New mask, abnormal events???

[wesozzzz]

Last night I used my new F and P Vitera mask and the nights record via Oscar came up with a few very different events and I hope some one can explain them.

Refer to the attached charts.

 (1) Start to 21.50 hours.  For the first 50 minutes my cpap machine sat on the minimum pressure setting , then rose up over the next 30 minutes rose to max pressure of 18 cm.
Note my flow limitations, almost nil. On other nights I do have short times when Flow Limitations are low but not be present at all is new.
Why do they vary and what is causing  flow limitations? I have pulmonary fibrosis and some nasal restriction, these conditions dont switch on and off, not as indicated on the charts..

  (2) at around 23.50 my respiration rate maxed out for 20 minutes, I have never seen this before.  I note my Flow Rate  and Tidal Volume dropped at the same time. But no apneas.

 (3) From 0400 to end at around 6.00.
Following a toilet break, a cluster of apneas, with a lower than normal pressure and unusually small number of flow restrictions.
I could have fallen asleep on my back, sleeping prone does trigger more apneas but note abnormally low ( for me) flow limitations.

I cant try out the Vitera mask again for a few nights, not until the pressure sore on the bridge of my nose has healed. pressure sore from my Simplus mask, I will have to use my leaky F30 mask until then.

I am quite concerned over (2) as I would have been under stress to have a breath rate of over 50 pm for a period of 20 minutes. I dont know why I didnt wake in panic.

Members thoughts and suggestions  will be appreciated.

[DeepBreathing]

Wesozzz, could you zoom in further on the section you've highlighted? Need about 3 minutes to fill the screen. Also, turn on the zero line in the flow rate graph (right-click on the graph label and follow the cascading menu to "dotted lines". I suspect you've got a flow rate something like Mal777, where there is expiratory restriction and multiple crossings of the zero line giving you a false respiration rate.

[wesozzzz]

Thanks DB, interesting to see the saw tooth across the zero line.

What does this indicate for me? I am still looking at the low flow rate of down to 100 ( whatevers) l/min? , my concern would be low oxygen sat levels. I have lost too many neurons already , cant afford to lose many more.

[DeepBreathing]

Yes, it looks just as I expected. You might like to have a look at Mal's thread - he is experiencing a similar pattern, though with a lot of central apnea. It's a long thread but the relevant part is here: http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...#pid333750

[wesozzzz]

Thanks DB,

Mal777 has the same chart characteristics but a little worse than mine I think.

I see my respiratory rate actually plugs along at 13 to 16 BPM  while the Respiratory Chart data says that it is 2 to 3 times that.  The 95% data report on Resp Rate per night ranges from 25 to 40 BPM. So that  also throws into doubt some of the other data like Tidal Volume may be more.

Does this means that the cpap machine is trying to regulate my breath at unhelpful times during my breathing cycle? In fact the machine retards my exhilaration by going in to pressuring state while im still trying to exhale. While my apnea rate of under 2 is good, the pushing and shoving from the machine cant do a lot for the quality of my sleep.


I will put on EPR 3 and hope that will improve my sleep,  checking back to 15 months ago and the start of my cpap machine use, my ragged expiration now looks a little worse, my lung disease is a progressive one so expect that will be the case.

I see on the settings menu there is a " Soft Response", would this help in slowing down the response to the ragged expiration?

I get used to feeling RS so a good or bad sleep doesnt make all that much difference it just adds to the general malaise, but may be I can improve the quality of my sleep.