Newbie and pretty scared

Hmmm ... somehow I missed this thread despite it being from a fellow "Kevin" in NH (I'm in Nashua). Looks like you're off to a great start!

I'd suggest zooming in on some of the trouble spots. On 4/2 around 1:45 or so there was some activity that really caused your pressure to jump up, but it descended again from there. Looks like maybe an OA.

The CA's towards the end of the graph (I'm assuming you get up near 5) are probably because you were awakening and maybe getting restless. If you zoomed in there you'll see some breathing changes (I can see it to a mild degree even in the compressed image). Nothing to worry about, IMO.

You're doing really well!

Data looks pretty good! You are doing well. I notice your minimum pressure is set to 5cm. Mine was too. After a couple weeks of adapting to the therapy, I bumped up the minimum to 7cm. It has reduced my flow limitation and I find it much easier to breath at 7 than I did at 5. I still have EPR set at 3, but I turned off ramp.

Sleep Well!

This is just a WAG but the leaks look like spikes and not like prolonged leaking...my first suspect would be some body movement temporarily moving the mask's nasal pillows just briefly.
Related to Obstructive apnea? Maybe...maybe the event arouses you just briefly and body moves and pillows move.

I second the motion to increase the minimum pressure to maybe 6 cm or 7 cm. Maybe it will help prevent a few of those events that maybe are causing the movement (if that is what is happening)...won't hurt.
Your leak line is well within acceptable parameters. Looks worse than it is due to the scale that SH is showing the leak.
Your worst is a long way from 24 L/min where large leak territory begins.

Hang in there Kevin. Things will get better as you get used to this process. This forum is an amazing support group and I feel very lucky to have found a place where I can educate myself, learn and take control of the treatment of my OSA (day 42 of CPAP). If it makes you feel better, I was an AHI of 131 untreated with CPAP. I'm dealing with leak issues, but just last night I had an AHI of 8.12 while the previous night was a 2.04 AHI.

If you ever wanna feel better about your Sleephead charts....go look at mine in my thread

Pugsy wrote:This is just a WAG but the leaks look like spikes and not like prolonged leaking...my first suspect would be some body movement temporarily moving the mask's nasal pillows just briefly.
Related to Obstructive apnea? Maybe...maybe the event arouses you just briefly and body moves and pillows move.

I second the motion to increase the minimum pressure to maybe 6 cm or 7 cm. Maybe it will help prevent a few of those events that maybe are causing the movement (if that is what is happening)...won't hurt.
Your leak line is well within acceptable parameters. Looks worse than it is due to the scale that SH is showing the leak.
Your worst is a long way from 24 L/min where large leak territory begins.

Those ARE ridiculously tiny, time-wise. I commonly start the machine and then mask up, and sometimes re-position it with the machine running, so a good 5 seconds at full (poor machine, but full isn't far from my setting anyway). Those show up as visible "hills" on my daily summary. So something like a thin line, unless you are sleeping for 24 hours (!!) is a VERY short leak indeed.

khauser wrote: Those ARE ridiculously tiny, time-wise.

Yep they are and SH makes them look huge but in ResScan I don't even know if they would show up very much.
I wouldn't do a thing about them if it were me as long as they didn't wake me up.

I suspect that with this OP Kevin that since he is new to the therapy that he is still likely pretty hyper sensitive to things and maybe those little events are causing some minor body movement and nasal pillow moves a little.. Certainly not enough movement to hurt therapy but maybe the events and the minor arousals are maybe disrupting sleep a little due to newness and hyper sensitivity (maybe)...
Maybe a little more pressure will maybe reduce the events and/or flow limitations and maybe help....sure wouldn't hurt.

Finally another maybe Maybe in a few months the maybe hyper sensitivity won't be a maybe issue.
Just a WAG and a stretch but he seems to be worried about the leaks so hopefully this eases his mind a bit.

FWIW....I would do just about anything to have leak lines like that.. I get them but man are they ever rare.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I will take your suggestions and move up my minimum pressure to 6 for now and see what that gives me. Have a great Spring day.

Pugsy wrote:

khauser wrote: Those ARE ridiculously tiny, time-wise.

Yep they are and SH makes them look huge but in ResScan I don't even know if they would show up very much.
I wouldn't do a thing about them if it were me as long as they didn't wake me up.

I suspect that with this OP Kevin that since he is new to the therapy that he is still likely pretty hyper sensitive to things and maybe those little events are causing some minor body movement and nasal pillow moves a little.. Certainly not enough movement to hurt therapy but maybe the events and the minor arousals are maybe disrupting sleep a little due to newness and hyper sensitivity (maybe)...
Maybe a little more pressure will maybe reduce the events and/or flow limitations and maybe help....sure wouldn't hurt.

Finally another maybe Maybe in a few months the maybe hyper sensitivity won't be a maybe issue.
Just a WAG and a stretch but he seems to be worried about the leaks so hopefully this eases his mind a bit.

FWIW....I would do just about anything to have leak lines like that.. I get them but man are they ever rare.

Even with the Tap Pap? I so love that "mask" now. Any leakage I have is TINY, and easily solved if it bothers me.

khauser wrote: Even with the Tap Pap? I so love that "mask" now. Any leakage I have is TINY, and easily solved if it bothers me.

I don't have any nasal pillow leaks hardly ever, even with the Swift FX...my problem shouldn't come as any big surprise...big mouth.
Last night...did super good till the last hour before I woke up...I kissed the 24 L/min line a couple of times and for about an hour danced around between 12 to 20....I know it wasn't the nasal pillows...they never move so unless I am leaking air out my ears or eyes...I know I was doing a slight amount of mouth breathing.
It doesn't wake me up...it barely went to 25 L/min for 2 minutes and the rest of the time below 24..so I don't care.

The jury is still out on the question if the mouth guard is helping the brain remember to keep the mouth shut.
It hasn't made it worse that's for sure...as for helping, maybe a little but not a cure for sure.

Pugsy wrote:

khauser wrote: Even with the Tap Pap? I so love that "mask" now. Any leakage I have is TINY, and easily solved if it bothers me.

I don't have any nasal pillow leaks hardly ever, even with the Swift FX...my problem shouldn't come as any big surprise...big mouth.
Last night...did super good till the last hour before I woke up...I kissed the 24 L/min line a couple of times and for about an hour danced around between 12 to 20....I know it wasn't the nasal pillows...they never move so unless I am leaking air out my ears or eyes...I know I was doing a slight amount of mouth breathing.
It doesn't wake me up...it barely went to 25 L/min for 2 minutes and the rest of the time below 24..so I don't care.

The jury is still out on the question if the mouth guard is helping the brain remember to keep the mouth shut.
It hasn't made it worse that's for sure...as for helping, maybe a little but not a cure for sure.

Oh, right ... I forgot your mouth sometimes opened...

I did notice that the mouth guard has a tendency to make my tongue avoid the area it covers, but it doesn't seem to be causing me to leak via the mouth. I'm so happy I got this one to work ... it really is by far the best I've ever used.