CPAP Setup help

[PaytonA]

Thanks Ghost.

[jbsix]

Appreciate all of the warm welcomes

I'm not familiar with your particular machine but if you are having trouble exhaling you should turn up the pressure relief.

Yep I had A-flex set to the highest setting of 3 from the start. Since I couldn't take it anymore at 14.8, the exhalation pressure would have been 11.8.

Not sure whether to tag 2nd night as a failure or not. Woke up several times and felt sure there was a leak/not enough pressure. Or maybe it's cause I'm just starting to get used to cpaps. Some feedback based on attached data would be much appreciated.

[attachment=1996]

[Ghost1958]

Your getting used to pressure.
Also Aflex doesnt work the way you are figuring it.

Aflex is flow based. How much pressure relieve you get is based on your exhalation flow.
Aflex will never end an exhalation lower than 2 cm below the running pressure.
Example setting if three will begin exhaltion with a drop of 3 cm if your flow rate calls for it but by the end of that exhalation itll be at 2 or even 1 below, not 3 . Again based on your flow.
And the 1 2 3 setting also affects the timing.

What is likely making you think you dont feel enough pressure is a combination of you getting used to cpap and the tapering off of aflex at the top of inhalation.
Id suggest a Aflex setting of 2 or even 1 so you dont feel like the last of your inhalation is sort of being "snatched away" too soon.

[jbsix]

Your getting used to pressure.
Also Aflex doesnt work the way you are figuring it.

Thanks for the correction. I think I'll set it to default (2) until the end of a-trial. I'm only complicating things with my tinkering at this point where I'm not even used to it.

[OpalRose]

I never used the Auto Trial mode on my machine.

I would think you could come up with the same 90% pressure number just by looking at Sleepyhead over a period of 30 days, or even on the APAP display itself, where it gives the 90% average pressure for 1, 7, and 30 days.

I think the Auto Trial Mode originally was to be used by Doctors or DME's to determine your pressure range. I say this because Auto Trial can only be accessed through the Providers Menu and an average patient is not smart enough to access that.

[Ghost1958]

I never used the Auto Trial mode on my machine.

I would think you could come up with the same 90% pressure number just by looking at Sleepyhead over a period of 30 days, or even on the APAP display itself, where it gives the 90% average pressure for 1, 7, and 30 days.

I think the Auto Trial Mode originally was to be used by Doctors or DME's to determine your pressure range. I say this because Auto Trial can only be accessed through the Providers Menu and an average patient is not smart enough to access that.

Ah but if one does know how to access it using it does away with averaging all those days data. Lol
Plus if one lwts cpap ck mode engage as irs meant to for about two weeks you wind up with a very accurate single pressure titrated over time instead of one night.

[vsheline]

It looks like your machine is chasing leaks. The pressure only increases and never decreases. The machine increases the pressure to try to compensate for a leak, and then the increased pressure makes the leak worse.

Actually, the machine does not chase leaks. It chases breathing restrictions.

As long as the machine continues to sense restriction in our breathing, the machine will continue to raise the pressure, either until the restriction in our airway is counteracted or until we wake up.

The machine does not raise the pressure in response to leaks, it raises the airflow to compensate for the air which is leaking, in order to maintain the pressure unchanged.

[PaytonA]

Thanks Vaughn,

I think that some on the board have thought that I was picking on them when telling them that the machine does not raise pressure in response to leaks or maybe they just thought that I had been smoking wacky weed.

Best Regards,

PaytonA