Please help me interpret Oscar chart

[sriteop]

Hi Everyone ,

I am a 45 year old man in the healthy range of bmi. I eat well. I jog 25 minutes daily. 

I have been so tired for at least ten years. Had thyroid and Vitamin D checked and they are good.  Really feels like I get non-restorative sleep.

In-lab sleep study in 2019 but my sleep that night was atrocious and I barely slept. They told me I did not have apnea although it did show that I was not reaching deep sleep.

Working with a new sleep doctor now and I did a home sleep study a couple months ago. The home sleep study showed mild apnea, AHI: 7 using 4% standard and 13 with 3% standard. 

Starting using an Air Sense 10 3.5 weeks ago. Started with a nasal pillow but by the 2nd night my nose felt blocked and so my mouth would pop open(I actually naturally breathe through my nose) and the pressure change sound would wake me up. I taped my mouth shut but then felt like I couldn't breathe because my nose was blocked.

So I got a Vitera mask that covers my mouth and nose. It's only been a few weeks and I am definitely still adjusting to the mask. I know I need to be very patient. But I still feel very unrested all of the time. 

I am concerned that this process will actually make me a mouth breather since the cpap seems to be blocking my nose and I now need to open my mouth to breathe. 

I have uploaded my Oscar flow chart. Any and all help interpreting them is very appreciated!

[G. Szabo]

Your leaks are so high that your treatment is ineffective. You should fix them before we suggest any adjustments.

[staceyburke]

agree, not much to do to help until you can control your leaks.  But I would raise the min 7.  5 is to low for an adult.

[sriteop]

Okay, thank you. I don't adjust the pressure; it is an APAP device. 

How do I control the leaks?

Also, I should have mentioned that last week I saw an ENT doctor and they said I have a very deviated septum and they suggested a septoplasty and an endoscopy.

[G. Szabo]

Although it is an APAP, it needs fine-tuning so you can have a more suitable treatment.

For leak control, you should adjust the straps on your mask or select an entirely different mask. Your machine also has a mask-fitting/ testing option.

[staceyburke]

many of the leaks are mouth leaks not mask leaks.  You might try tapping the mouth - I have never done this but many people here do and seems to work for them.  You can search for mouth leaks or mouth tape and find posts on it with tips on how they do it and what type of tape they use.

[Deborah K.]

Yep.  Those are really high leaks.  I use Bleep, used to use nasal pillows, and have lots of mouth leaks that only mouth taping can control. Lots here like Cover Roll Stretch tape or Hypafix tape.  They both work well, but I like Theraband Kinesiology tape better because it stretches more and is more comfortable, if also more expensive.  People are different, but for the serious leakers like me, I have to use 2-inch wide tape cut to about 5-1/2 inches long.  Narrower or shorter and I still leak.  Maybe you are like me on this.      I thought it would be claustrophobic or uncomfortable, but happily, once it's on I don't really notice it.

[sriteop]

I cannot tape my mouth as I cannot fully breathe through my nose(deviated septum). But how can I be having mouth leaks if I am using a full face mask?

Thanks for the replies!

[G. Szabo]

Your mask seeling is probably not right. Adjust your straps or select a different mask. Finding the right mask can be quite a hassle.

[sriteop]

        I have adjusted my minimum pressure to 7.

And I believe I have significantly improved the leakage at least according to the cpap machine. 

Here are my charts from last night. Any thoughts?