Air pressure reduction

[Sstudsal]

When and how does your physician determine when your air pressure is raised or lowered? How does he determine if indeed you don't need the CPAP machine any more? Another sleep study or from the chip in your machine? Sstudsal

[Walla Walla]

Most people are on the machine for life. I'd guess if it really came down to it they'd be happy to charge you for another sleep study.

[OpalRose]

When and how does your physician determine when your air pressure is raised or lowered? How does he determine if indeed you don't need the CPAP machine any more? Another sleep study or from the chip in your machine? Sstudsal

Hi Sstudsal,
Welcome to Apnea Board!

To answer your question, a good sleep doctor should be monitoring your therapy to see what types of Apnea events you are having and adjust pressure accordingly.

You will do well to start learning how to monitor your own Apnea instead of depending on your doctor.

Did you have a sleep study?  If so, then ask for a copy of it.  Believe me, you may need it in years to come.  Also request a copy of your prescription.  

To help get you started, download the free #SleepYHead software and after a few days of data on your machine, use the SD card to transfer data to #SleepyHead software.

Most folk aren’t able to stop Cpap therapy...at least we don’t hear of many. Cpap treats Sleep Apnea, but doesn’t cure it.

[Ron AKA]

When and how does your physician determine when your air pressure is raised or lowered? How does he determine if indeed you don't need the CPAP machine any more? Another sleep study or from the chip in your machine? Sstudsal

My suggestion would be as OpalRose has said, download SleepyHead so you can see what the machine is really doing. Read the instructions here on how to post full screen views of the data and you will get lots of comments on where you are at and whether or not the pressures are correct. Adjusting the pressure is mainly determined by when and at what pressure you have apnea events. If you just look at general summary data you can't tell that.

As far as discontinuing or significantly changing pressures, that is unlikely to happen unless you have a very significant weight reduction. Say you reduced your BMI from 30 to 23, and if you only had moderate apnea, there would be some possibility that use could be discontinued. Almost for sure pressures could be reduced.

[gwc2795]

Heed the advice being given. I have been on CPAP for 7 yrs without the Dr. doing anything. Take control of your health through knowledge.

[SarcasticDave94]

All the above is my answer.

FWIW on weight loss: I went though bariatric sleeve surgery and lost 100 pounds initially but gained 20 back. How did it affect my AHI? It halved it from untreated 70+ reducing to 35 (again an untreated number). I'm still on an ASV machine.

[Apnea Infant]

When and how does your physician determine when your air pressure is raised or lowered? How does he determine if indeed you don't need the CPAP machine any more? Another sleep study or from the chip in your machine? Sstudsal

Your physician can determine your pressure needs if he/she reviews and monitors your statistics say weekly and if he/she is knowledgeable about the detailed characteristics of sleep apnea and its CPAP treatment. Most of us here start to learn about our condition and how we can help ourselves through the use of the free software Sleepyhead and with the aid of many experienced and sharp members here. Personally I do not believe many in the medical world can take the time and effort to delve into our individual nightly sleep patterns and spend the time and effort needed to understand and then dial our pressures in to suit us individually. Most of us have been sent on our way after a sleep study and a titrated pressure which for many of us have not completely suited. And then there is the issue of suitable masks.......

Generally we could determine CPAP needs by self titrating with our machine. Ie if you leave your machine 'wide open' from 4-20 you would be able to determine appropriate pressure levels to treat your apnea events.

However there are some of us who have complex apneas the discovery of which can be via a APAP/CPAP machine but the medical profession would require confirmation via a Polysonogramy Sleep Study.

As others have noted, unless you have a severe change of BMI and then have confirmation with another sleep study, we are likely to require PAP therapy for the rest of our days as noted by Opal Rose because PAP therapy is a treatment, not a cure.

[Mosquitobait]

My sister had another sleep study some months after her surgery (deviated septum) and the doc said she didn't need it any more.  Her machine predated the time when automachines with data became common.  However, a doctor generally can't say you are free from sleep apnea without a lab study.  No matter how good the machines are, they can't eliminate the possibilities. Also, she had to stop using her machine 4 or 5 days before that study.  While she still had some hypopnea episodes during REM, overall, she had reached a stage where treatment was no longer necessary.  With weight loss, I too could be in that position to eliminate apnea, BUT I'm on a cpap because of a slow heart and would have to switch from cpap to oxygen.  Cpap has fewer complications as well as lower cost overall, so cpap it is.