New Member Intro: Auto or Set Pressure?

[Mosquitobait]

If your titrated pressure is 9 and it is well tolerated by you AND sleepyhead shows your AHI to be acceptable then:
There is no reason to go Auto.

Auto is not a magic bullet. Their algorithms are still a heuristics based work in progress and so they don't work for everyone. Also, some people have pressure change induced microarousals which disrupt sleep quality and make you feel crap in the morning even though AHI looks really good.

If your needed fixed pressure is not tolerable, then Auto is a trade off you can make.

Now, I do agree with you on this Ash. Some people really do well on straight pressure. But now knowing that cpap can cause glaucoma due to increased eye pressure, it makes more sense to me to see if the lowered pressure of auto works first rather than going with straight at a higher pressure.

[Maudessen]

I had my sleep study performed by an outfit called American Sleep Medicine. I have a low level of confidence in them for several reasons including poor business practices. After performing a home study, I was phoned by a doctor who was obviously shooting from the hip. He did not discuss the results with me. Instead I spoke with a nurse who tried to sell me the ResMed, which does not have as large a humidifier as the Icon.

The nurse told me that they recommended an Auto but planned to set it at a fixed pressure. I suspect they have a deal with the folks who make the ResMed and a high volume business model that doesn't include the time for detailed follow-ups like fine-tuning Auto settings.

I really like the idea of trying Auto with very narrow ranges after I become fully accustomed to the fixed setting. The reason this is important to me is because I don't want to blast air through my respiratory system unnecessarily on account of my Sjogren's. My goal is "just enough, just in time" if at all possible. I don't think the American Sleep Medicine people are interested in helping me achieve this goal.

I'm about to try my second night with the Icon set at 9, and hope things go as well as they did last night. Fingers crossed!

[Mich]

I had my sleep study performed by an outfit called American Sleep Medicine. I have a low level of confidence in them for several reasons including poor business practices. After performing a home study, I was phoned by a doctor who was obviously shooting from the hip. He did not discuss the results with me. Instead I spoke with a nurse who tried to sell me the ResMed, which does not have as large a humidifier as the Icon.

The nurse told me that they recommended an Auto but planned to set it at a fixed pressure. I suspect they have a deal with the folks who make the ResMed and a high volume business model that doesn't include the time for detailed follow-ups like fine-tuning Auto settings.

I really like the idea of trying Auto with very narrow ranges after I become fully accustomed to the fixed setting. The reason this is important to me is because I don't want to blast air through my respiratory system unnecessarily on account of my Sjogren's. My goal is "just enough, just in time" if at all possible. I don't think the American Sleep Medicine people are interested in helping me achieve this goal.

I'm about to try my second night with the Icon set at 9, and hope things go as well as they did last night. Fingers crossed!

I think providers do have a preferred manufacturer. When you get the referral sometimes you can ask providers which machine brands they provide and then ask to be referred to one that deals with your machine of choice before even going for the study.

Good luck to you.