+- Apnea Board Forum - CPAP | Sleep Apnea (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Public Area (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Public-Area)
+--- Forum: Main Apnea Board Forum (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Main-Apnea-Board-Forum)
+--- Thread: Help for new-ish user. (/Thread-Help-for-new-ish-user)
Help for new-ish user. - solo - 12-16-2022
First timer, so please let me know what I need to do better. Posting for my friend: sleep study late December 2021. Got Resent iBreeze in Feb. used until early to mid-Sept. For whatever reason, didn’t work well for him. Got a Resmed Airsense 11 late Sept and have used pretty consistently since then. His numbers are better, but he has lots of “mask-off” events. He has abdominal hernia and is awaiting surgery for that. Completed antibiotic treatment and tried meds for enlarged prostate with no improvement. Has been referred to urologist about those issues. His energy is better, but he still has anxiety and mental fog. Need your help.
RE: Help for new-ish user. - solo - 12-20-2022
To clarify: the medical info was included to show that we are looking into the night awakenings with the docs. Can you please look at the attached doc and share feedback about what you see there? He wants to optimize his treatment.
RE: Help for new-ish user. - Sleeprider - 12-20-2022
Your minimum pressure is too low at 7.0, and the machine is responding with a relatively rapid increase in pressure. It looks like 9.0 is closer to your therapy sweet-spot and it may be higher with a median pressure of 9.7 and 95% pressure at 10.76 With EPR at 3, this is not a particularly high pressure, but provide feedback on comfort after trying it. The maximum pressure at 12 looks okay. You may have some positional aspect to this obstruction. Avoid extra pillows or any sleep position that causes your head to tilt forward or chin-tucking.
RE: Help for new-ish user. - solo - 12-20-2022
Thank you so much! Will adjust and report back.
RE: Help for new-ish user. - solo - 01-20-2023
As instructed, the lower pressure was changed to 9 with the maximum staying at 12. There were no complaints about comfort with this setting, although this person's confusion level makes such feedback hard to get. The pillow was swapped for a lower one. Unsure if chin tilt was changed, again because of the problems getting feedback. A urologist this week determined that there are physical problems that are likely causing the multiple awakenings, and he was started on medication to help with that problem with follow-up in 2 weeks. We would still like to get any feedback that you may have from this latest chart. Thanks in advance for your help.
RE: Help for new-ish user. - solo - 02-06-2023
[attachment=47726]
Friend is being treated with Doxazosin by urologist. This is his 3rd week on it and his urinary symptoms seem better, but he is still having frequent awakenings. I read that APAP may cause that. He is currently on APAP 9 to 12 pressure. What CPAP setting would be good for him to try?
RE: Help for new-ish user. - Crimson Nape - 02-06-2023
The chart would seem to indicate positional causation of the OAs. Something like chin tucking would be my first guess.
As for the bathroom breaks, I would guess that your friend is also taking other blood pressure medicine too. Urination is the body's way of relieving excessive pressure, much like a tea kettle. In fact, many blood pressure medicines act as a diuretic for this purpose. Also, since we continue to age doesn't help matters either, as well as any reduction in salt intake. The only advice would be to cease consumption of fluids about 3 to 4 hours before bed.
Good luck!
- Red
RE: Help for new-ish user. - solo - 02-06-2023
Thanks. He is not on any other medication though. He likely is tucking his chin. I would like suggestions on a CPAP setting for him to try.
RE: Help for new-ish user. - Crimson Nape - 02-06-2023
It appears pretty well dialed in. Eliminating the leaks and chin tucking would be the only thing currently. A soft cervical collar (SCC) may help for the chin tucking. As far as the leaks, they may be caused by either the type of pillow and head position, or mouth breathing. Without the flow rate chart being shown, it's just a guess.
Also, the graphs are listed in order of importance. Please ask for the top most graphs to be in the screenshots. The AHI and Time at Pressure graphs don't have any significance in therapy. Their reporting was placed in the original SleepyHead code because they could be.
- Red
RE: Help for new-ish user. - solo - 02-06-2023
Thanks!