Apnea Board Forum - CPAP | Sleep Apnea
New to CPAP - API Under 1 but still don't feel great - Printable Version

+- 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: New to CPAP - API Under 1 but still don't feel great (/Thread-New-to-CPAP-API-Under-1-but-still-don-t-feel-great)



New to CPAP - API Under 1 but still don't feel great - ttsoldier - 10-21-2024

I started using CPAP on Oct 11th. The first night that I used it, I probably had about 6 hours of sleep. I woke up the next day feeling refreshed! I felt like I had an extra pep in my step! I've been chasing that feeling ever since. Every night after that it's almost as if nothing is happening even though I can see my AHI getting lower.

I only got an SD card three days ago and put in the machine so I'm not sure if/how to get the data from Oct 11th, it does not show anything under "Daily" in Oscar. I've attached my last three nights sleep. Oct 18th and Oct 19th were really hard days for me. I woke up so tired and was groggy throughout the day. Oct 20th I actually woke up around 6am (but was laying in bed with the mask on) so less hours of sleep but still don't feel as tired and groggy as I did on Oct 18th and 19th. On Oct 19 I slept for 9 hours with .2 AH and still woke up feeling crappy! 

I'm hoping someone can help me make sense of these results.

Thanks in advance!

[attachment=70991] [attachment=70992] [attachment=70994]


RE: New to CPAP - API Under 1 but still don't feel great - staceyburke - 10-21-2024

Welcome to the club. I would make a couple ofchanges….

EPR full time
EPR 3
Min 7

That should help with the therapy, comfort and more restful sleep.


RE: New to CPAP - API Under 1 but still don't feel great - ttsoldier - 10-21-2024

(Yesterday, 12:00 PM)staceyburke Wrote: Welcome to the club. I would make a couple ofchanges….

EPR full time
EPR 3
Min 7

That should help with the therapy, comfort and more restful sleep.

Thanks for the suggestion. Being totally new to this, is it possible you can tell me why I should make these changes? Is there something specific in the data that is prompting this? Also, what do these changes do?  Unsure


RE: New to CPAP - API Under 1 but still don't feel great - Deborah K. - 10-21-2024

I think in addition to what Stacey said, it would be good to drop ramp, as you get no therapy during ramp, and every time you get up during the night ramp starts again when you return to bed, robbing you of therapy.

I also suggest that you raise your high pressure setting to 13, as you are bumping against the 10 quite often.


RE: New to CPAP - API Under 1 but still don't feel great - ttsoldier - 10-21-2024

(Yesterday, 12:22 PM)Deborah K. Wrote: I think in addition to what Stacey said, it would be good to drop ramp, as you get no therapy during ramp, and every time you get up during the night ramp starts again when you return to bed, robbing you of therapy.

I also suggest that you raise your high pressure setting to 13, as you are bumping against the 10 quite often.

Thanks Deborah. By dropping ramp, do you mean to turn ramp off? It's currently set to Auto. 

Noted re: High pressure to 13, I did notice I was hitting 10 but my prescription has 5-10 so that's what they set it as

This may be a silly question but there's no repercussion to me changing these settings on my own from my doctor or the clinic I bought the CPAP machine from, right? I don't want to get in trouble at my follow ups


RE: New to CPAP - API Under 1 but still don't feel great - Deborah K. - 10-21-2024

Yes, I mean turn ramp off.  

Most of us change settings as we see fit.  Some doctors may not like it, but most don't seem to care.  I don't see how you could be in any trouble, even if they don't like it.  It's your therapy.  Do what helps with your therapy and comfort.  If your doctors bug you, tell them you are sleeping and feeling better.  

The clinic you bought your machine from has no say in what you do with it.


RE: New to CPAP - API Under 1 but still don't feel great - ttsoldier - 10-22-2024

(Yesterday, 12:00 PM)staceyburke Wrote: Welcome to the club. I would make a couple ofchanges….

EPR full time
EPR 3
Min 7

That should help with the therapy, comfort and more restful sleep.

I've made adjustments to the EPR, MIN, MAX and I woke up this morning with a 2.91 AHI, the highest I've had since starting.


RE: New to CPAP - API Under 1 but still don't feel great - staceyburke - 10-22-2024

:You did have an increase in AHI.  But compare the flow limits between the 2 days.  Flow limits are apnea but are not counted in the AHI because they are not long enough (10 seconds).  Flow limits stop you from getting into deep sleep and can wake you up.

Instead of just looking at the AHI, which is of course important, the most important is how you feel with the settings.  I would move the min up 1 and leave the others as they were and see how you feel.


RE: New to CPAP - API Under 1 but still don't feel great - ttsoldier - 10-22-2024

(6 hours ago)staceyburke Wrote: :You did have an increase in AHI.  But compare the flow limits between the 2 days.  Flow limits are apnea but are not counted in the AHI because they are not long enough (10 seconds).  Flow limits stop you from getting into deep sleep and can wake you up.

Instead of just looking at the AHI, which is of course important, the most important is how you feel with the settings.  I would move the min up 1 and leave the others as they were and see how you feel.

Understood. I definitely don't feel as tired as Oct 18 and Oct 19th


RE: New to CPAP - API Under 1 but still don't feel great - Dodies - 10-22-2024

Personally I would raise it to 9 with EPR at 2. It wont feel too different to 7, but your EPAP will be at least 7, which might offer a little more comfort. Your median is 9 anyway, so you might as well go there - IMO at least Smile