Adapt with ASV

I think I have figured out why my machine did not react to the decline in my breathing as it should. During ramp mode the ASV does not increase pressure at all. Once ramp time has ended and the machine is working at its desired pressure, it then starts to work in the way it is supposed to i.e increase pressure when it senses the user not breathing.

Anyways....... I have not slept that great last night and tonight. The reason being is that I increased my ramp pressure by .5 because last night I felt as if I was suffocating and that the added pressure I made would cease the suffocation feeling. It has, now I just can not fall asleep. Do I need a couple of days to adjust to this new setting?

Falling asleep was at first fairly moderate in difficulty. However it is upon waking up that is the problem. It seems that my brain wont click me into dream mode and I just lay there thinking but not actually falling asleep. Sometimes I stop breathing so the machine would pump in air which makes falling asleep even harder due to the increase of pressure AND the continual flunctuation of pressure that precedes after that (I stop breathing > Increase pressure to 10 > lowers pressure to five for exhalation > increase pressure to 8 > lowers pressure to five for exhalation > increase pressure to 7.5 and so on..) Can anyone help me on what is going on? I have only slept for 3 hours

How many days have you been on it?

What machine do you have? Your equipment profile suggests PR, but "Adapt" in your subject line would be ResMed.

My machine is a System One 50 series Auto BiPAP ASV Advanced

I have been on it for nearly a month already. I have gotten used to it but last two days I have felt like I was starting to suffocate

I would agree with our resident expert on all things ASV -JohnBFisher- that it takes 2 to 3 months to acclimate. This is my 5th month, and I still find myself fighting the breathing rate. I breathe at 15.5 awake and it tries to push me up to 18 and higher. If I don't fall immediately to sleep, (don't generally) I end up working to slow down the rate.
But I usually get between 1 event a night up to near 1 AHI for usual max these days. That's a huge improvement, especially on the centrals.

sleepinow wrote:... Falling asleep was at first fairly moderate in difficulty. However it is upon waking up that is the problem. ...

Remember that everyone keeps saying that during the sleep state transitions (to and from sleep) we ALL tend to have some central apneas. Unfortunately, for someone with central apneas enough to require an ASV unit, some is generally a LOT. Trust me, I know how you feel.

sleepinow wrote:... It seems that my brain wont click me into dream mode and I just lay there thinking but not actually falling asleep. Sometimes I stop breathing so the machine would pump in air which makes falling asleep even harder due to the increase of pressure AND the continual flunctuation of pressure that precedes after that (I stop breathing > Increase pressure to 10 > lowers pressure to five for exhalation > increase pressure to 8 > lowers pressure to five for exhalation > increase pressure to 7.5 and so on..) Can anyone help me on what is going on? I have only slept for 3 hours ...

I wish I had some magic dust I could sprinkle onto you that would get you past the next two months. You now have fewer problems when you are just starting to fall asleep. But if you awaken and "drift" in and out of sleep you still have problems. As you drift in and out of sleep your breathing goes through several apneas and your unit just knows that it needs to do its job and help regulate your breathing. That's what is happening. Your unit is doing its job.

Unfortunately, this still feels "unnatural" to you and the ASV therapy awakens you. But in another two months you won't even notice it .. well not nearly as much at least. Look, even after about four years I find that I still sometimes have a fight with my unit. BUT .. I know that when that happens it's time to mentally "relax" and just allow the unit to do its job. And "poof" the next think I know, I'm awakening wondering where I am!

But it all takes time for YOU to adjust to the ASV therapy. It will happen. But it will take another month or two before you hardly notice it. When it does happen again, just try to relax and think about pleasant things and not worry about the unit doing its job. Pretty soon you'll find that you too can drift back asleep.

Hope that helps.