[Pressure] You CAN Adjust your own CPAP Pressure

[SuperSleeper]

I have been anxiously awaiting the last msg in this thread so I could mosey over to the donation section. Great thread, almost as good as the one with RespiratoryChip.

Way to go, SuperSleeper, your forthright and no nonsense responses make complete sense to me.
Oldern

[SuperSleeper]

I have Respironics REMstar M Series machine. I have changed the pressure using the procedure given in this site but I could not take it out of setup mode after setup is completed. I have done it in the past but I have forgotten how I had done it. Pressure is successfully changed to what I need but the machine is still in the setup mode. I would appreciate some help.

Hi Purdue - welcome to Apnea Board!

After you make any pressure changes, simply push the on/off button to return to user mode. That's all there is to it.

Looks sort of like this:

[SuperSleeper]

I had already turned the machine OFF and ON several times before I messaged this forum. My machine is still in Setup mode. It probably doesn't matter even if the machine remains in Setup Mode. I was just concerned that I might accidentally bump the pressure settings if the machine is in Setup Mode. Thanks for the reply.

Hmm... that doesn't seem right... once you hit that on/off button, it should return to user mode.

Anyone else have any thoughts or ideas?

[SuperSleeper]

Keep up the good work!

I helped my coworker with her uninsured adult son's ancient machine today with help from people like you and I am trying to get my other co-worker to lower his pressure as he can't stand the machine. I was told he needed a script. Nah he can't afford another visit.

I got my own machine a week ago and I have become the CPAP cheerleader at work. From the results of one week, with confidence I can say it changed my life. Note: if I didn't have insurance I would have never known of this wonder, so I am trying to help as many people as I know with insurance or not.

Thanks once again!

[SuperSleeper]

I got my own machine a week ago and I have become the CPAP cheerleader at work. From the results of one week, with confidence I can say it changed my life. Note: if I didn't have insurance I would have never known of this wonder, so I am trying to help as many people as I know with insurance or not.

Thanks once again!

Thanks Gizmortis, and welcome to Apnea Board!

Good to see others picking up the ball and running with it (by helping other people who may have sleep apnea). I love it when people do that... I really believe that there are numerous people out there who live with undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea - who, if they had a friend like you to inform them about this possibility, would greatly benefit from proper treatment.

I also love to see when our forum members step forward and help new members who have questions. That's what Apnea Board is all about - Sleep Apnea patients helping one another.

Let us know how your treatment is progressing after a few weeks.

Sleep well! :

[SuperSleeper]

I had a member of another forum ask me to respond to a post on that website, as there were several posters who were promoting the view that changing CPAP pressure might indeed be "illegal".

I can't link to that site, since it's a commercially-run site that sells their own equipment, and it would violate our rules to link to it here, so I copied and pasted my post below for folks to read and comment upon, if you like:

A member of this forum invited me to post a response here on xxxxxxx-dot-com, since I run another Sleep Apnea forum where we have openly distributed CPAP Clinician Manuals free-of-charge for about 4 years or so. Let me say first that I LOVE xxxx-dot-com - I have purchased my previous two CPAP machines from them, including my new S9 AutoSet (love it!) and all my accessories here - and they provide excellent service and super prices. I was introduced to xxxx-dot-com a long time ago by "Ted the Titrator" - many of you may remember him. I wish I could advertise the site on our main forum, but our rules prevent that. I do recommend them all the time in PMs and emails as much as I can.

On with my points... please forgive the introductory governmental treatise, but I feel that it's necessary to lay a foundation for why I believe we are within our rights to change our own CPAP pressure - and I can't argue it properly without building from the ground up...

1. Philosophy of Government: I myself am of the more "libertarian" or nearly "Jeffersonian" political leaning. Meaning, I believe in the Constitution, the unalienable rights of man given to us by our Creator - and that generally the government should get out of my life except where it is Constitutionally charged with protecting life, liberty and property. Our nation (the United States) has deviated tremendously from these ideals, in my opinion, resulting in the current mess with regard to healthcare issues.

2. Higher Laws: Our system of government gives more weight and deference to the "higher powers"; for instance, a lower court's ruling can be overturned by a higher court's ruling. Likewise, a law can be enacted by a lower government (city or county ordinance) which is complete opposition to the US Constitution (higher law) is not a proper or just law. In fact, (especially in extreme cases), I feel it is the duty of citizens to either ignore or disobey a law that is clearly unconstitutional. For instance, if a city were to ban religious worship or public speech, the citizenry should ignore that law, since the US. Constitution (higher power) protects the freedom of religion and the freedom of speech. The higher law should prevail. Notice I didn't say that the Constitution "gives us" our rights. No, it simply protects our rights. Our rights do not come from the US Constitution, but rather, (as the Declaration of Independence states) come from "our Creator".

3. Interaction between Life, Liberty and Property: Those are the three main rights proper government should concentrate on and protect. (the third one often is referred to as the "pursuit of happiness" which stems from property ownership). When government goes outside these three areas, it becomes destructive of the very rights it is charged with protecting.

For instance, I have a right to enjoy my backyard (my property). I can do pretty much whatever I want in my yard, as long as I don't violate the rights of others as I enjoy it. BUT, if I decide to start a huge out-of-control fire in my backyard which ultimate spreads to my neighbors house, I have then violated my neighbor's right to his property (and possibly my neighbor's right to life, if the fire burns his house down with him inside it). Government should only get involved if the free exercise of my own rights violates the life, liberty or property of another citizen.

