First Night with RemStar Auto with C-flex

quilterB · Post by **quilterB** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:14 am

Okay I had a horrible night. As you can tell by my profile I had a ResMed Advantage machine since I started on CPAP a little over 100 days ago. My major problem has always been with the mask and finally seem to be getting more accustomed to it although still wake multiple time during the night. At least I keep it on. I never thought the noise of the machine was anything to be concerned about. I could not get past the noise of my new machine last night. I felt like I was in an iron lung or something. I have the same pressure setting (7 to 20). Does C-flex make a difference in the noise? Besides being aware of every breath I took, there also was a sort of whine from the machine. Any thoughts from anyone who may have used both types of machines? Or any thoughts at all.

I also started to get stomach cramps. I know this is a side effect that some people experience. I have not paid too much attention to the postings since I have not experienced it at all. Would a new machine do this? Would appreciate any links that are out there so I can read up on it.

Thanks again. As with so many others out there, I would have given up by now without this forum. Maybe I was expecting too much last night with the new machine since I have yet to feel any positive effects of this therapy. Quite the opposite actually. I did order the software bundle last night so that is something I have to look forward to. Thanks again.

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:34 am

I have the same machine and have no noise. I have actually had my husband wake me to see if I was breathing! The most noise I've had is when I pulled the covers over my head and the exhaust from the hybrid hit the covers. Sounded like a wind storm!

I've read that some people have a problem with aerophagia. If you do a search for aerophasia you will find loads of info. Haven't learned to post links yet, but I'm sure someone will be by soon who can.

Brenda

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:53 am

C-Flex does change the frequency and pitch with every inhale/exhale cycle.
If your machine is located a bit below the level of your head, its usually not a problem.

All of the aerophagia I experienced, was before the Hybrid. Now, all you
need to do is get your breathing in sync with the C-Flex. The critical thing to
learn is to make the transition from inhale to exhale very quickly.

Have you thought about running the APAP pressures in a tighter configuration. Most suggest 2 cm/H2O below titrated pressure for the
minimum pressure and 3 cm/H2O for the maximum pressure.

I have reduced my C-Flex setting from 2 to 1 since I started on the Hybrid.

yardbird · Post by **yardbird** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 10:40 am

A range of 7 to 20 is huge. What is your titrated pressure? Mine is 8. I have my range set to 6 to 11. Works great and very little noise at all. I turned my c-flex down from 3 to 2. At 3 I had some aerophagia. At 2 it's gone.

I like the cflex a lot having come from a straight cpap machine.

quilterB · Post by **quilterB** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 5:04 pm

I h ave turned my cflex down from 3 to 1 but I am wondering if it can be turned off completely. I really feel I don't need it as I did not have it on my last machine.

cflame1 · Post by **cflame1** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:29 pm

yes, it can be turned off... mine's turned off

quilterB · Post by **quilterB** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:32 pm

How can I turn the c-flex off myself? Really don't want to take machine back to the DME. Thanks

wahooker · Post by **wahooker** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:14 pm

Unplug the machine

Hold down both left and right buttons (The ones that look like < and > ) and plug it back up.

That puts you in the Clinicians menu, and turns the machine on.

Use < and > to go through the menu without making changes.

When you get to something that says CFLE or CFLEX, change it to CPAP using the leftmost Up and Down Arrows.

Since you have the Auto, it might be just a hair different, there may be an option in that same list for APAP (Without Cflex) and APAP with Cflex.

Wehn you have it set the way you want it, just hit the power button to turn it off and lock in the setting.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:41 pm

When you change change from AFLEX to APAP, but if I were you I would leave it on. What you have to do is to train yourself to stop thinking about your breathing, like we do all day. Add some background noise into the mix, so night I do it too, as long as you think about how you are breathing you will be fighting the machine, relax and ignore and your flow goes with the machine. Jim

The reason you hear it is because you are breathing forced, harder than normal.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:12 am

Copy and paste into a document and save on your computer:

REMstar Auto w/C-Flex Setup

When in the Setup Menu, the humidifier ^ and ramp v buttons operate as up and down keys to change the settings, the left/right user buttons < > allow you to go to the previous/next question or setting, and the pressure start/stop button is used to exit the Setup Menu. Holding the humidifier or ramp buttons down will cause the values to change more quickly.

