Does snoring matter?

[Rice95]

Yes I was also under the impression that I could finally sleep on my back and all would be well because I had air blowing down my throat! Well, after I hooked up Oscar, I quickly found my numbers were crazy high and I became a side sleeper. I am normally a side sleeper but would move to my back during the night for comfort reasons and that is when my big clusters of apnea occurred I concluded.  It has taken me weeks to learn to stay on my side with the use of a small pillow I keep tucked between my knees. When I turn over, I must be subconsciously placing the pillow between my knees again and that keeps my spine aligned, as well as me off my back. The collar took a while to get used to. I have been through 2 different ones. The one I have now does the trick as long as it isn't too tight or too loose. Now my numbers are consistently below 3, often below 1. That is a miracle for me. I've worked so hard to et this to finally happen with the help of the experts here certainly. 

Hang in there!

[Bungle]

Appreciate it Rice - strange thing is the AHI appears well low compared to 48 when I was first diagnosed - its just these flow limitations and something is happening cause I feel groggy and subdued again 

Kind regards,

Paul

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I'm not one to force a sleeping position. I sleep on my back except for occasional side sleeping.  
Typically, not always, side sleeping will yield to lower event count.  It may or may not help your flow limits.  
Keep your mask over the edge of the pillow so the pillow doesn't p?ush on the mask.  Obviously you need higher pillow for side sleeping. Looking for your comfort here.  I'm sure other side sleepers can also help.  

Nothing unexpected in the zoomed views, a lot of flow limits.  Look at the flow rate section of the guide in my signature, to help learn to Id flow limits.

Thanks Gideon, as the numbers seem worse, would you revert back to before the changes Stacey suggested, or do you think the numbers appear correct for now.

With the flow limits what is a ball park figure of an acceptable number and does it suggest something else going off medically if they continue?

Kind regards,

Paul

[Gideon]

On flow limits we like to see the 95% <= 0.10
There is no standard and if you are feeling fine, don't chase them.
I'd like no changes and add a collar and see what we get.
Common wisdom says to increase PS/EPR to treat Flow Limits, You are at EPR =3, so maxed out for your machine. The next step is to increase (min) pressure in an attempt to clear them.
Going back to the garden hose picture, kink the hose, now turn the water on "low" pretty much what you expect to go thru does. Now raise the pressure, the kink is still there but the flow is greatly diminished from what is expected. We have too, if I'm right, remove the kink, and the tool for that is a collar.
If I'm wrong you will need a BiLevel to open the hose with more PS as the cause is different.

[Bungle]

Thanks Gideon.

I will try and then post back when I get the collar.  As I have had to purchase my machine myself with a doctors prescription following my sleep study (due to a major issue in procuring them via the NHS and I didn't want to wait any longer), I would be reluctant to have to go down the route of buying my own bipap machine but I will see what happens first. 

Can I thank you and everyone else for their comments so far.   A great community and I shall be donating to the board later. 

Kind regards

Paul

[Gideon]

Don't go down the rabbit hole of getting zeros. It becomes how you feel in many cases. We all have a habit of chasing numbers, even when it's not needed!

[Bungle]

Understood, I am definitely going to perservere for now and take stock in a week or so. Maybe feeling crap today isn't related to that, although I must say I don't feel I've had real deep sleep since I've started but I guess I have to be patient.

Thank you.

Kind regards

Paul