ResMed Aircurve 10 VAuto - What Settings To Use?

[stevesleep]

Starting Out - ResMed AirSense 10 - What Settings To Use?

Hello all! I am completely new to this. I am 31, been experiencing feeling a bit tired in the day and always waking up a bit tired too. I did a respiratory at home sleep study, which detected no obstructive sleep apnea (that is the only thing it screens for). It had an AHI of 3.8. Keep in mind this was a basic like $300 home sleep study, you set up yourself, with some near your nose, on your chest, and a watch. No brain scanning stuff. Basic, so it's not going to be super optimised data.

However I have all the symptoms of Upper Airways Resistance (UARS). I wake up quite tired no matter if I get 8-9 hours of sleep. I also have a severely deviated septum, and grade 2/3 large tonsils as diagnosed by my ENT. I also have some slight rhinitis (nasal congestion). However I can now sleep with breathe right nose strips and I believe just nose breathe while sleeping (but its not 100% perfect, it's like maybe 80%, but I can do it).

I have not had a full in-depth sleep study for a diagnosis of UARS because those private tests are too expensive, however my ENT agrees it's probably UARS.

I am looking to try to sort this out myself with a CPAP mask. I was planning to buy the ResMed AirSense 10 as my firstm achine after researching what will be best. However I have no one guiding me, and I have no clue about any of this stuff, and it's quite complicated.

My main two questions are:
1 - What type of mask is going to be best? Should I get a few? How do I know if it's going to be right for my face, the right fit?

2 - What settings should I start with, on the ResMed AirSense 10? I understand I can post data here, however I'm wondering what the best starting settings would be.

I have attached the sleep study here, don't know if that's useful but I thought I would. Since I can only do 3 attachments per post, I will make another post after this post in this thread, with the last 3 screenshots.

My goal is to get restful sleep and regain my energy levels. This is very important to me and affecting my life, career, and wellbeing. Any help would be super super appreciated .

If you have any other comments please feel free to share also. Thank you so much.

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Here are the last 3 images of the sleep study test.

[HalfAsleep]

Machine decisions are not in my skill set, but I’m sure someone will be along soon.

Has your ENT discussed septoplasty etc. with you? Just curious. It might give you quality of life while you’re awake, and not just breathing room while you’re asleep. And it might have a bearing on mask choice.

I’m not suggesting this as crucial for now, but as something to put in your hopper of items to think about over the next months as you begin to analyze closely (via Oscar) how you sleep. . It seems you have an ENT already on your team…I’m just encouraging you not to be in a rush to take him/her off.

[stevesleep]

Machine decisions are not in my skill set, but I’m sure someone will be along soon.

Has your ENT discussed septoplasty etc. with you? Just curious. It might give you quality of life while you’re awake, and not just breathing room while you’re asleep. And it might have a bearing on mask choice.

Hi, yes nose surgery is an option at some point, however it will cost a bit of cash and there's some recovery time so I'm seeing how much I can improve my energy levels and state without the operation first. So for now, no septoplasty.

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

Answering in order…

1. There is no perfect mask for everyone. You will have to experiment, so choose a vendor that allows for returns. The suppliers on our Supplier List are ones folks have had good experiences using. If you are a mouth breather, start with a full-face (ResMed F20) or hybrid mask (Resmed F30/F40 or F&P Evora). If a nose breather, then start with nasal pillows (ResMed P10). Most of us have had to work through quite a few masks before finding ones that work. Some may not work today, but will work tomorrow. No magic or pixie dust will help figure it out. It takes experimentation.
 
2. Start with a simple baseline. That should give enough information over a few nights to help figure out what is going on. 

Mode APAP
Min pressure 7
Max pressure 15
EPR 2 full-time
No ramp

And remember that not all sleep issues can be resolved with use of CPAP. Read the following article and see if there is anything that helps. 

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene

And read the wiki, download and install OSCAR, insert an SD card into your machine, and Bob’s your uncle. Once you post some charts folks can offer suggestions based on data.

[stevesleep]

Answering in order…

1. There is no perfect mask for everyone. You will have to experiment, so choose a vendor that allows for returns. The suppliers on our are ones folks have had good experiences using. If you are a mouth breather, start with a full-face (ResMed F20) or hybrid mask (Resmed F30/F40 or F&P Evora). If a nose breather, then start with nasal pillows (ResMed P10). Most of us have had to work through quite a few masks before finding ones that work. Some may not work today, but will work tomorrow. No magic or pixie dust will help figure it out. It takes experimentation.
 
2. Start with a simple baseline. That should give enough information over a few nights to help figure out what is going on. 

Mode APAP
Min pressure 7
Max pressure 15
EPR 2 full-time
No ramp

And remember that not all sleep issues can be resolved with use of CPAP. Read the following article and see if there is anything that helps.

And read the wiki, download and install OSCAR, insert an SD card into your machine, and Bob’s your uncle. Once you post some charts folks can offer suggestions based on data.

