Anyone else with no success using CPAP?

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

The answer is right there.

   

[VINEDIGGER]

my personal experience. i had resmed autoset 10. I had fewer flow limitatons but i always wake up tired and stay all day tired. i used many pressures from 7 to 16 with EPR on 3 with no success. i got a bilevel machine and used pressure support of 4 then 5 and i have so much energy during the day. i wake up rested.
the problem can be caused by nasal congestion or allergy or deviated septum. i Bilevel machine would help with these problems via pressure support.

[Deborah K.]

He's right.  I have the ResMed AirCurve 10 Vauto (It's a Bi-Level), and simply love it!

[stevesleep]

my personal experience. i had resmed autoset 10. I had fewer flow limitatons but i always wake up tired and stay all day tired. i used many pressures from 7 to 16 with EPR on 3 with no success. i got a bilevel machine and used pressure support of 4 then 5 and i have so much energy during the day. i wake up rested.
the problem can be caused by nasal congestion or allergy or deviated septum. i Bilevel machine would help with these problems via pressure support.

What does higher pressure support do exactly? Why does that help you, especially with congestion/deviated septum, can you explain the logic please?

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

Pressure support is used both therapeutically and for comfort.

With nasal issues, e.g. deviated septum or congestion, more inhalation pressure helps keep things clear but causes issues for many with exhalation. By reducing exhalation pressure it makes it easier to exhale whilst still maintaining a higher inhalation pressure.

It also helps smooth out the inhalation to exhalation waveform, which may help with sleep quality. If exhalation pressure is too high it takes more energy to expel out the air against it, which may keep the body from reaching deeper stages of sleep.

[phoen1kx]

Alright, so can someone explain this? I set it to cpap mode with fixed pressure of 15. Now all flow limitation is gone?

   

[phoen1kx]

Honestly I'm losing hope because I don't know what to do. So far I had no luck with CPAP. 
Doctors don't care at all.



I'm seriously considering surgery. Doctors suggested septoplasty/turbinate reduction and pillar procedure? The one where they put implants in the palate to prevent it from dropping(that's the main cause of my apnea or so I was told)

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

No comments on surgical options. Plenty of threads address those.

With the fixed pressure graph there are questions as to whether the Löwenstein models report FL’s when in CPAP mode. You can see in the left hand table there are still obstructions going on, just not in the event graph. Some manufacturers do not report FL’s in certain fixed pressure modes as they are used to increase/decrease pressure in APAP mode, so not of much use in CPAP mode. For example,. ResMed bilevels do not report FL’s in “S” mode.

Not sure what else we can do with this machine. From all indications you need a bilevel with more pressure support than the current machine can provide you. No wonder it is frustrating.

[phoen1kx]

Finally someone explained to me what could be going on... PeaceLoveAndPizza thank you.

So flow limitations could still be happening even though the machine doesn't report them? And that could be why I still don't feel refreshed even after doing CPAP for 1 1/2 years.

Bi-level is the only way? Unfortunately, I don't think it's an option right now since insurance won't cover it and the device costs 2,500€ in Europe...

Can you be sure whether FL happen by looking at the flow rate? From what I understand if there are "flat tops" it is FL?
   
   

[stevesleep]

Finally someone explained to me what could be going on... PeaceLoveAndPizza thank you.

So flow limitations could still be happening even though the machine doesn't report them? And that could be why I still don't feel refreshed even after doing CPAP for 1 1/2 years.

Bi-level is the only way? Unfortunately, I don't think it's an option right now since insurance won't cover it and the device costs 2,500€ in Europe...

Can you be sure whether FL happen by looking at the flow rate? From what I understand if there are "flat tops" it is FL?

Isn't the Resmed curve vauto a bilevel machine? That isn't 2500 euros in europe. I'm in the UK and I got one for like £900 (brand new). And I'm pretty sure you can get second hand devices for even cheaper.