Pressure increases without any significant OA's

[MyronH]

Do you remember dreaming around these times?  I wake up with heart racing and fast breathing after a dream (good or bad).

BTW.  I found my Contec oximeter was low by as much as 10% when done at same time as doctor's pro equipment.  So 83 could really be 93.  Don't put too much confidence in OTC oximeters.

No i dont remember dreaming. I know some oximeters can be quite inaccurate. But the O2 drops correspond to the exact times of my OA's and CA's. So that can't be coincidence.

I'd really like to get the official ResMed O2 sensor to prove to my doctors what is going on, but it is expensive. And I doubt even with the official O2 sensor, they would care, because these drops don't happen enough for them to care. They are not concerned with less then a dozen O2 drops a night. But I am, due to my AFIB condition. Anything can trigger my AFIB or arrhythmia. If I have ANY kind of leaking, I start having weird breathing issues with palpitations, and in the past this has caused ventricular bigemeny and afib. I don't want that happening anymore.

 Is a drop to 80% for a short period over only a few times a night, still considered "okay" by most sleep doctors?

[MyronH]

Flow limitations and snores both will cause an increase in pressure. If you look at your flow limitation chart you'll see it matches with your pressure rising.

So I had increased my maximum pressure to IPAP 18, because during my last sleep study, they made it 14, and I kept hitting the max. So far I'm only reaching IPAP 16 last few nights, but still getting flow limitations.

I woke up at around 4am with my chest/stomach burning. I thought it was acid issue, so took a Pepcid. That seemed to help. I'm on a blood thinner for clots so could be affecting my stomach. I need to schedule an upper endoscopy and colonscopy according to my doctor.


1. Can acid reflux or stomach acid issues cause flow limitations?   
2. Could this increased pressure during night, cause respiratory distress, causing that burning sensation?
3. I guess the PES test won't help me, since the only solution to UARS would be to increase pressure, just like SDB/OSA?

The last few nights, my pressures have been going up for a few hours. It used to stay very low at the lowest setting 8/4 or 9/5 all night long, and also was that low during my sleep study.

[Walla Walla]

I would guess the gag reflex you'd have with acid problems would look like flow limitations. In both cases the airway is being closed off. The machine can't tell the difference.

[MyronH]

I would guess the gag reflex you'd have with acid problems would look like flow limitations. In both cases the airway is being closed off. The machine can't tell the difference.

I started taking Pepcid, according to my doctor, at night before going to bed. This has so far relieved most of the burning symptoms. I am scheduled next month for Upper Endoscopy and Colonoscopy with my GI doctor.

But tonight...I had an issue again with my knees bent up in the air while laying on my back. It happened the same time as the pressure increases, and flow limitations. In my webcam video, I kept my knees bent for a least one hour during this time. Then I woke up at 2:35am.

Not sure what to think about that and what is causing me to bend knees at night? Is it the breathing issue or just something I've always done at night?
I do remember before I was on CPAP/BIPAP, I would wake up some times with my knees bent, and wondered what was going on.

[SarcasticDave94]

Do you remember dreaming around these times?  I wake up with heart racing and fast breathing after a dream (good or bad).

BTW.  I found my Contec oximeter was low by as much as 10% when done at same time as doctor's pro equipment.  So 83 could really be 93.  Don't put too much confidence in OTC oximeters.

No i dont remember dreaming. I know some oximeters can be quite inaccurate. But the O2 drops correspond to the exact times of my OA's and CA's. So that can't be coincidence.

I'd really like to get the official ResMed O2 sensor to prove to my doctors what is going on, but it is expensive. And I doubt even with the official O2 sensor, they would care, because these drops don't happen enough for them to care. They are not concerned with less then a dozen O2 drops a night. But I am, due to my AFIB condition. Anything can trigger my AFIB or arrhythmia. If I have ANY kind of leaking, I start having weird breathing issues with palpitations, and in the past this has caused ventricular bigemeny and afib. I don't want that happening anymore.

 Is a drop to 80% for a short period over only a few times a night, still considered "okay" by most sleep doctors?

IMO I think "89% or less and under 5 minutes per night" is the criteria that you're not doing "acceptable".