Brazen Therapy Thread

[Brazen]

I've been satisfied with my AS 11, it works and lets me control things.

You might want to start your own therapy thread if you want expert advice on settings.

[OpalRose]

The For Her mode has a more sensitive flow algorithm that picks up Hypopneas/flow limitation better/faster? than the standard model.
If you don't like the For Her mode, you can just switch back to the regular Auto mode.

Note: The AirSense 11 also incorporates the "For Her" mode.

[KeepSmiling]

Brazen,  

(My son's issue was settled years ago.  I am scared of starting a thread about his experience as a notice.)

I only mentioned it in your thread, because I saw you had used both modes on your machine and since you are a woman I wanted to know your experience between the two modes.

I am glad you are satisfied with your AirSense 11 AND that you decided to stay with treatment because your lowered oxygen (SPO2) levels in the study would have concerned me if you thought your apnea was "just' mild and did not need to be treated.

I smiled at your Dream again comment.  Did you remember it in the morning or because you woke up in the middle of it?

I am hoping for you sweet uninterrupted dreams all night long. 

[Brazen]

@KeepSmiling

Thank you, I hope my dreams come back too!

Your son no longer uses cpap?
Sounds interesting but I understand not sharing details without his approval. 

I actually take my oxygen stats with a grain of salt - I have Raynaud's, which effects circulation, so when I'm cold pulse ox readers aren't always accurate. 
What really convinced me to keep trying was my high flow limits at lower pressure and my frequent unflagged arousals every night. OSCAR shows me the data proving disordered sleep.
Now the trick is figuring out how to improve it.

Re: dream
I remembered it in the morning but that could have been because my alarm woke me up in the middle of it? No way to know that.

I'm thinking of getting one of those watches that supposedly can detect sleep cycles but haven't done enough research to know which is best.
My gut feeling is that I don't get enough REM.

[KeepSmiling]

Brazen,

I am not sure how remembering dreams works. Sometimes I think I remember dreams because I wake during them.

How to improve sleep is a work in progress.

I am still progressing. The most difficult for me is the wake ups during the night.



My son still uses CPAP. The For Her was changed.

[Brazen]

It's thought that you dream during REM and only remember dreams if you awaken during or right after REM sleep. That can happen due to sleep disturbances like sleep apnea or an alarm clock.

Bummer that you're experiencing midnight wake-ups. That's no fun. Hope you find a solution!

That's definitely not my problem. I'm out cold from 2mins after my head hits the pillow to the time my alarm goes off. With or without xpap.

[KeepSmiling]

Brazen,


That is good that you stay asleep. Now to get you the best treatment for you, so you won't be out like alight. If you are rested its should be about 10 - 20 minutes to fall asleep. I remember being shocked at the 20 min part.

[Brazen]

142 nights of APAP.
Sigh.

AHI and flow limits look good.
Continue to be fatigued.
My primary doc is finally looking for other causes of fatigue. Evidently I have a thyroid that has decided to work overtime. That could be part of the problem but the fatigue predates that.


I did try to set some user flags. UF1 = 15% restriction/6sec, UF2 = 50% restriction/8sec. Flagged lots of stuff, I was hoping it would flag what looks to me like arousal breathing spikes but it didn't.

I'm afraid that without high flow limits my sleep doctor will not approval Bilevel.

I know it's said that nightly variation is normal. Interesting to see how much more restless some nights seem even without more flagged events.

[KeepSmiling]

Brazan,

Fatigue is multifaceted. Investigating different angles at the same time could be good instead of wasting looking at one issue at a time.

If you cant get the right treatment because of stomach bloating can be a reason for the bilevel. If raising pressure to get more restful sleep causes issues then that can be a case for it.


If it were me, I would increase the minimum pressure and see if that helps with flow limitation, without causing other issues.

[Brazen]

@KeepSmiling

My aerophagia is gone at current pressures. (Haven't experienced aerophagia since I dropped pressure and bumped up ERP)
Some nights I max out my current pressure setting but not often.

Do flow limitations not look well controlled?
Most nights my 95% is well below .03. (many nights 0.00)

Gideon recommended Bilevel but nothing I read suggests I could qualify for it without either not tolerating pressure or high flow limitations. 

I've never been convinced my fatigue is related to sleep apnea. Makes sense the treatment isn't resolving it.
At least I finally have a primary doc paying attention and trying to help find other causes.

I also bought a Fitbit.
It claims to measure sleep stages, I don't know how accurate it is.
I've been wondering if I'm just not getting enough REM sleep for unknown reasons not related to sleep apnea.
Only one night of data so far. Claims 13% REM, just under recommended and not conclusion of anything.