Changing Pressure from 11 to 12 and sleep paralysis

[Greggers In Toronto]

I am using a Philips Respironics REMstar SE System One CPAP machine. It's a bare-bones model. Only records compliance data for 7 and 30 days. Has C-Flex but it doesn't feel ANYTHING like it does on other models, hardly seems useful at all.

I am still snoring. I'm currently on 11. I'm going to change the pressure setting to 12 tonight. Could I safely go to 13 if I wanted to experiment?

When I take naps during the day I use my CPAP machine, and find I drift off to sleep only to "snap out of it" into a state of sleep paralysis. I'm pretty sure I'm breathing okay, but I can't seem to wake my body up. I find myself trying desperately to kick my feel and move my arms, and only relax again when I have regained control of my body.

I had sleep paralysis before CPAP.

Am I more relaxed and sleeping deeper now, thereby making the sleep paralysis more evident? Is this a sign of having central apneas brought on by the machine? Or do I worry too much?

I am thinking of MORE pressure right now. I'm still waiting on the results of the FINAL sleep study when I went in, they monitored and titrated my pressure to find out the FINAL number. In the meantime, the Respirologist took the APAP data to give me my tentative permanent pressure of 11. I know my AHI was improved a LOT from readinf the APAP data with SleepyHead software, but I was still snoring a lot.

Any advice or ideas are greatly appreciated.

[zonk]

I am still snoring. I'm currently on 11. I'm going to change the pressure setting to 12 tonight. Could I safely go to 13 if I wanted to experiment?
Any advice or ideas are greatly appreciated.

Just replied to your thread as follows:
Do it gradually at smallest increment and access the situation
Sometimes just a small bump or change sleeping position might just do the trick
Tennis ball placed in sock attached with safety pin to back of pyjamas or T-shirt will help staying on your side

Read here: http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...re-on-cpap

[Shastzi]

I would think that this would be a good time to consider moving to a machine that is a full data logger like the ResMed S9 Autoset or the equivalent in Respironics.
By running that in conjunction with a program like SleepyHead you will be able to see the whole picture for the first time and then be able to figure out a path to take.

Just my 2 cents worth of advise.

Be sure to check with your primary care phys. maybe you can get him/her to write you script for a machine that can better work with your changing situation.

Best of luck!

[PaulaO2]

Any experimenting with a brick is done with little evidence of the result. If you keep the brick, then invest in a cheap oximeter.

Wear it for at least 7 nights, no change in pressure. This lets you set a baseline for yourself. It also can shed a little light on the efficiency of the current pressure. Also wear it for several hours every other day or so just to give you an idea of your awake blood oxygen levels.

Then make changes in small increments, either by half a point or a whole one.* Gather oximeter data for another 7 days or more.

Rinse. Repeat.

There are plenty of problems with doing it this way.
- not everyone's blood oxygen saturation drops due to apnea events
- it is very slow and requires tons of patience
- it requires steady observation over a long period of time, making a lot of assumptions

Your best bet it so dump the brick and get a data capable machine. It will be quicker and, combined with the oximeter data, will give a more complete and more accurate picture of your situation.

--
* Doctors advocate patients not changing their own pressure and can list tons of reasons not to. Yet, the same doctors will then raise or lower the pressure by at least 2cmH2O without any data before or after. However, we here at ApneaBoard believe that small changes between many days of data gathering are better. We feel it is better to go slow because this reduces the number of variables that go into a good night's sleep.

[Shastzi]

What Paula said I experienced first hand.
I still keep 'The Brick' around for a back up but it needs extra data logging support, in this case the oximeter is
used big time or you are flying blind.

[Greggers In Toronto]

I am worried I am triggering central apnea events since I've been using CPAP. Nobody, so far, has suggested that my suspicion that the sleep paralysis I experience when I take daytime naps could be linked to CPAP therapy is reassuring.

Thank you guys for the responses!

I was hoping someone would tackle my concerns about sleep paralysis while on CPAP. I gotta admit, now that I've become accustomed to being a "hose head", I wake up from my regular sleep profoundly relaxed.

As much as I'd like to, I cannot afford a higher end machine. The brick was purchased by my government healthcare plan. Apparently, they have accepted the reality of sleep apnea, realise it makes people sick, but are only prepared to offer bare-bones therapy options i.e. the cheapest working model on the market. Don't get me wrong: the REMstar SE is small, it's a bit noisy once it's been broken in and run for a few days, the C-Flex option is primitive compared to more expensive models from Philips, but the damned thing still works. It maintains a positive pressure. And I feel better using it.

[Sleepster]

As long as it's working, and that's the important thing, there's no strong need for data. It's when it's not working for you that the data becomes necessary.

I check my data only once per month and don't do much with it anymore. Back when I was having problems it was very important for me to have the data.

[Shastzi]

Greggers,
I believe we have some Canadians here that have been able to step up to more capable machines but it means a fight with the health care system.
If you can get some tips on the best way to finagle with the system you can get what you need out of them.
I think that would be a worthwhile effort in your case.
(The squeaky wheel gets the grease!)

What I suppose few folks realize in health care, is the APAP machines are able to compensate for changing situations on a minute by minute basis.
I went for months on a RemSTAR Plus and it was keeping me out of the rough spots but I haven't really started sleeping better till I got the ResMed S9 Autoset.
The data logging the S9 provides is most reassuring that things are going alright. It's a good robot!
I did have to break my piggy bank and eat a lot of Ramein noodles for awhile but it has been one of my better investments.
(I had to buy it with cash since I have no health care program. Yes. I know, it's outragous here in the States. )

Calling all Canadians with APAP machines! Are you there?
Can anyone help this guy out with the bureaucrats?



Hang in there Greggers, your ship will come in soon.

[tiantian]

Greggers,

I am a new cpap user (2 months) in the Toronto area; OHIP will pay 75% of the cost of your machine through the Assistive Devices program. They pay up front! My private insurer paid the rest and paid for my mask. The cost of the machines is regulated by the govt. Hope this helps you!

Tiantian