Low AHI- Still Feeling Bad

[zetaphi938]

First things first - here is an imgur link to snapshots of a recent day of OSCAR data - https://imgur.com/a/UC9ZWdd. 

My AHI is very low but I am still feeling some of the effects like fogginess, exhaustion, feeling hungover (despite drinking no alcohol), on and on. My initial diagnosis was from an at-home test where my O2 levels got into the 70's and my AHI was a 12. So, it isn't as significant as others but still it has thrown me for a loop the last year or so. 

I would say I am someone who has had apnea for a while but I have always chalked it up to having young kids and just not resting because kids are up a lot/ or up early. After talking to my RT when I changed out machines she let me know that I do have very shallow breathing (prone to hypopneas) and for some reason I just feel like I am not getting enough oxygen at night. I'll probably wake up once maybe twice a night to pee but when I do it does feel like I am rushed awake from an event of some kind. 

My sleep doctor is not a ton of help. The clinic my insurance helps with is absolutely slammed and the only reason I got an at-home test at all in a quick turnaround was because of a couple of cancellations. My mask is an Airfit F20 on a Resmed 10. EPR is set to 3. I have toyed around with pressures a little bit and I am wondering if I need to amp that up a little bit. 

Any advice helps - thanks!

[staceyburke]

We really need to see Oscar charts (totally free download at the top of the site). It is the only way we can give you an opinion without just guessing.

I would guess min pressure or flow limits or both but without seeing data….

[zetaphi938]

They should be in that imgur link I posted. I zoomed in all of them to give some better detail.

[staceyburke]

If you look at your Flow Limit chart and compare it to your Pressure chart you can see how your pressure goes up with the Flow limits (At around 3 and 5)  I looked through all of your charts and could not tell for sure if you are using EPR (exhale pressure relief) or if you are what level.  

EPR is the main way we try to stop the flow limits.   Flow limits are apnea just like the other obstructive apnea.  The difference is in the amount of obstruction and length of time.

from your pressures I would try
Min 9
EPR 3
Max12

Give it a try for a night or 2 and post again.  Try to post using the F12 button on the computer and attach it in the post.  It is much easier to see what all of the charts are that way.

[SarcasticDave94]

Yep, when making a post, there's the Attachment area below the textbox. Attach your OSCAR file and viola there we be.

[zetaphi938]

Thank you! 

So does increasing pressure tend to help with things like flow limits? Or essentially just getting more air into your body. My EPR is currently at 3 so I don't think that is necessarily the problem. I just feel like my breathing during the night isn't enough to just jar me awake like it would from a major event, but probably enough to pull me out of deeper sleep. I get a good amount of sleep, it just feels like the quality is not good. I am still just exhausted all day.

[staceyburke]

That is not raising your pressure according to your pressure chart. I am trying to even it out so you do not have low pressure and increase to a higher pressure. Those jumps do disturb your sleep.