Thank you! With the ResMed Airsense 10. Other than a mask I'm trying to figure out what components do you need to purchase when you get a CPAP machine? You can get the CPAP machine on it's own, but then I see there's a lot of other accessories... For example, a humidifier, some humidified tubes etc. See this package bundle here for example:

AirSense™ 10 AutoSet (complete device package) Bundle Offer
This AirSense 10 AutoSet bundle offer* includes an integrated HumidAir II™ and ClimateLine Air heated tube. Also supplied with a SlimLine™ tube, travel bag, 90W Power Supply Unit and 12-pack of filters.

Just want to make sure I get all the right components with the CPAP machine.

[AngrySparrow]

I am new to this site, I just read your post.

I am really curious if you have completed researching your needs for Sleep Apnea.

Yes Sleep Studies are expensive (do you have Medical Insurance?). However undiagnosed Sleep Apnea is dangerous, you need to know as exact as possible what your body is doing or not doing.

I was sure I was not a mouth breather, however my Sleep Studies prove I do breathe through my mouth once I pass into sleep.

I do not get into REM, I have both types of Sleep Apnea, my heart STOPS several times while I sleep.
Without detailed testing I would not receive appropriate treatment.

There are many Sleep Apnea Machines available, most of them are very expensive by my standard. Choosing the correct device for you might require using a loaner until you find the right machine. I used four different machines before I discovered one that worked for me.

Face masks are plentiful and often wear out. Personal choice, face and nose shape dictates choice. I found I do not like stuff on my face, so I have a very minimal nasal pillows (if I move too much in my sleep the pillows do not work particularly efficiently. I am allergic to Latex, chin straps are a problem.

Do you need a humidifier? Heated hose?

By the time you purchase your gear you will probably find what you thought you need is not quite right.

Most of the time the Sleep Study Tech has valuable suggestions as to the machine and accessories. Which saves a lot of out of pocket money since masks, hoses, filters, reservoirs etc. need to be replaced every few months.

I value sites such as this however sometimes you need a professional to guide and a site like this to confirm or offer experience.

I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea in 1993. Used my CPAP until Auto Set became available. 2003 Sudden Cardiac Arrest, 2004 to 2024 no AUTOSET. Now two Sleep Studies later, I am set to receive a BiPAP device.

My point is I'm new here but not to Sleep Apnea nor Cardiac Conditions. Sometimes it saves $ to go through all the steps. Often there is financial help available if you do some research. This time I am fortunate, my insurance picked up most of the tab. Plus I will be able to write some of the expenses off my taxes.

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

I always recommend the ResMed Aircurve 10 Vauto (bilevel) as a first choice, with the Resmed AirSense 10 Autoset (APAP) as the second choice. The reasoning is the Vauto is the most versatile of the non-ASV machines as it can be a CPAP, APAP, and Bilevel. The APAP is an excellent machine, but the fine-tuning you can do on the bilevel is much better. If your only choice is to go with an APAP, that is fine, just understand you may need to upgrade in the future. The series 10 machines are proven workhorses, the series 11 are newer and still getting the bugs shaken out. Not that the 11’s are bad, just that they are newer.

Go with the bundle that includes the machine, ClimateLine hose, and humidifier. Getting some extra filters or spare parts (extra hose and humidifer water chamber) is a bonus.

[stevesleep]

I always recommend the ResMed Aircurve 10 Vauto (bilevel) as a first choice, with the Resmed AirSense 10 Autoset (APAP) as the second choice. The reasoning is the Vauto is the most versatile of the non-ASV machines as it can be a CPAP, APAP, and Bilevel. The APAP is an excellent machine, but the fine-tuning you can do on the bilevel is much better. If your only choice is to go with an APAP, that is fine, just understand you may need to upgrade in the future. The series 10 machines are proven workhorses, the series 11 are newer and still getting the bugs shaken out. Not that the 11’s are bad, just that they are newer.

Go with the bundle that includes the machine, ClimateLine hose, and humidifier. Getting some extra filters or spare parts (extra hose and humidifer water chamber) is a bonus.

Cheers. In that case I'm going to go for the ResMed Aircurve 10 Vauto (bilevel).

Could you please tell me all the machine settings I should start with, based on my situation, so we can have a baseline and optimise it over time?

[stevesleep]

Hi, I believe I have UARS. I have a severely deviated septum. Had a basic sleep study of 3.8 AHI it showed.

I have just gotten my ResMed Aircurve 10 Vauto (bilevel) machine as recommended.

Could you please let me know what settings I should start with, as a baseline, so I can optimise the settings over time to see what works for me?

Thank you

[OpalRose]

Please post a copy of your entire sleep study numbers here in this thread. This way, folk can be guided by those numbers to recommend a baseline setting to start with.
Thanks!

If you wish, I can merged your first thread with this one, as you posted that sleep study in your other thread.