Humidifier settings question

Interesting that I just got a handle on this myself.

I talked with my DME rep yesterday (one week followup), who explained how both "systems" worked. I had previously turned the heated hose off and thereby set the classic system in force. I used the main control and saw the lighted numbers on the top change...

I had been getting ice cube throat (with ffm) and wanted to solve that, and did by switching the hose heat back on, yesterday afternoon. Last night, the air from the hose was warn and comfy... much better than the chilly air, previously.

Here is the most interesting thing... when I downloaded my data from last night (first night with warm air), I see that my HY number is the lowest it has even been! AHI is also lowest it's ever been because of lower HY. OA was tied with one other night for the lowest number, too!

Thoughts on that?

OAs still seem tied to mask leaks and when I mentioned this to DME, she suggested that, in time, an increase in pressure might be warranted.

I am thinking of increasing my pressure .5 to see if it makes a difference. Thoughts?

Phil_in_CA wrote: Last night, the air from the hose was warn and comfy... much better than the chilly air, previously.

Here is the most interesting thing... when I downloaded my data from last night (first night with warm air), I see that my HY number is the lowest it has even been! AHI is also lowest it's ever been because of lower HY. OA was tied with one other night for the lowest number, too!

I suspect that with the warmer more comfortable air you simply slept better...less restlessness...less tossing and turning...less minimal arousals with the ice cube throat. Less arousals means less chance for awake junk getting flagged.

Can't really comment on the 0.5 cm increase since I don't know all the particulars but that is a tiny increase and probably wouldn't hurt anything. I don't know what you are trying to fix with the increase or if it needs fixing. Whatever you do...fix any leak issues first.

When I look at my data, in almost every case, the mask leaks (not major) coincide with OAs...

I must be turning or tossing, or maybe turning my face toward my pillow, which causes the mask to shift and leak. None of the leaks are considered "major" but I wonder if they are just enough to allow the pressure making it into my throat isn't quite enough to keep the OAs at bay. That's all... here is a clip that shows the correlation.


photo upload

or am I missing something?

BTW, this is from last night, easily the best night I have had for HY!

Phil_in_CA wrote:I must be turning or tossing, or maybe turning my face toward my pillow, which causes the mask to shift and leak. None of the leaks are considered "major" but I wonder if they are just enough to allow the pressure making it into my throat isn't quite enough to keep the OAs at bay. That's all... here is a clip that shows the correlation.

I don't really think that the amount of your leak is letting an event slip through the defenses...those leaks are tiny.
I tend to think more of a coincidence but I suppose it wouldn't be totally impossible. We can't see that deep into these reports.
Though you might be right about that 0.5 cm increase..it likely would help...not that you really need it. Might help clear up a few of those obstructive related occurrences which might translate into a little more restful sleep (if those are creating minor low level disturbances) and a little less clutter on the reports.
No rush though. The clear airway events we ignore because we don't treat them with pressure anyway.
Something to think about.

Thanks, Pugsy.

I am more curious than worried. IIRC, the titration study showed that increases in pressure did clear more OAs, but I had no REM sleep at the higher pressures. Maybe that was coincidental, too, I don't know. I wondered about it at first, but then saw the REM sleep, pressure, correlation and stopped looking.

It is all so new to me that it is all interesting!

Phil_in_CA wrote:When I look at my data, in almost every case, the mask leaks (not major) coincide with OAs...

I must be turning or tossing, or maybe turning my face toward my pillow, which causes the mask to shift and leak. None of the leaks are considered "major" but I wonder if they are just enough to allow the pressure making it into my throat isn't quite enough to keep the OAs at bay. That's all... here is a clip that shows the correlation.


photo upload

or am I missing something?

BTW, this is from last night, easily the best night I have had for HY!

My AHI was 3.6 last night too.

I had my PRS1 humdifier set on 4 with System One humidification "on" all summer, and I just noticed 2 weeks ago when it started to get cooler in the house that all of a sudden the humidifier was using A LOT less water. I haven't made any changes in the settings because my nose hasn't felt dry, but after reading Pugsy's explanation above I'm going to turn off the S1 humidification tonight and try the Classic mode.

hmmmm, Conrad (or should I say, Comrade? LOL!) I was amazed that my HY was so low.

Randy, it seems, IIRC, that the auto setting attempts to hold the humidity steady and if your bedroom is cooler and more humid at night, then it makes sense that the machine is using less water to keep the same amount in your mask. Pretty cool system, I think!

Best night's sleep to you both!

Phil

Thanks to this thread I became aware of the System One Humidification setting. I have been using it and have felt like I could use a bit more humidity even at 5. Last night I tried swithching to Classic mode and kept setting 5. One hour later I woke up completely wet, my mask and hose was full of water even my pillow and covers. It was the worst rainout ever, with any of my machines. So for those that do not get enough humidification with System One Humidification, Classic is the way to go. But CAREFULLY

Burkebang wrote:So for those that do not get enough humidification with System One Humidification, Classic is the way to go. But CAREFULLY

Totally agree.

Classic mode in the summertime isn't nearly as apt to cause rain out as in the wintertime...thankfully.
But yes, be careful. Rain out is highly annoying and pretty much guaranteed to disturb everyone's sleep when it gurgles in the hose (its really loud) and the mask wearer gets a cold shower.
Last winter I solved my issues with the stand alone Hybernite 2300 heated hose. I got to use the setting of 4 in Classic mode (still gave me rain out in my cold bedroom) with no hose cozy weight and no rain out. Hose cozy was not sufficient for me.
Not enough added moisture at a lower setting created more nasal symptoms than the annoying rain out though...so lowering the humidity setting was not an option for me. The heated hose let me be rain out free and ice cube nose free.
For people who are having this problem and a hose cozy is not sufficient insulation and they don't want to raise the bedroom temp.....one can make a DIY heated hose with reptile heater cable (search the forum for discussion) if they are handy in those lines. I am not handy in those lines so I opted to just buy the heated hose.

I sure wish I had a 60 series machine with a heated hose but I don't. Right now I have switched back to the PR S1 machine...probably not the smartest of ideas since we are entering cold weather time. Haven't decided yet if I want to go back to the S9 and climateline. Need to be deciding pretty soon though. I sold my Hybenite 2300 last summer to an Aussie....either get another one or make alternate arrangements.