Bipap analysis

[mawaw1992]

Sleeprider,

Not to sidetrack CpapGee's post, but you mentioned earlier that his pressures were apparently too high noted by the 700ml tidal volume and that he was over ventilated and that a 540ml was more normal. The reason I ask is that got me to thinking what my tidal volume was because that is something I don't really check when I am reading my card. After checking, my Med Tidal Volume normally runs 640-700ml with my 95% running as high as 920ml. When you mentioned that he was over ventilated, what does that mean and would that make a person feel more fatigued the next day? Should I consider lowering my pressures? Even though my AHI has been averaging 1.0 I normally feel very tired every day.

Thanks,
Mark

[Sleeprider]

Mark, there is wide variation in tidal volume among individuals, and your results actually resemble mine. As I have gotten older, mine has settled in at 600 to 640, but used to be higher. CpapGee had a significant difference in his results depending on his pressure support settings. He had a zero AHI with the 18/13 pressure, but the flow rate looked disrupted with a lot of very heavy (high volume exhale) expiratory breathing compared to when we reduced pressure to effectively 14/10. It's pretty easy to conclude the lower pressure was equally effective, but more comfortable, and that is really what we're after.