[Treatment] New to therapy, not going well

[Hydrangea]

Awesome turnaround, just by adjusting EPR! Way to go!

[mjoereid]

I would really like to get my AHI number closer to 0. Is that realistic? Is it realistic with my present machine or should I be looking for the Aircurve ASV?

[SarcasticDave94]

I'm of the opinion that when your AHI is under 5.0, not only is that called treated medically, I'd try for best comfort instead of an AHI closer to zero.

As for pursuing an ASV machine, it shouldn't be indicated with what you've shown in that chart. Insurance would not approve a claim without showing evidence of central apneas after you've been on CPAP or BiLevel for at least a month. To the best I recall that is.

I have an ASV machine. I took an overnight for BiPAP which indicated 124 Central Apnea and 24 obstructive apnea while on a BiPAP. Translation: clear need of ASV. You don't show the pattern of need IMO.

Welcome to Apnea Board. You're already getting great advice, but I wanted to chime in from a central apnea and ASV patient.

[Hydrangea]

I would really like to get my AHI number closer to 0. Is that realistic? Is it realistic with my present machine or should I be looking for the Aircurve ASV?

ClosER to 0 is a fine goal.  But 0 is an unrealistic goal.  Even people without sleep apnea wouldn't often get a 0 (from what I've learned).

Under 5 is pretty much "the happy place" for AHI to be.

[mjoereid]

Will standard response or soft response be better for CA aptnia?

[jaswilliams]

Will standard response or soft response be better for CA aptnia?

Not sure the soft response will help. The best way to treat CA’s is often fixed pressure and no EPR

But over time your body will adapt and the number of CA’s will reduce. Don’t panic you do not have many and your figures are pretty good.

[Gideon]

Your numbers are awesome!!!  

Do not chase numbers from here, the goal is comfort.  Certainly keep an eye on them, but don't worry.

You had only 6 CA events for the entire night, and looking at the flow chart you see peaks and valleys right at the time you had these,  I'd bet that these events are you squirming or rolling side to side in bed with you HOLDING your breath and not actual CA events.  Obviously we don't know for sure because we are not monitoring your brain activity.

With results like this, based on your numbers, I would not recommend another machine.

Fred

[Apnea Infant]

Here is last nights results. I woke up early for some reason and that was about the end of my sleep but seems like good results to me.

Hello

Welcome to the Apneaboard Forum and congratulations on such good results.

Zero events is an ideal which many of us do not achieve. I would not chase it for its own sake but rather ask myself how I am feeling now. Your charts show a few hypopneas which are indicated despite having a maximum pressure of 20 for this night. Perhaps you could start at 7 to see if those hypopneas can be gotten rid of.

I am down to low 0.1 most days and am really happy with that. Zero happens sometimes but I do not worry if I do not get them as on the whole I feel 'normal' ie pre apnea days.

[Walla Walla]

Ditto on bonjours comments. I'd probably drop the maximum pressure to 10cm just to keep the pressures from running away if you get a leak. It won't change your numbers in any way.

[mjoereid]

Thanks for the welcome and comments. I'm not concerned with the hypopneas anymore. Its the CA's that seem to show up more towards morning that I would like to reduce. Not sure why they cluster towards morning but would like to cut them down if its possible.