Can patients safely alter the settings to come up with good results

[jnk...]

There is only one "danger" that comes to my mind: offending a medical team.

If you have a good doc, he or she may appreciate being kept in the loop on changes in diet, exercise, supplements, PAP pressures, etc.

Also, an RRT may rightly fear that a doc will accuse him or her of setting the wrong pressure(s) on a patient's machine. Valid concern, that.

In my case, the two sleep docs I've had (previous and current) are completely on board with any adjustment I want to make with any machine I choose to use. Likewise, the two primaries I've had (previous and current) are good with me making my choices. I have liked all four of them. My previous primary just asked that I occasionally hand him a copy of something showing AHI and usage so he could put that in my file. When my current primary saw my MyAir printout report, she was satisfied. The new lung/sleep doc responded to my statement that I manage my own therapy with a chuckle saying, "Good for you; it isn't exactly rocket science, now, is it?" Direct quote.

But I consider it polite to dignify all team members in any team of any sort by having good communication. Baseball. Football. Work. Home. AND medical. At least until a team member refuses to cooperate with the big picture and causes a ruckus. In harmony with that principle, I respectfully keep any doc in the loop with what I do until they say I don't need to or until they act in a way that gives me a reason to hide things from them by their overreacting unreasonably to something I've done or said.

Hey, just me. A team player. At least, usually.

-jnk

[palerider]

so i don't know what that person is thinking.

You assume facts not in evidence, namely that mostly-a-quack is thinking, and not just mindlessly quoting outmoded dogma.

[zonker]

Well, you know I'm not much for long explanations, I'll try to remember to make this one a faq.

seriously, do that. it's an important underpinning of the basic function of an apap machine.

[jnk...]

. . . the pillow police might come get you.

What a shame if the pillow police made a raid on the exact same night as the dreaded dream police!

https://youtu.be/F3C19k80d_0

And personally, I think every bass player should wear a lab coat and stethoscope when playing that song live.

That said, a 12-string bass is just WRONG without a prescription and proper supervision.

[turbo]

. . . the pillow police might come get you.

What a shame if the pillow police made a raid on the exact same night as the dreaded dream police!

https://youtu.be/F3C19k80d_0

And personally, I think every bass player should wear a lab coat and stethoscope when playing that song live.

That said, a 12-string bass is just WRONG without a prescription and proper supervision.

How about Rick Nielsen's 9 headed monster

[jnk...]

Rick Nielsen's 9 headed monster

Not the sort of guy I'd want setting up my autobilevel, that's for sure!

Thanks for bumping up Pugsy's important thread. She's too modest to make her own thread a sticky.

[turbo]

Rick Nielsen's 9 headed monster

Not the sort of guy I'd want setting up my autobilevel, that's for sure!

Thanks for bumping up Pugsy's important thread. She's too modest to make her own thread a sticky.

Of course, but you didn't need to thank me, since we both did just that.

Suppose, I should share what I think. The short answer is, yes, if the patient is capable of doing it right, if not, then they probably shouldn't. Can the machine itself hurt the patient with the wrong settings? I don't know, and regardless, the therapy won't be effective, and that could be a problem.

[Pugsy]

Can the machine itself hurt the patient with the wrong settings? I don't know, and regardless, the therapy won't be effective, and that could be a problem.

You bring up an important point...we don't advise changes unless there is an obvious problem and the therapy is not as effective as it should/could be.

Which is worse....a known sub optimal or ineffective therapy or a maybe small negative risk (which usually has solutions available if it happens) from increasing the minimum pressure???

Let's see...which is worse...AHI of 10 and 80% of it is OAs or a little bit of aerophagia from a minor increase in the minimum pressure that brings the AHI down to say 3 with the same 80% OAs?????

[Dog Slobber]

Given the accepted standard of acceptable treatment is under 5 by most medical providers and that's not good enough for us, I'm guessing the majority who come here end up with improved effectiveness.

And regarding finding a compromise between effective therapy and issues like aerophagia. I can recall a few instances of sufferers who have been helped a great deal. The care and attention provided by members of this board is well beyond what one can expect from the "professionals".

And then there's compliance.

The biggest danger with CPAP is abandoning it. Regular members here know this and recognize that sometime the difference between success and failure is tweaking a few settings. How many people come here with their ResMeds Essentials set to off so they can't even adjust their own minor settings. Or have it drilled into their heads that they are not to touch anything.

More people have been harmed by not coming here.

And finally there's the CPAPTalk's own Zonker!
Have any of you ever been welcomed into a doctors waiting room with the same enthusiasm as Zonker welcomes new members here? Absolutely not.

[zonker]

And finally there's the CPAPTalk's own Zonker!
Have any of you ever been welcomed into a doctors waiting room with the same enthusiasm as Zonker welcomes new members here? Absolutely not.

meerkat.gif

<sigh>
you're SUPPOSED to be pointing out the positives!

[jnk...]

To go all anecdotal:

Number of posters expressing thanks for the results of what they've learned here--countless thousands. (Including me as counted among the thankful.)

Number of posters expressing regret over learning what they've learned here because they found it somehow damaging--zero and counting, as best I can recall.

Yeah. The food here is lousy and they just don't serve enough of it. Right. Don't need Yelp to help decipher that complaint.

[turbo]

Can the machine itself hurt the patient with the wrong settings? I don't know, and regardless, the therapy won't be effective, and that could be a problem.

You bring up an important point...we don't advise changes unless there is an obvious problem and the therapy is not as effective as it should/could be.

Which is worse....a known sub optimal or ineffective therapy or a maybe small negative risk (which usually has solutions available if it happens) from increasing the minimum pressure???

Let's see...which is worse...AHI of 10 and 80% of it is OAs or a little bit of aerophagia from a minor increase in the minimum pressure that brings the AHI down to say 3 with the same 80% OAs?????

I pick number 3 my lord...bring the AHI down to 3 with the same 80% OAs



Pugsy, I know that you're very careful with giving advise...there's no question about that.
My point was that not everyone has access to you, PR and to other knowledgeable members here on this board...oh, and let's not forget Zonker, of course!
And truth be told, I didn't say anything about raising the pressure could hurt anyone.
I said, I don't know.

[zonker]

Pugsy, I know that you're very careful with giving advise...there's no question about that.
My point was that not everyone has access to you, PR and to other knowledgeable members here on this board...oh, and let's not forget Zonker, of course!
And truth be told, I didn't say anything about raising the pressure could hurt anyone.
I said, I don't know.

meerkat.gif

shockedkoala.jpg

notworthy.gif

[Pugsy]

And truth be told, I didn't say anything about raising the pressure could hurt anyone.
I said, I don't know.

I know you didn't say that and didn't mean for you to think that I thought that.
I was merely thinking out loud when I came up with those choices. Wasn't meant to be directed at you...just thinking and musing out loud.
Sorry if you misunderstood my thoughts and felt I was chastising you or something like that.
I guess I should have made it more clear that I was sort of talking to everyone after agreeing with you about what you said.
My bad.
I don't know why people have such a hard time reading my mind.

[turbo]

I don't know why people have such a hard time reading my mind.

Ok, how's this for reading your mind?