Oxygen alone verses CPAP

I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea in 2009 with an AHI index of 33.7. Also Oxygen desaturation was 81%. Due to my not wanting to go with CPAP, my Dr put me on Oxygen while sleeping with the Concentrator set a 2. I have used the Oxygen nightly since 2009 and twice have had overnight home Oximetry tests that both showed six desaturation events of less than 3 minutes and mean oxygen level of 97.6. The lowest oxygen level went down to 91%. My conclusion is that while not perfect, these oxygen levels were a good improvement even though I know I still had the apnea. I have never suffered adverse symptoms from my sleep apnea other than loud snoring. No tiredness, depression, etc.
Recently I was able to try using a a used Remaster Pro M Series CPAP owned by a friend who wants to sell it. It is set at 7 and I have tried it for the past week. Not quite as bad as I thought!!! My Dr knows about this and of course wants me to go back to the hospital for another sleep study to get the machine settings customized. I am not sure I need to do this based on things I read on this forum. Since I started using the machine my APN/HYP is 5.7. I know how to adjust the pressure so I may try raising or lowering it. What do some of you on this forum think of this idea? Is my spendint $1000 plus for my copay on a sleep study worth the investment? Phil

You need to have the sleep study. The O2 alone is doing anything. Your airway is closing, therefore the O2 is going nowhere. Spend your money on the sleep study or you will more than likely be spending it on furthter medical bills.

cyklopps wrote: I am not sure I need to do this based on things I read on this forum. Since I started using the machine my APN/HYP is 5.7. I know how to adjust the pressure so I may try raising or lowering it. What do some of you on this forum think of this idea? Is my spendint $1000 plus for my copay on a sleep study worth the investment? Phil

You can start with that. Others have done their titration at home with a data capable machine.

If it is not adequate you could try a loaner apap machine to give you more details. But 5.7 is a good start. you need to try ad get below 5 to 2 or 3.

Like the previous poster said, when your throat is closed the O2 is not going anywhere except into the room.

Best thing would be the sleep study. That's a given.

People do self titrate. I wouldn't want to do it without the software though to see if I was even close. There is software that will work with the M Series machine but you will need a very special card reader to get the data off the card. It is priced depending on where you can find it $55-75 or in that neighborhood.

M Series machines LED display only gives a weekly and monthly average which limits what a person would want on a nightly basis, it can be reset to each night to erase the other night's numbers but it still doesn't break down of which is what and doesn't show leak line like a report does.

cyklopps wrote: Since I started using the machine my APN/HYP is 5.7. I know how to adjust the pressure so I may try raising or lowering it. What do some of you on this forum think of this idea? Is my spendint $1000 plus for my copay on a sleep study worth the investment? Phil

Do you have any health problems or suspect any health problems besides sleep apnea?

You have done as well or better (AHI 5.7) than the labs often do. Congratulations.

Do you have the Encore software with the Daily Details report?

If it were me and I had the Daily Details report and had no other health problems, I would continue to educate myself on sleep apnea and CPAP, and tweak my CPAP therapy to lower the AHI further. All the while I would be paying close attention to how I feel during the day - things like energy level and sleepiness. I would not spend the money on the sleep study.

You might want to post one or more of your Daily Details reports here to get some other opinions.

BTW, since you started using CPAP, did you discontinue the supplemental oxygen?