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I'm looking for some help on adjusting my BiPap settings. I've been using BiPap for the last 8 years and trying to figure out the best settings for me. I think the last year has been rough in terms of using the machine.
I sometimes wake up spitting out blood in the morning if the watertank is low. If it's not blood then its thick mucus that I have to hork in the morning. I also don't feel refreshed after sleeping and usually start the day with a headache. My AHI is normally under 5 and my average pressure typically is around 11, which is why I start the pressure at 10.5
I've attached data for a few days from OSCAR to this post. Any insight would help a lot.
1. Given the clusters of events in REM (presumably) you're likely sleeping in a way that is physically closing off your airway. It's common for people's mouths to open or your chin to drop which causes a kink in your airway. Some ways to solve this include mouth tape, a soft cervical collar, or a chin strap. One way to tell for sure is to buy a cheap camera and video a couple nights of your sleep to see what's happening.
2. Your leaks are high so please do what you can to either try a new mask that fits better, wear mouth tape to keep your mouth from opening under presssure etc. This is impacting the efficacy of your treatment.
If you're not feeling refreshed in the morning it's likely because your sleep is fragmented and especially your REM is fragmented. Please zoom in on your flow rate chart 1hr and 1.5hrs after you start cpap so we can see what your breathing looks like in REM. Make sure to include a screenshot so that we can see individual breaths clearly.
Sorry I havent been able to reply back to this post until now.
Quote:1. Given the clusters of events in REM (presumably) you're likely sleeping in a way that is physically closing off your airway. It's common for people's mouths to open or your chin to drop which causes a kink in your airway. Some ways to solve this include mouth tape, a soft cervical collar, or a chin strap. One way to tell for sure is to buy a cheap camera and video a couple nights of your sleep to see what's happening.
Unfortunately my nose gets plugged up at night which causes me to breathe through my mouth a lot of times. I've tried using knightsbridge chin strap and my AHI went from being around ~5 to 50 AHI. I haven't used mouth tape because I'm afraid it will be the same... or worse.
Quote:2. Your leaks are high so please do what you can to either try a new mask that fits better, wear mouth tape to keep your mouth from opening under presssure etc. This is impacting the efficacy of your treatment.
There are nights where I don't have any leaks and still don't feel any better.
Quote:If you're not feeling refreshed in the morning it's likely because your sleep is fragmented and especially your REM is fragmented. Please zoom in on your flow rate chart 1hr and 1.5hrs after you start cpap so we can see what your breathing looks like in REM. Make sure to include a screenshot so that we can see individual breaths clearly.
I've included the screenshots below for two nights. I hope I did it correctly for what you're asking for.
Oof! Well then the Knightsbridge worked well for you in letting you know an elevated jaw is not the solution! Therefore, mouth tape is not the solution. Also, I think it is indicative of how positioning dependant your problem is. Millimeters can make a lot of difference.
I've been messing around with my settings but it seems to have made things worse for me this week. Mostly increased IPAP to 15-17 and with EPAP to 10.5 to 11. My body did not like it. Last night I changed it back to my original settings where it was "tolerable" and slept for over 10 hours but still woke up not feeling great. I also wake up feeling like there's a lot of pressure in my stomach. Also have heavy eye bags.
Included oscar data from last night; one for over all and one where its upclose on the chart.
