Conine - Therapy

[Conine]

Hey found out about OSCAR and this board recently and wanted some help with getting my AHI down. I am averaging around a 4-5 since 2018 with some spikes in the 7-8 range on random nights. Wearing a CPAP even in the 4-5 range I feel a huge difference in my energy level and ability to wake up with energy in the morning and a 7-8 day I feel like I did not use it at all and need an afternoon nap like I always needed without the machine.

I will post pictures of my OSCAR data as soon as the board lets me.

Also I should mention I have been on allergy shots for about a year now and as those have ramped up, I have had worse and worse trouble breathing out of my nose. I am using an Amara View mask currently because I have to have something over my mouth currently.

This was a really good night for me. I had a lot of energy that day even though my one year old woke up early and ended up having an ear infection.
   

This was last night and close to a normal night for me.
   

This was a bad night and I felt closer to how I feel if I don't use the cpap. I was really tired in the afternoon which is typical and what finally led me to talk to the doctor. I will get spike nights like this from time to time.
   

[Sleeprider]

There is no wait to attach an image as shown in the Organizing Your Oscar Charts and Attaching Files tutorials in my signature links. New members cannot post links off-site until they convert to regular member, which you are about 1-post away. Welcome to Apnea Board.

[Conine]

yeah working on getting my posts up.

Thanks,

[staceyburke]

Welcome! There are a lot of very knowledgeable people here that will help you. You already had one of the very best contact you. 

I noticed that 2 days your min was 5.8 and the “goof” night was at 7. I would raise the min to 8. I can’t see if you are using flex, try setting it at 2. 

I also see some possible positional apnea. What that is ~ sleeping in a position where you cut off your own airway. No changes in the pap machine can help!  You have to stop what we call “chin tucking. Chin tucking is when your chin tucks down to your Sternum. 

Sometimes it is from sleeping on your back or having to tall of a pillow that makes you chin tuck. Take a look I have at the bottom of the post about a collar. The help a lot of people. 

Last when you post again take off the calendar before taking the screenshot. There is a lot of info we can’t see. You remove the calendar by clicking on the triangle next to the date line.

[Conine]

Thanks for the notes will try that and remove the calendar. I do sleep on my back a lot. I usually fall asleep on my side then roll over. I figured I needed to up the minimum so started doing that slowly hasn't bothered me at all.

I will look into the collar.

[Conine]

Here is last night's data. I could tell it was a 5 when I woke up. I was not tired but not feeling refreshed and was not super motivated to get out of bed. I did remove one of my pillows to try to get more flat as suggested. I think I struggled a little bit with falling a sleep because of that will take some time to get used to. I ordered a collar from amazon which should be here next week.

[Ratchick]

It definitely looks like you might indeed be chin-tucking, the way the events clustered up even as the pressure maxed out. Hopefully, the collar will help to remedy that when it arrives.

[Conine]

Saturday I was running some errands and passed a Walgreens so I stopped and picked up a collar to give it a try.

Saturday night was a mess with my daughter waking up a bunch. So I am not sure how useful it would be. I will post it anyway.



Sunday seemed to go better for sure with my lowest AHI yet.

[OpalRose]

Hi Connie,
The collar seems to be working and it looks like you're trending in the right direction.