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Yesterday, 12:16 PM (This post was last modified: Yesterday, 12:20 PM by flyingg103. Edited 2 times in total.)
Hard to Inhale using CPAP
I have what may be a common issue but I am unable to find any answers. I have been a CPAP user for around 10 years. I have long complained of not sleeping well long before using CPAP and once diagnosed and placed on CPAP find NO real relief from daytime sleepiness.
The other issue I notice is that i find it hard to inhale/drawing breathes( after using CPAP at night) and have seen my pulmonologist and they say they do not see a lung issue. I am able to take deep breathes forcefully and my volumes are well within range.
But still I feel like breathes are more labored, almost like CPAP usage has caused a change. My thinking is that because the air if forced in overnight the muscles to breathe in are have been weakened if that makes sense. My cardiologist says no blockages/heart issues ( recently had angiogram which confirms) .
Interested in anyone's thoughts on the matter. I am 60YO, a past smoker but quit about 15 years ago.
I have tried to reduce my pressure to see if that helps, which it seems like it might but do see a few more apneas after that. Below are a few days of OSCAR data for reference.
Appreciate any thoughts, as I am still looking for a good night sleep and less day time tiredness.
Please read the link in my signature "Formatting OSCAR Charts". We need to see the left-hand table. I can guess at some things, but prefer seeing the OSCAR calculated values.
(Yesterday, 12:20 PM)PeaceLoveAndPizza Wrote: Please read the link in my signature "Formatting OSCAR Charts". We need to see the left-hand table. I can guess at some things, but prefer seeing the OSCAR calculated values.
Thanks for the guidance on the formatting of the data, please find the screenshots below as reference. Not sure I grabbed the same dates but I generally feel the same after any nights sleep.
Machine: Lowenstein Luisa Mask Type: Full face mask Mask Make & Model: Resmed Quattro FX Humidifier: separate F&P humidifier CPAP Pressure: Epap 4-20 PS 4-20; "auto" rate CPAP Software: Not using software
Other Comments: Using 45 degree angle upper body wedge (36"x36") and 4.5"soft cervical collar; 500 assured tidal vol
Just some thoughts on your question about having difficulty now inhaling during the day when not using cpap (and that you think cpap may have caused this.
I have used a ventilator for several years now at high pressures (both epap and ipap). I have noticed no difference at all in my day time breathing without the ventilator.
Just wondering if something is progressing with your breathing that is being masked by the cpap at night. The cpap usage at night makes inhaling easier for you during sleep. But you aren't using cpap during the day, so it feels more labored (inhaling).
Just some thoughts since you asked the question. I hope it goes well for you.
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Membership in the Advisory Members group does not imply medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
I recommend you turn off the 5-minute ramp starting at 4-cm. That is gong to be uncomfortable and feel like a lack of air when you're starting. Your result at 7-11 with EPR 3 are good, but you have a persistent 95% flow limitation that reflects your complaint about inspiration being difficult. A zoomed image of the flow rate will likely show you have a an early inspiratory peak flow that flatten out or decreases as inspiration continues. Flow limitation is a common cause of feeling fatigued due to the numerous respiratory effort arousals and greater inspiratory effort. You can try higher pressure, but the best solution is bilevel therapy with some additional pressure support. Pressure support is the difference in pressure between inspiration and expiration (IPAP/EPAP) and it is pressure support that can mitigate flow limitation by providing more pressure as inspiration flow increases to offset the upper airway resistance (UARS) that is likely your root cause.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
For now, you would do best to turn ramp off and change your pressure range to 8.4 to 14. This is because your median pressure is 8.5 and you need more headroom for potentially higher pressure.
Interesting thought about flow. I do not completely understand all the details of what you mentioned but I did capture some zoomed in views of the flow rate for reference.
I will mention that using the cpap machine at night is not an issue for me at all, I do tolerate it very well and use it for 6-9 hours a night. The issue is mainly feeling tired after full night of sleep and the breathing difficulty seems to be worse in the morning and not during therapy.
Not sure if you are thinking that I may need to consider bipap therapy instead of cpap. I know my sleep doctors have just looked at my numbers and honestly just looked for a few seconds and say "looks like therapy is working " but still not improvement in how i feel.