Likewise, I can't exercise my "free speech" by yelling "FIRE!" in a crowded theater when there is no fire. Why? Because I would be violating the rights of movie-goers to enjoy the property (they paid the theater owner to enjoy the entertainment offered on his property, and have a contractual right to sit there for the duration of the movie).

Okay, I think you get it... now, how does this apply to the right for someone to change his/her own CPAP pressure?

As a United States citizen, I don't plan on complying with an unconstitutional law or one that is in direct opposition to the basic, fundamental rights of man. In fact, I think I have a duty to disobey such a "law" because it is not a just or proper law.

I couldn't care less about a city, county, state or federal law that (by complying with it) risks my health (and possibly my life). Also, I couldn't care less about a law that ignores and violates my right to my own property.

Perhaps a more socialistic-leaning philosopher would argue that "the government is enacting CPAP laws" to "protect me from myself". After all, (the argument goes), "I might hurt myself". So the government, (they say) is "protecting my life". There's only one problem with this: by the government "protecting" my life, they are inadvertently restricting my right for me to use my property as I see fit. They have violated one right to protect another. This is why in the above paragraph, I said that government should only get involved if the free exercise of my own rights violates the life, liberty or property of another citizen. It should not get involved if I am only "violating" my own rights - after all, if I choose to restrict myself, that's my business, as long as I'm not hurting other citizens.

For these reasons, I believe we are within our rights to change our own CPAP pressure (assuming we own the machine). As long as I am not directly harming another person, and as long as there is no immediate threat to the life, liberty or property of another citizen, no government has no right to restrict my freedoms, including telling me that I can't change my own CPAP pressure. To do so would be a violation of my property rights and possibly a violation of my right to life (doing what is best for my own health and safety).

If forced to make a choice between obeying a "lower law" (federal law) and obeying a "higher law" (the laws of God, or as some would say the laws of Nature), I choose to obey the higher law. My right to life and property trumps any man-made law, period, as long as I don't violate someone else's God-given rights. The creation of new federal codes and statutes really does nothing to alter or abolish my fundamental rights.

I don't ask permission from anyone when I choose to exercise my rights, period. That's why on our website and forum, we will continue to freely distribute the information necessary for CPAP users to exercise their own property rights, and that's why I applaud this site when it allows the free sharing of this information. The "fair use" of the copyrighted manuals includes the right to use the machine to it's fullest capacity, as long as the patient has paid for, and owns his/her own CPAP machine outright.

SuperSleeper

"Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny". - Thomas Jefferson

[SuperSleeper]

Thank you SO much for this article! It was my recent very good fortune to acquire a new Resmed VPAP Auto 25 (with the humidifier and the wonderful Swift LT nasal pillow system). It was set to a pressure much higher than I need so your article was a godsend...I followed the instructions and in 2 minutes was able to re-program the machine. I am really so very grateful...I feel like a new person! Many thanks and Happy New Year!

[SuperSleeper]

I see the instructions for the M series 501 above. What I am not sure of is what to change the settings to. The hospital originally set my pap to cpap at 20cm/h20 but then said I needed to change to the auto setting at 4-20, but they wont do it until my insurance pays them.

The insurance is playing games and it does not look like they are going to pay more. The hospital sleep center's fight about money is keeping me from the auto setting and better sleep.

Does anyone here understand the process to the settings above for the M 510 and turning on auto and the settings of 4-20 ?

I could play with it but would be afraid to mess things up even worse. Without the machine , well you all know.

Thanks in advance if anyone is familiar with the process.

[SuperSleeper]

Ok all. Im working it. I see the set up manual for my auto 501 and see the windows. seems straight forward but I also see Cflex setting 1, 2, and 3. I dont know what these differences are and what to chose. any hints? Thanks.

Hi Sheepdog - welcome to the forum!

Respironics' C-flex (and A-flex) and a similar ResMed feature called "EPR" (Exhalation Pressure Relief) are all comfort features - they all basically reduce the pressure you must breathe out against as you exhale, and has no significant effect upon your main inhalation pressure.

Respironics defines it this way:

C-Flex pressure relief technology makes sleep therapy more comfortable by reducing pressure at the beginning of exhalation and returning to therapeutic pressure just before inhalation. The level of pressure relief varies based on the patient’s expiratory flow and which of the three C-Flex settings has been selected.

On your machine, 1 is the least amount of pressure release, while 3 is the greatest amount. Try each setting to see what you're most comfortable with. If you find you don't need it, simply turn C-Flex off or leave it at the lower setting of 1. It's really up to your own comfort level, and while it probably has some effect upon your overall treatment, it's not enough to matter much in your overall therapy effectiveness.

[SuperSleeper]

Thanks Supersleeper. I had my first night with auto settings and it was very different to say the least. The machine started at 4cm setting and that wasnt so comfortable after having 20cm at the start for so long. (maybe 10 years at 20cm) (before that at 14cm for 5 years).

I wake up maybe twice a night at go to the restroom (prostate follies) and looked at the pressure setting each time before disconnecting. The first time said 10.5 and the second 14.5 .

Neitehr of these is near the 20cm I am used to and wonder if it ever gets to 20? Is the machine really smart enought to get to 20 if and when I need it?

I have big bags under my eyes today and feel crappy so wonder if going auto really was the best idea after all.

sigh. Maybe this is all normal after cpap of 20cm for so long. any input?

Oh and wanted to say that my heart was pounding at one point. I know I can leave setting at 4-20 but also I can start at a higher than 4cm setting for lay down. I wonder if maybe 10 or so might be better?

New territory here for me. Thanks for the venue and support.