2nd go around as a hose head

[Sleepster]

Both nights my AHI was 0.0. In comparison on my sleep study it was 46. My question is this: Can Cpap therapy REALLY be that effective that quickly? Or is my machine just not detecting my events properly?

It's possible that you had a 0.0 AHI, but like you I'm suspicious. I don't know that much about ResMed machines, but is it possible that the machine has been set by the clinic to not report the AHI to the patient? If so, you can go into the clinician's menu and change that setting.

I'm guessing that you needed a much higher pressure when you weighed more and that's why they gave you a BiPAP. Now that you weigh less you may not need as high a pressure, and that could be a major reason why you now find CPAP therapy more comfortable.

I still have severe OSA and I've been rushing everything to get my new machine so I have a good chunk of data to send to the FAA later this month.

Likely all they'll want to see is that you're using the machine more than four hours per night.

[trish6hundred]

Hi jhurlbut,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Better luck to you this time around on being a hosehead, sounds like you have quite a story.
I also wish you good luck on getting your pilot license.
Hang in there for more responses to your post

[jhurlbut]

Hi jhurlbut,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Better luck to you this time around on being a hosehead, sounds like you have quite a story.
I also wish you good luck on getting your pilot license.
Hang in there for more responses to your post

Thank you!!

[jhurlbut]

OK, I think the machine is actually reporting accurately. Yesterday diamaunt was kind enough to PM me and I sent him my data card results all zipped up and he reviewed them in Sleepyhead and didn't think I had any events all night. There were three or four that looked like this:



But according to him they aren't of sufficient length (6s) to be considered an "event".

I also unplugged my machine for a few hours yesterday and plugged it back in around noon to reboot it.

This morning I woke up and my AHI was 0.2. So I'll download again today to see what I see in Sleepyhead, but I think I'm going to assume the machine is doing what it's supposed to.

I'm amazed that it could reduce me from 46 on my sleep study to near zero, but hey, I'll take it!

[retired_guy]

Yes that could be the beginning of an event. It just failed to last long enough to be counted. But also yes your true ahi could be zero. All that says is the therapy is just about completely controlling your apnea. I do zero about 3 days in 7, the rest of the time I float around .8 or so. I'm lovin' the livin'!

[PaytonA]

I am definitely not an expert, since I hardly ever get to see a flow rate graph but isn't this plateau on the wrong side of the peak to be an obstructive apnea even if it lasted long enough. Would that make it a central if it lasted long enough to be scored?

Best Regards,

PaytonA

[Sleepster]

I am definitely not an expert, since I hardly ever get to see a flow rate graph but isn't this plateau on the wrong side of the peak to be an obstructive apnea even if it lasted long enough. Would that make it a central if it lasted long enough to be scored?

The peak is not relevant. If the plateau lasts for 10 seconds or more then clinically it's considered an event.

The type of event depends on how low the plateau is and whether or not the airway was open.

[diamaunt]

I am definitely not an expert, since I hardly ever get to see a flow rate graph but isn't this plateau on the wrong side of the peak to be an obstructive apnea even if it lasted long enough. Would that make it a central if it lasted long enough to be scored?

the S9 units pulse the airstream when they see you've stopped breathing, they then measure the changes in pressure.

if there's a very small change in pressure then they figure the airway is open and the lungs are absorbing the pressure pulses, but if the airway is blocked, then you get bigger spikes in pressure. that's how the machines determine if it's a central or obstructive.

you can see the pressure pulses in the blue 'mask pressure' line on the chart above. the squiggles towards the end of the event are the machine trying to determine why the breathing stopped. based on what I've seen in my machine, that looks like enough variance in the mask pressure for it to think it would have been an OA, not a CA. open airway apneas tend to have a very small wiggle line.

does that answer the question?

[diamaunt]

But according to him they aren't of sufficient length (6s) to be considered an "event".

well, that was my *guess* overall, you had a very boring sleep graph... (this is a good thing, I wish mine were that boring and regular )

[jhurlbut]

well, that was my *guess* overall, you had a very boring sleep graph... (this is a good thing, I wish mine were that boring and regular )

And I do again really appreciate the help!! I had two events last night, I was kind of excited about it. Weird I know. One really didn't look like an event at all the other definitely could have been, but it was right before I got up so it may have also just been me messing around with my mask too?? Who knows?? Just glad that my machine DOES report things!!