[Health] AHI and APAP

[agregersen]

This has probably been asked elsewhere and if so just point me to the thread. I live outside the US and use a ResMed S9 AutoSet, 10 -18 mmH2O. I do not have a pulse oximetry device. BTW my machine is about two generations ahead of the common devices used in this country, the doctor doesn't even have the software to read my SD card.

Due to some side affects from catching Chikungunya (Yes, it is as bad as it sounds) I ended up having to see a pulmonologist who wanted a new sleep study done. They hooked me up and had me sleep with a CPAP all night and came back and said I didn't have sleep apnea. They DID NOT do any baseline tests to measure my untreated breathing.

I found your website and downloaded SleepyHead and have checked my data from my machine and my average AHI is below 3.0 which I think is a good thing and it means my machine is working like it should be.

Two things I have to ask:
Correct me if I am wrong, if you use your machine like you should and it is setup correctly then it should reduce/eliminate the apnea/hypopnea events which allows you to get a good nights rest.

Secondly, and I am just asking for opinions not diagnosis, did the sleep study goof by not taking baseline measurements without the CPAP and since they did not do the baseline should I consider their results as suspect.

[justMongo]

Correct me if I am wrong, if you use your machine like you should and it is setup correctly then it should reduce/eliminate the apnea/hypopnea events which allows you to get a good nights rest.

Yes. But do not expect total elimination of apnea events. For example: My AHI was about 1 for last night. I slept about 7 hours. So, I had 1 x 7 = 7 events last night.

"...They hooked me up and had me sleep with a CPAP all night and came back and said I didn't have sleep apnea. They DID NOT do any baseline tests to measure my untreated breathing..." Secondly, and I am just asking for opinions not diagnosis, did the sleep study goof by not taking baseline measurements without the CPAP and since they did not do the baseline should I consider their results as suspect.

A test done while on positive pressure would not be diagnostic for SA. The normal routine is to monitor sleep while not using PAP; from that infer a diagnosis. Then monitor sleep while on PAP to determine appropriate pressure.

[Sleep2Snore]

You will never be completely free of Sleep Apnea, even the best machines will only get you a low reading.

The above is correct on both counts, but the first test I had done was on an APAP hooked into a computer as well.
This told the doctor I had Sleep Apnoea and I was sent off to a larger hospital to have a half and half study done.
That is half the study without the machine doing anything, just a very light puff of air so I didn't have to fight to breath, then after they saw the apneas they did the checks to fine what pressure the apneas stopped.
Print out was with the doctor in the morning.

[agregersen]

My initial sleep study (half and half) was done in 1995 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and they found I had moderate apnea with severe snoring (85 to 95 Decibels). Several follow up tests using the same half and half method all came up with the same result with some variations in the settings on the machines. The follow ups were done because of changing machine types. I am now on an APAP and it seems to work best for me at this time as evidenced by the low AHI's (less than 3) I am getting with it.

[Sleep2Snore]

3 is good, keep it up

[trish6hundred]

Hi agregersen,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Much success to you with your CPAP therapy.