How can you tell if you are sensitive to higher pressure.
Several posts have suggested you can be sensitive to higher pressure ranges and I am wondering if I can be one of then. My numbers are very good (0 to .6) but I wake up often and feel uncomfortable like I just ran a marathon. If I stop and get up for a few minutes, I can reset and get comfortable again.
How can you tell if excess pressure is waking you.
CPAP is a journey like “The Wizard of Oz”. It’s a long slow journey. You will face many problems and pick up many friends along the way. Just because you reach the poppies, it doesn’t mean you are in Kansas.
RE: How can you tell if you are sensitive to higher pressure.
You know the drill. Please post a chart.
It could be a couple of things. First thing that comes to mind is try increasing your EPR to 3cm so you get more air. It could also be flow limitations are driving your pressure too high. Without a chart these are all guesses.
RE: How can you tell if you are sensitive to higher pressure.
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I feel the Resmed S10 is too aggressive for me and I have restricted the max. With my experience, the feeling gets worse when I allow the max to go higher and introduce more centrals. (clear airways)
CPAP is a journey like “The Wizard of Oz”. It’s a long slow journey. You will face many problems and pick up many friends along the way. Just because you reach the poppies, it doesn’t mean you are in Kansas.
RE: How can you tell if you are sensitive to higher pressure.
There's two things you can try. The first is to set the response to soft instead of standard. You can find this under comfort in the clinic settings. If that doesn't help than you can try using a fixed pressure.
RE: How can you tell if you are sensitive to higher pressure.
(06-26-2018, 12:37 PM)Walla Walla Wrote: There's two things you can try. The first is to set the response to soft instead of standard. You can find this under comfort in the clinic settings. If that doesn't help than you can try using a fixed pressure.
Not looking to fix it (yet), trying to identify if this might be a problem with me.
CPAP is a journey like “The Wizard of Oz”. It’s a long slow journey. You will face many problems and pick up many friends along the way. Just because you reach the poppies, it doesn’t mean you are in Kansas.
RE: How can you tell if you are sensitive to higher pressure.
If your sleep is being disturbed it's a problem. Pretty easy to figure out. If every time you wake up and the pressure is high I'd say that's a problem. Now if your waking up no matter if the pressure is high or low it's something else.
RE: How can you tell if you are sensitive to higher pressure.
I think it is those spikes in flow limitation that are causing the increases in pressure. In my experience, raising the EPR to 3 helps reduce the flow limitations and hypopneas. You might experience some OA, but raising your minimum should take care of them. I doubt that you will see any CA starting, although it is possible.
RE: How can you tell if you are sensitive to higher pressure.
(06-26-2018, 09:21 AM)Walla Walla Wrote: You know the drill. Please post a chart. It could be a couple of things. First thing that comes to mind is try increasing your EPR to 3cm so you get more air. It could also be flow limitations are driving your pressure too high. Without a chart these are all guesses.
This advice confuses me.
The OP's machine controls IPAP so increasing EPR results in a lower EPR - not "more air".
True bilevel machines control EPAP so increasing EPR results in a higher IPAP.
Flow limitations are believed to be a sign of OSA so all machines will increase pressure to address.
I think manufacturer's jargon creates much of the confusion.
Maybe I am confused???
RE: How can you tell if you are sensitive to higher pressure.
Well, you are right about the manufacturer's jargon... True bi-level machines don't have Expiry Pressure Relief, they have Inhale Pressure Support, more commonly called just Pressure Support.
I'm not sure how increasing EPR gives you more air, although perhaps it lets you exhale more air, giving space to inhale more. Of course, it may increase the possibility of obstructive apneas, so we usually suggest raising the minimum pressure by the same amount, so that the lowest exhale pressure remains the same.
RE: How can you tell if you are sensitive to higher pressure.
(06-26-2018, 09:36 PM)pholynyk Wrote: Well, you are right about the manufacturer's jargon... True bi-level machines don't have Expiry Pressure Relief, they have Inhale Pressure Support, more commonly called just Pressure Support.
I'm not sure how increasing EPR gives you more air, although perhaps it lets you exhale more air, giving space to inhale more. Of course, it may increase the possibility of obstructive apneas, so we usually suggest raising the minimum pressure by the same amount, so that the lowest exhale pressure remains the same.
Good points.
PS and EPR are calculated the same way (IPAP-EPAP) but have different results when increases are implemented - one increases IPAP while the other decreases EPAP.
I have read that increasing the pressure differential can alter oxygenation which makes sense.
