EPAP increased - OSCAR screenshot

[Chalkie]

screenshot-20210731-101359.png (68.89 KiB) Viewed 533 times

My area's sleep clinic has now been expanded, with more staff, and moved to a hospital on my doorstep. That's the good news.

Not so good is that delays over my promised ASV machine go on. So for now I am trying to make the best of the existing one.

EPAP was raised from 10 to 12 so I am now at 12-18. Attached here is the OSCAR chart from my first night at the new pressure. Meanwhile, the breath rate was raised from 8 to 9. Not much objective difference - AHI still around 11 - and I feel it may even have made my RLS worse.

Any thoughts?

[rick blaine]

To the general reader, and as a reminder to those tempted to dive in:

1. The OP has a chronic disorder, in addition to sleep apnea.

2. The OP is in the UK, and is being treated by the National Health Service. And in my opinion has been given exemplary treatment by the NHS. They have gone out of their way to give him the best treatment, despite the difficulties posed by his condition. Extra money has been spent on his case, opinions have been sought from specialists in other areas of the UK, and his doctors and specialist nurses have issued him with a high-end machine – all at no cost to him.

Likewise, the staff at Philips Respironics UK have given time to optimising the OP's treatment – something which is not part of their normal brief, and something which they do not usually do.

To Chalkie:

Most of the events on this chart occur from 6:30am onwards. Ie, from 10:30pm to 6:30am, you have eight-and-a-half hours of quite good numbers.

My advice: set your alarm to, and get out of bed around, 6:30 to 7am. Your numbers will improve.

[Chalkie]

Interesting point about the big rise in events in the early morning. Despite the event-raddled last bit of sleep, I seem to benefit from sleeping in late and have more energy during the day. I guess even a couple of hours' extra sleep that is peppered with events is beneficial to a degree.

The care locally really has gone up a couple of gears this year, with the option to get the pressure changed at my local hospital at quite short notice. Useful when swapping to another mask that I plan to do very soon, that should reduce leaks.

As Rick says I have a chronic condition on top of apnea - Restless Legs Syndrome - plus am in w/d from benzos that were prescribed to treat the RLS. Lots going on but still some leeway to optimize my PAP therapy.