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Hi - i use a resmed VAuto, with nasal pillows, and lately have had a tough time "pulling in" air on inhale. I assume that if I'm trying to inhale more air than the machine is allowing, like inhaling AGAINST pressure (so it's actually easier to breathe without the machine), it's defeating the purpose of therapy. It's actually much more comfortable when the machine is either matching my inhale, or even exceeding it, which of course leads to trying higher IPAP settings. The problem then, is the EPAP settings get moved up relative to the IPAP, even with max PS, and now exhaling is against pressure is leading me to wonder why there even IS an EPAP pressure setting. Why can't EPAP be zero?
Anyway, I digress - i found a comfortable mode, "S Mode" that allows higher IPAP settings and lower EPAP, and it feels very comfortable. It's only been two nights, but breathing in finally feels like it isn't work. however, I feel like I woke myself up a few times (especially early in the night) when I stopped breathing without an obstruction. I guess that's centrals? Is this due to the higher than usual IPAP, and might this resolve in a few nights? otherwise, i think I found my settings.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Thank you - here is a screen shot from last night, which is night three with tis high of an IPAP. I get better scores on a lower IPAP, however, I have to pull in air against resistance, which seems illogical given what the machine is trying to do. I feel slightly better today than yesterday. Wondering about the CAs. Are they likely disturbing my sleep?
When taking screenshots in OSCAR, please use the F12 key (Fn+F12 for Mac). Your calendar ate up a bunch of real estate and blocked seeing the important information. Also, please post your on Ti Min and Ti Max times.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Really need to see the settings on this machine, and also respiratory statistics which are obscured due to the calendar. It is very unusual to see PS over 10 cm as seems to be the case with EPAP 3, IPAP 13.4. This kind of pressure support is sufficient to suppress any spontaneous effort. I would like to see the Flow rate chart and mask pressure chart shown in a zoomed view where we can clearly see the respiratory flow and mask pressure waves together. A quick review of your post history shows you are pedaling in reverse as fast as you can. Your sleep, AHI and all other factors were better before you dialed in these really unusual settings.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
At the moment, you will have to add the Trigger, Cycle, TiMin and TiMax settings to your post, as they are not included in the Settings panel right now.
08-17-2022, 01:53 PM (This post was last modified: 08-17-2022, 02:08 PM by gcritchley.
Edit Reason: typos
)
RE: having difficultly pulling in air on inhale
I think what I'll do is go directly back to the settings Sleeprider posted above (which was from one of my posts a while back), and give those a few nights to be clearer with myself and the forum about what wasn't/isn't working.
I have had a surgery since then, about a year ago (expansion Sphincter Pharyngoplasty) to treat a diagnosis of EPO (which I always instinctively knew I had, and which was confirmed via DISE prior to the surgery). The EPO seems to be gone, but there is a tongue region surgery (radio-frequency) that was recommended as a second phase at the time of the DISE to treat some tongue based obstruction that was also revealed in the DISE, and my AHI actually went from mild to moderate, due to the change in pressures from the EPO relief. I'm looking into that next phase now: I am at a juncture or fork in the road - either make cpap work and staying where I am, or continue the surgical route to see what that does. I think I am more PAP compliant mow, and was feeling pretty good, except for that feeling of having to 'pull in" an inhale, as if the nasal pillows were obstructed or something, rather than feeling filled or aided in my inhale, which I assume should be the feeling.
I just had a short nap with the settings SR posted (from my screenshot in 2020) and it actually seemed pretty good on inhale, and not too bad on exhale, although i still don't understand the purpose of EPAP, unless there is an issue with EPO.
I'll do that for a few days and reset this thread with that information and compare to what I was trying to do.
An update. Lesson learned. I removed the hose liner to reveal a break in the tubing, which initially looked like just the wiring had come apart, but must have been affecting air flow because when the new hose arrived it was NIGHT and DAY. Suddenly the 12 IPAP was way too much. Terrible sleep last night, so I'll bring it down to 11 and try again for a few nights and then post. This thread may have become dead in its tracks, because the initial question is now seemingly related to a faulty hose. Epap is 4 and PS is 4.
I would advise against a mere drop of one whole cm. Do at least two, even three, down to 9, and see how that goes. One whole cm of H2O will hardly shift this 'way too much' pressure appreciably for you.
