My Dads (potential) PAP therapy

[Schernenk]

I want to start a thread for my dads therapy.  He had extreme apnea 20 years ago, got on an old machine, one mask option....hated it, had air blowing in his eyes, it was loud, nothing fit right.  Basically he lost some weight, my mom stopped hearing as much gasping and choking so he turfed the old machine and hasn't used one since (I must be cured!)

Shockingly he is tired...all the time and I'm convinced he still has at least moderate APNEA.  I have explained to him the change in technology, masks fitment, APAP, humidifiers etc.  I have also learned a ton in my last few months of PAP therapy and can really help him avoid the pit falls I have experienced.  

Now, he has been procrastinating on getting an in home sleep study, as dads do (though he admits he needs one he hasn't called his doc).  I just switched to bi level and have my AirSense 10 kicking around.  I was thinking I would go set him up with a couple masks to try, get him going with some basic settings on the machine and let him try it.  Oscar Data will tell us if he is having events, though there will be no comparison/baseline from a sleep study.  I guess I just want to get him started, there is a bigtime history of APNEA and I doubt losing 25 lbs completely rectified it.  Is there any danger in this?  Getting him started on PAP therapy without an updated study?  I think no.  Even if he phones his doc tomorrow it will be a month minimum before he gets any results from an in home.

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

Agreed. No real danger in trying it. However, getting a sleep study is a good idea more to convince him it is a problem.

[Schernenk]

My dad is trying an APAP machine, AirSense 10.  He has used it for three nights straight, this is his longest one, 8 hours.  I'm trying to apply some of the knowledge I have gained from my own journey with PAP therapy but am not quite confident as I need to be so here is what I think, but would love everyone's input.

-Leaks need to be addressed (different mask or adjusting the one he has)
-Should narrow/lower min - max pressure to something like 11 over 4
-I think I'm seeing positional Apneas, especially around 5:20 am
-I started with EPR on, max, since it helped me, but I think too much pressure support can lead to CA events?  Maybe I dial it back?

Thoughts?

[staceyburke]

The only real problem you have is you don’t know if the central apnea was there before you started Cpap or if it is treatment emergent apnea. If it is treatment emergent it will reduce as he gets use to the therapy.

I would move min to 7 so EPR 3 will fully work.