Do you find ramp up useful?

[AMESS]

Yes I like the ramp up. Dont know anything else for 7 weeks. Gives me a chance to "get going" adjust the mask--again, and get used to it. Maybe later I can do without. But right now--too soon.

[WearyOne]

I never used it. I feel like I'm suffocating at anything under 7. When I started I was on straight CPAP at 9, so felt the ramp would be useless for me. Exhale relief is what helped me the most when I started out.

[Goofproof]

I never used it. I feel like I'm suffocating at anything under 7. When I started I was on straight CPAP at 9, so felt the ramp would be useless for me. Exhale relief is what helped me the most when I started out.

Maybe AMESS's poor adaption to XPAP is because she uses the ramp and has no clue about XPAP mask adjustments.or how they work. Jim

But she's still here telling you how to treat Sleep Apnea.

[kteague]

I feel ramp can be useful if used with knowledge. Using it at too low a pressure and sensing suffocation is counterproductive to making getting to sleep easier. I don't NEED ramp but I do have it set to start about 9 for maybe 5 minutes. Not sure of exacts because I haven't given it a thought in ages. My reason is that i do a lot of coughing and throat clearing when I first mask up and I don't want that mess included in my data. No shame in using it, no glory in not.

[Arlene1963]

When using CPAP mode, I set my ramp to AUTO. My CPAP pressure is 10CM and I start at 8CM with ramp.

The reason for this in CPAP mode is that I like to see how long it takes the machine to detect when I fall asleep.

I can usually tell from looking at the zoomed in flow rate as well, but it just saves time to quickly look at the pressure graph at the beginning of each new session in Sleepy Head. When I first started I would often wake up after a few hours and toss and turn, and by starting a new session I could see how long it actually took me to get back to sleep using AUTO ramp. This still happens on the odd night, but not nearly as often, and I usually go back to sleep within minutes, based on looking at ramp time in Sleepy Head.

Honestly, I can't tell the difference between 8 and 10CM anymore, maybe when I started, but not now. So it makes no difference to me in terms of comfort. What does make a huge difference to comfort for me is EPR , can't imagine using CPAP now without EPR actually.

I don't use AUTO ramp when I use APAP mode, but do find it a useful tool in CPAP mode.

I agree that ramp start pressure can be too low and this creates a significant problem for newbies. It is a shame that many often leave the DME with their machine at settings that are almost guaranteed to fail.

[Comfortably Numb]

I'm confused as to how to turn off (disable) the ramp feature on my Airsense 10. Looking in the clinical settings, I have choices of "Auto Set" and "CPAP." "Ramp Time" is "Auto" and there does not appear to be a way to select anything else. Last night I set the machine to "CPAP" with "Start Pressure" at 7 and "Set Pressure" at 9. As expected, the Sleepyhead graph showed a flat line of 9 throughout the night. Is this what everyone is referring to as "turning off" the ramp feature--going from "Auto Set" to "CPAP?"

[Pugsy]

I'm confused as to how to turn off (disable) the ramp feature on my Airsense 10. Looking in the clinical settings, I have choices of "Auto Set" and "CPAP." "Ramp Time" is "Auto" and there does not appear to be a way to select anything else.

You have to highlight the Ramp Time/Auto choice to change the ramp options.

[Comfortably Numb]

As usual, thanks Pugsy. I was actually highlighting "Ramp Time" but I didn't have enough sense to turn the dial counterclockwise so I could select OFF.

Also, I changed the machine setting from "CPAP" back to "Auto Set" for whatever that's worth.

[Okie bipap]

When I first started treatment, my pressure was set for 20 - 25 cm. I started with a 45 minute ramp time as suggested by the RT. After a few nights, I turned the ramp off. I found I would lay awake until the machine got up to full pressure, then I would go to sleep. Once I turned the ramp off, I started going to sleep sooner. I still don't use ramp. I use the mask fit setting when I first start the machine. This give me three minutes to get into bed and get settled before the machine starts counting events.

[SnoringInOregon]

Nobody so far has mentioned what I have found to be the most useful feature of the ramp: it lets you quickly mark a point in time.

On the DreamStation, ramp is a dedicated button. So, for example, if I find that because of RERAs or whatever that I woke up, I hit the ramp button. My normal pressure is 8.5 to 12.5. I set the ramp to 8.0, duration 5 mins. This dip is clearly visible in the pressure chart in SleepyHead. The dip can only happen because of the ramp button, the machine won't go below 8.5 on its own.

[zoocrewphoto]

Nobody so far has mentioned what I have found to be the most useful feature of the ramp: it lets you quickly mark a point in time.

On the DreamStation, ramp is a dedicated button. So, for example, if I find that because of RERAs or whatever that I woke up, I hit the ramp button. My normal pressure is 8.5 to 12.5. I set the ramp to 8.0, duration 5 mins. This dip is clearly visible in the pressure chart in SleepyHead. The dip can only happen because of the ramp button, the machine won't go below 8.5 on its own.

If I had that button, I might set my ramp to slightly below my normal pressure and only give it a few minutes. But I don't have that button or any need to go below 11. SO, if I want to mark the time, I just hit the power button twice. I resets to 11, and I have the line in my data for the marker.

[SewTired]

Lots of people don't find it useful and lots of people DO find it useful. If it helps you continue to use your machine, I'm all for it. It's a COMFORT thing and not everybody is going to use every comfort feature. When I first started apap, I used the ramp. Had it set for 20 minutes since I usually fall asleep at 15. Once I was accustomed to a starting pressure of 8, which is my minimum, I shut it off. This was probably a few weeks.

FWIW, 4 and 5 are pediatric settings. Most adults find these difficult to breathe at.

[TedVPAP]

Nobody so far has mentioned what I have found to be the most useful feature of the ramp: it lets you quickly mark a point in time.

On the DreamStation, ramp is a dedicated button. So, for example, if I find that because of RERAs or whatever that I woke up, I hit the ramp button. My normal pressure is 8.5 to 12.5. I set the ramp to 8.0, duration 5 mins. This dip is clearly visible in the pressure chart in SleepyHead. The dip can only happen because of the ramp button, the machine won't go below 8.5 on its own.

I pull my mask away for a second to mark arousals via a spike in flow rate.

[nicholasjh1]

Yep, I turned my ramp off too, I just find it annoying, in fact I've also turned off the exhalation relief, because my machine lowers the pressure BEFORE I actually am done inhaling (presumably because my inhale gets low enough to "trigger" the exhalation relief, and this confuses my poor brain and it thinks it needs to exhale sooner, so the exhalation relief ends up having me breath too quickly.)

[DonO]

Since posting this, I've not turned it back on. In the beginning of the night, I now fall asleep easier and without feeling like I'm struggling to breathe. Not sure if ramp up was the culprit but it may have contributed. The increase to 6.5 in the beginning was like night and day. I'm going to just stick pat with the current setup and see how it goes for another few weeks.

I did see that when I changed my pressure, it showed in the data as a "prescription change". I'll be interested to see if my doc says anything at the next appointment.

Thanks all!