app1nag - Therapy Assistance Thread

[Crimson Nape]

so here is last night with minimum pressure bumped to 12 and tape around the oximeter...not feeling as rested as the prior night but O2 levels look good.


Any idea what the gray bars (in flow rate graph) represent? I get them occasionally but some nights I get none. The manual refers to green bars in the flow rate graph, but not gray.

thank you !

The gray bars are major leaks. For a Resmed that is usually anything over 24 lpm.

[membus]

so here is last night with minimum pressure bumped to 12 and tape around the oximeter...not feeling as rested as the prior night but O2 levels look good.

One thing you can do is adjust the y-axis of the graphs. For instance the Pulse Rate graph starts from 45 and goes up to 245. The reason for that is that the y-axis is set the auto adjust by default and any misreadings due to the oximeter gives some unrealistic data like 245. If yo look closely to the graph you can see that the maximum pulse rate you get is below 95. So, you could easily override the default setting to show min 45 and max 95. This way you can have a clearer look on your readings. How you do this is by right clicking on the y-axis scale and changing the setting.

The same applies for the SpO2 and all other graphs as well.

[Possum]

As Possum already mentioned 0 oxygen levels means you are dead.

You will be dead long before the levels reach 0. After you are dead the oxygen in the now non circulating blood will have nowhere to go, so I would be surprised if the level ever reached 0.

This comment was intended to be tongue-in-cheek and point out the virtual impossibility of obtaining an "real" 0% SPO2, but way to call it out.

[app1nag]

so here is last night with minimum pressure bumped to 12 and tape around the oximeter...not feeling as rested as the prior night but O2 levels look good.

One thing you can do is adjust the y-axis of the graphs. For instance the Pulse Rate graph starts from 45 and goes up to 245. The reason for that is that the y-axis is set the auto adjust by default and any misreadings due to the oximeter gives some unrealistic data like 245. If yo look closely to the graph you can see that the maximum pulse rate you get is below 95. So, you could easily override the default setting to show min 45 and max 95. This way you can have a clearer look on your readings. How you do this is by right clicking on the y-axis scale and changing the setting.

The same applies for the SpO2 and all other graphs as well.

done, thanks !

[eseedhouse]

As Possum already mentioned 0 oxygen levels means you are dead.

You will be dead long before the levels reach 0. After you are dead the oxygen in the now non circulating blood will have nowhere to go, so I would be surprised if the level ever reached 0.

This comment was intended to be tongue-in-cheek and point out the virtual impossibility of obtaining an "real" 0% SPO2, but way to call it out.

Just shoring up my pedantry credentials...

[rleonard]

I know I am late to this tread but will give it a try anyway. I was wondering the same thing as APP1Nag. Last night my Resmed recorded a leak of 30LPM yet my AHI was only .7. I know I need to work on the leak but if my AHI was .7 then is my therapy still more than adequate?

[GPSMapNut]

From my limited experience, ResMed is conservative with flagging events and to top it off, the higher the leak, the easier for the machine (any brand) to miss an event.

[Inspired]

Here are examples of low AHI but problematic leaks, which keep me working on this...I see improvement but once leaks are better I'll trust the AHI.

Fourth day on Cpap:
[attachment=2077]

After adding chinstrap 3 days later:
[attachment=2078]

After changing to Dreamwear nasal mask:
[attachment=2079]


Am going to try side sleeping only...more work to do!

[rleonard]

Interesting analysis. Looks like you are getting somewhere and you definitely have been through worse than I have. What mask were you using before the Dreamwear?

The leak rate I mentioned of 30LPM occurred with my Dreamwear mask. What I can't figure out is why I do not feel any leaks and I feel okay in the morning? When I switch back to my Sleepweaver Advance mask I have very few if any leaks whatsoever and my events are similar to those on my Dreamwear (average only 1.52 overall). I like the Dreamwear for the hose connection on top but I have a hard time breathing in it. My initial sleep study suggested a pressure of 6cm but with the Dreamwear I was suffocating. it wasn't until I ramped it up to 10cm with EPR of 3cm that I could actually breath normal. I did notice last night that my leak problem is related to mouth leaks. Seems that pressure builds up and my nasal passages are too narrow to handle the exhale so it is forced out of my mouth. My allergies are a problem right now which may be causing a narrowing in my nasal passages. The Sleepweaver's construction doesn't seem to create this problem as the pressure surrounds my nose rather than goes straight into my nostrils.

Thank you for discussing this problem with me. Looks like we both have some work to do. I have finally been able to learn to sleep on my side using a cpap pillow on top of my regular pillow. It takes the pressure off of the shoulder.

[PaytonA]

rleonard,

I do not think that narrowing of your nasal passages is the problem. Many of us can suffer from "chipmunk cheeks" resulting in air being expelled from our mouths. It stems from not sealing one's mouth off from one's airway. The solution is what we call the tongue seal. By pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth, you can seal the mouth from the wirway and eliminate mouth breathing/leaks. The trick is getting your body to maintain this seal while you are asleep. Some of us have trained our body to maintain this seal by practicing it a lot while awake. A chin strap can help to make this easier and also kind of remind your body while asleep that you need to maintain the seal.

If you are not able to make this work for you, a full face mask would solve the therapeutic problem. Some people hate FFMs and some like them but it is a solution.

Best Regards,

PaytonA