what is a titration

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
FLIGHTYONE
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what is a titration

Post by FLIGHTYONE » Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:11 pm

my doctor has be schedule to do a titration starting friday and for 5 days, What is it, I didnt know I was doing this till the DME called to make the appt


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cflame1
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Post by cflame1 » Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:27 pm

The "and for 5 days" leads me to believe that they are putting you on an Autopap for a period of time... trying to find out if your pressure is right or not.

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ozij
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Post by ozij » Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:03 am

The word "titration" comes from chemical labs - its a actually a term to describe "adding a little bit to see its effects, subtracting a little bit to see its effects until you come the right amount".

For sleep apnea its raising the pressure a bit lowering it a bit, till the right pressure is found.

The can be done in a sleep lab with a technicians doing the titrating or with an automatic machine.

I agree with cflame1 - the doc. probable wants you to have and a self adjusting machine for those days.

O.

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rested gal
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Post by rested gal » Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:35 am

Flightyone, if the DME gives you an "autopap" to do an at home titration for 5 days, get the DME to let you try the machine out while the DME is present with you. Breathe with the mask and machine for at least a couple of minutes. If the beginning pressure feels stifling to you...feels like you need "more air"... ask the DME to raise the minimum pressure until it feels ok to you.

If the DME says he/she can't do that without an order from the doctor, ask the DME to call the doctor's office right then and there to ask if the minimum pressure can be raised a cm or two. Have the doctor's phone number handy to make it easy for the DME to call the doctor while the DME is still there with you.

Most doctors order the auto-titrating machine to be set "wide open" 4 - 20 (minimum pressure set at 4, maximum pressure set at 20.) A low pressure of 4 can feel like "not enough air" while breathing through a mask. Might not bother you, but you really need to try it for a few minutes to be sure whatever the low pressure is set at feels comfortable to you. Many people find 5 or 6 as the minimum pressure to be more comfortable than 4.
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track
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Post by track » Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:31 am

Rested Gal......In my case I know what the results would be but I don't see where it gives a titration number that will eliminate apnea events. For me, the pressure is going to shoot up to 12 or 13 and stay there most of the night. It doesn't mean though that all the hypos and apneas are going to disappear....probably get me somewhere between 5 and 8 AHI with AI between 1-2.5.


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