[Pressure] After 10 years, I manged to sleep a month with CPAP! Help me analyze oscar data

[hezamam]

Hello everyone,

Hope everyone is doing well. So here's a quick rundown of my story. I've been diagnosed with sleep Apnea LONG time ago, I honestly don't remember which type. I've been struggling sleeping with the CPAP ever since. I always felt like suffocating and unable to breath. Went to a bunch of Doctors and none really cared to help me or with CPAP settings. After a couple of recent months of feeling exceedingly tired to the point where I was unable to go to work in the morning. I decided to tinker with the CPAP on my own.


Bumped up the pressure to 8-20 and I was finally able to sleep a full nights sleep. I have a month worth of OSCAR data. My questions for you guys if I may:

1- Should I change my pressure? Does lowering the max pressure have any negatives, or raise the min? I've noticed the auto pressure always brings it up to 11-12 a couple hours after I sleep. Should I raise the min to like 11?


2- My AHI average is really low. That's a good thing I suppose, but how do I know if its correct. I had a couple of nights with AHI 0.00, actually most nights the AHI is less than 0.5. It never increased over that. I suppose this mean its working? I feel much better to be honest, not a 100% but the constant headaches are gone for once.

3- I only have Hypopnea, only one singular night where there was one event of Obstructive Apnea, I honestly don't know what to do with this information. 

4- Should I turn EPR on? Been sleeping fine without it. Only problem I have is that after like 6 hours of sleep I wake up and I cant get back to sleep at all. Sometimes I remove the mask and get an extra hour or 2.

5- Any thing I should work on/fix?

Thanks a bunch for the help!

           

[OpalRose]

Welcome to ApneaBoard!

I'll start by answering your questions.

1.  Lowering the max pressure should have no negatives.  I personally like to use a narrower pressure range.  When I look at your pressure graph, there are a lot of pressure swings.  Although your flow limitation numbers are low, the FL graph shows that it is  causing the pressure to rise. Bring your max down to 12cm.
In order to tame FL a bit, you should use some EPR.  You can set EPR at 1 and see if it helps.

2.  Impressive that your AHI numbers are low and better yet that you are adapting now.  

3.  The EPR should not only help tame any FL, but also Hypopneas.

4.  Start with EPR 1 for the reasons explained above.  With the use of EPR, move your minimum pressure up a bit.  I'm thinking, 9.0

5.  Your chart looks great.  As look as you're sleeping well and feeling good.

Summary:

Minimum pressure - 9cm
Maximum pressure - 12cm
EPR - set at 1

[hezamam]

Thanks a lot for the reply, I will turn on EPR tonight and see how it feels. So you are saying EPR will lower my effective min pressure so I want to raise it up a bit so I compensate right? Yeah I noticed my pressure chart is all over the place too. I read some conflicting stuff about EPR, Is it helps with exhale pressure and hypopnea why do so many people discourage it? I've read mixed reviews about EPR.

Thanks again, I could not thank this forums enough for all the info. I mean quite literally improving sleep day by day. I used to read all the info on here but finally decided to make a post about my oscar data to gain more insight.

[OpalRose]

EPR is more than just a comfort feature. When using EPR, it lowers the EPAP (exhale pressure). EPAP is what sprints the airway open to prevent Obstructives. So by raising the minimum, we keep the EPAP higher.

EPR helps with FL, Hypopnea, RERA's, but can (in some individuals) cause a CA increase.

This is why I recommended EPR 1, but help with FL. I don't see CA's to worry about on your charts.

I think giving it a day or two and observe. Note how you feel using EPR, and post another graph.

Like I said, your numbers are impressive. I'm advising the use of EPR 1 as the FL graph shows that it aligns with the pressure spikes. If we can tame that, you may sleep better.
Nothing is written in stone... we can always reverse actions.

[wstalcup]

Hi!
I would have said "start your pressure at 10, since you need to get up 12 apparently anyway" because I think that your body might be struggling all of that time until you get 12, so it would be better to get to 12 faster... "
...but...
I'm sure OpalRose, knows a lot more than i do! (we are lucky to have him or her!...guessing her?) and anyway your AHI is great!
congratulations!