Hey folks, first off thanks greatly for all the advice found here-- been lurking for a long time and decided it was time for my own thread and to ask for advice.

In general my AHI, as reported by my DreamStation, tends to hover around 1 or 2, but I rarely feel completely rested and it's frustratingly inconsistent.  Some days I feel great, others I'm barely functional and it's taken me a long time to try and eliminate variables and dial in the therapy.  Over time I've tried various approaches.. less pressure, more pressure, CFLEX on/off, chin straps, cervical collar, etc etc.  Having a consistent refreshing night's sleep still eludes me though.  Most nights I wake up repeatedly and never actually sleep through the night.  On days I feel good, I really feel GOOD-- clear head, focused.

I'm hoping someone can look at my OSCAR charts and give me some recommendations.  I'm attaching an average night using nasal pillows and my cervical collar (but lately I've been trying the knightsbridge strap).

What I tend to notice is distorted inhales that look like flow limitations and frequent turbulence that look like unflagged arousals.  The turbulent areas always have unusual exhalations but I'm not sure if those are relevant.

I also go through phases in the night where my breathing becomes erratic and has an ebb and flow.  That's shown in the 3rd attachment.  My assumption has been REM sleep but I've struggled to find other cases around here that look similar.

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Could someone take a look at my data from last night. Any recommendations on settings I could tweak to bring down my AHI? Thanks!
   

Hello, I'm a new member whose been using a ResMed AirSense Auto Set 10 for about 4 years now.  I'm in search of a new machine and wondering if there is a go-to online store to buy it for the best deal? Thanks!

I don't know why this new pattern is starting to show up - but it's showing flat lines between breaths now. I finally convinced my sleep doctor to bring me in for an in-lab sleep study due to my extreme fatigue, but that won't happen until Dec. 3rd.
This is very scary for me, since I feel like I'm declining a little bit each day and now this is showing up.

I've zoomed in on one of the examples in my chart so you can see the flat lines in between breaths and I've included the full chart also.
Is there anything I can do to help this situation until I get into the sleep lab for a new test?

@Admin - please don't combine this with my older post. The last time that happened, my post didn't receive any views - I'm guessing since it was an older post. Thank you.

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Hello, can someone look at my flow rate and let me know if this is pretty normal?  I zoomed in on a portion that has no leaks or flow limits but it looks like I am holding my breath for like 3-4 seconds each breath?  I'm not having any AHI issues just working on comfort at this point.  Thanks in advance.

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I have gradually improved my CPAP therapy and sleep with the guidance of some very generous people here.  Several products have solved problems and led to major improvements, including mouth taping, the SomnoSeal, a cervical collar and, most recently, a memory foam contour pillow.  I sleep on my back without moving, and the pillow that worked for me was one of those with raised areas along the long edges designed to go under the neck.  I don't know whether it is this profile or the memory foam itself that had helped me, but unfortunately I seem to be allergic to memory foam.  After the first few nights I was waking up with itching on the back of my head, and even developed a rash. I've tried two different pillows, same reaction.

I let both pillows air out for over a week (separating the parts/layers) and washed the covers before using.  I also used a cotton pillowcase and, with the second, a high-quality allergy casing.  I think that the casing is meant for dust mites and doesn't block the fumes which are probably the problem.

I've been looking for alternatives without much success.  Latex versions are available, but because latex is known to cause allergic reactions I don't think that would be a good option for me.  I don't use down pillows or bedding because I'm very allergic to down/feathers.  I have seen some wool-filled pillows but, guess what?  I'm allergic to wool, too.  I know it sounds like I walk around reacting to everything, but these are my only allergies, other than sulfa.

Cotton or polyester fiberfill would be perfect, but I haven't been able to find any contour pillows stuffed with these materials.  It's also possible that the benefits are coming from the memory foam properties, that is, the way it conforms to your head.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I'm curious.  Lately my numbers have been a steadily increasing from <2 to >5.  I've seen a rash of small flow limitations as well as H events in my Oscar data...more than typical for me. 

I was thinking it was a positional issue (based on responses here).  I am a full-time side sleeper and generally a mouth breather, but I have been practicing keeping my mouth closed and breathing thru my nose.  Results had been pretty good.  I use a full face hybrid mask (evora).

This ~week I've woken with terrible cotton mouth and a stuffy nose. Mainly one nostril is impinged a bit, but not fully.  When I sleep on the side opposite the stuffy nostril, I think my pillow may be partially blocking shut the clear nostril...forcing mouth breathing to accommodate.

Can a stuffy nose register as flow limitations and H events?

Hi all, 

I woke up this morning feeling extremely lathargic but with a great stats on OSCAR, comparable to yesterday morning when I felt much more rested.  I did a deep dive on my flow rate graph and began noticing multiple instances where I think I'm having CAs but they are not being logged on the software.  Can anyone validate this or have any suggestions?  Thanks, screenshots included.   

Edit: So far I've identified 10 to 12 instances of this.

       

Hi All,

I'm still learning but have had my Airsense 10 for a few years after two sleep studies. The first was back in 2017 and told i had OSA and underwent surgery where they removed my swollen tonsils, fixed a deviated septum and did something to my tongue to make it smaller. 

Then in 2019 I was still sleepy and and struggling even after what i felt was being dead to the world for 10 hours each night and another study found I still suffered from apneas. I had to relocate for work and just purchased the Airsense 10 and started using it. I have recently been trying to find out why i'm still tired and stumbled across this amazing board and have been reading as much as i can.

I'm predominately a side sleeper and use the Resmed F30i mask. I have tried a nasal pillow and chin strap but handle the feeling of not being able to open my mouth and without it my mouth just opens.

I have tried upping my minimum pressure from 6 but wake to find stomach cramps from aerophagia that lasts a few hours.

I have downloaded Oscar and attempted to follow the setup guide for diagnosis and wondered if anyone could please help me understand if there is anything I can do to improve?

Thanks in advance!! 

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I've been using the AirCurve 10 for about 6 years now. It's just what I was given when I was first diagnosed. I've been relatively satisfied with it, though I never really knew what was different about it than a AirSense.

I'm looking at replacing this machine with something new. I've been looking at the AirSense 11, which I see has exhalation support, and I'm wondering if that's all I really need? I'm not sure what the difference is between that and the features of the AirCurve.