AHI ?? and auto settings???

Okay, I started Cpap in early september. I have been totally compliant and sleeping an average of 7-8 hours a night. I'm still alternating masks between, FF Quattro, Activa LT and Swift FX. I seem to be favoring the Activa LT so far. My question is my AHI still fluctuates between 2.9 and 6, mostly around 3+. What can I do to bring it lower? My auto setting is 6-18 but my report says I don't go over 14. Should I change settings maybe? Of course Dr. says leave it , and AHI is okay as long as its under 5 or under???

You could bring the setting down a little, but, I don't think it would affect your AHI. You are already doing well...

trytryagain wrote:AHI is okay as long as its under 5 or under???

Yes.

trytryagain wrote:My question is my AHI still fluctuates between 2.9 and 6, mostly around 3+. What can I do to bring it lower? My auto setting is 6-18 but my report says I don't go over 14.

That sounds fine, but if I wanted to experiment to see if I could bring the AHI lower (not that it really needs to be lower) I'd do this:

I'd check my leak rate to be sure it was usually nice and low. If leaks seemed to be a problem, I'd get leaks under control before I started fiddling with pressure settings.

I'd leave the maximum pressure where it is, at 18. I'd raise the minimum pressure setting a cm or two... to 7 or 8 . I wouldn't hesitate to raise my minimum pressure to as much as 10, even. I'm not a doctor or anything in the medical field. That's simply what I'd do, if it were me.

Here's why the minimum pressure is the one I'd be concentrating on:

Results: 1st night with Auto A-Flex (topic started by TSSleepy)
Two nights graphs posted using pressure range 4 - 20 and 10 - 20
viewtopic.php?p=348963#p348963

November 2008 Just got an APAP (topic started by turbosnore)
viewtopic.php?p=319619#p319619

October 2008 Turning off Aflex and Cflex (topic started by DoriC)
viewtopic.php?p=307265#p307265

September 2008 New Guy - Need Help w/Settings (topic started by alanhj13)
viewtopic.php?p=294319#p294319

Wulfman, DreamStalker, and ozij explain why autopaps make changes slowly.
December 2008 Why adjust APAP. Isn't it auto? (topic started by oxygenium65)
viewtopic.php?p=323218#p323218

trytryagain, why fiddle with success?

Mary Z wrote:trytryagain, why fiddle with success?

Hi Mary Z, although under 5 is considered success, 0 to 5 is still a pretty wide range. Many people here have found that very low numbers
(0-1) are what they need to feel well rested.

I have been at this for two months and hovering around 5 for awhile now. Only recently, I found a mask that really works for me. I've had 3 nights in a row of considerably lower numbers (2.6, 2.4., 2.5), and believe me, there is a difference! It's become almost like a drug and my body wants more. I never knew what people meant when they talked about feeling like that, but I finally found out. And it feels really good.

On the other hand, if 5 is working for you and you feel well-rested and happy, you don't need to fiddle with it.

Linda

I do see so many people here with AHI of 0-1, I was hoping to get mine a little lower to feel more rested. Maybe it is still early to feel my energy returning.

Three weeks into CPAP and my AHI has consistently been between 0.3 and 1.7. But I'm not feeling rested or refreshed when I wake up (yet). Here's hoping that in a few more days or weeks that I will have some of my old pre-CPAP energy and rest back.