AHI Reading with SleepyHead

[mysticaldreamz]

I've only been at this for a week day 8 tonight but my AHI average is 0.7 i believe. I am happy i am responding well though as i thought i wouldn't have been. I think everyone is different though and everyone will have different aHI's i didn't know doctors expected it to be under a certain amount?

[Sleepster]

I've only been at this for a week day 8 tonight but my AHI average is 0.7 i believe. I am happy i am responding well though as i thought i wouldn't have been. I think everyone is different though and everyone will have different aHI's i didn't know doctors expected it to be under a certain amount?

Well, it's just a result of research. An AHI of 5-15 is considered mild sleep apnea, so anthing below 5 is considered "normal".

[zonk]

I think how I feel is far more important indicator if the therapy is working or not than AHI index.
I could feel like crap in the morning with AHI zero point something and might feel fantastic with AHI 2 or 3.
Beside I have no control of what AHI gonna be in the morning
I can try to control leaks so hoping I can sleep more than 6 hours without any interruption

[dragonflyoh]

The readings are:

While Set at 11 Set to Auto (5 - 17)
obstructive apnea (OA) index 4.5 9.4
central apnea (CA) index 13.3 11.2
hypopnea index 1.0 1.6

I was diagnosed with OSA. I wouldn't be looking at the numbers except using the CPAP machine has not made me feel better and I am hoping that the numbers will point to a solution.

[Sleepster]

Were you able to confirm that during that 29-day period the machine was actually set at a constant pressure of 11 cm?

[vsheline]

The readings are:

While Set at 11, Set to Auto (5 - 17)
obstructive apnea (OA) index 4.5 9.4
central apnea (CA) index 13.3 11.2
hypopnea index 1.0 1.6

Hi dragonflyoh,

Welcome to the Forum!

You didn't say whether the results you posted are for two separate days, or whether the results for CPAP are a long term average of many days and the results for APAP are a short term average of a couple days.

It is really too early to properly conclude anything from just the few days on Auto mode, but if the short term trend turns into a long term trend, then it may be that because your pressure using Auto mode is sometimes lower than 11, you have more obstructive events in Auto mode. And if your Central Apnea Index is lower using Auto mode, that may be a side effect of the times the pressure is lower while in Auto mode, since most sleep therapists seem to be of the opinion that (at least for some patients) higher pressure can increase a patient's number of Central events.

With your present treatment for OSA, your CA index is above 5.0, and I think this should qualify you for a different type of machine.

Your doctor may need to prescribe an Adaptive Servo Ventilator machine, such as the new ResMed S9 Adapt SV, which may be able to treat both your obstructive events and your central events, by raising the pressure to treat obstructive events and by effectively breathing for you when your Central Nervous System takes a little holiday from breathing.

I suggest you work closely with a doctor on this, if you continue to feel not much better with CPAP or APAP treatment modes.

Or, you may need to find a new sleep doctor who has experience with ASV treatment mode, if you find out your present doctor is unwilling to try something new. Unfortunately, it seems that happens some times.

Take care,
--- Vaughn

[dragonflyoh]

Were you able to confirm that during that 29-day period the machine was actually set at a constant pressure of 11 cm?

Yes. I looked at the settings using ResScan.

[Sleepster]

Yes. I looked at the settings using ResScan.

So it was set at a constant pressure of 11 cm, yet the actual pressure varied from 11 cm by quite a large amount? For example you said that the 95% pressure was 14.86. This means that 5% of the time your pressure was above 14.86 cm. This shouldn't happen if you've got the machine set at a constant pressure of 11 cm.

There is either something wrong with your machine, or with the data you are reporting.

[captain6]

Sleeptster, can you help me understand what you just said about CA readings being caused by pressure too high (perhaps you were saying simply that they are associated)?

Here's why I'm asking. I am using a Resmed S9 set at pressures 6.8-14. After about six months of AHI readings shown on the rescan software under 5, lately, I have been getting the occasional readings in excess of 5 (about every 3 or 4 days). When the readings are in excess of 5, they are composed of unusually high CA readings, plus OA readings of less than 4. Are you saying that something about these pressure settings may be causing or associated with the higher CA readings? Is there some change in pressure settings that may be indicated? Thanks.

[archangle]

Sleeptster, can you help me understand what you just said about CA readings being caused by pressure too high (perhaps you were saying simply that they are associated)?

Some people will develop central apneas only with CPAP pressure. As you increase the pressure the level of CAs increase. For these people, you may need to balance eliminating obstructive apneas against generating CA's. Some people have to go to bilevel or ASV machines because they can't fix OA without causing CA.

Not everyone gets CA even at high pressure. Some people get CA even without CPAP.

I always recommend anyone with CA to be sure and look at their data and see how long the CAs last and how severe they are. Remember a CA isn't necessarily worse than on OA in terms of what it does to your body. It's just harder to treat.