Newbie - Oximetry is the same with CPAP?

[chunkyfrog]

Feeling supercharged is not unusual--but generally temporary.

[TASmart]

I recall feeling a bit giddy at first, now I just feel damn good.

[derek_305]

So I wanted to get a few nights of data and mask fitting before posting, here are my last 2 nights on sleepyhead.

30-APR was done with a full face Amara View, it was quite uncomfortable
1-May was done with a N10 and taped mouth until around 3 am where I couldn't stand it and took it off, woke up many times with are coming out of my mouth.

My 2 questions are:

1) Why would they show different type of apneas and which one is real/better? Neither show the Hypopnea that is the only type I had during the sleep study.
2) How can I use the humidity at the highest level without rainout? It seems even if I take it to 6 and leave the hose temperature on auto it still generates a ton of water. I want this as my doctor advised getting a humidifier for my room, and I have a lot of sinus/throat issues.

I am trying the Quattro FX tonight to see if I have better luck, also perhaps without the plastic extension tube it will help the rainout?

[TASmart]

Your numbers are so low, that it is entirely possible that you had different event types on different nights. One or two nights don't tell the story, you need to develop the history. The CA may well be SWJ. A couple of OAs is pretty much a no- worry situation. I think you are looking for 0 values when they are rare and unlikely. In the normal population up to 5 events/hr is considered normal and in the SA population, less than 5 is considered treated. My experience is that less than 2 is treated, between 2 and 5 is not as good as it could be.

[Pugsy]

For condensation issues you have several options but the one I would try first is take it off auto for the hose air temp and set the hose air temp manually.
I had to do this myself. Sometimes the auto temp thing just doesn't work out so great.

See this thread posts #2 and 3 for other options.
viewtopic/t94035/Pugsys-Pointers-3Deali ... -road.html

[palerider]

1) Why would they show different type of apneas and which one is real/better? Neither show the Hypopnea that is the only type I had during the sleep study.

Sleep varies, not only from hour to hour, but night to night. That's why sleep tests are *often* wrong.

2) How can I use the humidity at the highest level without rainout? It seems even if I take it to 6 and leave the hose temperature on auto it still generates a ton of water. I want this as my doctor advised getting a humidifier for my room, and I have a lot of sinus/throat issues.

Physics sucks... if you're going to use max humidity, you'll probably have to use max heat.

[zonker]

Your numbers are so low, that it is entirely possible that you had different event types on different nights.

oh, THIS right here. and a good point to be brought up. particularly as we first start out on cpap. we are so busy trying to make sense of it all. we want things to line up just right.

i remember getting so frustrated at first.

now i know to just shrug it off and fix what i can.

[zonker]

you said-
"Sleep varies, not only from hour to hour, but night to night. That's why sleep tests are *often* wrong."

this is part of what i was praising tasmat above for. when we start, or should i say when *I* started, it's very hard to understand and appreciate this. hell, i still don't like it. i want to be able to fix one thing and be done!


but at least now i can have a better understanding....

[palerider]

you said-
"Sleep varies, not only from hour to hour, but night to night. That's why sleep tests are *often* wrong."

this is part of what i was praising tasmat above for. when we start, or should i say when *I* started, it's very hard to understand and appreciate this. hell, i still don't like it. i want to be able to fix one thing and be done!


but at least now i can have a better understanding....

There's big variable that you have much less control over in the whole sleep apnea equation...

the squidgy meatbag attached to the end of the hose... LOTS of variables in there, mostly unknown or unobvious... and who knows which of them are affecting what aspects of your sleep.

That's why we say, when fine tuning... work with averages, and don't pay much, if any attention, to a single night's data.

[derek_305]

Thanks everybody, I will take the win on the AHI and leave it at that.

Pugsy, thanks for the link to the long answer, I already ordered a hose cover and will take the long road to find what works.

I do feel less tired after a few days, hopefully the extra energy sticks around.

[zonker]

Thanks everybody, I will take the win on the AHI and leave it at that.

Pugsy, thanks for the link to the long answer, I already ordered a hose cover and will take the long road to find what works.

I do feel less tired after a few days, hopefully the extra energy sticks around.

please, come back and let us know!

[derek_305]

So I had a much better night with the Quattro FX, still woke up 10-20 times but the mask wasn't a problem, I managed to up the humidifier to 7 around 3am and the tube temp to 24 (for some reason its in Celsius) and I only had rain out at the mask when I took it off this morning. I am going to sell the other masks on ebay and get a Airfit F10 to try with the foam and also with the silicone.

Here are my two best nights, May 1 is with the P10 where I taped untill 3am and then had a lot of air coming from my mouth, May 2 is with the Quattro FX with minimal and I guess normal leaks; which one is better? My AHI at 6am goes to 4, can I do anything to improve it?

[Pugsy]

Please review this thread for examples in what to show in terms of those graphs. When you try to include too many then they all get too small and we really can't tell much about them.

viewtopic/t158560/How-to-post-images-for-review.html

There is no need to redo these images though unless someone else wants to see something better.

The AHI hourly graph showing 4 at 6AM.....quit worrying about it. In fact turn that graph off.
You maybe on your back or maybe in REM stage sleep and it's not enough to worry about no matter what it was.

Use the mask that lets you sleep the best and feel the best in terms of sleep quality and daytime feelings.

[derek_305]

Thank you Pugsy! I will fix the graphs and keep trying with the masks to find the one.

[derek_305]

After a bit more than a week I slept last night with the oximiter to see the results, in the end it's about the same as before I used my CPAP.

I do find that after I wake up to go to the bathroom it seems that when I lay down the oxygen drops.

Am I getting any benefit from the CPAP?