100+ CA Events Nightly

[haligonian]

More last night, but during a specific period and the index itself stayed pretty consistent night over night. This definitely seems like an improvement, but of course I'm hoping it resolves over time. Last night was my "best" sleep with the CPAP, so I am beginning to adjust.

Side note, my nose sometimes feels "wet and stuffy" with the nasal pillows after a couple of hours. Is that likely too much humidity or not enough? I'm not seeing drips in the hose or anything.

Thanks, as always, for your input.

   

[Gideon]

Your Min pressure should never be lower than 4+EPR so not lower than 6 now. I prefer 7.

[haligonian]

OK, I'll give that a try tonight. Thanks for the tip.

[tdoty821]

I would suggest lowing your max pressure to 10. Also use the ramp feature set to 45 minutes at EPR 3. That makes it easier to fall asleep which you describe as issue. If that helps you fall asleep easier you're finding your Goldilocks Zone. Good Luck

[haligonian]

@Gideon, found out from my Respiratory Therapist at the clinic (and indeed by double checking the graphs in OSCAR) that the minimum pressure on a Resmed Airsense will never dip below 4.0, regardless of the EPR setting. Interesting to note. 

The centrals continue, but at the advice of my RT I am going to stick with 6.0-12 range for at least a few more nights before further tweaking so we can look at data in a larger sample size together at the end of the month.

She did alleviate some of my anxiety by saying that CAs are a (somewhat) common issue with people beginning CPAP therapy. My OAs and Hypopneas are now in the 0.1-0.3 range (index-wise) almost every night. So, it seems the CPAP is effective, but I certainly hope that the centrals eventually go away as it does feel a bit scary to see them on the reports (and therefore my actual AHI has gone up -- 7.2 during sleep test vs 9-10 on CPAP). Respiratory Therapist did say that CAs are gentler on the system vs. OAs which are much more stressful.

[tdoty821]

Your respiratory therapist is correct about CPAP induced central apneas. They are common when starting therapy or increasing pressure. Typically they will go away on their own, unless they’re in an underlying condition such as congestive heart failure, or other neurological conditions like ALS or Parkinsons. I’m assuming you have none of those issues.

I will tell you I struggled greatly beginning my CPAP journey. It was 1997, I was 33, 5’8” & 135lbs. My doctor actually thought me being in the exam room was a joke and yelled at his staff. He then read my records, came in and apologized. Ultimately I had surgery (UPPP, tonsillectomy and sinus reconstruction) as I couldn’t tolerate CPAP therapy. It was truly life changing for me. Unfortunately it worked for only 5 years. I’ve been on CPAP therapy ever since.

When restarting, it felt like I was being smothered to death. I’d wake up in complete terror. I’d rip my mask off while asleep, and wake up in the morning completely exhausted. FINALLY, I got a wonderful doctor who worked with my DME to get me setup with the right gear. It ultimately came down to me giving myself space, Grace and patience to stick with it until I got comfortable with it. You’ll get there. Hang in there.

[haligonian]

Thank you for being so gracious in sharing your experience. 

I don't so much mind the nasal pillows nor the straps. I started using a sleep mask (with Bluetooth headphones for white noise) a few months ago and I don't experience any claustrophobia, thankfully. With a chin strap, I'll soon have more fabric than not on my head while sleeping lol. 

I'll stick with it! I'm glad my initial alarm seems to be for something that's quite common.

[tdoty821]

My pleasure to share my story. I truly hope it's helpful. I've spent hundreds on chinstraps. Some were helpful, others dreadful. My most recent purchase has turned out to be my best to date. Even the sleep study engineer stated it really worked after my tests, and wished they had it available to use with patients.

Here's the link to it on Amazon where I purchased it:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRKP6N9H?psc...ct_details

Worth a shot as you can return it within 30 days if it doesn't work for you.

Have a great weekend and a better night's sleep!!