Suggestions for correcting class 6 flow type on Oscar

[Gugliano]

Hello,

It looks as though I have a class 6 flow type (see attached images). I was wondering if someone had any recommendations for resolving this issue. Thanks in advance.

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

Why do you feel there is something that needs to be corrected? Any symptoms or complaints?

[Gugliano]

Thanks for your response. I often feel tired when waking up, and I wake up a few times during the night. According to the Oscar wiki a class 6 pattern is indicative of a flow limitation- since apnea's affect on health is insidious- i would want to correct this issue even without noticeable symptoms.

[MaskedOne]

In my humble opinion, you are experiencing normal breathing cycles and not class 6 flow shape.  The class flow shapes pertain to the peak of an inhale.  Looking at your posted breathing cycles, the peaks of your inhales look mostly normal - there are some less than rounded peaks, but most of the peaks are very normal.

I am guessing that you might be confusing the "flat" part of your breathing cycle as being a class 6 flow shape.  It is not.  The flat part of your breathing cycle is still in the exhale side of breathing.  Your exhales display a normal plunge in pressure as gravity plays it role and then the exhaling air pressure diminishes to almost zero (flattens out) before the inhaling begins.  That flat part in your breathing cycle is when the exhale pressure is coasting down to zero and for a second or two you are neither exhaling or inhaling before your body begins to inhale.  It all part of normal breathing.  And your inhale peaks look good.

[dwedward]

I agree with MaskedOne.  I don't think you have a bad breathing pattern.  That flat line between the exhale and inhale is a long, slow exhale.  I do the same.  I have a rapid start exhale with a long slow tail before I finally inhale again.  My breathing rate is usually around 10 or so which is low, but my tidal volume and minute volume is okay, so it's not an issue.

However, if you're waking up in the middle of the night, or still feel tired in the morning, it MAY be because of the flow limitations.  I had a situation where my AHI was great (lower than yours), but I still woke up and felt tired the next day.  It turns out that I had problems with my nose which would interrupt my breathing enough to disrupt my sleep, but not enough to cause an apnea event.

Increasing the minimum pressure helped.  Use EPR if the pressure increase is uncomfortable on exhale.  It might help.

Also, some drugs will cause you to feel drowsy; if you take a statin for cholesterol/heart, then take it at night not in the morning as it can cause drowsiness.

Good luck!

[Sleeprider]

Looks very normal to me, and that is one of the most abnormal things I see here. Expiratory flow is flattening out near zero as you approach inspiration, which is not flow limited. Some of the best breathing I have seen.