Hi folks -

New user here.

I underwent my first sleep study about three weeks ago and my referring physician said the results came back "positive for sleep apnea," so I went back last night for a CPAP titration, which went pretty well - I tolerated the mask nicely I thought. The tech said it took me a long time to have an apnea event at the baseline pressure, but eventually I did. Not sure what that means.

I have a consult with the sleep center on 2/09, but the sleep tech did tell me that my RDI was 20. He didn't want to tell me anything else.


What's RDI and how does my score "rate?"

I'm a little disappointed (I know, weird) that I didn't have many apnea events during titration - could it be the baseline pressure just does the job?

Thanks.

Just edited RHI to read RDI.

Hey Gary,

RDI means Respritory Disturbance Index.

Try this:  http://sleepapneafaq.wikispaces.com/Sleep+Study+report


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Thanks for the reply!

Quote:

I'm a little disappointed (I know, weird) that I didn't have many apnea events during titration - could it be the baseline pressure just does the job?

Yes it does. The minimum pressure is 4 (cm of water), and you may be one of us whose apneas can be satisfactorily addressed by a low pressure (mine is 5). On the other hand, if you had trouble getting to sleep or if you had very little REM (and if your apnea was more active during REM) it might also be that it might also be that it took a while for apneas and hypopneas to show up.

Keep us posted on how you make out.
Best wishes,
Bill

Hello iGary,

In addition to what Bill said.

There's AHI and RDI.  If they are in the same ballpark, it likely means that apneas ("cessation of breathing") and/or hypopneas ("underbreathing") are responsible for most or all of breathing related arousals during sleep.  If they are significantly different (what is significant?  hard to qualify) then there are respiratory-related arousals present that cannot be classified as apneas or hypopneas.  A common source is UARS.

Hypopneas can be every bit as damaging to your body as apneas, so if you didn't have many apneas but have an RDI of 20 (and probably an AHI very near that?) then it could be hypopneas are mostly to blame.  CPAP treats obstructive hypopneas as well as it treats apneas so it is good you did well with the equipment at your titration.

There are many factors that make up what happens during your sleep and what will treat you.  As exaples.  Sometimes hypopneas can be resistant to pressure before being resolved, a low pressure may be all that is needed to address any apneas, but a higher pressure might be required to address the hypopneas.  Sometimes AHI is higher in REM sleep than in other stages of sleep.  Sometimes AHI is higher when you're on your back, other people when they are on their sides.  Some people only have events during one stage of sleep and not others, other people experience events in all stages of sleep and all body positions.

Please ask for a copy of the DETAILED sleep studies (5-6 pages with graphs, not a summary letter from your doctor).  Feel free to look up the details in the sleep study terms FAQ at the top of this forum, and please feel free to post the details and ask for interpretation help.  You can learn a lot from the two detailed study results.

Best of luck!  Keep us posted on your progress.  Blessings,
--pseudonym

Thanks very much for your kind replies.

I have a "consultation" appointment with the sleep center's doctor on the 9th. I'm told that he'll go over the results and I'll be given my prescription for the CPAP at that time. I'll be sure to ask for copies of everything while I am there.

Gary

Insist on a fully data capable CPAP.  The billing to insurance is the same rate as for those machines with compliance data capability only.  

Compliance data is how many hours the blower has run, how many hours the machine was used with a mask.  Not very useful for knowing how well the pressure setting is working for you.

Full data capability records hour by hour details of 6 or 7 sessions, plus maintains 7 day and 30 day averages or more.  This will also include leak rate of your mask, your nightly AHI and other data very useful in monitoring your therapy and helping your doctor to fine tune it to be the best it can be for you.

These machines are more expensive to buy outright, if your finances are not a factor then there is no reason to settle for less than a fully data capable machine.

Hope this helps, Blessings,
--pseudonym

Thanks so much, pseudonym.

I'm not sure how much my insurance is going to cover, but hopefully the doctor may be familiar and can tell me.

I need to get better is the bottom line. I have declining work performance and serious irritability/depression issues at the moment.

I know CPAP isn't the magic bullet and my RDI number isn't off the chart, but I'm sitting here at my desk at 11:00 and all i want to do is sleep (after a 10-hour night of sleep).

Thanks again.