New User M- Series Questions

[ABC]

I have been using a machine for about 12 days. I get about 4 hours sleep on the machine a night if any at all.

I was titrated at 10.5 I set my M-series at 6.5 to 11.0 APAP for the range.

My 7 day AH Index is 15.5 and has not changed much. My leak rate is normal.

When I was getting uses to the machine (waking time) I wore it watching TV. Without ever sleeping with the machine I checked the data. The AH index was about 28.0 How can the machine find an apnea when you are awake. It has come down since sleeping to 15.5 for seven days. It does not seem to be dropping any more.

I have an extremely hard time getting to sleep on the machine. I have the humidifier set to five but I have a dry mouth all day and it si hardly enough so the dry air makes it harder to sleep.

Any advice on where I am at. I see the doctor next week.

[JeffH]

I'd turn the bottom side up to at least 9.5. You might want to turn the top side up to 12. You have it set way too low IMHO.

BTW, I'm not a doc, so take this for what it's worth.

JeffH

[Goofproof]

You need to take the time and fill in your complete profile including pressures. I would guess you are using a nasal interface and mouthbreathing. Better results would be obtained with the use of software to collect and revue your data. Your machine can be reset daily to see data not in avg's., but it a pain. Jim

If you mouthbreath, you need to be taping, or use a FF mask. Data is only reliable when you are sleeping.

[Wulfman]

ABC,

I agree with JeffH.....your bottom pressure is way too low. I would recommend the pressure range of 10 - 12......then see how that does for awhile. I would guess that you've got too many "events" happening before the pressure can get up there to take care of them. The data is not the same when you're awake as when you're sleeping. It's a more accurate representation when you're sleeping.

Den

[ABC]

Thank you for the information. I am a mouth breather and thus the full face mask. I will up the pressures for the APAP as you recommended. I found higher pressures harder to tolerate when I was trying to get to sleep.

I though that the m-series APAP would respond much faster to an apnea. Is it that slow? I set the ramp at 6.5 for 35 minutes. Doesn't the ramp up the pressure a little at a time for the specified time until it gets to the set pressure? I don't think it stays at the start until the time is up. Am I correct.

I have the humidifier set on five but still have too dry a mouth. My mouth tends to be a little dry all the time. Without some help with a pill it is almost impossible to get to sleep.

I had an AH Index of 30 on my sleep study.

[Snoredog]

I have been using a machine for about 12 days. I get about 4 hours sleep on the machine a night if any at all.

I was titrated at 10.5 I set my M-series at 6.5 to 11.0 APAP for the range.

My 7 day AH Index is 15.5 and has not changed much. My leak rate is normal.

When I was getting uses to the machine (waking time) I wore it watching TV. Without ever sleeping with the machine I checked the data. The AH index was about 28.0 How can the machine find an apnea when you are awake. It has come down since sleeping to 15.5 for seven days. It does not seem to be dropping any more.

I have an extremely hard time getting to sleep on the machine. I have the humidifier set to five but I have a dry mouth all day and it si hardly enough so the dry air makes it harder to sleep.

Any advice on where I am at. I see the doctor next week.

Dry Mouth: Dry mouth is normal when you are a newbie, it will pass with time but you can help it out in the mean time rinsing before bed with BIOTENE mouthwash. It can be found at any grocery store in mouthwash section. It will help you maintain saliva until your saliva glands compensate for the change due to the machine use.

If the incoming air temp is too cold, turning up the humdifier will do very little if anything in warming the incoming air. Increase the temp in the room or use a aussie heated hose to warm the incoming air is the smarter move.

Increasing the Auto:Min pressure is NOT going to make it easier for you to fall asleep, leaving the Min pressure lower will make that easier. But you need to determine if it is too low or you have your Humidifier up too HIGH. I have never used 5 and I live in the dryer parts of the country. Turn humidifier up too high and it will cause nasal congestion and air will feel stuffy, suggest using no higher than setting #2 (see BIOTENE above).

