Hello All I'm new and soon to be hooked up!

[KramAir]

Hello All,
I'm new to the forum. Just had my sleep study and got the results back - AHI of 67. Is this really high? I know over 30 is severe but wasn't sure. I get a little tired during the day but not falling asleep. 
Looking forward to going to get the cpap machine and this forum has been great (I think I will go down the APAP path?) 
Anyway I have to wait another 2 weeks to see the doc and I will post my results. Just wondering... is it always better to hire before buying?
Thank you

[DeepBreathing]

G'day KramAir, welcome to Apnea Board.

Yeah, 67 is a pretty high AHI - it means you stopped breathing more than once a minute, all night! This rate of apnea not only causes you to lose sleep, but your system is getting multiple shots of adrenaline, which is not good for your heart.

The type of machine you need will depend on the type of apnea you experience. For ordinary obstructive apnea an APAP is usually the way to go. However, people with high AHIs often have mixed apnea, with a proportion of central apneas. If this is the case you might need a different type of machine called an adaptive servo ventilator (ASV) which are much more expensive. If you have other respiratory conditions along with apnea then a bilevel machine may be required. For this reason it is definitely the case that you should try before you buy - unless you have an exceptionally switched-on sleep doctor. Most of them can't see past normal obstructive apnea even if you have a high percentage of centrals. So be assertive and ask lots of questions!

The hardest part of the treatment is getting used to the mask. You need to have a mask which fits properly, doesn't leak and is comfortable. The headgear needs to be comfortable too. So again, try before you buy. Many people go through three, four or masks till they get the right one. Some popular types to start off are the Fisher & Paykel Simplus, Resmed F20 and Resmed P10.

Make sure you download and use #SleepyHead software to track your progress. It will also allow us to offer constructive advice as you go.

By the way I like your avatar!

[Gideon]

Welcome to the forum.  This will likely become your best friend for treating your Apnea.
You sound like you may have startted your reading about Apnea.

Yes your Apnea IS severe as DeepBreathing has indicated.  Even though it is severe there is no way of knowing which machine or what your settings will be on your machine.  Hopefully your apnea is simple basic Obstructive Apnea (simply because it is the least complicated).  My untreated Apnea was 90 many years ago and recently 70 AHI ( I stopped breathing over once every minute on average, all night, every night.  I do not have the complex apnea.

Homework

Please read thru the links in my signature.
Masks are the hardest to get set.  Please read the Mask Primer.  EVERY sleeptest, every trip to your DME try masks on,  see the Mask Primer for a strategy and hints.

New to Apnea? Helpful tips to ensure success is an article dealing with many things apnea, many of your questions will be answered there (Don't hesitate to ask here though)
Including Understanding Sleep Apnea, New to Sleep Apnea-the process, Rx, Machine Choices, Optimizing Therapy, SleepyHead, posting charts, and more.

New to Sleep Apnea-the process (in the above link) takes you thru what to expect during the process, you have already started this.

Data is the most important thing.  It is NOT UNCOMMON for a DME to try and give you a brick, a machine which does not provide detailed data, APAPs are good.

Keep us in the loop every step along the way and we will help you with all aspects of your journey.

Please get and post a copy of your sleep study, it will help us to help you.

And, while it may be obvious, try to keep your posts in a single thread, this one is good, so that a history is maintained.



Sorry for the rambling

Fred

[trish6hundred]

Hi KramAir,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck to you as you start CPAP therapy.

[KramAir]

Hello All,
Thank you for the feedback.
The results don't say anything about central apnea ......

I think I have attached the results from the sleep study. I think that the APAP device is the way to go. 

When I did the study they said to 'be normal' and if that means that your snoring is worse when you have had a few beverages please do that beforehand. I dont know if this may have 'skewed the results' somewhat.

I look forward to the feedback 

and thanks again!

[DeepBreathing]

No central apneas were recorded in the sleep test, which is excellent news. The way forward is a Resmed AirSense 10 AutoSet, AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her, or equivalent Philips Dreamstation. It is possible that you will experience some central apneas once you start therapy - this is normal and is the body's reaction to breathing with the machine. These pressure-induced central apneas normally go away after a while.

Read up on all the stuff Bonjour pointed you to - some excellent knowledge there!

Lastly, try sleeping on your side rather than your back. Sleep position can be an important factor in obstructive apnea.

[cate1898]

Welcome to the forum KramAir, glad you found us.  Soon you'll be on your way to better health!