[Pressure] How I decided on my APAP pressure numbers on my own

[HalfAsleep]

Regarding the "recap" on your webpage, I find something worrisome. As far as I know, the high pressure on an APAP is not equivalent to an inhale setting, nor the low pressure equivalent to an exhale setting.

For instance, my current pressure settings are 8-15. This means the machine varies the pressure within 8 and 15, according to what my breathing flow requires at that particular time. The APAP does not have two different settings for exhale and inhale; my understanding is that's what you get with a BPAP. Instead, the APAP lands on one pressure: I would be both inhaling and exhaling at 12, at 9, at 14.....whatever is the one pressure the APAP settles on.

My APAP does have some relief, however: a comfort feature (EPR) that allows exhale up to 3 mm lower than the one setting. This means it's easier for me to exhale when the one and only pressure the APAP sets makes it difficult for me to exhale against. E.g. when I need it, my APAP's pressure can go to 15. When it goes to 15, I have trouble exhaling, but because I have EPR set for 3, I'm exhaling at 12 (15-3).

EPR is not a pressure setting; it's a comfort setting dependent on the pressure APAP is selecting.

[DanGagner]

Regarding the "recap" on your webpage, I find something worrisome. As far as I know, the high pressure on an APAP is not equivalent to an inhale setting, nor the low pressure equivalent to an exhale setting.

For instance, my current pressure settings are 8-15. This means the machine varies the pressure within 8 and 15, according to what my breathing flow requires at that particular time. The APAP does not have two different settings for exhale and inhale; my understanding is that's what you get with a BPAP. Instead, the APAP lands on one pressure: I would be both inhaling and exhaling at 12, at 9, at 14.....whatever is the one pressure the APAP settles on.

My APAP does have some relief, however: a comfort feature that allows exhale up to 3 mm lower than the one setting. This means it's easier for me to exhale when the one and only pressure the APAP sets makes it difficult for me to exhale against. The initials for this relief are EPR. This is not a pressure setting: it's a nicety that can be controlled or turned off altogether.

Okay, I'm still learning. And you're right it's not just the high or low pressure that's used. I'm wondering though. My machine sends a 'pressure pulse' when it detects an obstruction. It then decides what minimal pressure I need to inhale to get the throat open. That minimum pressure needed is how the APAP machine  does it's apap thing.

I think, in the recap I talk about getting the max/min settings in and that it  will often actually vary 3-4 between those settings. Or am I missing what you're saying here?

[HalfAsleep]

What I'm saying is that APAP puts out a single pressure at a time for inhale and exhale. My Resmed A10A has pressure settings entered of 8-15; as needed, it varies the pressure between 8 and 15.

A machine with a different pressure for inhale and exhale would be a BiPap or BPAP (bi=2).

[Walla Walla]

I think if you just wrote setting the high pressure and low pressure and leave out the inhale exhale part it makes it clearer.

[DanGagner]

I think if you just wrote setting the high pressure and low pressure and leave out the inhale exhale part it makes it clearer.

Googling it, I see your point. It's not an inhalation/exhalation pressure. It's just high and low end limits and the machine finds the right spot in there. I made changes that removes the inhale and exhale parts of it.

Thanks.