Question about breathes pattern

[Zackio]

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I'm been on apap for a couple of months and have a question about my data. I get a lot of patterns like in image. I'm guessing these are my airways restricting? But it seems to go on for a while, with the ramp increasing before it stops.

I'm still quite tired, but much much better then before. I'm wondering if I should be increasing my lower limit? 

I'm on a wait list for 2 months for a overnight sleep study so I'm on my own at the moment.

It's quite a wavy pattern, and the flow limitation graph has stuff on it where as other times there is nothing on the flow limitation graph and the breathes are stable.

I've included the normal pattern too.

[PaulaO2]

Yes, that is narrowing of your airway. That's SleepyHead, right? Do you have the flags turned on? If you do, and it isn't flagged, that means it did not narrow enough to count. For a hypopnea, it has to be restricted X amount and remain so for at least 10 seconds. Same with an apnea event.

Folks are going to ask for better screenshots. Here is how to do that.
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ganization

Since you are a new member and cannot insert links, we allow you to insert "broken" links to images.
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...New-Member

[Zackio]

Thanks, here's a over all image. I've not done the snore, as a don't snore so it's 100% empty.

https://i.imgur.com/k9Vl5Qrl.jpg

[PaulaO2]

I fixed the link but the image comes up un-resizeable. Did you input the correct link?

Go here and read the "getting the codes to post it"
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...pnea_Board

[Zackio]

Thanks, I clicked the large thumbnail option is in the screenshot of it in the instructions, but I think maybe original is what is needed, as that shows large https://i.imgur.com/k9Vl5Qr.jpg

[ajack]

going by your low tidal volume and minute vent. I doubt it is accurate, you may be mouth breathing.

[Walla Walla]

If you feel like the flow limitations are disturbing your sleep you can change your minimum pressure from 7cm to 8cm and see if it helps.
Other wise I'd just leave it alone.

[Sleeprider]

With pressure at 7-12 and EPR 3 you seem to be getting excellent results. The flow limitation graph shows a low-level of flow limit at your lowest pressure, and the machine responds to that by raising pressure. Your flow limitation mild, and in more severe cases, the inspiration curve becomes much more flattened or downward sloping as airway resistance increases.

Given the mild FL and your response when the machine increases pressure, I agree that a 1-cm increase in minimum pressure to 8.0 would likely eliminate this feature.

[trish6hundred]

Hi Zackio,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck with CPAP therapy.
Hang in there for more responses to your post.

[Zackio]

Thanks everyone for advice.

I'm not sure that it's a mouth leak thing as I can see very similar patterns on nights I have taped on, I do know my mouth can fall open on my back though, so I try to sleep on my side/front.

I raised up the bottom to 8 last night and got a lot of gas pains but that could be more with the fact the levels hit higher last night then other nights responding to worse flow limitations. I'll see how it goes.