It could be the pressure is increasing before you get to sleep this could make it more difficult (again, increasing the Auto:Min would not change this either).

Check your machine settings yourself, never rely on a DME or RT to set your machine up, always confirm it yourself. If you have the M series check the settings below and setup the "Auto:Ramp" feature. The settings below will increase your bottom pressure BUT still give you an Auto:Ramp feature, this way you can fall asleep under lower pressure and hopefully once you are asleep it will increase and take over with autopap say after 30-minutes (recommended). IF you are still awake after 30-minutes, you can push the Ramp button again and it will drop the pressure.

How the settings below should work:

1. Put on mask, lay down, machine should start automatically, if not push the On button.
2. IF starting 7.0cm pressure is too high, press the Ramp button. This will drop the pressure to 6.5cm for 30-minutes.

NOTE: During this 30-minute period the machine will NOT respond to ANY SDB events. If you find yourself having an apnea and gasping for air, do NOT use the Ramp.

3. After the 30 minute Ramp period has elapsed the machine will switch to autotitration mode at 7.0cm pressure and increase as needed from there. If you are still awake during this time, you can press the RAMP button and drop pressure back to 6.5cm where the timer starts again.

1. You need to determine if current 6.5 starting pressure is high enough (settings below increase it to 7.0cm). If too low, it will feel stuffy and you will labor to breathe normally. Breathing should be free and natural.

2. You have only been on therapy for 12 days. Having difficulty falling asleep is completely NORMAL and all part of getting used to wearing the mask where you feel comfortable with it and can sleep. If you can only use it 2hrs a night, so be it, put the mask on the nightstand and sleep on your side or stomach. Next night try to use it a bit longer. It takes the avg. person 4-6 Weeks to get used to using the machine every night.

3. Dry mouth: Dry mouth is also common when starting out on cpap (so are a few sore throats). That will go away, you can try the mouthwash BIOTENE. It will help with dry mouth. If you are already using a Full Face mask that is about all you can do. Eventually your salivary glands adjust to the change.

4. Cflex: People have a tendency to turn this up too high thinking it offers more relief. It is more a "comfort" setting, I suggest trying #2 and leaving it there for 30 minutes or more before tying another setting. Set it too high a setting and it will feel like you are hyperventilating. It should feel natural.

=============Setup Mode======================
1. Hold down the (<-) (->) buttons while plugging in the power on the back,
wait for 2 beeps or 5 seconds, release buttons.
2. Press the (+) key to enter Setup.

Navigation:
- (<-) / (->) buttons move to next field
- (-) / (+) keys decrement/increment field values.
============Available Values===================
Check the following field(s):

-Therapy Mode=Auto (CPAP/Auto)

-Auto:Max=12 (default=20.0cm)

-Auto:Min=7 (default=4.0cm)

-CFlex Setting=2 (options are off, 1, 2 or 3)

-AutoRamp Time=30 (options are 05 to 45 min)

-AutoRamp Pressure=6.5cm (4cm->AutoMin)

-Mask Alert Feature=ON (On/Off)

-Auto Off Feature=Off (On/off)

-Split Night Time = Off (off, 120, 180, 240)

-Show AHI/Leak Feature=ON (On/Off)

Press On/Off button to exit.

==========Resetting LCD Display Data=========================
To reset LCD Therapy data (does NOT erase any data from SmartCard):

1. Hold down the (<-) (->) buttons while plugging in the power on the back,
wait for 2 beeps or 5 seconds, release buttons.
2. Press the (->) key and navigate to Therapy screen.
3. Press and HOLD down the (-) minus key for 5 seconds, therapy data will reset to Zero.
4. Press the (->) key to scroll back to main menu, press (+) key to enter Setup or
On/Off button to exit.

[Guest]

ah the joys of admitted self-titraton... LOL