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11-18-2023, 06:27 PM (This post was last modified: 11-18-2023, 06:29 PM by punkrockcholo.)
Hello! Hola! New to CPAP, first night of SD card (Help Appreciated!)
Good evening from California, USA!
I have been using CPAP for approximately three weeks with varying results. I am happy with my energy levels, uncomfortable with my dry eyes and occasional gas, but thrilled to feel more at ease knowing I'm trying to get treatment for my severe OSA.
Hey, going from always falling asleep to no more napping and this new feeling of... breathing through my nose!... is incredible.
Last night was my first night utilizing the SD card so apologies beforehand if this information is insufficient.
I'll post more updates as I go, but for now... anyone want to take a stab at helping me #1 reduce my AHI (which I'll live with right now, obviously!) and #2 decipher this information?
My initial pressure setting was 4-20 but I moved it to 6 a few days ago and 9 this morning after lying in bed for a while unable to go back to sleep. I initially got the Airfit F20? FFM, but I didn't understand how to get used to it. I let it sit in my closet for a few years. Health is OK. Been feeling tired forever, but it kind of came to its boiling point as I got flu-like symptoms and couldn't sleep around the last week of October. A few weeks ago, after feeling miserable, I put on the Airfit N20 for the first time and after a few minutes, I fell asleep and woke up the next morning. Amazing experience. Not sure what to do moving forward, so any recommendations are much welcome.
More to follow in the next couple of days/weeks, I hope!
This is all I have. I slept only a few hours last night, obviously. Woke up unable to sleep more. I felt like I wasn't getting enough air and just took it off and went about my day. AHI was 2.2 the night before for roughly the same amount of time as today.
RE: Hello! Hola! New to CPAP, first night of SD card (Help Appreciated!)
OK. Here is an attached updated screenshot. My resolution prevents me from grabbing more of the "Session Information" to the left.
By the way, side effects experienced throughout these two-three weeks:
Dry eyes
Occasional bloat and gas
Sensation of shortness of breath one day for about.. 20 minutes. No other symptoms, did not feel breath was impacted by exertion during sensation period, no known blood clots or cardiac problems as of Spring 2023.
I am obviously new both here on the forum and to the CPAP, so any advice is appreciated.
RE: Hello! Hola! New to CPAP, first night of SD card (Help Appreciated!)
It's very good to hear that you're feeling improvements during the day! A few thoughts about your chart.
I do wonder whether you were asleep during the clusters of events at the beginning of the first and second sessions. If you weren't, then we should ignore those events in thinking about your settings. What do you think -- did you fall asleep super-fast?
I'm puzzled by the fact that your minimum is 9 and your ramp is off, yet your pressures start at 6 at the beginning of each session. Could you double-check to make sure ramp is truly off and your minimum is truly 9?
Your obstructive events are clustered a little bit, even apart from the clusters at the beginning of sessions. What kind of pillow do you use? And do you sleep on your back, stomach, or sides? Ideally you'd be sleeping on your sides, using a low, firm pillow. That might help you avoid tucking your chin down toward your chest, which can make it easier for OAs to occur.
Your leak rates are fine as far as your therapy goes. Do leaks wake you up?
What were the breaks in therapy -- bathroom, pets, or ... ?
It'll be good to be able to sleep longer; most people need 7 to 8+ hours of actual sleep per night.
RE: Hello! Hola! New to CPAP, first night of SD card (Help Appreciated!)
Morning.
To be honest, I had the mask fit on and then I just fell asleep. I was being a little finicky with my settings and mask tightness, so I must've just fallen asleep.
I have anxiety every night as I put the mask on and lay down. I'm using the PureLUX Simply Cool Gel Memory Foam Pillow from Costco but I'm lying completely flat on my back. When sleeping on my side, I did get better numbers hovering around 2-5.
As far as the ramp settings, I was using the ramp for two weeks but I turned it off. I felt better adjusted, I guess. What settings should I have the start pressure at if my minimum is 9? My original settings were 4-20 at AUTOSET with EPR 3. I don't know where to go from here.. just yet.
11-19-2023, 03:04 PM (This post was last modified: 11-19-2023, 03:05 PM by PeaceLoveAndPizza.)
RE: Hello! Hola! New to CPAP, first night of SD card (Help Appreciated!)
Try setting your pressure 11-14 EPR 3.
You may be a good candidate in the long term for a Bilevel (Resmed Aircurve 10) as the Autoset 10 with EPR 3 is not handing your flow limitations, but they may improve with a bit more pressure. I'll leave it to Dormeo and others to correct me if needed. The nice thing with the Bilevel is you will likely be able to use less pressure as the pressure support (PS) will deal with the flow limitations that are keeping the pressure higher.
One other option is to set the response from standard to soft. It did not do anything for me, but it does work for some.
RE: Hello! Hola! New to CPAP, first night of SD card (Help Appreciated!)
(11-19-2023, 01:48 PM)Dormeo Wrote: It's very good to hear that you're feeling improvements during the day! A few thoughts about your chart.
I do wonder whether you were asleep during the clusters of events at the beginning of the first and second sessions. If you weren't, then we should ignore those events in thinking about your settings. What do you think -- did you fall asleep super-fast?
I'm puzzled by the fact that your minimum is 9 and your ramp is off, yet your pressures start at 6 at the beginning of each session. Could you double-check to make sure ramp is truly off and your minimum is truly 9?
Your obstructive events are clustered a little bit, even apart from the clusters at the beginning of sessions. What kind of pillow do you use? And do you sleep on your back, stomach, or sides? Ideally you'd be sleeping on your sides, using a low, firm pillow. That might help you avoid tucking your chin down toward your chest, which can make it easier for OAs to occur.
Your leak rates are fine as far as your therapy goes. Do leaks wake you up?
What were the breaks in therapy -- bathroom, pets, or ... ?
It'll be good to be able to sleep longer; most people need 7 to 8+ hours of actual sleep per night.
I'm not sure if I've messed up the settings with this ramp discrepancy you mention, but I'm getting crazy AHI of 30 in 10 minutes of sleeping just now.
RE: Hello! Hola! New to CPAP, first night of SD card (Help Appreciated!)
Well, that would be about 5 events. Obstructive or central? Either way, if you have a chance, could you post your chart for last night along with a zoomed-in view of that 10-minute interval?
11-21-2023, 07:28 PM (This post was last modified: 11-21-2023, 07:31 PM by punkrockcholo.)
RE: Hello! Hola! New to CPAP, first night of SD card (Help Appreciated!)
OK. Here is my Sunday info.
Do we value MyAir information, as well, or is it unsubstantial?
And for further analysis, here are last night's charts.
I have constant dry eyes so I don't know if it's the mask leaking into my eyes, or something else relating to the tear ducts (I've read about it so I'm not ruling it out).
Like previously stated, any advice is much appreciated.
