Long Time User...First Time 'Advanced Detail' User

[SleepEZ]

Curious ... is the auto-set range something that's accessible to the patient? Or is it buried in the Clinician's Menu? Don't have equipment yet, but want to be armed and ready when I do get it. Thanks.

I have now got my new S9 Autoset (at 10cmH20 fixed pressure), ResScan and Sleepyhead software installed with the last 5 nights of data uploaded to my PC. I was so excited to be able to review my own data for the first time and shocked to see that I was still having so many events. The mask fit was very good as far as I can tell but I recorded an obstructive event lasting 29 seconds one night and several more lasting more than 20 seconds. My AHI over the 5 nights is 6.1 which looks high to me compared to other users. I did mention to the Rep for the medical supplier that I would like to try the Autoset feature but as I suppose is to be expected, was referred back to the prescribing sleep clinic.
My dilemma is this, should I persevere with the inappropriate settings until I can get a new sleep study which could take another six months or just do another 2 nights on the prescribed settings to get a 'Baseline' 7 night comparison and change the settings myself to Autoset and try that for a week to compare the difference. Oh, just to mention today I have also ordered the CMS50D Plus Oximeter to measure my blood oxygen levels through the night as well.
The medical supplier is hosting a CPAP Review Clinic as part of their customer support this September in a local hotel where I think they will access the data and they say they will inform the doctor of the results. I don't, however, hold out much hope of the sleep clinic taking any further action on the results based on their recent performance and as I have seen stated here and completely agree with is that I am the most interested in my own well-being and quality of sleep.

Your average AHI of 6.1 is not terrible, but a bit high. For example, if a patient scores less than 5.0 in a sleep study the patient's insurance won't pay for a machine or further therapy because it is not bad enough to worry about. Therefore, 5.0 is the mark on the wall that you want to measure below. Nevertheless, lower than 5.0 is even better.

Considering your experience with your sleep clinic I would write them off and either find a new sleep clinic or just use your new Autoset to help you tweak your settings. In fact, I would start by setting your machine to Auto mode with a range of 10 to 15. Then watch the results every day for a couple of weeks. My guess is that if your machine is in Auto mode with that range you will find it increasing the pressure occasionally during the night, resulting in fewer and shorter events. If the results after two weeks are an AHI that is still higher than you'd like, tweak the settings a centimeter one way or the other and give it another couple of weeks.

[zonk]

Curious ... is the auto-set range something that's accessible to the patient? Or is it buried in the Clinician's Menu? Don't have equipment yet, but want to be armed and ready when I do get it. Thanks.

CPAP clinical manuals available via email http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...tup-manual

Choose your machine wisely, you need data capable machines. Here is a link would make the choice a bit easier
http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ne_Choices

[DerekN]

@ sleepyhead2...pm sent

@SleepEZ... I wanted to be fully aware of my condition and treatment so that is why I opted for a data recording machine, I spent several weeks reading up on what was available and making sure I would be able to install the software on my pc that would be necessary to analyse and store the data. I was a bit hesitant to change the settings at first but I wondered if by doing so that it might prove more effective. So far it seems to be working, my AHI, is on average, half of what it was before I changed it from cpap to auto.

I'm not suggesting in the slightest that this will work for everyone nor that anyone should ignore their doctors prescription but I now check and download the data every morning and I am building up a much wider picture of what goes on when I'm sleeping such as apnea events around the time my wife gets up for work and that I have a lower AHI if I go to bed earlier. I don't drink much alcohol but on a night that I had a bottle of beer it had little effect on my AHI, however, on a night that I had a glass of wine I noticed a marked increase in events. Those alcohol related observations might not be accurate as they were only two separate nights but I will take note of them and compare the next night I have a beer or glass of wine...and I think that is the beauty of having a machine that can record such detail.

[SleepEZ]

@ sleepyhead2...pm sent

@SleepEZ... I wanted to be fully aware of my condition and treatment so that is why I opted for a data recording machine, I spent several weeks reading up on what was available ........

