APAP vs. CPAP - Which One

[mawaw1992]

I am using a Dreamstation 2 APAP which I seem to be having alot of CA's, OA's and Hypopneas. No matter where I set the pressures and Flex, I still keep having apneas. I remember a sleep tech once telling me that he did not like the apap machines because they seem to struggle finding the right pressure and in most cases would under or over compensate an apnea event. Should I try switching it to CPAP with 1 pressure setting to see if that works?

Thanks,
Mark

[staceyburke]

You want an apap machine you can change it to a cpap by just setting the min and max the same.

I would get a ResMed autoset 10 or 11. 90% of the people on this site use Resmed.

[mawaw1992]

I have a Resmed Aircurve 10 VAuto that does a great job treating my apneas but I had to send it in for repair. So for the time being I am having to use my Dreamstation 2 as a backup. So on the Dreamstation 2 APAP, can I set the minimum and maximum pressure to the same amount and use it as a CPAP? If so, would I still use the Flex setting? 

Thanks,
Mark

[Crimson Nape]

Using Flex with a static pressure setting should still allow for a bi-level pressure difference.

-- Red

[Sleepster]

I am using a Dreamstation 2 APAP which I seem to be having alot of CA's, OA's and Hypopneas. No matter where I set the pressures and Flex, I still keep having apneas.

We would need to see the OSCAR charts so people can see the specific issues.

I remember a sleep tech once telling me that he did not like the apap machines because they seem to struggle finding the right pressure and in most cases would under or over compensate an apnea event.

That's not an issue if you're using OSCAR to monitor your therapy.

Should I try switching it to CPAP with 1 pressure setting to see if that works?

You could try it and see how it works.

[mawaw1992]

Here are some screenshots of the problem I am having with apneas, many of them are in clusters. I use a mouth strip and chinstrap to reduce mouth breathing and a soft cervical collar to reduce positional apneas. I have made several pressure adjustments myself but nothing seems to be helping the problem. Please take a look at them and see what adjustments I could make to bring my AHI down. Back before I switched to the Resmed I was using a Dreamstation 1 APAP machine that I never could get my AHI down low. If I was to try the DS2 in CPAP mode, what pressure would I need to set it at?
  
Thanks,
Mark

[Sleepster]

You are leaking a lot. You can try a chin strap or soft cervical collar, but a full face mask is the best fix.

Until you get those leaks under control the AHI reported by the machine is meaningless.

[mawaw1992]

I am using a chinstrap with mouth strip to help with my mouth leakage and a soft cervical collar to help with positional apneas. I have tried many full face mask in the past but because my face has a narrow elongated shaped, they all would leak really bad. I presently use the Resmed N30i mask and when laying awake in bed I never hear it leaking, so the leaks are either out my mouth or when I am changing positions while I am sleeping.

Thanks,
Mark

[mawaw1992]

Here is a chart of the last few nights on my Resmed before sending it in for repair to compare to the nights on the Dreamstation.

Thanks,
Mark

[staceyburke]

The teamed has a better program and usually has less events. As noted by everyone your large leaks are a problem you need to keep working on.  

Your dream station will not be able to get tha AHI as low as the resmed