New Member - Help with data?

[catch22]

Hello all. I recently got fit with CPAP to address a "mild" case of apnea, but it's turning out weird so far. I was hoping some of you guys might be able to help me. I'm an IT guy so I have a card reader, SleepyHead to parse data, and a Philips System One 460P with C-Flex+. I use a full face mask though I don't have the package so I can't say what kind. It's a "low profile" one though. I have a nasal mask as well but it is unopened and I haven't tried it yet because I tend to be a mouth breather.

Anyway I figured I'd take some time to get used to this thing but I had an absolutely horrible night last night and I think I need to look at my data and see if something is holding me up. Whereas I thought things were going okay, after last night, I don't want to wear that thing ever again

Quick background: went for a sleep study because I snore a lot and my wife has been worried because I seem to just stop breathing at night for 5-10 sec. then start sawing logs again. My ENT figured why not check it out I fit the profile, and so I did two sleep studies.

The first one was just a study with no CPAP, just monitoring. My AHI was 5.8, I had 11 Centrals and 9 obstructives, my blood oxygen went down to like 86%. All but 2-3 centrals were during sleep onset.

The second test I didn't get the results, but it was a CPAP tritation to get my pressure locked in. I ended up having much worse AHI with the CPAP, like 13 or so and an 80% blood oxygen drop. My pressure was prescribed at 9.0 since I slept there for almost 2 hours with 0 events. The sleep doctor diagnosed me with mild mixed apnea overall.

I'm not on my second week or so of using the CPAP. Here's some screen shots I'm hoping people might elaborate for me.

   

The first, Nov 3 (6 hours), was a decent night I thought, though I was still pretty darn tired, dizzy, woozy, spaced out the next morning. But I managed to keep the mask on for a good run and I thought it was a good night considering my AHI was like 6 or so overall. Generally I keep it on a couple hours and tear it off due to panic or the feeling of not being able to breathe, dry mouth, or generally just discomfort.

   

Last night was atrocious (4 hours), I kept having centrals when trying to sleep and I think they kept waking me up, and I'm just not sure why. I have onset centrals primarily, very few during sleep itself, but I am a shallow breather I guess. Anyway I had trouble breathing even after the mask was off, feeling short of breath, lungs hurt, etc.


My main questions are:

1) Why is my AHI skyrocketed on the graph when I appear to be sleeping with no events at all?

2) Are my leaks bad here? I have no common point of reference to know any better. Overall the third reports "worse" but I had a better night sleep overall (in my opinion), versus the 4th where I had a terrible night and my leaks were similar overall?

3) What can I do to improve this process? I need to stop waking up all the time, it's killing my sleep quality. I've done my soul battling on dealing with using this thing, so I'm ready to accept it and just live life. The last 2 weeks of my life have been bad for sleep and I have a new born son. The CPAP keeps me up more than the kid does.

I shaved my face today hoping for a better seal (I'm a scruffy guy lol), I've lost 30 pounds in the past 3 months, I exercise more than I ever have, and I eat better than ever. Technically, I should be feeling better, but it's quite the opposite. I feel like everyday I am going to die.

Any help on reviewing this data would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all.
-Dan

[Sleepster]

Hi Dan. Welcome to the forum. I'm sorry you had to join us in becoming a hosehead, but it will save your life and improve the quality of your life. I know it doesn't seem that way now, but it will.

So, the first thing you have to do is be compliant. You have to wear the mask and use the machine every time you sleep, all the the time you're sleeping, even for naps. Until you do this, the data doesn't tell you anything. You need to get adapted and then your AHI will settle down. Try wearing the mask and turning on the machine when you are awake and relaxing. Watch TV, listen to music, read, whatever.

The second thing to look at is leak rates. The best thing to do is ask in the Software Support Forum about the meaning of your graphs and the data. I can't tell what your leak rate graphs mean because I forget how to tell if they are reading total leak or intentional leak. If that lower graph is the intentional leak rate then you're doing great.

The third thing is your AHI. Don't worry about this too much until you get the first two under control, and even then you have to wait for the numbers to settle down as you adapt.

I don't remember what that AHI graph is telling you. It might be the AHI per hour, so it's based on what happened during the previous hour. The clusters of events tell you all you need to know. You have a lot of events, but likely that will subside. The other thing you want to look for is how long the events last. I can't tell that without zooming in on the flow rate graph in the vicinity of each event, or by looking at the number in parenthesis after each listing in that left panel. Can't see that in your posts either. You need to drill down on those in SleepyHead.

The daytime tiredness is what I experienced when I started, too. The machine and mask were so uncomfortable, and the diagnosis of the condition so troubling, that I got less sleep instead of more. But eventually I experienced some mornings when I felt I had gotten at least some deep sleep. Those days slowly, and I mean slowly, became more and more frequent. They are now the norm, but it took a long time to get where I am now. Of course, it took much much longer for me to get in the sad state I was in before CPAP. So, hang in there. The rewards are coming and the alternative is death. That new baby needs you alive!

[trish6hundred]

Hi catch22,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I know CPAP therapy can take some getting used to, but just stick with it, it does get better over time.
Hang in there for more answers to your questions about your data.
Much success to you with your CPAP therapy.