A couple of newbie questions

[Walla Walla]

EPR decreases exhale pressure.

[Sleeprider]

EPR (exhale pressure relief) lowers pressure in centimeters of water (cmH2O) the same as the setting.
1=1-cm
2=2 cm
3=3 cm

[paulag1955]

Clearly I am not asking my question well.

When I LOWER the EPR SETTING, am I making it easier or harder to exhale?

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In other words, are those numbers (1cm, 2cm, 3cm) absolute numbers so that lowering the setting makes it easier to breath? Or are they relative (to the inhale pressure), so that lowering the number makes it harder to breathe?

[jaswilliams]

With everything being equal epr3 easiest to breath out epr 1 hight pressure resistance to breath against

[paulag1955]

Thank you!

[paulag1955]

I called the sleep clinic around 1:30 today and left a message. Unfortunately, they did not get back to me. Being a compulsive rule follower, I wanted to hear what they had to say before I made any changes to my settings. So 10 demerits for them. I'll try reducing the EPR to 1 tonight and see what happens.

[paulag1955]

I reduced EPR to 2 last night. I tried 1 and it was pretty panic-inducing, but I did experience fewer CA events last night. I'm going to keep the setting at 2 for now and try again at 1 maybe in a week or so.

I slept with the mask for 8 hours last night, then took it off and slept for almost 3 more. I still wouldn't say I feel particularly rested this morning.

[Apnea Infant]

Hello paulag1955

Welcome to the forum.

It can be worrying to reduce EPR settings initially as pressures seem so high to breathe out against. I also started at EPR 3 (with 16.8 cm H2O) but slowly dialled it down gradually in an effort to reduce clear airway events. Looking at my own history , I was on EPR of 3 for 28 days and EPR of 2 for 20 days but not necessarily at gradual changes. That is to say, I did jump about a bit - not something I would now recommend. I was then on EPR of 1 from June to October before I turned it off altogether. This was carried out in association with reducing my prescribed pressure at constant PAP and also with a minimum pressure of 8cm H2O. Before I commenced on APAP just a week ago, I had reduced my constant fixed pressure from 16.8 to 10.6. All this was done to control aerophagia but carried out with side sleeping with a cervical collar and learning to breathe solely through my mouth.

Turning off EPR did reduce the central apneas and gave better numbers.

[Apnea Infant]

Sorry I meant to say learning to breathe solely through my nose and not my mouth!!

How silly and inattentive of my writing, much apologies........Must learn to think out of my brain......

[paulag1955]

Interestingly enough, I read that the way you intended. And thank you for sharing your experience with me. My goal is to be able to sleep with EPR turned off, but I think I'll have to do it gradually.