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I have an AHI of 17.5 measured at an in-facility sleep study. The report shows no sleep at pressures 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, and then 3 minutes of sleep at 9. The sleep study showed that I slept for 54 minutes with 25.9% REM when the CPAP was set at 11 so that is what they set up for me to use at home. I think I was awake during the study - I was aware of the mask continually leaking. I have read that people think they do NOT sleep during the sleep study but the equipment shows that they are sleeping. I think I was just laying still and the equipment detected sleep. How does the equipment differentiate between wake and sleep?
The report also shows no use of a bilevel machine. I know that the technician tried a bilevel machine and it was hard to synchronize my breathing with it. Is it standard for a technician to use a bilevel machine and then not include that in the report if the person did not tolerate it very well? Maybe I got someone else's report.
So far I have not been able to tolerate the equipment. I am trying it in the daytime and at night. I have tried a ResMed 10 set at 4-20 and couldn't get it up to adequate pressure to breathe. I feel like I am suffocating. Now I have a Phillips Dreamstation set on 11. I have tried different masks. I have tried it with and without the ramp. I breathe through my mouth and the nasal pillows and partial masks don't seem to work. I have a beard and it is hard to get a seal. Most recently, using the full mask with the straps on tight enough to stop the leaks, it filled my stomach with air making it so I was unable to breathe. It took 30-60 minutes to recover from that and be able to breathe normally. I tried a PureSleep dental appliance and it makes me gag. I am not sure what to do next. I have a call in to Pulmonology and to the CPAP supplier's respiratory therapist. Maybe I am just not going to be able to tolerate this.
