AHI higher than I remember - Need some input

[dk5jmiller]

I'm very new to this forum, so please forgive if I missed something that would answer this question.  I've been using CPAP for about 10 years with good success.  Over the last year or so, my AHI numbers have been increasing.  I remember when they used to be below 1.5-2 most nights, some below 1.  Now I seem to be in the 2.5-4.0 range pretty consistently.  I did change from S9 Autoset to AirSense 10 during this time and we also changed mattresses (still don't use a pillow).  Trying to figure out what is causing the increase and how to get my numbers back down.

I recently did another sleep study (expensive!) but all they suggested was to try pressure at 14.  Up to that point, my min pressure was 10.  At 14, it seems to cause my mask to leak a lot more and my numbers haven't dropped - so that doesn't seem to be the answer.  Doctor doesn't really seem too interested in working with me on it because I'm still below AHI of 5 each night.

Would appreciate some input from this group and have included some screen shots at various several pressures I've tried.  Thanks for any help or suggestions you can provide!

           

[Gideon]

Try bumping your min pressure to 15 and see it that feels better to you.

Also please use the standard order for your charts. The AHI chart is IMHO near worthless except to see that events in the event chart are being handled correctly and the Pressure chart is so important as that is what is actually being modified.

Events
Flow Rate
Pressure
Flow Limits
Leaks
are the most important.

[dk5jmiller]

I didn't like your response because in my mind, increasing pressure to 15 says my sleep apnea is getting worse and I'm approaching the max limit.  Plus when I set it to 14, I didn't see an improvement and it felt like my eardrums would be blown out.  Nevertheless, I took your suggestion.  I have been below AHI 1.3 for the last two nights and more importantly - I can feel a difference in my sleep quality.

Unfortunately, this prompts more questions.  
- Is my apnea getting worse or could it also be changes to my machine, mattress, etc?
- Should I be concerned that I'm getting closer to the max pressure?
- How do I tweak my pressures/settings to keep apnea as low as possible and get the best sleep?
- How do I read the Oscar data correctly so I can tweak in max performance - is there a post on the values to watch for and how each interacts?
- Can you point me to other key posts so I can educate myself on how to do/answer the above questions?

I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my message, answer questions, and for helping me improve my sleep quality.  



       

[clownbell]

Gideon - this one's for you! (Not a beer, the post)

[dk5jmiller]

Well, I was doing well with several nights with AHI under 2. Now I’m back to above 2 again and waking up tired and restless.  I’ve tried several adjustments to pressure and EPR but nothing seems to be bringing AHI back down. Any recommendations?