AHI 67/hour? High?

[2tired2sleep]

New to forum. 48 y/o male. RCA stent 2 years ago but apnea not diagnosed until today. Is AHI=67/hr high? No/zero REM sleep? Also have elongated uvula, so long my throat tries to "swallow" it sometimes! Seriously! Painful! SUpposed to p/u my CPAP machine on Friday but don't know if I should wait until after Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) procedure?

[player]

67 is high. It means you stop breathing 67 times per hour.

You need to learn quickly about good and bad machines before you get one. They all supply air, but the difference is in the data it will report back to you so you can monitor your sleeping on a nightly basis. The ones you do not want are the units that give little or no reporting. We call these ones "bricks". You clinic might try to give you a brick. You have to know to refuse that machine and request the machine you want. A full data unit.

There are also fixed and auto machines. Fixed units supply air at a fixed rate, and the auto machines will increase and decrease the air between preset values. This is good sometimes. If you are set at 9, and you still have a blockage, the unit will increase the pressure until you clear or it hits the maximum level set.

You should post your report and prescription here as I am new, but there are some really experienced people who will help you greatly.

[2tired2sleep]

Thanks Player. Appreciate the heads up on machines. When I asked my sleep doc about what kind of machine I'd get, she kind of intimated, "you get what you get...we decide which one you need". I'm wondering if the UPPP and if the surgery made the CPAP no longer necessary? Thanks!

[trish6hundred]

Hi 2tired2sleep,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
The surgery is pretty risky. Usually, most people who get that type of surgery have to wind up doing CPAP therapy anyway. You might go ahead and get a CPAP machine. Check out this link: http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ne_Choices . There is lots of helpful information on which machinesto avoid and which ones are good.
Hang in there for more answers and suggestions and much success to you on your decision.

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Welcome to the board. Sorry to hear your thing is too long.

I kind of get the "you get what we decide" a little bit. My response would be "OK - you get to decide wether it is an auto-CPAP (which if you decide I really only need single pressure therapy, the auto machine can be set up that way and still allow us better flexibility if, down the road, you decide so), an auto bi-pap or an ASV machine or a more better fancier machine if I need that for effective therapy. I prefer, however, to get to pick which manufacturer and model as well as the mask option that will be the most effective/comfortable for me.

Depending on how well you like your doctor, you may need to be ready to say "I'd really like a consultation and second opinion as I'm probably going to be getting really intimate with that machine over the next 5-6 years: after all, I WILL be sleeping with it every night. Please send copies of the reports and results to Dr. Frank N. Furter MD, FACS, IOU, XYZ-PDQ"

My doc, an internist, was great - he was wise enough to write a very open script for "Auto-titrating CPAP, 8-15 cm H20, heated humidification, mask or pillows to pt need/comfort, hoses, filters, chin strap (not used), humidifier tank - lifetime need." The doc sent it to their preferred DME. At the time I thought I wanted a ResMed S-9 based on my experience with my S-8 Elite and the S-9 looked sexier than the Respironics or F&P machines. The DME they sent the script to said "Sorry-we sell only Respironics machines. Respironics is a great machine, and we think you'd really like it, but if you really want the ResMed, call this DME at 555-867-5309 - they primarily deal in ResMed CPAP equipment. Ask for Tom and he'll fix you up. We can see that your Rx gets faxed over to them. They're closer to your home anyway." I explained to Tom what I wanted and he fixed me up - only thing I asked for and didn't get was the clinician manual. So what. I know where to get one of those anyway.

OMM

[player]

You can keep things to 2 brands. Philips Resperonics and Resmed.

When you get your machine, you can use the Sleepyhead software program to read the data card and it will tell you how you are doing in great detail.

The Resmed 10 series is the newest. I got the Resmed Airsense 10 Elite, which is a "fixed" pressure unit with the best reporting (not a brick). I like the humidifier water reservoir better than the Philips machines. I also like the display better. If you can, get the "auto" Airsense 10 model, because it can be set to function as a fixed unit, but has the option of variable pressure as well.

Usually the doctor will decide which type of machine you need, but the make and model is up to you within those parameters.

[quiescence at last]

With numbers like that (67), I hope they had suggestions for what position to sleep in, or NOT to sleep in, to help reduce your apnea. Usually there is a position that is worse than others. I would only imagine you might be worse on you back, when uvu is dangling straight down. By the way, AHI 67 just means your average is 67 per hour, not that each hour has only 67 times, some are more often than that. 67 times per hour you stopped or greatly reduced your breathing for OVER 10 seconds. The speed which they are getting you a machine is great, so they either care a great deal or the need is acute.

You should read and search about not getting any REM sleep. Once you've started treatment, REM and dreaming should return with some vengeance. If not, there may be more hard work to be done.

As others have said, the machine's data and adjustment capacity is crucial in your long term. If the DME is willing to rent you a decent machine for the short term (without saddling you into buying that particular machine) then this may get you through the initial acute phase.

QAL

[player]

http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ngle:Links

[OpalRose]

New to forum. 48 y/o male. RCA stent 2 years ago but apnea not diagnosed until today. Is AHI=67/hr high? No/zero REM sleep? Also have elongated uvula, so long my throat tries to "swallow" it sometimes! Seriously! Painful! SUpposed to p/u my CPAP machine on Friday but don't know if I should wait until after Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) procedure?

Hi 2tired2sleep,
You mention surgery. When are you having this surgery? I'm not a doctor, but I would think it would be hard to use CPAP while healing from a surgery.
It sounds painful to me. Please keep us posted. In the meantime, try to sleep elevated, and stay off your back.
OpalRose

[OpalRose]

Or did I misunderstand, did you already have surgery??