Need help interpreting data and making adjustments

[tiredandexpired]

Background: Got diagnosed Feb 2023 with obstructive apnea (ahi 65) and have been coasting on pressure 10 on my lowenstein machine for a year now even with the same mask/headgear, general ahi is under 5 but could be better. 

After hitting the 1 year mark, getting a significantly comfortable/less leaking mask, still consistently seeing central apneas and finding out my lowenstein machine now works with oscar has reinvigerated me to try and improve my treatment from where i'm at by posting here.

My machine is one that can only drop 2.5 pressure below whatever I set it when exhaling (EPR?) and I use that feature, so the range in my data below is pressure 6.5 to 9. Obstructions aren't a problem but even before I check my data when I wake up I know if I feel bad it's because I have a bunch of flagged central apneas on my sleeping app (PrismaTS)

I read that it might be good to explore an ASV machine when dealing with central apneas or exploring reducing my pressure until I have nice round breaths when inhaling/exhaling, but I honestly don't know what i'm doing so I came here , I heard that people here are really friendly and may be able to help me if I post some data.

If there's any other data/information I can post that will aid your analysis please ask, below I just screencapped last nights oscar sleep data and zoomed in a bit on the other screenshot, I also included my lowenstein prisma app just because it showed my respiratory flow clearer

I hope I have did this right and followed the rules.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND HELPING ME OUT!  

[Dormeo]

Welcome! My suspicion is that you feel worse after a night with CAs because you are having more arousals during the night. When CAs occur, they often follow arousals. Arousals may be from a deeper sleep stage to a lighter one, or from sleep to waking.

Could you post one or two zoomed-in views of CAs? A two-minute segment with the CA in the middle would be ideal.

[tiredandexpired]

Welcome!  My suspicion is that you feel worse after a night with CAs because you are having more arousals during the night.  When CAs occur, they often follow arousals.  Arousals may be from a deeper sleep stage to a lighter one, or from sleep to waking.

Could you post one or two zoomed-in views of CAs?  A two-minute segment with the CA in the middle would be ideal.

Is this ok?

[Dormeo]

Well that's interesting!  I'm not seeing the arousal breathing that I expected to see.  Arousal breathing is deeper and messier-looking that regular sleep breathing; could you check your other CAs to see whether you see arousal breathing right before them?  (I've provided examples below.)

When you had your sleep study, what was the breakdown for your AHI (obstructive apnea, hypopnea, central apnea)?

I may be getting ahead of myself here, but one thought is to get a recording oximeter to see what happens to your oxygen levels during the night.  If you go into Oscar and click on Oximetry Wizard, you'll se a list of recording oximeters that are compatible with Oscar.

[tiredandexpired]

Well that's interesting!  I'm not seeing the arousal breathing that I expected to see.  Arousal breathing is deeper and messier-looking that regular sleep breathing; could you check your other CAs to see whether you see arousal breathing right before them?  (I've provided examples below.)

Not sure if this is the best format but I screencapped a bunch of CA's and uploaded to imgur, i'm not seeing it I don't think https://imgur.com/a/MSgmgSa

When you had your sleep study, what was the breakdown for your AHI (obstructive apnea, hypopnea, central apnea)?

Is this sufficient?

         

I may be getting ahead of myself here, but one thought is to get a recording oximeter to see what happens to your oxygen levels during the night.  If you go into Oscar and click on Oximetry Wizard, you'll se a list of recording oximeters that are compatible with Oscar.

Maybe, I appreciate all the suggestions, the Pulox PO-200 seems pretty cheap and compatible, unless it's a bad model i'll probably get that one in the next 2 days

[tiredandexpired]

Well the Pulox PO-200 I got that's recommended on the oscar app has no way to get the data onto my computer and wasn't refundable , unless i'm missing obvious; if someone reading this has influence to update the oximeter import wizard please do

[Dormeo]

Bummer! Try posting the question on the software board. Fingers crossed they can help.

https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-...port-Forum

[Crimson Nape]

Thank you for pointing out that error. That has been in the original SleepyHead code since I first saw it 10 years ago. You are the first person that I have seen that used this model. In checking, I can not find any reference as to this model being a recording oximeter. Pulox doesn't appear to be sold in the US, so most sites selling this model seem to be in German. All I can advise is to look into the Contec-50 series, models D+ or higher (E, F, K, and I) or the Viatom/Wellue line of recording oximeters (O2Ring, SleepU, or Checkme).

- Red

[tiredandexpired]

You are the first person that I have seen that used this model. 

Well I guess it had to be someone

will probably look into the CMS50D+

thanks

[Crimson Nape]

Just as a "heads-up", the 50D+ requires you to jump through several hoops to download the data. This is based on several posts over the years concerning this model. From what I remember, you have to have it turned on and set to a certain mode to communicate with its software. I'm sure the instructions that accompany this device will outline the data transfer steps. Make sure whatever device you select that it specifies that it is a recording oximeter. The direct download option in OSCAR is for an old version of the Contec firmware that is no longer available.

- Red