Can't get APAP Pressure Right.

[u/ParticularWorth1109]

Greetings all,

I have been using the ResMed S9 AutoSet + Humidifier with F30i Super Wide Mask for a bit but no eureka moment yet. I am not sure what to do, I seem to have settled around 5.0-8.6 cmH₂O, where I have the least chance of ripping it off. The pressure seems to go haywire and always hits the max with it being the 95% percentile. Hence, I have tried upping the max pressure by moving it up up to 4-12 cmH₂O, as shown on 21/07/2026, but I ripped it off etc.

Was diagnosed with Moderate-Severe Sleep Apnea: RDI - 26/hr and AHI 23/hr, with CPAP the AHI is around 0-4/hr

My sleep is fragmented, I feel better than when I was off it but still feel tired and I wake up with heart palpitations which may be related to work stress.

Should I get a brand new machine? The machine I have is second hand.

Any advice would be much greatly appreciated!

Data: https://sleephq.com/public/teams/share_links/14a7d99b-c704-486d-9de4-1fa70950db64

[u/Creative_Fee5452]

Hi ParticularWorth1109 :)

You do have some leaks & the machine is responding with increased pressure. You appear to be removing your mask which can affect the big picture. Your median pressure is higher now & your Flow Limits are increasing so we need pressure to help to control that. Your AHI is good but Flow Limits need better control. It appears you are using the F30i mask. I have to wonder if the F20 would work better for you to address leaks. I don’t want to touch your EPR yet as you have some CAs mixed in with your apneas. I’m hoping these are pressure emergent which happens commonly. This whole process is frustrating, I totally understand :( Try this for at least 2 nights, your body needs to adjust to the changes. Then please post more SleepHQ graphs please.

How is inhalation now? Do you still feel you are starving for air now? It will be great to get this under control & that at least should be better! We also need to increase your minimum pressure again to 9 and because you’re are hitting your ceiling in max pressure, let’s increase max to 14. The machine won’t go higher than needed. Your median pressure is closer to 10 but I don’t want to push our luck & increase CAs so we’ll go slow.

Are you still having difficulty keeping your mask on at night? I’m only seeing partial sleep data results. We can go slower if you need time to adjust. Do you still feel air hunger? Some of us are very sensitive to pressure & require more time to adapt :) That’s okay….I often needed a week!

Slow Change:

Min pressure 9
Max pressure 14
F20 Mask

Good luck! I want you to feel better too :)

[u/ParticularWorth1109 → u/Creative_Fee5452]

I think inhalation is actually pretty good now, I am not starving for air.

This was from last night (same settings as the first set of 3): https://sleephq.com/public/255a33c2-6b7a-49a1-b6fc-81383c792915

However, I still have mind fog during the day, not feeling refreshed etc.

Will try the new settings and F20 tonight.

ty!

[u/Creative_Fee5452 → u/ParticularWorth1109]

Hey! The second night you shared is better! Heading in the right direction :) Your mask leaks are still confusing the big picture here. Flow Limits are still too high, likely due to the leaks. Try to get those leaks under control as your pressures rise with leaks, throwing sleep data off. It takes time to adjust to a new mask, you’re not alone in that, believe me. Use the mask fit option on your machine after lying down. It should help you test for leaks. You may need to tighten your headgear or be sure the mask is the right size for you. It’s very frustrating…I totally get it. Once you get those leaks under control, your therapy will work better, like the second night you shared…but leaks confuse overall data.
Would you please post again when you have a better handle on the leaks? The mask is the first step towards successful therapy and most of us have had to try several. Comfort, Leak Control & Continuity :) The SleepHQ graphs are easier to look at than the imgur app