OSCAR Data: How to improve this AHI?

OSCAR Data: How to improve this AHI? - Printable Version

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OSCAR Data: How to improve this AHI? - LikeaGlove90 - 10-24-2023

I'm pretty green to this CPAP thing, I'm about a month in, slowly seeing AhI come down and leaks too! But I feel I'm missing something be it in settings on what I'm doing outside of this. I need some help.

For the most part, I'm currently sleeping with a CPAP pillow, mouth tape and a cervical collar or help positional apneas:- I'm also using the airtouch n20 as my primary preference switch F&P Evora nasal as second, mainly to give the bridge of my nose a break so it doesn't get too blistered.

You'll not I've experimented with EPR and narrowing over time my range..

I'd love any tips or anything to try to help get these results more consistent and closer to 0! Appreciate you all.

All my screenshots of every night on the Google drive.
Probably last week or so worth the read for current consistent situation.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iFYWLwA9piOgnLGqwxr0B4lHJNOp2uuk

RE: OSCAR Data: How to improve this AHI? - PeaceLoveAndPizza - 10-24-2023

Took me a while to figure out the file system you are using on google drive. Once I found the images it was all good...

Suggest trying a min of 9, max of 20, EPR 3. You still have a lot of flow limits, at least enough to disrupt sleep. Adding a bit more EPR should smooth those out. Your average pressure is also closer to 9 than 7, so suggest bumping it up a bit.

Good thinking on the pillow and collar. What kind of collar are you using? Is it very firm or still has a lot of play in it?

RE: OSCAR Data: How to improve this AHI? - gainerfull - 10-24-2023

1. Try your hardest to fix that mouth leak and aim to get your 95% leak rate to 0.00
2. Increase your minimum pressure to 9cmH20 to help solve the obstructive events (light blue)
3. Increase your maximum pressure to 16cmH20 to give yourself a little more headroom

Before you add EPR I'd recommend trialing a higher minimum / maximum pressure to minimize variables.

RE: OSCAR Data: How to improve this AHI? - LikeaGlove90 - 10-24-2023

Thanks for the replies and links - I'm sorry I named them all as logically as I could but a convention here helps so will fix this up!

Last night I tried EPR 1 and increased pressure to 9 min and got AHI 5.63 so maybe not the best approach for me ? (screenshot attached) Although its only one night so might need to give it a bit more of a go!- I'll take your advice.

The collar is soft and has a bit of firmness to it, however has a bit of movement in terms of height, I'm not laying there with neck fully stretched, I probably could have gotten a large instead of a medium, perhaps its ineffective in stopping the neck tucking? I would still say it has a bit of play there so might not be working as planned.. should I look at a firmer one? Any reccomendations?

I also have a chin strap - would this be useful at all for me??

Thanks again Smile

I'll take all feedback and suggestions!

RE: OSCAR Data: How to improve this AHI? - Old Steve - 10-24-2023

If you sleep on your back try sleeping on your side, it appears that you are still getting positional apneas.

RE: OSCAR Data: How to improve this AHI? - gainerfull - 10-24-2023

Did you have central apnea in your sleep study prior to using CPAP?

RE: OSCAR Data: How to improve this AHI? - Deborah K. - 10-24-2023

You don't need to worry about your leaks. On the chart at the left, it shows your leak rate as 0.0. It is not interfering with your therapy at all. Don't give it another thought.

RE: OSCAR Data: How to improve this AHI? - LikeaGlove90 - 10-24-2023

(10-24-2023, 03:08 PM)gainerfull Wrote: Did you have central apnea in your sleep study prior to using CPAP?

Nope this has only occured since starting CPAP so I believe it might be TESCA?

RE: OSCAR Data: How to improve this AHI? - PeaceLoveAndPizza - 10-24-2023

This chart may help with sizing the collar. I don’t think a chinstrap will help as the collar is doing what it is supposed to do.

[attachment=55457]

Could possibly be TECSA, only time will tell. I had something similar and had to find the right mix of pressure and EPR/PS. A tiny bit of EPR can go a long way. Maybe try bumping it up from 1-2 to see how you react.

RE: OSCAR Data: How to improve this AHI? - LikeaGlove90 - 10-25-2023

(10-24-2023, 08:17 PM)PeaceLoveAndPizza Wrote: This chart may help with sizing the collar. I don’t think a chinstrap will help as the collar is doing what it is supposed to do.

Could possibly be TECSA, only time will tell. I had something similar and had to find the right mix of pressure and EPR/PS. A tiny bit of EPR can go a long way. Maybe try bumping it up from 1-2 to see how you react.

Yeh I have a medium but prob should have a large on that sizing.. derp!! Lol

Maybe I'll give EPR a few nights and see if that helps. I thought it would be counter productive but honestly last night with it on I think I had an easier sleep despite AHI being much higher? Am I right saying I need to compensate for this by upping my min setting (ie it's been on 8-14 so maybe with EPR 1-2 set it 9/10 - 16?