First Nights APAP report

After 8 yrs using cpap used my new Intellipap Auto for the first time last night. My fixed pressure is 9. Set the apap at 6-12. My wife said she heard me snoring a bit, which I don't do on the fixed pressure cpap.
Smart code report was :
95th 6.5
90th 6.0
AHI 2
PPT 0
High Leak Flow time 0
NRI 1
EPI 0
While breathing last day 6.6

Not sure at this stage what they all mean but I think I will increase the low pressure to 7.5 tonight to see if it stops the snoring.


KenD
bris

Why not set the bottom at 9, your fixed pressure, and see whether the machine needs to give you a little more?

If you're looking to stay at the lowest possible pressure for most of the night...
Move the pressure up .5 at a time. But give it at least a few nights each time you change the pressure(a week is better). I found that after a few nights the snores became less and less. Small steps are better!

Brenda

I would raise my minimum pressure to 8 or 9 cm and the maximum maybe 3-4 above that. That would mean not changing the maximum in your case probably. It would probably help the snores and events .

Just an opinion. I don't have that machine but keep a narrow range, with my minimum at or near my titrated pressure and my maximum pressure 3 cm above that. Works well for me! Might work well for you too.

Breathe Jimbo wrote:Why not set the bottom at 9, your fixed pressure, and see whether the machine needs to give you a little more?

Just curious - if the 95% was just over 6, why would you set the bottom at 9?

I was titrated at 8; set my auto at 6-10; snores were too many so bumped the low number up to 6.5; still too many snores; now at 7.0, snores in low single digits and AHI often below 1. I am happy now! Love my Intellipap!

Thanks for all the great suggestions. Set the Intellipap at 7.5 - 12 last night and think I had a good night's sleep.
It is 6:22 am here and my wife is still asleep, don't want to disturb her getting the smart codes so don't know last night's figures. She didn't wake me so hopefully the snoreswere negligible. Interested to see what the figures were.
Cheers

kenD
Bris Oz

Last nights figures were
95th 7.5
9oth 7.5
AHI 2
PPT 0
HLF 0
NRI .5
EPI 0
WBHLD 8.1
My wife didn't hear any snoring. Will probably leave it set the same for a few days, if figures stay much the same, would reduction in low from 7.5 to 7.0 and increase in high from 12 to 13 be worthwhile?
Thanks
KenD
Bris Oz

Countman,

Basely your reported results are roughly the same regardless the low pressure set. Is the Intellipap responding to snores?

Guest wrote:Just curious - if the 95% was just over 6, why would you set the bottom at 9?

I asked my earlier question because I was curious, too. If his fixed pressure was 9, is there really any benefit to setting the minimum below that and possibly "inviting" events? I don't know. I use a CPAP and was wondering about APAP settings. Since I have no problem tolerating a fixed 13 with EPR and that pressure does not induce centrals, would there be any real reason to get an APAP so that I could set a lower minimum? I guess I was trying to learn how one benefits from setting the minimum lower than the fixed pressure when one moves from a CPAP to an APAP. I seem to recall that pressure changes woke me up during my sleep study.

had it set at 8.5 and 12.0 last night. 90th was 8.0, 95th 8.5 , AHI was 3, NRI .5 and EPI 2.0. I know I shouldn't be changing it so quickly, but tempting isn't it.

KenD
bris

have just returned from a few weeks away and haven't kept the figures, but my AHI's blew out to 8 somenights and 90/95th up to 12. A few nights ago I decided to turn of the smartflex feature, and changed pressure range to 7 to 12.
Since then AHI's have been below 1 and 90/95th max 7.5, and I think with no snoring.
I had never used any exhale assistance before this Intellipap and never had any problems with exhale even when I had cpap set at 12.
Does it make sense that turning smartflex off could make this much difference. Will be interesting to see what happens over the next week.
Also I have been sleeping and keeping the mask on for up to 9 hours when on these holidays, making up for all those years of 6 hours sleep or less when I had to wake at 0330 to get to work. Wondering if these higher AHI's could be occurring in those extra hours I have slept.
KenD
Bris

Breathe Jimbo wrote:

Guest wrote:Just curious - if the 95% was just over 6, why would you set the bottom at 9?

I asked my earlier question because I was curious, too. If his fixed pressure was 9, is there really any benefit to setting the minimum below that and possibly "inviting" events? I don't know. I use a CPAP and was wondering about APAP settings. Since I have no problem tolerating a fixed 13 with EPR and that pressure does not induce centrals, would there be any real reason to get an APAP so that I could set a lower minimum? I guess I was trying to learn how one benefits from setting the minimum lower than the fixed pressure when one moves from a CPAP to an APAP. I seem to recall that pressure changes woke me up during my sleep study.

Hi Jimbo, If one has positional apneas(sleeping supine) but needs less pressure on side, then a narrow range on auto might allow you to sleep mostly at lower pressures with an extra ceiling if needed. My husband is sensitive to pressure changes as well, but does well now on auto at 10.5-13. His titration was 13 but he rarely goes above 11 or 12cms. When he first started he could only sleep on cpap at 12cms as even the narrow range of auto disturbed him and he was also dealing with leak issues so data was easier to analyze on a straight pressure.

Has anyone any comments to make about my October 28 questions?
Also for some months I have been unable to successfully logon under my Countman88 username. I complete the logon screen ok and it seems to accept, but doesn't register, and I have to use a different username and complete the confirmation code when I wish to post or reply. Any idea why this would be happening
Thanks

KenD
Bris

Breathe Jimbo wrote:...would there be any real reason to get an APAP so that I could set a lower minimum?

Depends. I was becoming intolerant of my CPAP pressure (no exhale relief on my old machine). Got an APAP loaner..long story, had lost at least 50#s by then but couldn't afford copay for another sleep study on unemployment. Anyway, I slept so much better even with mouth leaks, I knew that was what I needed. Got one. Doc & I discussed initial pressure setting and exhale relief setting. If you don't need a lower pressure to stent open your airway, there's no reason to set a lower pressure.

Breathe Jimbo wrote:... I guess I was trying to learn how one benefits from setting the minimum lower than the fixed pressure when one moves from a CPAP to an APAP

I'd lost weight and needed less pressure at the time. The biggest benefit for me has been that my APAP sets the pressure I need as my congestion waxes and wanes during the night (congestion is a huge issue for me and my biggest challenge to CPAP therapy). The changing dynamic of the size of my airway is matched by my APAP which I typically set 8-15 (9.6-15 now as I'm having to sleep on my back due to shoulder injury).

Breathe Jimbo wrote:...I seem to recall that pressure changes woke me up during my sleep study.

This is common as it's such an unnatural experience. I had a lot of trouble adjusting or so my PSG summary says and my first 4 nights were from he## but night 5 was a winner. No way to know if the changin pressure of an APAP would interrupt your sleep unless you try one. Remember too that some machines make large jumps in pressure increases and some increase in smaller increments -- that is a factor that can't be ignored.