To enter the Therapy Setup Menu, hold the two top user buttons < > down while plugging in the power cord.
Continue holding the buttons down until the REMstar Auto w/C-Flex beeps twice.

Note: The word "setup" will appear on all of the screens indicating that you are in the Therapy Setup Menu.
(If you press the Pressure start/stop button, you will exit the Setup Menu.)

A. Compliance hours/nights: (recommend leaving alone, but CAN be cleared at this point)
Select next setting with >

B. Therapy mode: (CPAP/CFLE/APAP/AFLE) select with ^ or v
Select next setting with >

B1. If CPAP or CFLE select pressure setting: Select with ^ or v
Select next setting with >

B1a. C-Flex mode (if you chose CFLE mode): Select setting 1, 2 or 3 with ^
Select next setting with >

B2. If APAP or AFLE, select minimum pressure setting: Select with ^ or v
Select next setting with >

B2a. If APAP or AFLE, select maximum pressure setting: Select with ^ or v
Select next setting with >

B2b. C-Flex mode (if you chose AFLE mode): Select setting 1, 2 or 3 with ^
Select next setting with >

C: Ramp time setting: Select with ^ or v
(ramp time will be turned off with a setting of 0)
(if using APAP or AFLE mode, Ramp setting MUST be set to 0)
Select next setting with >

D. Ramp pressure setting: Select with ^ or v (use only in CPAP or CFLE mode)
Select next setting with >

E. Patient disconnect setting: 1 = on 0 = off Select with ^ or v
Select next setting with >

F. Buttons lights setting: 1 = on 0 = off Select with ^ or v

(Last setting. Use On/Off button to exit Setup)

LindaK · Post by **LindaK** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:40 pm

I have had my machine for 2 nights, I thought the humidifier would help my congestion, but I, too, feel like a lung machine is hooked up to me. I have tried and tried not to focus on the breathing, but it now is taking me about 1 hour to fall asleep when I'm used to about 5 minutes before CPAP. Last night my tube was dripping and I was getting the popping noises in the nasal pillows. I had thrown the thing off 2 times when my husband tried to help, which besides irritates me that I'm not sleeping, and then I spent another 25 minutes trying to fall asleep until I threw it off for good and tried to get 4 hours of sleep. My C-flex is set on 3. I called the therapist this morning at 7:30 with no answer as of 3:30 pm. She suggested when I got the machine on Tuesday not to mess with the setting, I wonder if she's ever used one?? I am committed to try CPAP, but as of today with 2 bad nights, I'm exhausted and cranky and want nothing to do with the darn thing. I'm thinking of a nasal mask vs. the mirage swift nasal pillows. I used a gel mask for my first CPAP overnight and seemed to not be as irritating. I am a side and stomach sleeper so that's why I wanted to try the Swift system, but I'm ready to return the whole thing. I was hoping for so much more than I've experienced so far.

My husband has a 4 year old CPAP machine (no humdifier and no c-flex)and he said the noise of my breathing and the machine were bothering him! Thank goodness for feedback from real people on this board.

quilterB · Post by **quilterB** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:16 pm

Got in touch with the RT this afternoon and she said she has always felt that the RemStar machines were louder than the ResMed. Did not feel that the c-flex was part of the problem but was willing to turn it off if I wanted to. Still up in the air about that. I am going to give it a few more nights to see if I can get used to the noise.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:25 pm

C-Flex is your best friend, put some noise in the room you like and the machine will disappear. I use to run a nature background, but lately I use the T.V. The nature Cd would quit in five hours and I would wake up and reset it. the t.v. is 24 hour noise, for sure. Jim

NyNurse33 · Post by **NyNurse33** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 8:07 pm

I was reading this post, b/c I am going to be trying to get an apap soon. I thought the c-flex was liked by all, but now I'm wondering. Its not having the cflex that cuts down on aerophagia, its having the apap itself, right? If exhaling isn't bothering me know on cpap with a pressure setting of 10 (I thik), then I may not need cflex. It just seems like it is a whole different system to get used to and if I don't need it, maybe I'll skip it.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 8:28 pm

You can turn it off if it's not liked, but it will cost you the purchace of a new, good machine to get it later on. I don't think it is a factor of air swallowing. Apnea has too many variables, patients get confused and make the wrong assumptions, which are passed on as fact, but they can just be false assunptions. Jim

When dealing with Life, There's a lot more Grey, than Black and White.

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