Newbie here with a ramp question

Newly diagnosed, and just picked up my machine two days ago. Doc prescribed a pressure setting of 10 with 30-minute ramp. The therapist (she was awesome!) set the machine to start at 5, with the autoramp feature ON, so it wouldn't start to ramp up until I was asleep. First night was fine . . . it took me over 40 minutes to fall asleep, but the level stayed at 5 while I was awake. Last night (second night), within 5-7 minutes of startup, the machine would quickly ramp up to a pressure of 10 over a period of 2-3 minutes. Several times I started over, only to have the same thing happen again. Finally I changed the ramp feature from auto to 45 minutes and was able to fall asleep that way.

Any ideas what I've done to mess up the Auto Ramp feature?

Hi, your prescribed pressure is not an unusually high one by any means, and setting such a long time for it to be reached (using the ramp) does mean you're not fully treated for all that time. Most of us actually stop using the ramp altogether within a few days unless our scripted pressure is very high or we're particularly sensitive to any pressure. I would suggest that you possibly lower the time setting by a fair amount and try to relax, go to sleep without continuously resetting the ramp downward, essentially starting its climb over again. I bet you can get used to the air 'blast' quickly if you try and eventually lower and/or get off the ramp entirely in future. It may seem like a hurdle now, but I think you could overcome it soon if you allow it to happen, you won't be blasted out of bed and will be fully treated much sooner.

Do you have the manual that came with the machine? Or you can find it online.

When ramp is set to Auto, the device will detect when you have fallen asleep and the automatically rise to the prescribed treatment pressure. You can either change it to manual and pick a set time. Or, adjust up your starting pressure to 6 or 7 and your jump up to 10 won't seem so noticeable. Many of us find a setting of 5 uncomfortable, like we are starving for air.

Sorry, Cardsfan, I guess I didn't explain properly. The ramp was initially set to Auto, but behaved as is it was detecting that I was asleep when I really wasn't. (Still had the light on while reading.)

Cardsfan wrote:Do you have the manual that came with the machine? Or you can find it online.

When ramp is set to Auto, the device will detect when you have fallen asleep and the automatically rise to the prescribed treatment pressure. You can either change it to manual and pick a set time. Or, adjust up your starting pressure to 6 or 7 and your jump up to 10 won't seem so noticeable. Many of us find a setting of 5 uncomfortable, like we are starving for air.

I use the ramp maybe the first couple of days and now I can't stay on the ramp it feels like you are starving for air. I have been on CPAP now about six years.

Roger

The machine does not know if you are awake or asleep. It is responding to your breathing patterns. The sensation of a gust of air will go away after a few days. Your body adjusts to it.
Are you asking if something is wrong with the machine?

This is what auto ramp is supposed to do from your Clinical Manual and here is a link to the manual. https://sleep.tnet.com/home/files/resme ... -guide.pdf

In CPAP mode, the pressure increases from a low pressure (Start Pressure) to the prescribed
treatment pressure.
Ramp Time can be set to Off, 5 to 45 minutes or Auto. When Ramp Time is set to Auto, the device
will detect sleep onset and then gradually increase from the start pressure to the minimum
treatment pressure at a rate of 1 cm H2O per minute. However, if sleep onset is not detected, the
device will reach the target pressure within 30 minutes.

Yes, Cardsfan and Okydoky, I'm trying to figure out why the machine isn't behaving like the book says it should. I got into bed with everything in place, the machine started up (with Ramp set to Auto) and I started reading a book. Within 5 minutes I could feel the pressure increasing, checked the display, and it was moving through 7.2, 7.3, 7.4 . . . and hit 10 within two minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable, it wasn't scary, it's just not what's supposed to happen with Ramp set to Auto. The only thing I can figure is that my breathing was so regular it mimicked sleep.

Well it does state stable breathing indicates patient has fallen asleep. So maybe you fooled it.

Hopeful50 wrote:Yes, Cardsfan and Okydoky, I'm trying to figure out why the machine isn't behaving like the book says it should. I got into bed with everything in place, the machine started up (with Ramp set to Auto) and I started reading a book. Within 5 minutes I could feel the pressure increasing, checked the display, and it was moving through 7.2, 7.3, 7.4 . . . and hit 10 within two minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable, it wasn't scary, it's just not what's supposed to happen with Ramp set to Auto. The only thing I can figure is that my breathing was so regular it mimicked sleep.

The whole idea is to get to sleep with your XPAP providing the needed treatment to hold your airway open as you sleep. Your watching and playing with your XPAP, instead of just using it, make the ramp counterproductive for treatment.

Many find the ramp uncessary, for them it just one more distraction. Jim

Many just turn the ramp off and never use it.

When I first started treatment, I had my ramp set on 45 minutes, but I found I would lay awake until it came up to full pressure. After a few days, I decided to just turn the ramp off and haven't used it since.

Hopeful50 wrote:Any ideas what I've done to mess up the Auto Ramp feature?

autoramp works by looking at your breathing pattern and making a calculated guess as to whether you're awake or asleep.

you must have been breathing in such a manner that the machine thought you were asleep, at which point it starts increasing pressure by one cm per minute till it gets to your prescribed pressure.

Hopeful50 wrote:It wasn't uncomfortable, it wasn't scary,

then ignore it and let it do its thing.