Is CPAP treatment that good or something is off with me?

[OpalRose]

I would like to know if these results seem feasible to you, given the therapy. Can you just drop AHI from around 30 to 0.0-1.5 effectively overnight? Is the CPAP therapy that good? Is there anyone here who has been diagnosed with high AHI, then started therapy and their index dropped to under 5 overnight?

I would like to respond to this statement as related to my own therapy. My sleep study showed a total AHI of 37. After the first night of using my APAP, the machine display showed an AHI of a little over 5 AHI. And that was using a wide open setting of 4 minimum-20 maximum using a PR 60 series Auto Cpap.

After tweaking those (not optimal) settings, the second night revealed an AHI of under 3. After approximately 1 week treatment, my AHI was under 1.

So yes, it is possible to see that kind of improvement overnight, especially if your lucky enough to be using optimal settings from the start.

And believe me, I didn't have help from my doctor or DME. I was lucky to be searching and found this forum early on and received the guidance needed.

[Shadowpup]

Regarding your question.  Two sleep studies diagnosed severe sleep apnea.  Once I got the mask that stopped leaks, my average AHI is below one.  I find your results feasible relying on my limited personal experience.

[DayWalker]

Thank you for your posts

I can see that this is indeed the norm not an exception to the rule. I guess the initial values were optimal and by removing auto ramp-up and raising the low limit to 7 they became from optimal to perfect.

Cheers,

[Sleeprider]

The Airsense 10 can do a great job resolving sleep disordered breathing, especially since you seem to use and tolerate the EPR feature. In your case, confirming good oxygen saturation can be done with an inexpensive recording oximeter that will track your SpO2 and pulse. Supplier #19 has been a good resource for members that want this, and several of the oximeters are compatible with OSCAR. http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php..._Oximeters iF you're looking for assurance that therapy is doing everything you expect, that is a good way to monitor it.

[SevereApnea]

Hi DayWalker

What a story.

I read an article by Whye et al. in early March 2020 that, had I read it a year ago, I would have flicked through it and pooh-poohed it.

In Nov '19 I had an event, which has motivated me to be highly compliant on xPAP and aiming to optimize my treatment. With the extensive information in this board and the generous input from the more experienced members, I am well on the way to understanding some of the many variables that effect therapy.

Today, when I read the article again, it certainly is an "eye opener". Too large to attach but PM me if you want me to email you a copy.
I wish I had listened to my wife years ago about my snoring and "stopping breathing" and "gasping" etc. However, as in many cases, it is the event that is the wake up call to so many of us.

Page 61 has some interesting comments about raised intracranial pressure. Now, I don't for one moment suggest this is relevant to you, but merely refer to this to show that Sleep Disordered Breathing is way more complicated physiologically than any but the most dedicated physicians realize. I too have had a clean bill of health from a complete Ophthalmology assessment, but am keen to see what happens after a year or so of optimal xPAP therapy. There are articles that claim at least partial reversal of white matter changes in the brain after xPAP therapy, after as little as 3 months. Time will tell.

I look forward to hearing about your progress.

[Dormeo]

Daywalker, just to chime in: I was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea (AHI = 23), and immediately went to < 1 AHI with low pressures (8, with EPR of 3) on a ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset. I had a lot of flow limitations, though, and switched to a ResMed Vauto on the advice of Sleeprider and Bonjour. My current settings are IPAP = 5, PS = 4.8. (I don't do well with pressure changes.) This has greatly improved the FLs, though the price has been an uptick in AHI due to increased numbers of CAs. The CAs are very slowly subsiding at this level of PS, though, and the trade-off is worth it.

[SevereApnea]

Hi DayWalker

What a story.

I read an article by Whyte et al. in early March 2020 that, had I read it a year ago, I would have flicked through it and pooh-poohed it.

In Nov '19 I had an event, which has motivated me to be highly compliant on xPAP and aiming to optimize my treatment. With the extensive information in this board and the generous input from the more experienced members, I am well on the way to understanding some of the many variables that effect therapy.

Today, when I read the article again, it certainly is an "eye opener". Too large to attach but PM me if you want me to email you a copy.
I wish I had listened to my wife years ago about my snoring and "stopping breathing" and "gasping" etc. However, as in many cases, it is the event that is the wake up call to so many of us.

Page 61 has some interesting comments about raised intracranial pressure. Now, I don't for one moment suggest this is relevant to you, but merely refer to this to show that Sleep Disordered Breathing is way more complicated physiologically than any but the most dedicated physicians realize. I too have had a clean bill of health from a complete Ophthalmology assessment, but am keen to see what happens after a year or so of optimal xPAP therapy. There are articles that claim at least partial reversal of white matter changes in the brain after xPAP therapy, after as little as 3 months. Time will tell.

I look forward to hearing about your progress

@ Moderators
Certainly not trying to interfere with anyone's advice, nor their therapy, far be it from me to do that.
Thought I would share the article for everyone's interest. Now, I do find the article may have "too much information" in it, but leave it to your discretion to decide what to do with the link.

@DayWalker

After some consideration, I have now uploaded the article to the cloud, in case it may be of some interest to you.
Hope my other files there are not visible too! 

Adult OSA_Whyte


Best regards to all.