Thanks DerekN. I've done lots of research and have my equipment all picked out (ResMed S9 Autoset w/Climateline tubing, Swift FX nasal pillows [worked well when I was titrated], Respironics Premium chinstrap). Just waiting for the call to hear that my titration results are in so we can get the order placed. Hoping I don't get much pushback from the DME (don't anticipate any issues at this point). I feel pretty well informed now, especially with the helpful input I've been getting here. Anxious to get going and start sleeping well. :-)

[SleepEZ]

Found lots of helpful information, including instructional videos. Thanks. Also, have done lots of research and will be insisting on the ResMed S9 Autoset w/Climateline tubing. Plus, I have my mask picked out, since the one I used at the titration worked well for me (Swift FX nasal pillows with chin strap).

(The program made me delete the links that were originally below in Zonk's reply. If you are just starting to read through this topic, see earlier parts of the thread to find them.)

Curious ... is the auto-set range something that's accessible to the patient? Or is it buried in the Clinician's Menu? Don't have equipment yet, but want to be armed and ready when I do get it. Thanks.

CPAP clinical manuals available via email .....

Choose your machine wisely, you need data capable machines. Here is a link would make the choice a bit easier ......

[sleepyhead2]

I connected with that supplier yesterday and got my Resmed S9 Autoset unit today.

Delighted with the meeting we had where I tried out the Swift FX mask and S9 Autoset unit. I've never had a machine before as only diagnosed last month.

[DerekN]

Good for you Sleepyhead2, it took me a few weeks of perseverance to get used to cpap but now I can't get a proper nights sleep without it. Its not like I wake every morning fit to dance a jig but if I didn't have my cpap at night I would be struggling to stay awake and attentive in afternoon meetings after a day or so...not to mention long drives on the motorway, I often had to pull in for a nap.
Best of luck with it.

I connected with that supplier yesterday and got my Resmed S9 Autoset unit today.

Delighted with the meeting we had where I tried out the Swift FX mask and S9 Autoset unit. I've never had a machine before as only diagnosed last month.

[sleepyhead2]

Good for you Sleepyhead2, it took me a few weeks of perseverance to get used to cpap but now I can't get a proper nights sleep without it. Its not like I wake every morning fit to dance a jig but if I didn't have my cpap at night I would be struggling to stay awake and attentive in afternoon meetings after a day or so...not to mention long drives on the motorway, I often had to pull in for a nap.
Best of luck with it.

I connected with that supplier yesterday and got my Resmed S9 Autoset unit today.

Delighted with the meeting we had where I tried out the Swift FX mask and S9 Autoset unit. I've never had a machine before as only diagnosed last month.

I'm practising with it here this evening, just to get used to having it on. Not even going to attempt to sleep with it on tonight. Just getting used to the controls on the machine and the practice of breathing through the mask. After initial teething problems with humidifier unit seems to all going ok.

[RonWessels]

Be careful with an auto range of 4 - 20, particularly if your actual effective treatment pressure is 8 or higher.

If you look at the Philips Respironics article on Non-Responsive Apnea/Hypopnea, you'll see that if the auto CPAP device detects apnea/hypopnea events that are not eliminated after a pressure increase of 3 cmH2O, it treats the events as "non-responsive" and decreases the pressure to "stabilize the airway".

In other words, if your pressure range lower limit is too low for effective treatment, it may be that the device never actually gets to a high enough pressure to treat your apneas/hypopneas!

[SleepEZ]

Woo hoo! Today I got the call from my sleep center with titration results. So I gave the rep my "shopping list" and she didn't seem to flinch. She did say she'd have to get the prescription changed slightly and re-signed by the doctor, since it was written for a CPAP and I was asking for the ResMed S9 Autoset. Getting anxious now. Could have my equipment real soon.

Interesting feedback from the titration: My original sleep study yielded and AHI of 46+ (with 62+ events per hour on my back, where I sleep most of the time). After titration, at a setting of 11, my AHI dropped to under 2 with the Swift FX mask and a chin strap. Really looking forward to some good sleep.

I connected with that supplier yesterday and got my Resmed S9 Autoset unit today.

Delighted with the meeting we had where I tried out the Swift FX mask and S9 Autoset unit. I've never had a machine before as only diagnosed last month.