Worrying session last night - hypopneas increased tenfold!

[BigWing]

I can't tell from your chart. Are you changing the settings on the machine when you switch mask types? I haven't done this for a while, but IIRC there's FFM mode and nasal mode and maybe a 3rd mode.

I wouldn't put it past me to forget, but yes I have remembered to do that every time so far. I think the 3 are: full face, nasal, pillow.

[Deborah K.]

You don't need to worry about one bad night unless this happens repeatedly.  For now, just let it go.  

[BigWing]

You don't need to worry about one bad night unless this happens repeatedly.  For now, just let it go.  

I appreciate your concern, but I regret I'm not the type who can do that! Besides, I think I have solved the mystery....

I realised right from the start that what was unique (for me) about my really bad night was the use of an FFM together with a Soft Cervical Collar (SCC). But I really couldn't see how the SCC could have caused it. 

I only tried the SCC because I read on here (https://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.ph...cal_Collar) that "Flow restrictions caused by chin tucking can be eliminated by wearing a loose-fitting soft cervical collar", but in my first few days of use (which happened to coincide with my use of nasal pillows) I could see no improvement.

I then happened to switch to the FFM to give my nostrils a rest, and that's when I suddenly got a tenfold increase in hypopnea.

In the absence of any other clues to the possible cause for this, I slept last night with the exact same setup except without the SCC....and that fixed it! When I awoke after 3.5 hours to go to the loo, my PAP showed ZERO events.

Feeling the need for further evidence, I reinstalled the SCC and got back in bed. Within 15 minutes, I had 5 events (i.e. an AHI of 20!) and my snoring had returned (according to the Oscar charts). Voila!

It's starting to look like I may have Palatal Prolapse after all, but I am now trying to discover if using an SCC is known to be bad in that case....and why it should matter so much which type of mask you wear.

I'd welcome more input from anyone familiar with Palatal Prolapse.

[notausername]

I am by nowhere near expert here - I'm a total newby. But my experience was that I was headed towards a cliff because of co-occurring conditions. Changing my mask to resmed F40 and adding a collar has eliminated a constellation of symptom, I am 99% improved.

Chin-tuck or prolapse, I don't care - what I know is what cured me.
If you feel bad, you need to fix something, regardless of what it's called, and if the numbers don't seem to add up that's ok.

As far as one-night incidents, certainly a continued pattern of bad treatment is worse, but if you have certain co-occurring conditions, say, occluded artery, low flow, stroke history, and low BP, in unfortunate combination one night can cripple you. 

Sleep doc says "One night of AHI 10 doesn't mean anything" - well, yes it does if you can't stand up and walk across the room the next morning. Been there.



Hope this is helpful somehow

[BigWing]

Hope this is helpful somehow

Thanks for your input, but the issue is no longer of concern to me as my Sleep Clinic authorised me to stop using CPAP several weeks ago after I cured myself of OSA by sticking to a strict diet and losing 15% of my body weight!

[notausername]

Great! I know I should lose weight too - good to hear it accomplished so much. I will make a point to keep working at that, and staying alive long enough to get there.

Good luck!