best results with set pressure

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jootee
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best results with set pressure

Post by jootee » Sun Jul 27, 2014 2:20 pm

Hi, I recently received an s9 autoset. Prior to this I had a cpap loaner set at 10.5 pressure. When I got my machine I set it as 9-13. The first night my ahi was 4 (a good reading for me) the next night was 7, then10, then 13 up every day. Well That wasn't working so I tightened it to 10-12 and my reading didn't improve. Last night I set it to cpap mode at 10.4 and I had ahi of 4. Do some people do better at a cpap set mode? Why would I get such poor results the other way?

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Julie
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Re: best results with set pressure

Post by Julie » Sun Jul 27, 2014 2:30 pm

If you mouth breathe once asleep (and lots of us do it, especially on our backs where we shouldn't really be as it encourages lots more apneas) you lose therapy air that should be going down your airway - and raising your pressure makes it worse of course. IF there's even a chance you fit in here, you need to consider trying full face masks instead of nasal ones... look at the large and least expensive variety on Cpap.com (who host this forum). I don't work for them, but it's a good place to check out all possibilities - pix, graphs, reviews, etc.

FFMs allow you to breathe with your mouth open but not lose therapy air... and they're more effective than chin straps which can't keep your lips closed.

jootee
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Re: best results with set pressure

Post by jootee » Sun Jul 27, 2014 2:39 pm

Some of these night were a ff mask. The best results were last night and that was with nasal pillows.

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chunkyfrog
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Re: best results with set pressure

Post by chunkyfrog » Sun Jul 27, 2014 2:41 pm

jootee wrote:Hi, I recently received an s9 autoset. Prior to this I had a cpap loaner set at 10.5 pressure. When I got my machine I set it as 9-13. The first night my ahi was 4 (a good reading for me) the next night was 7, then10, then 13 up every day. Well That wasn't working so I tightened it to 10-12 and my reading didn't improve. Last night I set it to cpap mode at 10.4 and I had ahi of 4. Do some people do better at a cpap set mode? Why would I get such poor results the other way?
Yes, some people do. It's why Apaps will run both ways. As long as you are comfortable, the apap function is still there to confirm your pressure needs once in a while.

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flyingwithoutwings
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Re: best results with set pressure

Post by flyingwithoutwings » Sun Jul 27, 2014 6:51 pm

I had mine set at 8-11 but last month I set it to straight 8 and have been sleeping great ever since. On most days my AHI is <2 and some days <1 which I never got with APAP. Some of us are just made that way.
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BlowingWithTheWind
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Re: best results with set pressure

Post by BlowingWithTheWind » Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:36 pm

Can't speak for anyone else but my Dr. set the pressure at 10. Tried that for a month with good results (AHI < 3). Decided to try a 9-12 pressure and my AHI went up to > 5. Decided to move it back to CPAP mode at 10 and all is good.

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Pugsy
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Re: best results with set pressure

Post by Pugsy » Sun Jul 27, 2014 7:59 pm

For some people the auto adjusting pressure mode simply doesn't give a person good sleep quality. Some people find that the slightest pressure change through the night is a disruptive factor and maybe causes awakenings/arousals that they may or may not remember. APAP mode isn't for everyone. Some people do better on fixed cpap mode or maybe apap mode with tiny range.
Some people can sleep quite well through any amount of change though. Sometimes sleeping through the change is a better alternative than to have to use a much higher pressure all night long.

I always wonder about the AHI breakdown into categories when I see people say their AHI is higher in APAP mode. Makes me wonder if there are a number of centrals getting flagged that might be related to post arousal state/SWJ (sleep/wake/junk) or sleep stage transition which themselves aren't alarming but the disrupted sleep that goes along with it would of course be unwanted.

Me...I do better with auto adjusting pressures. Always have and I never know about the pressure changes until I see the report.
With APAP mode I can use 10 min and 20 max and sleep right through the changes to 18 or 19 cm that I would see often in probably REM stage sleep. For me it's a much better alternative than to use 18 cm all night just to cover those REM pressure needs.
I am lucky in that what I need works well for me. Even now with the S9 Adapt I often see pressures reported up to around 22 cm but I sleep like a baby right through them. Never have any idea how the night went in terms of pressures until I see a report.

But not everyone is like me and it isn't uncommon at all for sleep/therapy to be "better" with fixed pressures for some people.
Everything about CPAP/APAP/Bilevel therapy comes with a big YMMV sticker...Everything.
Whatever works for the individual is what is important. Not what works for me or someone else.

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