01-21-2023, 06:22 AM
A few concerns about Clear Airway/Leak Rates/Flow Limits
HI everyone,
So I wasn't sure if I was a member of this forum or not but it seems I made a post right when I began therapy a while back:
Here is that post!
Anyways, I am very thankful for those that posted and got me started on optimizing my therapy. It was funny to read how 7.0 initial pressure was too much because now it almost feels like too little! Somehow I've drifted over to another forum in the game and got even further help from them! A few people over there I am very thankful for because they explain things very well and eventually I figured some things out. I had my AHI under 2.0 for an entire week and then it just unraveled like it usually does. If I have one bad night I go to dial winging a lot of settings and it makes it even worse. I've improved a little in that area because I was called out, but I'm still not 100%.
Lately though, my issues have been with CA events and flow limits and leak rates. My leak rates improved drastically when I switched to Bleep Dreamports, so I'm not sure why they're spiking again. I tried to mimic the same pressure and EPR settings as the week I had a good AHI, but now I'm battling leak rates with it so it's not as good as I hoped. I also go back and forth between mouth taping and a chin strap, but found that their effectiveness isn't that great.
I like to toss and turn a little in my sleep from my back to my side and I've read that if therapy is correct, I shouldn't be doing that. I believe this is wherein most of my issues reside. Lately I think I got the CA events tamed down because of the use of EPR 2 setting, but I can't seem to figure out my leak rate. I'm replicating everything from that week my AHI was good. I'm just asking this forum to get a different set of eyes on the situation and see if I can figure something out.
I know AHI isn't the deciding factor (it's how I feel in the morning), but I've learned that it's usually pretty darn accurate. The first two images are from last month when the settings were amazing, and I've tried to recreate them (in the last thumbnail) recently and it's just not working out. I've also noticed that a lot of my events are classified as Obstructive, but when I zoom in, there is no inspiratory spike signaling it was OA. Which makes me think there are even more CA events. Also, do you see how even the peaks and drops are in my flow rate. Almost every single time I see this, I wake up feeling great. What is causing my flow rate charts to be spiky and uneven?
Thanks in advance!
So I wasn't sure if I was a member of this forum or not but it seems I made a post right when I began therapy a while back:
Here is that post!
Anyways, I am very thankful for those that posted and got me started on optimizing my therapy. It was funny to read how 7.0 initial pressure was too much because now it almost feels like too little! Somehow I've drifted over to another forum in the game and got even further help from them! A few people over there I am very thankful for because they explain things very well and eventually I figured some things out. I had my AHI under 2.0 for an entire week and then it just unraveled like it usually does. If I have one bad night I go to dial winging a lot of settings and it makes it even worse. I've improved a little in that area because I was called out, but I'm still not 100%.
Lately though, my issues have been with CA events and flow limits and leak rates. My leak rates improved drastically when I switched to Bleep Dreamports, so I'm not sure why they're spiking again. I tried to mimic the same pressure and EPR settings as the week I had a good AHI, but now I'm battling leak rates with it so it's not as good as I hoped. I also go back and forth between mouth taping and a chin strap, but found that their effectiveness isn't that great.
I like to toss and turn a little in my sleep from my back to my side and I've read that if therapy is correct, I shouldn't be doing that. I believe this is wherein most of my issues reside. Lately I think I got the CA events tamed down because of the use of EPR 2 setting, but I can't seem to figure out my leak rate. I'm replicating everything from that week my AHI was good. I'm just asking this forum to get a different set of eyes on the situation and see if I can figure something out.
I know AHI isn't the deciding factor (it's how I feel in the morning), but I've learned that it's usually pretty darn accurate. The first two images are from last month when the settings were amazing, and I've tried to recreate them (in the last thumbnail) recently and it's just not working out. I've also noticed that a lot of my events are classified as Obstructive, but when I zoom in, there is no inspiratory spike signaling it was OA. Which makes me think there are even more CA events. Also, do you see how even the peaks and drops are in my flow rate. Almost every single time I see this, I wake up feeling great. What is causing my flow rate charts to be spiky and uneven?
Thanks in advance!
