[CPAP] Understanding OSCAR

[Michellebeyer]

Hi, I'd love some help interpreting my data to optimize my experience with CPAP treatment. When my pressure was higher, I would frequently wake up with my stomach inflated with air. I seem to be sleeping well now but am still exhausted. Help!

[staceyburke]

you are showing positional apnea. You can see positional apnea where either H or Oa events are clustered together.  Getting rid of as many as you can will lower your AHI.  Positional apnea can NOT be controlled by pressure changes.  You have to find out what position you are getting into and cutting off your own airway.  Have you changed your sleep position?  Sleeping on your back?  Using more (or new) pillows?  These things can cause positional apnea by chin dropping to your sternum and cutting your airway.  Think of it of a kinked hose – nothing can get through – you have to unkink the hose…

IF you can’t make a simple change like changing to a flatter pillow helps then you will need a collar.  I have a link to collars in my signature at the bottom of the page.  It shows people who are not wearing a collar and the SAME person wearing a collar.  There is a huge difference between the two.

[Deborah K.]

Stacey is right that you have to deal with your positional apnea.  Most find that they need to use a soft cervical collar.  Most drugstores offer a few and Amazon sells many different versions.  Many of us like the Caldera Releaf Collar which is available on Amazon.  It works as well as others, especially for women, and is very comfortable.

If possible it would be great if you could turn ramp off.  You get no therapy during ramp, and any time you get up during the night ramp kicks in again, robbing you of therapy.

It would help you if you turned EPR on full-time set at 3.  You would be more comfortable, and more importantly, you would lower your flow limits.  Flow limits are short, unreported apneas, and it's good to lower them.

Using EPR 3 will also make breathing easier and you should be able to increase your max pressure setting to 8 without causing aerophagia.  I strongly suggest that you do that.

Good luck with improving your therapy and comfort!