm at work right now, but I can post my data when I get home).

All things considered, it sounds good enough to me. I've never "chased" 0 AHI.....just looked for a reasonable (comfortable) pressure to get reasonable results.
It would appear to me that you're doing very well.


Den

I would be elated with those numbers

fortomorrow wrote:But my AHI is always under 2, usually around 1.1-1.5, shouldn't that be good enough?

That's a wonderfully low AHI. I wouldn't worry for one moment about trying to lower the AHI more.

trackman said it well, "I would be elated with those numbers."

Like Den, I've never chased "0" either. It's happened at times, but was no big deal to me at all. Didn't make me feel one whit more rested than I feel each morning anyway.

I think some people (not talking about you, fortomorrow...just musing out loud) who don't feel better with low AHI on cpap treatment, think, "If only I could get rid of those last few events, THEN I'd feel great." But there can be soooo many factors other than OSA that can make people feel tired, wornout, fatigued, sleepy... lousy in general. CPAP can be doing its part of the job like a champ, yet there can be other health problems or sleep hygiene issues that interfere with feeling well rested.

AHI under 2.0 "good enough?" Gosh, YES!

rested gal wrote:I think some people (not talking about you, fortomorrow...just musing out loud) who don't feel better with low AHI on cpap treatment, think, "If only I could get rid of those last few events, THEN I'd feel great." But there can be soooo many factors other than OSA that can make people feel tired, wornout, fatigued, sleepy... lousy in general. CPAP can be doing its part of the job like a champ, yet there can be other health problems or sleep hygiene issues that interfere with feeling well rested.

Oh no, RG, that's totally me. I still feel pretty tired (although I *do* feel better than I did before CPAP) and I suppose I keep telling myself that if I can get to the lowest AHI possible I'd feel amazing.

The truth is that I'm depressed, I'm stressed out due to an upcoming surgery and the bottom line is that I need to get **more** sleep (I usually get about 6.5-7.5 hours) and I still need to find The Mask. The Zzzz is fine, but not ideal. I think I get a new mask from my insurance soon, and I need to decide between the UMFF and the Quattro again.

I'll stop worrying about it and maybe drop back down to 8cm to relieve some of the pressure in my poor abdomen.

fortomorrow wrote:But my AHI is always under 2, usually around 1.1-1.5, shouldn't that be good enough?

I agree with Den, Trackman, and rested gal--I'd be very happy with those numbers, even elated.

I have no idea what my number were on CPAP at 10 cm, but on BiPAP so far my average AHI is 5.6 or such. I've had a couple nights under two, and some nights in the 2-3 range, but then the numbers range upwards, and most are in the 5-7 range, it seems.

But I'm glad to hear people say they don't chase after 0; I know those of us with data-capable machines and software think and write a lot about the numbers, but it's good to know that not everyone expects or strives for ultra-low numbers.

I hope whatever pressure you settle on tonight keeps you feeling more comfortable, fortomorrow.

nath

Fortomorrow, I agree those AHI numbers are great. And good luck with that surgery too!

I have noticed when my weight is up there that I don't feel as well-rested when I wake up in the morning. And by the end of the day I am noticeably more fatigued when I carry extra weight as well. So now you have CPAP keeping your apnea in check and some weight loss on the horizon. All-in-all I'd say your prospects for a much more energetic and healthy life are looking pretty darn good.

Keep up the great work! And as your health starts to get better and better, please come back here to share your success story!

Just for laughs, here's my AHI chart from Encore Pro. I upped the pressure to 10 on the 24th, the same night the machine did it's monthly data loss. I've learnt my lesson by the way. I erase that sucker every morning now.

No rhyme or reason to it really, although the numbers went down around the time I got myself a full face mask.

Fortomorrow
Your AHI looks enviable, not bad at all.

Actually when you do ever get to zero you have the added burden of wondering if the machine is lying to you

DSM

Actually when you do ever get to zero you have the added burden of wondering if the machine is lying to you

LOL

Hey Fortomorrow, that graph was from Encore Pro? Just wondering if I've overlooked something cause I haven't seen anything like it in mine.

About that AHI... although mine stays low with no extra effort on my part, I really don't feel any difference the day after my occasional 0 nights. If I didn't have the data, I'd never know I reached that 0 - still feel tired and sleepy. All those other contributing factors can be a bear.

Kathy

Kathy... that's a graph from "Encore Pro Analyzer".

fortomorrow wrote:
Oh no, RG, that's totally me. I suppose I keep telling myself that if I can get to the lowest AHI possible I'd feel amazing.

forT, good thoughts! I have been thinking about this ever since you posted
it. All my life I have been controlled by the need for perfection.
Only in the past few years, w/some professional help, have I been able to
"manage" that demon. So, this am, I ran a report for Nov.
My avg. AHI for the month was 2.0. I think I am going to give myself a big
pat on the back and a very well done, keep it up....you're doing fine.

I feel like my biological clock is running backwards.
I wake up each am and feel younger than the day before.
My life is SO different since I started this therapy.

Thanks!

dsm wrote:Actually when you do ever get to zero you have the added burden of wondering if the machine is lying to you DSM

Man, don't go there.......this kind of thinking is a killer for
people like me. .......are you the Devil??

Perhaps this is over-simplifying the issue just a little too much, but...

It seems to me the connection between the *PAP and the human respiratory system is a mechanical one -- hose to mask. In a very simplistic manner, raising pressure might be needed to drop AHI, but that also increases the likelihood of problems in the connection (leaks, for example).

AHI=2.0 may just be a cosmic balance of All Things Considered.

If I were good at Photoshop, I might try putting together a picture of a *PAP and hose being connected to a face completely sealed by duct tape, and call it something like "The Ultimate FFM".

fortomorrow wrote:I've been on XPAP for almost three months. I was originally titrated at 12cm (which I dropped to 8cm to try and combat awful aerophagia), but was given an APAP after a month. The doctor had them set the machine wide open at 5-20cm. I changed it to 8-20cm. Then about 10 days ago I bumped it up to 10cm. Last night I went to 11cm.

I haven't had aerophagia since I knocked the original CPAP down to 8, but this morning I woke up feeling like a balloon. I guess 11cm is my limit. AND my AHI was up a bit as well.

Raising the minimum pressure didn't seem to help at all. The graphs don't show any long term lowering of my AHI, even in minimal amounts.

But my AHI is always under 2, usually around 1.1-1.5, shouldn't that be good enough?

(I'm at work right now, but I can post my data when I get home).

I've been on CPAP since September 26, 2008. I recently had a discussion with my doctor because I believe I need an APAP machine because my numbers jump all over the place. I average about an 8.2 AHI with an AI less than 3. My doctor told me my numbers were "great" but I am not certain I believe him. I was only chasing an AHI of under 5 and have only achieved that about 3 or 4 times and was feeling bad about that and my numbers in general. After seeing your numbers and noticing most relies have come from folks with APAP machines, maybe I do need the APAP afterall. One final note, I feel much better and not at all tired since using my CPAP and I think the bottom line is that is what really matters.